In brief | 1 September ‘26
Reuters: Europe adds 8.8 GW wind capacity in first half, WindEurope says
Europe added nearly a third more wind energy capacity in the first half of 2026 than during the same period last year, driven by installations in Germany and increasing offshore connections, industry group WindEurope said.
Reuters: Volkswagen CFO says four German sites lack economic case for future production
Volkswagen will do everything in its power to safeguard jobs at its sites as effectively as possible, but there is no viable follow-up production plan for its four German sites, warned CFO Arno Antlitz in a speech.
Montel: German coal return could cut spot power prices 5% – analysts
Bringing Germany’s hard coal reserve plants back to the market could cut wholesale day-ahead power prices by up to 5 percent for 2027, according to analysis by Montel Energy Brainpool. At the same time, CO₂ emissions from the German electricity supply would rise by ten percent.
France24: Climate crisis pushes French winemakers to bet on warmer future in Brittany and Normandy
As rising temperatures reshape France's vineyards, winemakers are turning to Normandy and Brittany, regions once known for cider, not grapes.
Euronews: ‘Europe’s climate and security challenges are inseparable,’ Hoekstra
Europe must spend more upfront to protect itself from increasingly severe climate disasters, European Union Climate Action Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra told Euronews.
Euractiv: Over half of EU countries miss nature restoration plan deadline
Environmentalists say summer of devastation underlines need for quick action.
Politico: Power-hungry data centers are expanding in Europe. So is the resistance.
Activists are battling a vast Google data center in the Austrian countryside.
United Nations: Sea-level rise: hundreds of millions threatened worldwide
Sea-level rise is no longer a distant threat but an unfolding global crisis, with profound impacts on coastal communities, economies, and infrastructure, according to a new UN report.