Joanna Gill

A French court has penalised TotalEnergies for misleading consumers over its carbon neutrality claims in what activists called an unprecedented 'greenwashing' victory over an oil and gas giant.

Brought by Greenpeace and two other environmental NGOs, Thursday's win in a Paris court could set a legal precedent for accountability, and comes as the European Union seeks to clamp down on false and exaggerated green claims by business.

When European leaders meet in Brussels on Thursday, they will have a full agenda, not least Russia's war in Ukraine, but the fact that they have carved out time to talk about housing is significant and highlights a simmering crisis.

From Barcelona to Berlin, European cities are grappling with a housing crunch, with rents up by 15% in the last 15 years, and house prices up by more than 50% in the last decade.

Europe's new LGBTQ+ strategy - which tackles contested issues from conversion therapy to hate crime - offers too little in the way of protection to counter the rise in anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and policies in the bloc, rights groups say.

The strategy was unveiled on Oct. 8 by European Commissioner for Equality Hadja Lahbib, who said it would enable the European Union to become a "beacon that protects equality".

Palestinians living in Europe said international recognition of a Palestinian state risks being an empty gesture and does not address the crisis in Gaza, where Israel's two-year assault has killed more than 67,000 people and led to famine.

Britain, France, Belgium and Australia were among the Western nations to recognise a Palestinian state last month, with leaders hoping the move would pressure Israel to end its military campaign in Gaza.

As the use of generative artificial intelligence ramps up, experts are raising the alarm about what this means for the environment and governments' commitments to cut planet-heating emissions to prevent runaway global warming.

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told Reuters last week that President Donald Trump's administration expected most of the country's coal-fired power plants to delay retirement to help deliver the vast amount of electricity needed to fuel AI.

Global military spending following the outbreak of conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza is at its highest since the Cold War, which African leaders warn is leaving less international aid available to help their countries adapt to the climate crisis.

At the second African Climate Summit (ACS) in Ethiopia last week, African heads of state, researchers and activists made a plea to international donors to help the continent withstand floods, droughts and heatwaves.

A rapid rollback of rights under President Donald Trump has prompted many LGBTQ+ Americans to seek sanctuary abroad - Europe and Canada are among the top choices - but many are hitting legal barriers to starting a new life.

Since resuming office, Trump has enacted a slew of policies affecting LGBTQ+ Americans - be it in healthcare, legal recognition or education - changes that LGBTQ+ advocates say raise the risk of suicide, harassment and violence.

From mangrove restoration along West Africa's coastline to organic waste recycling in Nairobi, billions of dollars have been spent to help Africa adapt to climate shocks like floods, droughts and heatwaves. 

This week, African leaders at the African Climate Summit in Ethiopia called for more international funding support for phase two of the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP), which has supported these efforts since 2021. 

The European Commission sent its long-negotiated trade deal with South America's Mercosur countries to EU decision makers for approval last week, hoping to close the chapter on decades of thorny talks.

The deal, struck in December, would lower tariffs between the EU and Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, creating one of the largest free trade zones in the world. It also aims to counter the tariffs raised by U.S. President Donald Trump, which threaten to choke international trade.

Britain's lawmakers have voted to decriminalise abortion following concerns over a growing number of police investigations into women ending late pregnancies.

While abortion has been legal for almost 60 years, women in England and Wales can be prosecuted if they terminate a pregnancy after 24 weeks under an 1861 law that carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.