Latest news with #Pannier-Runacher
NDTV
02-07-2025
- Climate
- NDTV
France Registers Second-Warmest June Since Records Began In 1900
France registered its second-warmest June since records began in 1900, said the country's ministry for ecological transition on Wednesday, as Europe swelters under an early summer heatwave. High temperatures across Europe this week broke records, leading to the closure of nearly 2,000 schools in France at midday on Tuesday. "June 2025 has become the second hottest June since records began in 1900, behind June 2003," Ecology Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said on Wednesday. Temperatures in June 2025 were 3.3 degrees Celsius higher than the seasonal average compared to 3.6 degrees Celsius in June 2003, her office said. "More than 300 people have been treated by firefighters and two have died following heat-related illnesses," Pannier-Runacher added. Her office later clarified that the two deaths were not an official confirmation of the number of death but based on information from media reports. France's Health Minister Catherine Vautrin confirmed it was "too early to take stock" of the consequences of the heatwave. "What I can say is that yesterday we saw an increase in emergency services activity in the Ile-de-France region, a serious increase of 15 percent," Vautrin said, speaking on television broadcaster BFMTV on Wednesday. The health ministry said that an initial estimate of excess mortality during the heatwave will be published around two weeks after it comes to an end. But a detailed report showing the number of deaths linked to the soaring temperatures with medical data will not be available until the autumn, it added. Around 3,700 heat-related deaths were reported in 2024, a year without red alerts for heatwaves. In 2023, which saw hotter summer temperatures, more than 5,000 deaths linked to heat were recorded. Relief will start to arrive from the Atlantic on Wednesday, bringing thunderstorms and cooler temperatures to parts of western Europe.
Euronews
02-07-2025
- Climate
- Euronews
June heatwave pushes Europe into record-breaking territory
As Europe bakes in its first major heatwave of the year, temperature records are being broken across the continent. During June, countries experienced temperatures more typical of July and August, with records broken from the Arctic Circle to the Mediterranean. The Portuguese weather service (IPMA) reported 46.6 °C in Mora on 29 June - the hottest ever recorded in mainland Portugal during June. Norway's Banak station reached 32.5°C, the highest temperature ever recorded within the European Arctic for the month. The extreme heat has brought health warnings, school closures and restrictions on outdoor work. The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) has said that for the continent as a whole, this month is likely to rank among the top five warmest Junes on record. How long will Europe's heatwave last? Scientists have said that this extended period of above-average temperatures is being caused by a heat dome. This is when a high-pressure area stays over the same place for days or even weeks, trapping the hot air below it. This acts something like a saucepan lid, causing temperatures to become hotter and hotter. Last week, a strong area of high pressure built over Western Europe. It extended up across Spain and Portugal into France, then spread to Germany and Italy over the weekend. After days of record-breaking heat, forecasters say there will be some relief on Wednesday into Thursday as thunderstorms and cooler temperatures arrive from the Atlantic, according to Météo-France. Spain and Italy may have to wait until the weekend to see temperatures begin to drop. France sees its second-hottest June since 1900 In France, temperatures of 40°C were recorded in Paris on Tuesday. The country's national weather agency placed several regions under the highest red alert. More than 1,300 schools were fully or partially closed across the country, and the summit of the Eiffel Tower has been closed to visitors until Thursday because of the heat. "June 2025 has become the second hottest June since records began in 1900, behind June 2003," French Ecology Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said on Wednesday morning. 30 June was the hottest day since measurements began in 1947, according to Météo-France. Later, Pannier-Runacher added that more than 300 people have been taken into emergency care, and two had died as a result of heat-related illnesses. June 'pulverised' heat records in Spain Spanish weather service Aemet said that an 'extremely hot' June had 'pulverised records', surpassing the normal averages for July and August. It recorded an average of 23.6°C - the highest for the month in 64 years and 0.8°C higher than the previous record set in 2017. Provisional data shows that nine days in June broke records for their respective dates. Aemet says that in an 'undisturbed climate', five record warm days would be expected in an entire year. Ramón Pascual, a delegate for Spain's weather service in Barcelona, told The Associated Press the "very intense heat wave' is clearly linked to global warming. High sea surface temperatures in the Mediterranean are not helping either, as they reduce any cooling effects a nearby body of water might have. Millions of Europeans are being exposed to high heat stress The June-July heatwave is exposing millions of Europeans to high heat stress, according to Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the ECMWF. 'And our reanalysis data shows that many Europeans have experienced very high temperatures for the period since the start of June,' she adds. 'The temperatures observed recently are more typical of the months of July and August and tend to only happen a few times each summer. We saw it again in 2024, the warmest year on record.' Burgess also says climate change is making heatwaves more frequent and more intense, and they are now impacting larger geographical areas. Hot spells like this could become more frequent in the UK The UK experienced its hottest day of the year so far on Tuesday with a recorded temperature of 34.7°C in London's St James's Park. Provisional data from the Met Office indicates that the country experienced its second warmest June since 1884. The average temperature for the month reached 15.2°C, only surpassed by June 2023, which saw average temperatures of 15.8°C. It follows a record-breaking spring that was officially the warmest and sunniest on record. June continued that trend, the Met Office said, marked by two heatwaves and high temperatures at the end of the month. 'While we've not conducted formal climate attribution studies into June 2025's two heatwaves, past studies have shown it is virtually certain that human influence has increased the occurrence and intensity of extreme heat events such as this,' says Met Office climate scientist Dr Amy Doherty. Doherty adds that numerous climate attribution studies have shown that human influence increased the chance of specific heatwaves occurring, including those in summer 2018 and July 2022. "Our Met Office climate projections indicate that hot spells will become more frequent in our future climate, particularly over the southeast of the UK. Temperatures are projected to rise in all seasons, but the heat would be most intense in summer."
RTÉ News
02-07-2025
- Climate
- RTÉ News
France reports two deaths in heatwave, 300 hospitalised
France has reported two heat-related deaths, while wildfires have killed two people in Spain in a heatwave that has gripped Europe and forced the closure of a nuclear reactor at a Swiss power plant. With scorching temperatures again today, Spanish officials said a wildfire in Catalonia had killed two people yesterday and France's energy minister reported two deaths with a direct link to the heatwave, with 300 others taken to hospital. Italy issued red alerts for 18 cities because of the extreme heat and Turkey has been tackling wildfires in what meteorologists say is an "exceptional" heatwave because it has come so early in Europe's summer. The blaze in Torrefeta in the Catalonia region of Spain destroyed several farms and affected an area stretching for about 40km, officials said. It was largely contained though more wind and thunder storms were expected. "The fire was extremely violent and erratic due to storms and strong winds, generating a convection cloud that complicated extinguishing efforts," the fire service said. Authorities in the Spanish city of Barcelona said they were also looking into whether the death of a street cleaner at the weekend was heat-related. Spain experienced its hottest June on record this year, and France had its hottest June since 2003, Energy MinisterAgnes Pannier-Runacher said. Weather forecaster Meteo France said red alerts remained for several areas of central France, but that heat was easing in the west, though intense thunderstorms with possible heavy bursts of rainfall were expected in many parts of the east. Temperature highs were expected around 39 Celsius, with up to 34C in Paris, and 36C to 38C in Strasbourg, Lyon, Grenoble and Avignon. In Italy, Florence was expected to bear the brunt of the heat with a top temperature of 39C during the day. Red alerts were issued in 18 cities, including Milan and Rome. There was a risk of violent and sudden rain and storms, particularly along the central Appennine mountain region and Sardinia and Sicily. Swiss utility Axpo shut down one reactor unit at the Beznau nuclear power plant and halved output at another yesterday because of the high temperature of river water. Water is used for cooling and other purposes at nuclear power plants, and restrictions were expected to continue as temperatures are monitored. Scientists say greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels are a cause of climate change, with deforestation and industrial practices being other contributing factors. Last year was the planet's hottest on record.
Daily Mirror
12-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
France to ban ads for Shein and Temu in crackdown on 'ultra' fast fashion giants
On June 10, the French Senate nearly unanimously passed a bill that seeks to regulate 'ultra' fast fashion giants Shein and Temu with strict sanctions and ad bans The French Senate has overwhelmingly approved legislation to regulate 'ultra' fast fashion giants Shein and Temu. On June 10, the Senate passed a bill which would sanction companies with low 'eco-scores' and prohibit fast fashion advertisements. The bill directly targets Chinese e-commerce companies which have a reputation for selling products at extremely low prices. Environmental groups like Friends of the Earth have highlighted that Shein high product turnover "break[s] the market by selling at a loss" and "encourag[es] overconsumption and waste". The minister for ecological transition, Agnes Pannier-Runacher, called the bill "a major step in the fight against the economic and environmental impact of fast fashion and a strong signal sent to businesses and to consumers'. Pannier-Runacher has called fast fashion a "triple threat" that promotes overconsumption, causes ecological damage and threatens French clothing businesses. The new bill was modified from a previous version that was passed by France's lower house in 2024. The new version focuses on 'ultra' fast fashion companies and is notably lenient on European offenders like Zara, H&M and Kiabi. The amendments have drawn criticism from environmental groups with Pierre Condamine, campaign manager at Friends of the Earth France, calling the bill a 'missed opportunity' for 'real environmental ambition'. Jean-François Longeot, chair of the Senate's Committee on regional planning and sustainable development, defended the amendment saying: 'The [bill] clarifications make it possible to target players who ignore environmental, social, and economic realities, notably Shein and Temu, without penalising the European ready-to-wear sector'. Help us improve our content by completing the survey below. We'd love to hear from you! The bill will see the introduction of an 'eco-score' system applicable to all fast fashion companies. Those receiving the lowest scores will face taxes of up to five euros per product in 2025, increasing to 10 euros by 2030 with a cap of 50 percent of the product's original price. The legislation would also ban fast fashion advertising and impose sanctions on influencers who promote such products. A joint committee of senators and lower house deputies is expected to meet in September to produce a joint text, prior to the final adoption of the law. The European Commission also has to be notified, to ensure the bill complies with EU law prior to its adoption. Speaking to RTL radio on Monday, Shein spokesperson Quentin Ruffat said that regulation of the fast fashion industry will only succeed with 'collective effort' and not by targeting a 'single actor'. Ruffat said the new law would 'impact the purchasing power' of French people. The approval of the French legislation comes just a few weeks after consumer watchdogs from 21 countries filed a formal complaint to EU authorities about Shein for 'shaming' customers into buying more than they can afford. The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) submitted a 29-page report to the European Commission citing 'dark patterns' and deceptive techniques to promote consumer purchases. The report lists fake countdown timers and low-stock warnings to create a false sense of urgency and scarcity.
Euronews
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Nations issue ‘Nice Wake-Up Call' on plastic pollution treaty
Ministers and representatives from more than 95 countries called for an ambitious agreement from global plastics treaty negotiations at the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) on Tuesday. Negotiations for the UN plastics treaty collapsed in late 2024 with nations unable to agree on how best to stop millions of tonnes of plastic from entering the environment each year. The next round of negotiations is due to resume in Geneva, Switzerland, in August. The declaration, dubbed the 'Nice Wake-Up Call', identifies five elements that the signatories say are key to achieving a global agreement that is 'commensurate with what science tells us and our citizens are calling for'. They include a full lifecycle approach, including: plastic production, phasing out chemicals of concern and problematic products, improvements to product design, effective means of implementation, and incorporating provisions that will allow for a treaty that can evolve. 'A treaty that lacks these elements, only relies on voluntary measures or does not address the full lifecycle of plastics will not be effective to deal with the challenge of plastic pollution,' the Nice Wake-Up call reads. French Minister for Ecological Transition Agnes Pannier-Runacher told the ocean summit in Nice that the declaration sends a 'clear and strong message'. More than 200 nations met in South Korea last year for what was meant to be a final round of talks on a landmark agreement to tackle global plastic pollution. But following two years of negotiations, these talks ended without a final treaty after deep divisions formed between countries calling for plastic to be phased out and oil-producing nations. One of the most contentious points was whether there should be a commitment to cut how much plastic is produced or whether waste can be reduced through recycling efforts. Pannier-Runacher told journalists at UNOC on Tuesday that comprehensive measures covering the full lifecycle of plastics are needed. 'Better waste management and recycling will not help solve the problem. This is a lie.' The declaration represents a united front from those countries pushing for an ambitious treaty ahead of the resumed negotiations. Jessica Roswall, EU Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, urged countries to approach the resumed negotiations in August 'through dialogue and with willingness to find common ground'. With talks in Nice centred around ensuring oceans are protected, an ambitious plastics treaty is key to this goal. "Every year, over 400 million tonnes of plastic is produced worldwide – one-third of which is used just once,' Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said as UNOC opened on Monday. 'Every day, the equivalent of over 2,000 garbage trucks full of plastic is dumped into our oceans, rivers, and lakes.' Plastic production is expected to triple by 2060, but currently, just 9 per cent is recycled around the world. Around 11 million tonnes of plastic waste finds its way into the ocean each year, and plastic waste makes up 80 per cent of all marine pollution. Andres del Castillo, senior attorney at the Center for International Environmental Law, says the Wake-Up Call should be a 'floor, not a ceiling'. 'For the Global Plastics Treaty to succeed, Member States must move beyond vague promises and define how they are going to deliver, including through clear, legally binding measures and a human rights-based approach. 'Come August in Geneva, political statements will not be enough. We must see Member States stand up to petrostate and fossil fuel interests on the floor of the negotiations. Their actions will speak louder than words.' This May was the world's second warmest ever recorded, exceeded only by May 2024, according to the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), bringing unusually dry conditions to northwestern Europe. Data shows that the global average surface air temperature was 15.79°C last month, 0.53°C higher than the 1991 to 2020 average. May was an estimated 1.4°C above the average for 1850 to 1900 - the period used to define the pre-industrial average. It interrupts a sweltering stretch where 21 out of 22 months breached this 1.5°C threshold, though EU scientists say this is unlikely to last. 'May 2025 breaks an unprecedentedly long sequence of months over 1.5°C above pre-industrial,' says Carlo Buontempo, director of C3S at ECMWF. Whether or not the world breaches the Paris Agreement target of keeping global warming below 1.5°C is measured over decades, not single months, meaning it has not technically been passed. 'Whilst this may offer a brief respite for the planet, we do expect the 1.5°C threshold to be exceeded again in the near future due to the continued warming of the climate system,' Buontempo adds. High temperatures have been paired with dry weather across much of the world over the last few months. In Europe, May brought drier than average conditions to much of northern and central Europe as well as southern regions of Russia, Ukraine, and Türkiye. This spring has been a contrast between drier-than-average conditions in the north and west and wetter-than-average conditions across the south and northwestern Russia. Parts of northwestern Europe saw their lowest precipitation and soil moisture levels since at least 1979. And persistent dry conditions have led to the lowest spring river flow across Europe since records began in 1992. More than half of the land in Europe and the Mediterranean basin faced some form of drought from 11 to 20 May, according to data from the European Drought Observatory. That is the highest level recorded for that period of time in the year since monitoring began in 2012. Farmers across northern Europe have voiced fears for their crops, with unusually dry weather delaying the sprouting of wheat and corn. In the UK, the National Farmers' Union warned in early May that some crops were already failing due to the country's driest spring in well over a century. In late May, the European Central Bank warned that water scarcity puts nearly 15 per cent of the euro area's economic output at risk. New research conducted with experts at the University of Oxford found that water was the single biggest nature-related risk to the euro area economy.
