US cancels $590 million contract with Moderna for bird flu shot

Washington (AFP) – US President Donald Trump's administration on Wednesday canceled a $590 million contract with Moderna to develop an avian flu vaccine, the US biotech company said.


Issued on: 29/05/2025 -

The Moderna, Inc. logo is displayed during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada, on January 5, 2023 © Patrick T. Fallon / AFP/File

It marked the latest move against vaccines by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who has spent decades promoting misinformation about immunization.

The contract, announced on January 17 -- three days before Trump took office -- was for an mRNA vaccine targeting the H5N1 influenza strain, which has been circulating in birds and cattle.

Experts have warned the virus could jump to humans and spark a pandemic.

American pharmaceutical and biotechnology company Moderna disclosed the news as it announced positive results from an early stage clinical trial of 300 people designed to test safety and immune response.

"While the termination of funding from HHS adds uncertainty, we are pleased by the robust immune response and safety profile observed in this interim analysis of the Phase 1/2 study of our H5 avian flu vaccine and we will explore alternative paths forward for the program," said CEO Stephane Bancel in a statement.

"These clinical data in pandemic influenza underscore the critical role mRNA technology has played as a countermeasure to emerging health threats."

The statement added Moderna would "explore alternatives" for funding the development and manufacturing of the vaccine.

Dr. Ashish Jha, a public health expert who served as former president Joe Biden's Covid-19 response coordinator, reacted with dismay.

"The attack on mRNA vaccines is beyond absurd," he posted on X. "It was President Trump's Operation Warp Speed that gave us mRNA vaccines."

© 2025 AFP

Bird flu cases spreading faster and with greater impacts - report

Avian influenza is no longer just an animal health issue, with rising mammal cases and severe ecosystem, trade, and food security impacts as outbreaks become more widespread and impact a broader range of species, a new report shows.

Copyright MARIUS NEMES/AP

By Marta Iraola Iribarren
Published on 23/05/2025 

Bird flu instances affecting mammals doubled in 2024 compared to the previous year - up to 1,022 outbreaks compared to 459 - and are having greater impacts, according to a new report on the global state of animal health by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).

During the same period, 943 outbreaks were reported in poultry, alongside 2,570 outbreaks in non-poultry species, including 1,548 among wild birds. These incidents led to the loss of over 82.1 million poultry.

Over the past two decades, more than 633 million birds have been lost either through infection or culling as part of efforts to contain the virus.

“A notable development in 2024 was the increase in HPAI outbreaks in mammals,” the report notes. It also highlights that avian influenza is no longer a seasonal or regional issue, as cases have been reported globally since 2022. The virus has affected new species of wild birds, domestic poultry, and an increasing number of mammal species, including livestock and pets.

WOAH warns that avian influenza has evolved beyond an animal health crisis into a global emergency, threatening agriculture, food security, trade, and ecosystems.

Risk for human health

In some cases, the virus has spilled over into humans, raising concerns about its potential to develop into a broader public health crisis.

The situation is particularly worrying in the United States, where a bird flu outbreak among poultry and dairy cattle has led to 67 confirmed human cases and one death.

In Europe, there have been no human infections and no reports of the virus in cattle. The genotype currently circulating in the US has not been detected in Europe, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

While the risk of human infection remains low, the WOAH warns that as more mammalian species become infected, the likelihood of the virus adapting to enable mammal-to-mammal and potentially human transmission increases.
Broad consequences not only for birds

In addition to the devastating impact on poultry, bird flu is causing unprecedented mass die-offs in wild bird populations, disrupting ecosystems and threatening biodiversity, the report shows.

“As integral components of ecosystem stability, the loss of biodiversity causes cascading effects that compromise environmental resilience and global wildlife conservation,” it reads, adding that biodiversity alteration at this scale also affects migration patterns and food chains.

According to the animal health organisation, seabirds, raptors and waterfowl have suffered catastrophic losses, with entire breeding colonies wiped out.

Further consequences of the global spread of avian flu include disruption to international trade, as outbreaks often trigger strict commercial restrictions.

One example is the current suspension of Brazil’s poultry exports to the European Union after the country notified the WOAH of a bird flu outbreak.

As of 19 May, the country lost its status of ‘free of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)’ which means Brazilian authorities are unable to sign the animal health certificates required for exports to the EU.

Are vaccines the solution?

The WOAH’s report states that “the scale and complexity of this ongoing epizootic require urgent action beyond traditional control measures”.

What are these traditional measures? Strict biosecurity and active surveillance have been the main strategies to date. While these have been effective to some extent, the organisation warns that the virus’s relentless spread demands additional efforts.

Vaccination may offer a solution or at least serve as a valuable complement to traditional measures, as vaccines can reduce not only the spread of outbreaks but also the severity of infections.

In October 2023, France became the first EU country to roll out a nationwide vaccination campaign against bird flu in ducks, due to their key role in disease transmission.

According to the report, this initiative helped reduce the number of outbreaks from a projected 700 to just 10.

In addition to animal vaccines, some countries have started vaccination among people at risk of contracting bird flu, such as poultry farm workers.

Last year, the European Commission, purchased 665,000 pre-pandemic vaccine doses targeting avian influenza and took an option for 40 million doses over the next four years, in preparation for a potential future spread to humans.

Finland was the first country to receive the shipment after reporting becoming the first country in the world to start vaccinating humans.

Thousands to evacuate as Canada's Manitoba province declares wildfire emergency


Ottawa (AFP) – More than 17,000 people in Canada's western Manitoba province were being evacuated on Wednesday as the region experienced its worst start to a wildfire season in years.

Issued on: 29/05/2025

Earlier this month, two residents of the small community of Lac du Bonnet died after being trapped in a major wildfire northeast of Winnipeg 

© Handourt / Manitoba Government/AFP


"The Manitoba government has declared a province-wide state of emergency due to the wildfire situation," Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew told a news conference.

"This is the largest evacuation Manitoba will have seen in most people's living memory," he said.

Kinew said he asked Prime Minister Mark Carney to send in the Canadian military to help with the evacuations and firefighting.

Military aircraft, Kinew said, would be deployed "imminently" to help move people out of endangered remote northern communities to safety, along with additional firefighting resources.


The evacuations include the town of Flin Flon, where 5,000 residents were told earlier to get ready to flee on a moment's notice as a major wildfire bore down on the mining town named after a fictional character in a 1905 paperback novel.

Residents of several other remote towns and Indigenous communities have also now been told to leave.

Most of the evacuees are expected to be transported to the Manitoba capital of Winnipeg.

'Flames 121 feet high'

Evacuee Sheryl Matheson told AFP the wildfires had surrounded her small town of Sherridon, northeast of Flin Flon.

"It's been overwhelming," said the owner of a fishing lodge. "It was very smokey. You could see the fires four or five kilometers away and moving fast."

"The flames were shooting over 121 feet high and firefighters couldn't get close enough to the fire to do anything."

Elsaida Alerta told public broadcaster CBC she was having "major anxiety" as she and her family readied to leave Flin Flon, where she has lived for three years.

"Especially for somebody that lived in a big city (previously), that never had to evacuate, this is definitely nerve-wracking," she said.

The only highway out of Flin Flon still open was jammed with traffic and local petrol stations had run out of gasoline, she said.

"We basically gathered all our essential things, important documents, medications and, you know, things that our animals will need," she said.

"We're just gonna make our way and hope for the best."

'Changing climate'

Premier Kinew said the widespread nature of the fires was cause for alarm.

"For the first time, it's not a fire in one region, we have fires in every region. That is a sign of a changing climate that we are going to have to adapt to," Kinew said.

Twenty-two wildfires were active in the province.

Nearly 200,000 hectares of forests have been scorched in just the past month, or triple the annual average over the previous five years, Kirstin Hayward of the Manitoba wildfire service said.

"Manitoba has the highest fire activity in Canada so far this year, due in part to a prolonged period of warm and dry conditions," she said.

Climate change has increased the impact of extreme weather events in Canada.

About 1,000 residents of Lynn Lake and Marcel Colomb First Nation in Manitoba and 4,000 people from the northern village of Pelican Narrows and other communities in neighboring Saskatchewan had already been evacuated earlier in the week.

A firefighter was also severely injured when he was struck by a falling tree while battling blazes. He was being treated in hospital, Kinew said.

The Manitoba premier said emergency shelters were being set up and companies and communities across the province were being asked to "open your doors" to displaced residents.

Earlier this month, two residents of the small community of Lac du Bonnet died after being trapped in a major wildfire northeast of Winnipeg.

In 2023, the worst wildfire season in the country's history, the only recorded deaths were among firefighters.

There are currently 134 active fires across Canada, including in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario. Half are considered out of control.

 

Swiss villages on high alert after glacier collapse and landslide buries Blatten

Copyright AP Photo

By Abby Chitty with AP, EBU

Published on 30/05/2025

Focus has now shifted to the safety of those living near the Lonza River, which the regional government warns could flood as a result of dammed water flows caused by debris.

Authorities in southern Switzerland are on high alert as concerns grow over potential flooding along the Lonza River following the collapse of the Birch Glacier earlier this week.

A massive avalanche of rock and ice swept down into the Lötschental valley, burying much of the Alpine village of Blatten under mud and debris. Officials report that 90% of the village has been destroyed.

The collapse caused debris to fill the bed of the Lonza River, creating a dam and causing a lake to form upstream. Officials warn that if the dam gives way, the resulting surge could flood communities downstream.

Authorities have begun dismantling pedestrian bridges and reinforcing critical infrastructure to prepare for possible flooding in Gampel and residents have been advised to arrange emergency accommodation in case of evacuation.

"I didn't sleep last night," one woman told reporters. "We were constantly waiting - if something happens, we have to go."

A pedestrian bridge preventively closed over the Lonza river after mud and rock slides, in Gampel-Steg.Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP

To mitigate the risk, authorities have emptied the Ferden dam downstream, hoping it can absorb some of the potential overflow if there is a breach.

The Swiss army has been deployed to the region but is currently unable to conduct ground operations due to ongoing instability.

In Blatten, the devastation is extensive. Aerial footage shows homes submerged in thick mud, with roads and structures either buried or swept away.

Authorities had evacuated more than 300 people, as well as livestock, from Blatten village as a precaution earlier this month, but one man remains missing following the incident.

However, local police say the search and rescue operation has been temporarily suspended because of falling debris.

President Karin Keller-Sutter visited the region earlier on Friday.

Switzerland monitoring for flood risk after huge glacier collapse

Geneva (AFP) – Swiss authorities were on Thursday monitoring for possible flood risk in a southern valley, following a massive glacier collapse that created a huge pile of debris after destroying a small village.


Issued on: 29/05/2025

Authorities warned of serious risk of an ice jam after the Birch Glacier collapsed and partially destroyed Swiss Alpine village © FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP

On Wednesday the Birch glacier in Switzerland's southern Wallis region collapsed, sending tons of rock, ice and scree hurtling down the mountain slope and into the valley below.

The barrage largely destroyed the hamlet of Blatten, which had been home to 300 people and was evacuated last week due to the impending danger.

One person, a man aged 64, believed in the affected zone at the time, remained reported missing.

On Thursday authorities declared a local state of emergency as they monitor the situation after the huge pile of glacier debris, stretching some two kilometres (1.25 miles), blocked the river Lonza.


"There is a serious risk of an ice jam that could flood the valley below," Antoine Jacquod, a military security official, told the Keystone-ATS news agency.

"We're going to try to assess its dimensions today," added Jacquod.

With the area too unstable to approach, authorities said an assessment would be made at 6:00 pm (1600 GMT) from the nearby village of Ferden.

As a precaution, 16 people were evacuated late Wednesday from two villages located downstream from the disaster area.
'Not very stable'

"It's like a mountain, and of course, it creates a small lake that gets bigger and bigger," explained Raphael Mayoraz, the cantonal official in charge of natural hazard management, Wednesday evening.

An artificial dam was preemptively emptied to receive the water pushed back by the wall of ice, earth and rubble.

Were that water to overflow from the dam, authorities would need to consider evacuating the valley.

The Valais cantonal government has meanwhile asked the army to provide clearing equipment and pumps to secure the riverbed.

The extent of the landslip is seen from the nearby village of Ferden 

© FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP

"The deposit ... is not very stable, and debris flow is possible within the deposit itself (which) makes any intervention in the disaster area impossible for the time being," cantonal authorities stated, adding there was risk on both sides of the valley.
Seismic event

YouTube footage of the collapse showed a huge cloud of ice and rubble hurtling down the mountainside, into the valley, and partially up the mountain slope on the other side.

The force was such that Swiss monitoring stations registered the phenomenon as a seismic event.

According to Mayoraz, "three million cubic metres of rock fell suddenly onto the glacier, carrying it with them" down into the valley.

Warming temperatures have both shrunk the Alps' glaciers and have made them more unstable.

Swiss glaciers, severely impacted by climate change, melted as much in 2022 and 2023 as between 1960 and 1990, losing in total about 10 percent of their volume.

In late August 2017, approximately 3.1 million cubic meters of rock fell from Pizzo Cengalo, a mountain in the Alps in Graubuenden canton, near the Italian border, claiming the lives of eight hikers.

Some 500,000 cubic metres of rock and mud flowed as far as the town of Bondo, causing significant material damage but no casualties.

© 2025 AFP


In Switzerland, a glacier collapse destroys a village


Issued on: 29/05/2025

A huge mass of rock and ice from a glacier thundered down a Swiss Alpine mountainside on Wednesday, sending plumes of dust skyward and coating with mud nearly all of village in the valley below that authorities had evacuated earlier this month as a precaution

.

One missing as village largely destroyed in Swiss glacier collapse

Geneva (AFP) – A massive glacier collapse in the Swiss Alps on Wednesday largely destroyed the village of Blatten, with one person missing, authorities said.


Issued on: 28/05/2025 - 

Swiss glaciers melted as much in 2022 and 2023 as between 1960 and 1990 © Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP/File


The village in the Lotschental valley, home to 300 people, had been evacuated last week due to the impending danger.

The huge collapse on the Birch Glacier in Switzerland's southern Wallis region happened at around 3:30 pm.

Officials said the missing person, a 64-year-old man, was not one of the evacuated residents, and added that there were no known injuries.

"The unimaginable has happened," Blatten's president Matthias Bellwald told a press conference.

"We have lost our village, but not our hearts.

"Even though the village lies under a huge pile of rubble, we know where our homes and our church must be rebuilt," he added.

The glacier collapse had been expected for several days.

Footage posted on YouTube showed a huge cloud of ice and scree hurtling down the mountain slope and into the valley where the village is located. The mud and rockfall hit the houses.

"The worst-case scenario has occurred," said Raphael Mayoraz, head of the Wallis canton's Natural Hazards Service.

He said three million cubic metres of material had accumulated on the glacier, and then tumbled down into the valley.

"This is a very rare event," he said. "We don't know exactly what's still up there, but most of it has fallen."

Search and rescue effort

Swiss national broadcaster RTS aired drone footage showing the debris had subsumed and smashed buildings, and pushed homes into one another.

Wallis police said the missing 64-year-old man was a local resident who, according to their information, was in the area at the time of the incident.

A search and rescue operation was launched, with three rescue specialists airlifted to the scene, while a drone with a thermal imaging camera was also used.

"Despite significant efforts, the man has still not been found," police said.

Mayoraz said a blockage two kilometres long had formed in the valley floor, where the Lonza river flows, with a small lake growing behind it.

"It's like a small mountain," he said.

Though unlikely, a debris flow cannot be ruled out completely, he added.

"That's a risk we have to monitor," he said.

'Nature is stronger'

"It's terrible to lose your home. In these difficult times, my thoughts are with the residents of Blatten," Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter wrote on X.

Two of Switzerland's seven government ministers, defence and civil protection minister Martin Pfister and environment minister Albert Rosti, went to the valley.

Pfister called it a disaster of "striking proportions".

"We assure you of our support, today and in the weeks and probably years to come," he told the press conference, adding that the army was on its way.

Rosti said the government "will do everything possible to give Blatten a future, although it will take a lot of effort and time".

"Nature is stronger than humankind, as mountain dwellers know," he added.

A significant increase in activity was observed on the glacier from Tuesday night and intensified during Wednesday.

The Alps mountain range in Europe has seen its glaciers retreat in recent years due to warming that most scientists attribute to climate change.

Swiss glaciers, severely impacted by climate change, melted as much in 2022 and 2023 as between 1960 and 1990, losing in total about 10 percent of their volume.

© 2025 AFP

CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M

Nestlé under fire as Perrier sales collapse amid water scandal

Nestlé is facing mounting pressure as Perrier water sales have taken a nosedive, while a high-profile environmental case against the Swiss company has been postponed amid growing public scrutiny.

Issued on: 27/05/2025 - RFI

The Nestlé bottled water scandal is having an impact on the group's brands - particularly Perrier - with consumption of the sparkling water brand falling by 14 percent since January 2025. Getty Images via AFP - ARTURO HOLMES

Perrier, once the sparkling jewel in Nestlé's bottled water crown, is feeling the sting of a major consumer backlash.

Following revelations of environmental misconduct by Nestlé Waters, sales of Perrier have taken a sharp dive – down 14 percent since January and a staggering 23 percent compared to this time last year.

The slump follows investigative reports by Le Monde newspaper and Radio France, which uncovered serious breaches in Nestlé’s water bottling operations.

The fallout has been swift. While the bottled water sector overall is seeing a modest rebound – up 2.5 percent in early 2025 thanks to a milder spring – Perrier’s decline is notably out of step with the rest of the market.

Troubled waters: French government under pressure over Nestlé revelations

Consumers switching brands

“This isn’t a sector-wide crisis,” said Christophe Lekieffre, general delegate of the Syndicate of Spring and Natural Mineral Waters – SESEMN. “The market is growing again, and clearly consumers are simply switching to other brands”.

While still and sparkling water sales dipped slightly in 2024, the broader market hasn’t suffered nearly as much as Perrier.

The drop in Perrier sales – once a household staple – signals that brand loyalty is no match for environmental concerns in today’s market.

Nestlé court case post-poned

The backlash comes amid a growing legal headache for Nestlé.

A high-profile trial, where Nestlé Waters faces charges for illegal waste dumping in the Vosges region, was due to begin this week.

However, a court in Nancy has postponed proceedings to November due to late summons and an unexpectedly large list of witnesses.

Nestlé is accused of maintaining four massive illegal dumps, containing over 470,000 cubic metres of waste – roughly equivalent to 126 Olympic swimming pools.

French government accused of top-level cover-up in Nestlé water scandal

The waste includes everything from plastic and demolition debris to vehicle parts and glass.

Prosecutors say the environmental damage is serious, with reports of microplastics contaminating surface and groundwater, harming ecosystems and potentially human health.

The company maintains that the waste predates its ownership and claims to have cleaned up most of the affected sites.

The court proceedings are expected to delve deeper into the practices highlighted in a recent Senate report, which also accused state bodies of a cover-up.

Rigged diesel cars caused 16,000 deaths in France, study says

Diesel engines fitted with illegal software to cheat pollution tests have caused 16,000 deaths in France since 2009, according to the first study to calculate the human cost of the "Dieselgate" scandal that exposed widespread fraud by car manufacturers.


Issued on: 29/05/2025 

The Dieselgate scandal erupted in the United States in 2015, when it was revealed that carmakers had fitted diesel vehicles with software that made them appear cleaner during official lab testing. AFP - FRED TANNEAU

The research comes from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), an independent group based in Finland.

It warns that another 8,000 preventable deaths could occur in France by 2040 if the affected vehicles remain on the road.

The study, published Wednesday, estimates the scandal will cost France €146 billion in healthcare, lost productivity and early deaths.

Across Europe, including Britain, CREA projects 205,000 premature deaths linked to the excess pollution, with total economic losses reaching €1.2 trillion.
l
Hidden pollution

The Dieselgate scandal erupted in the United States in 2015, when it was revealed that carmakers had fitted diesel vehicles with software that made them appear cleaner during official lab testing.

In real driving conditions, the cars emitted far higher levels of nitrogen dioxide.

The affected cars were widely sold in Europe, including France. More than 200 models sold between September 2009 and August 2019 were affected, including vehicles made by Volkswagen, Peugeot, Renault and Fiat.

According to the International Council on Clean Transportation, around 19 million of these vehicles are still on the road in Europe.

The study links the excess emissions to a rise in respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes. In France alone, CREA found the tampered engines will have caused 26,000 new cases of childhood asthma by 2040.

“These excess emissions add to ‘legal’ emissions and should never have polluted the air we breathe,” the researchers said.

Push for recalls

Anne Lassman-Trappier, who works on air quality for the environmental group France Nature Environnement, said the deaths were avoidable.

“The state must force car manufacturers to bring these vehicles up to standard,” Lassman-Trappier told France Inter.

“This is what was done in the United States as soon as the scandal broke, to save thousands of lives. We’re talking about thousands of asthma cases, hundreds of thousands of days not worked for the economy. It’s worth it. We must act.”

France Nature Environnement argues that French authorities should have required manufacturers to recall the vehicles or offer compensation.

“The government’s inaction following the Dieselgate scandal is still causing daily suffering, causing deaths and costing the economy dearly,” Lassman-Trappier said.

“Thousands of lives can still be saved and billions of euros spared if France finally forces manufacturers to bring the millions of vehicles with toxic emissions into compliance or reimburse harmed consumers.”

Legal fallout

On 26 May, four former Volkswagen executives were sentenced to prison in Germany for fraud, receiving terms of up to four and a half years.

In 2023, former Audi boss Rupert Stadler received a suspended sentence of 21 months.

The CREA study found that acting now could prevent 8,000 premature deaths, 8,000 new childhood asthma cases, 800,000 sick days and €45 billion in economic losses in France by 2040.

More killer heat and rising seas likely in next five years, UN warns

The world is heading for several more years of extreme heat, with temperatures likely to stay near or above current record levels, a report published on Wednesday by the UN’s weather agency warns.


Issued on: 28/05/2025 - RFI

There is an 80 percent chance that at least one year between 2025 and 2029 will be hotter than 2024 – the warmest year ever recorded. AP - TY ONEIL

The report, by the World Meterological Organisation (WMO) in tandem with UK’s Met Office, says global temperatures are likely to keep rising over the next five years – increasing risks for people, economies and ecosystems.

It follows a separate WMO report released in March, which found that 2024 was likely the first calendar year where the global temperature was more than 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.

“We have just experienced the 10 warmest years on record,” WMO deputy secretary-general Ko Barrett said.

Breach likely

There is an 80 percent chance that at least one year between 2025 and 2029 will be hotter than 2024 – the warmest year ever recorded.

There is also an 86 percent chance that one of those years will go above 1.5C compared to pre-industrial levels.

Across the full five-year period, there is a 70 percent chance that the average warming will exceed 1.5C. That’s up from 47 percent in last year’s forecast.

The 1.5C target in the Paris Agreement refers to a 20-year global average, so it has not yet officially been passed. But the WMO’s earlier report said 2024 saw an annual temperature of 1.55C above the pre-industrial baseline, based on observational records.

For the first time, there is now a one percent chance that a single year before 2029 could exceed 2C of warming. That risk is still low, but scientists say it is growing.

“It is shocking,” UK Met Office climate scientist Adam Scaife said. “That probability is going to rise.”

Arctic warming surges

The Arctic is heating much faster than the rest of the world. The report says winter temperatures in the region will rise by about 2.4C compared to the 1991-2020 average – more than three and a half times the global rate.

This is likely to drive further sea ice loss in the Barents, Bering and Okhotsk seas, which could affect weather patterns around the world.

From May to September over the next five years, wetter than average conditions are likely in the African Sahel, northern Europe, Alaska and northern Siberia. The Amazon could face more drought.

South Asia is also expected to stay wetter than normal, though not in every season.

Key thresholds

The WMO says the 20-year average warming from 2015 to 2034 is likely to be about 1.44C above pre-industrial levels.

The forecasts are based on more than 200 computer simulations from 15 scientific centres and were compiled by the UK’s Met Office.

Every fraction of a degree makes extreme weather more likely – including heatwaves, floods, droughts and rising seas.

The findings come ahead of this year’s COP30 climate summit, where countries are expected to present new action plans to meet the Paris Agreement goals.

Shipping between EU ports in the Arctic is driving the rapid loss of sea ice, report warns

Black carbon emissions from ships in the Arctic nearly doubled in six years.

Copyright AP Photo/David Goldman

By Euronews Green
Published on 28/05/2025

Black carbon emissions from European shipping in the Arctic have been significantly underestimated, a new study suggests.

Produced by the incomplete combustion of fuels in ship engines, black carbon is contributing to the rapid loss of Arctic sea ice.

Previous reports have only focused on vessels flying EU flags, overlooking the impact of ships travelling to and from EU ports.

“Our findings show that ships connected to EU trade, regardless of their flag, are major drivers of black carbon pollution in the Arctic,” says Liudmila Osipova, senior researcher at the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), and lead author of its new study.

“Recognising these emissions in future policies could help the EU better align its climate goals with its real footprint in the Arctic.”

Black carbon emissions doubled in six years

As Arctic shipping activity increases, so too are the associated black carbon (BC) emissions.

Between 2015 and 2021, BC emissions in the International Maritime Organisation (IMO)’s definition of the Arctic nearly doubled, according to the study.

In the more broadly defined Geographic Arctic, shipping emitted 1.5 kilotonnes (kt) of BC and 12 kt of CO₂ in 2021. About a quarter of these emissions occurred within the IMO definition of the Arctic, indicating a strong growth in BC emissions in the polar area, from 193 tonnes in 2015 to 413 tonnes six years later.

How does black carbon melt sea ice?

This growth trend is concerning, since one tonne of black carbon has a global warming effect equivalent to 900 tonnes of CO₂, as it absorbs more heat in the atmosphere.

BC’s impact is particularly pronounced in the Arctic. When the sooty particles settle on snow or ice, they reduce the albedo of these surfaces, meaning they reflect less light and so melt faster.

This compounds the climate challenges in a region which is already heating up three to four times faster than the global average.

Despite its potent climate and health impacts - it is linked to lung cancer, respiratory illness, and cardiopulmonary disease - BC remains one of the most unregulated short-lived climate and air pollutants.

Related Spy planes over the North Pole: Could climate change fuel war in the Arctic?

The hidden carbon cost of EU trade in the Arctic

Brussels typically only accounts for the emissions from its EU-flagged ships in the Arctic. To give a truer picture of the pollution over which the bloc has control, ICCT has also totted up BC and CO₂ from EU-regulated ships, which answer to the EU Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) system as they voyage between EU ports.

These vessels are the bigger polluters, it found. BC and CO₂ emissions from EU-regulated ships of at least 5,000 gross tonnage were nearly double those from EU-flagged ships in the IMO Arctic in 2021.

That year, nearly three-quarters of the ships operating in the Geographic Arctic and half of those in the IMO Arctic were navigating to or from EU ports.

To address a significant gap in its maritime regulation, the researchers say that EU policymakers could include BC among the pollutants measured and reported within the bloc’s MRV system.

Beyond improved emissions tracking, there are various ways to reduce BC emissions, such as incentivising ships to use distillate instead of residual fuel, and encouraging the installation of diesel particulate filters on board.

Military-free Iceland should have 'skin in the game' in securing Arctic region, PM says

Copyright Roni Rekomaa/Lehtikuva via AP

By Alice Tidey
Published on 28/05/2025 

The country's prime minister stressed on Wednesday that although the island nation doesn't have a military, "that doesn't mean we don't have strong defences and a role to play in NATO."

Iceland needs to have "skin in the game" when it comes to defence and security in the High North and is looking at how to adjust its defence posture and spending accordingly, the country's prime minister said on Wednesday.

"When it comes to the Arctic, this is a place where we have to step up. This is our area. We need to have skin in the game when it comes to the Arctic and have an opinion on that, not that just being run by others," Kristrún Frostadóttir said in Brussels following a meeting with NATO chief Mark Rutte.

"I see a lot of possibilities coming out of that as well, even though we're in a situation where this is also run a bit from a threat position, there's still possibilities for build-up in Iceland as well. So this is something we're looking into. We will have concrete points going into the Hague summit and then also going forward in our spending reviews," she added, referring to a NATO summit scheduled to take place in the Dutch city in late June.

US President Donald Trump has threatened to annex Greenland by force, arguing that US control of the semi-autonomous Danish territory is necessary for "international security".

"We have a lot of our favourite players cruising around the coast and we have to be careful," Trump told Rutte in March.

"The whole area is becoming very important and for a lot of reasons, the routes are very direct to Asia, to Russia, and you have ships all over the place and you have to have protection. So we're going to have to have a deal on that," he added.
RelatedWe believe in free trade, Iceland Prime Minister Frostadóttir tells Euronews

Russia and China have increased their presence on the Northern Sea Route (NSR), a shipping lane in the Arctic Ocean that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. This is due to warming temperatures, which makes the route more manageable for longer, and Chinese growing appetite for Russian commodities including fossil fuels.

Rosatom, a Russian state corporation primarily focusing on energy and high-tech products, said last month that the volume of cargo transportation along the NSR reached a record high of 37.9 million tonnes, a 4.4% increase on the previous year and a near ten-fold increase from ten years ago.

China, which describes itself as a "near-Arctic state", and Russia are also increasing their military presence in the natural resources-rich area, with joint patrols and military exercises.

Denmark, an EU and NATO member state, announced shortly after Trump's return to the White House that it will inject €1.95 billion into boosting its military presence in the Arctic and North Atlantic region.

Iceland, together with Norway and UK, two fellow NATO allies, is also now using AI to detect hostile activity in the Arctic.

Frostadóttir stressed on Wednesday that although the island nation doesn't have a military, "that doesn't mean we don't have strong defences and a role to play in NATO".

Members of the military alliance are currently negotiating an increase to its defence spending target from its current 2% of GDP threshold. Allies appear to have landed on 5% of GDP target, a number repeatedly called for by Trump, although it would be split in two: 3.5% of GDP for hard military spending, and a further 1.5% on defence-related spending including, for instance, infrastructure and cybersecurity.

NATO defence ministers will continue negotiations next week at a meeting in Brussels, with leaders set to adopt the new target at the June summit in The Hague.

"We're willing to spend more when it comes to defence-related investments, to strengthen our facilities when it comes to Keflavik Air Base, when it comes to ports, when it comes to general host nation support," Frostadóttir said.

"And also very good and constructive talks on Arctic security. We're aware of our position in the north. This is obviously our home. It's not just a conceptualised idea."

"Russia's aggression towards Ukraine is something that is relevant to us, even though it's far away, because if they win on the eastern flank, they might move their views towards the north, which is where we live. So this is also our fight," she added.

Rutte, speaking alongside Frostadóttir on Wednesday, said positive steps have been taken by the seven allies that have stakes in the Arctic - Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and the US - but that the alliance as a whole needs to be better organised, including when it comes to intelligence gathering.

"We do not have enough icebreaker capacity within NATO potentially, so we have to look into that," he also said.

EU on track to meet 2030 emissions goal thanks to strong progress on renewables

Belgium, Estonia and Poland were  singled out for not submitting their NECPs and were urged to “do so without delay”.

Copyright AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos, File

By Rosie Frost
Published on 28/05/2025

The EU is “well on track” to reach its 2030 climate targets, the European Commission said on Wednesday.

An assessment of updated National Climate and Energy Plans (NECPs) shows the EU is on course to achieve a 54 per cent emissions reduction by 2030 - just one per cent shy of its legally binding 55 per cent target.

It reflects increased efforts by member states to curb their emissions over the last two years, despite demands from some for the bloc to weaken its green commitments.

But civil society organisations say there are significant flaws in these plans and they remain concerned about whether governments can fully implement them.

“The EU’s 2030 climate and energy targets are clearly achievable, but without effective national policies and credible financing - both of which are largely lacking in the updated plans - implementation will fall short,” says Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe’s climate policy expert Giulia Nardi.

Where have emissions been cut the most?

NECPs detail how each member state intends to reach the bloc’s long-term target of being climate neutral by 2050 and cutting emissions by 55 per cent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.

The 2030 target is one of the most ambitious among major economies around the world. The Commission is now preparing to propose a new target for 2040 - one that could be as high as 90 per cent.

It attributed the progress towards the 2030 goal to action in the energy sector, with renewables covering 24 per cent of energy consumption in the EU in 2023. Most member states are now aligned with the target of reaching a share of 42.5 per cent by 2030, according to the Commission.

Agriculture and transport were among the sectors lagging behind on emissions cuts. Belgium, Estonia and Poland were also singled out for not submitting their NECPs and were urged to “do so without delay”.

“Emissions are down 37 per cent since 1990, while the economy has grown nearly 70 per cent, proving climate action and growth go hand in hand,” EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said.

He urged member states to “build on this momentum”, adding that investing in clean technology and innovation was “essential” for industrial competitiveness and opening up new markets for EU companies.

The Commission has called on countries to stay on course and fully implement the plans they have put forward.

“We have reasons to be proud, although we cannot be satisfied. We've come a long way, but we're not where we need to be yet,” said Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen.
Plans are only as strong as the processes implementing them

Civil society groups say that their preliminary analysis of these NECPs shows that major shortcomings still remain. They point out that many lack the necessary ambition and policies to deliver the emissions reductions required, particularly in the field of energy efficiency.

A coalition of NGOs from France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Bulgaria, Cyprus, and Malta is calling on the European Commission to launch legal action against their governments. They believe that the shortcomings in their climate plans are not just policy failures but breaches of EU law.

States have a legal obligation to deliver climate action, and the Commission has a clear responsibility to uphold and enforce EU law in response.

CAN Europe also says that compulsory citizen involvement in the process has proven to be particularly weak with either opaque or flawed processes. It is a missed opportunity to strengthen plans by involving people in their creation.

“National climate plans are only as strong as the processes implementing them,” Nardi adds.

“By sidelining public participation and failing to establish clear accountability mechanisms, governments are weakening the foundation of their climate commitments.”

France pushing for 'China-EU leadership' on climate to counter US withdrawal

The European Union and China must "take on global climate leadership" in the wake of US President Donald Trump's return to the White House, a French government source ahead of a top French official's visit to Beijing on Thursday.


Issued on: 29/05/2025 -  RFI

French Minister of Ecological Transition, Energy, Climate, and Risk Prevention Agnes Pannier-Runacher, at the National Assembly in Paris, France, 22 October, 2024. 

© Stéphanie Lecocq / REUTERS

Agnès Pannier-Runacher, France's minister for ecological transition, is slated to meet counterparts on Thursday and Friday in the first visit to China by a French environment minister in five years.

A member of her team said the visit came at a "pivotal moment" on three key themes: the year-end COP30 climate summit in Brazil, the UN Ocean Conference in Nice 9 - 13 June, and negotiations in August in Geneva to forge an international treaty to combat plastic pollution.

"The idea is to see how – given the US withdrawal (from climate leadership) – we can try to build a new convergence between the EU and China on climate," the source said.

The US pull-out from the 2015 Paris Agreement – the second time Trump has taken this step – "leaves these two key players with the responsibility of taking climate leadership," the source added.

The broad-based multilateralism that has driven progress in climate talks to date is under strain, and could fray as other countries review their commitments to curb carbon pollution in light of the Trump administration's position, according to analysts.

Developing nations blast $300 billion Cop29 climate deal as insufficient

Send strong message

"It is extremely important that China and the European Union send a very strong message," the source said.

A bilateral Sino-US accord in April 2015 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is widely credited with paving the way for the landmark Paris climate treaty signed later that year.

The French minister's visit comes in advance of a Beijing-Brussels summit in China in July, which France has identified as "a good opportunity" to publicly affirm Sino-European leadership on climate issues.

At COP28 in Dubai in 2023, countries committed to transition away from fossil fuels, a promise that saw little progress at COP29 in Baku the following year.

'Building trust' key to solving climate crisis, Cop30 president tells RFI

Pannier-Runacher, who will talk with the Chinese environment and natural resources ministers, as well as former special envoy for climate change Xie Zhenhua, will discuss how to "push this issue" when nations meet in Brazil in November at the COP30 summit, the source said.

(with AFP)