Iran opens first phase of largest solar power plant in Isfahan
Iran has opened the first phase of its largest solar power plant as part of a major government programme to expand renewable energy capacity....
The EU rejects calls to weaken car CO2 rules, emphasizing climate goals despite automaker pressures and EPP's push for relief on 2025 emission limits.
The European Commission is not considering changing Europe's policies to cut CO2 emissions from cars, despite a push from the EU's biggest political group to weaken the laws, the bloc's climate policy chief told Reuters on Thursday.
The centre-right European People's Party - the European Parliament's biggest lawmaker group - launched a campaign this week to weaken the climate rules, adding to pressure on Brussels from automakers and national governments to urgently help Europe's ailing autos sector.
Asked whether he was now considering changing the car CO2 rules, European Union climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said he was not.
"No. The answer is no," he told Reuters on the sidelines of an industry event in Brussels.
Hoekstra, like European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, is part of the EPP political group.
Europe's car sector is in turmoil, with thousands of jobs on the line as it struggles with weak demand, Chinese competition and lower than expected electric vehicle sales.
Brussels has said the climate rules are needed to meet Europe's legally-binding emissions goals, and they provide a predictable investment environment for European companies.
The main demand of the EPP is that automakers are given relief from 2025 CO2 limits, which many are expected to miss.
European automaker association ACEA has said the industry potentially faces 15 billion euros ($15.8 billion) of fines for failing to meet the 2025 targets, which it says would divert money from investments.
Hoekstra has previously played down such concerns, noting carmakers' far lower fines for missing 2020 EU emissions targets. Volkswagen then faced penalties exceeding 100 million euros.
The EPP suggests using a three-year average to count automakers' compliance with next year's CO2 limits - allowing them to miss next year's targets and dodge fines if they catch up in 2026 and 2027.
A series of earthquakes have struck Guatemala on Tuesday afternoon, leading authorities to advise residents to evacuate from buildings as a precaution against possible aftershocks.
A deadly mass shooting early on Monday (7 July) in Philadelphia's Grays Ferry neighbourhood left three men dead and nine others wounded, including teenagers, as more than 100 shots were fired.
Australian researchers have created a groundbreaking “biological AI” platform that could revolutionise drug discovery by rapidly evolving molecules within mammalian cells.
Dozens of international and domestic flights were cancelled or delayed after Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupted on Monday, but Bali’s main airport remains operational.
French member of parliament Olivier Marleix was found dead at his home on Monday, with suicide being considered a possible cause.
EBRD stated that Ukraine urgently needs new generation capacity after Russian attacks severely damaged its power sector, creating a significant shortfall in electricity generation. In response, the bank announced the launch of the Ukraine Renewable Energy Risk Mitigation Mechanism.
Azerbaijan intends to bring ten wind and solar plants online by 2027 and channel about $2.7 billion into clean-energy projects, lifting renewables to one-third of its generating capacity and positioning the Caspian state as a new supplier of green electricity to Europe.
Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s state-owned renewable energy company, and Iberdrola, one of the world’s largest energy firms, have signed two major agreements as part of their €15 billion (almost $17.6 bn) alliance to expand offshore wind and green hydrogen projects in the UK, Germany, and the United States.
A searing heat wave sweeping in from Western Europe has gripped Greece, prompting emergency measures as temperatures soar across the country.
At the 17th Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Summit on 4 July in Khankendi in Azerbaijan, expressed support to the bid by the Republic of Türkiye to host COP31 in 2026. Antalya has been proposed as host city for COP31.
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