German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said that climate protection policies should not hinder economic and industrial progress. "We want to contribute to a reduction in climate change and Germany will make huge efforts to combat it," he told the international Petersberg Climate Dialogue (PCD) conference in Berlin on Wednesday.
Skip next section CologneRhineRuhr Olympic bid backed by 66% of voters April 20, 2026 CologneRhineRuhr Olympic bid backed by 66% of voters Germany's Olympic body, DOSB, has announced that 66% of voters backed a potential bid to host the Summer Olympics in either 2036, 2040, or 2044 in a public referendum.
Theonila Roka Matbob of Papua New Guinea is one of this year's Goldman Environmental Prize winners. She is being recognized for her efforts to repair the environmental and social harms caused by a copper and gold mine.
In Dakar, the Goethe-Institut has more than just a new building. Encircling a baobab tree, it offers an open space for cultural education and exchange. It signals both respect for local traditions and boldness in global vision. The Goethe-Institut has had a home in the Senegalese capital since the mid-1970s.
The Moroccan city of Ouarzazate, about 200 kilometers (125 miles) southeast of Marrakech, lies on the edge of the Sahara and is known as the "door to the desert." Ouarzazate is probably best known for the Atlas Film Studios, where blockbusters from "The Mummy" to "Gladiator" and "Game of Thrones" have been filmed.
The Moroccan city of Ouarzazate, about 200km southeast of Marrakech, lies on the edge of the Sahara and is known as the 'door to the desert.' Ouarzazate is probably best known for the Atlas Film Studios, where blockbusters from "The Mummy" to "Gladiator" and "Game of Thrones" have been filmed.
Ocean temperatures for March hit near-record highs, the European Union's global warming monitor, the Copernicus Climate Change Service, said on Friday. The warmest March for oceans on record was in 2024, during which the El Nino climate cycle drove temperatures up. Current records reflect once again "a likely transition toward El Nino conditions," said Copernicus.
In a brightly-lit room in Houston, Texas, environmental activist Malachi Key is searching through a pile of trash. He picks up a used chicken salad box, which like the other waste in the heap is being sent off for recycling, and slips a tracking device inside.
The 2021 Caldor fire was a wake-up call for California's El Dorado County. The community is one of hundreds around the country waiting on a backlog at FEMA that's holding up disaster preparation projects. JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images/AFP hide caption toggle caption JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images/AFP Placerville, Calif.
About $150 (€130) is what Brian McGowan says he spent on power last year in his home in Coatesville, Pennsylvania. And since installing additional solar panels in the fall, he expects his bill to be even lower this year.
Skip next section Polonium-labeled vial found in German town April 6, 2026 Polonium-labeled vial found in German town German authorities have launched an investigation after a vial labeled Polonium-210 was found during an Easter egg hunt in southern Germany.
Rising utility bills and higher oil and gas prices are a concern for many people now. War in the Middle East and the cost of protecting utility infrastructure from more extreme weather are two factors driving the increases.