In December 2018, the European Union (EU) revised the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) also called RED II which bans the use of palm oil.

The highly-contagious Delta variant is causing a surge in new COVID-19 cases even in countries with high vaccination rates – and experts warn that immunisation campaigns are in a race against time to contain it.Globally, the pandemic is still slowing down, with the World Health Organization (WHO) reporting the lowest number of new cases worldwide since February and decreasing deaths attributed to the coronavirus.But concerns are growing about the variant, prompting new restrictions in countri

In their latest communiqué, NATO leaders declared that China presents “systemic challenges to the rules-based international order.” The response from China’s mission to the European Union (EU) was clear: “We will not present a ‘systemic challenge’ to anyone, but if someone wants to pose a ‘systemic challenge’ to us, we will not remain indifferent.” Such a tit-for-tat rhetoric is unnecessary, and most of the world’s population probably does not want it to escalate.

In a recent essay on Samantha Power, President Joe Biden’s new administrator of the United States (US) Agency for International Development, Michelle Goldberg of The New York Times writes – correctly – that Power’s “first big test … lies in what America does to help vaccinate the rest of the world against COVID-19.” And Power herself is quoted as saying that, “It’s about a very, very tangible, results-oriented agenda.” Results seemed to follow.

President Joe Biden will draw "red lines" for President Vladimir Putin at a tense Geneva summit on Wednesday, where ghosts of the Cold War will hover over modern-day United States (US) concerns that Russia has become a rogue, authoritarian state.The setting – a sumptuous villa overlooking Lake Geneva – may be picturesque, but a gruelling diplomatic face-off awaits.Up to five hours of talks are planned, starting at around 1:00 pm (1100 GMT), with no break for meals.

What if China were to cut off the United States (US) and Europe from access to rare minerals that are essential to electric vehicles, wind turbines and drones?At a time of frequent geopolitical friction among the three powers, Washington and Brussels want to avoid this scenario by investing in the market for 17 minerals with unique properties that today are largely extracted and refined in China."The expected exponential growth in demand for minerals that are linked to clean energy is pu

A global summit aimed at tackling pressing climate change concerns must go ahead in-person, the event's president said, as fears mount that delegates will pull out because of surging coronavirus cases.The 26th edition of the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties – COP26 – marks the biggest climate summit since the 2015 Paris negotiation.COP26 will involve negotiators from 196 countries and the European Union (EU), along with businesses, experts and world leaders, and is scheduled t

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned Friday that efforts to uncover the COVID-19 pandemic's origins were being hampered by politics, insisting scientists needed space to work on solving the mystery."We would ask that we separate the science from the politics, and let us get on with finding the answers that we need in a proper, positive atmosphere," WHO emergencies chief Michael Ryan told reporters."This whole process is being poisoned by politics," he warned.&am

Coronavirus vaccine producers promised billions of doses for poorer countries at a G20 health summit Friday, where leaders vowed to expand access to jabs as the only way to end the pandemic.The bosses of Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson announced they would supply around 3.5 billion vaccine doses at cost or discount to low- and middle-income countries this year and next.Meanwhile the European Union (EU) pledged to donate 100 million doses and invest in regional manufacturing hubs

Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:Don't Travel, Says WHOProgress against the pandemic remains "fragile" and international travel should be avoided, warns the World Health Organization's (WHO) Europe director Hans Kluge.But he adds that all the vaccines authorised by the WHO are effective against the "COVID-19 virus variants that have emerged so far".EU Health PassThe European Parliament and European Union (EU) member states reach a deal p