In brief | 18 September '26

The Conversation: Could victory for the AfD spell the end of wind farms in Germany?

Even if it comes to power at the regional level, the AfD will not be able to circumvent national and European climate targets.

Reuters: German states urge support for car industry amid "historic disruption"

Without a better regulatory environment at home and protective ⁠trade measures, "the automotive industry is at risk of irreversible damage," the leaders of Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bavaria and Lower Saxony said in a joint statement.

Euronews: Germany turns on Brussels as Chinese car sales on track to exceed 1m in 2026

Germany's finance minister demanded tougher EU tariffs on Chinese carmakers during a visit to Volkswagen's crisis-hit headquarters, as Chinese brands head toward selling more than a million cars on the continent in 2026.

Argus Media: Dutch fossil exit roadmap highlights difficulties

The Netherlands has published a roadmap on transitioning away from fossil fuels, outlining the difficulties the country will face in the transition and setting no date for an ultimate halt to fossil fuel use.

Bloomberg: Hot potatoes mean higher prices and shorter fries in Europe

Europe is set for one of its smallest ever potato harvests after a succession of heat waves and lingering drought battered the water-hungry staple.

Euractiv: Capitals want control over who gets on the grid, and when

Denmark has already sent datacentres to the back of the queue for electricity; other EU countries want the same powers.

Associated Press: Satellites show Earth lost more than 12 trillion tons of ice from Greenland, Antarctica in 47 years

Lost ice is enough frozen water to stack ice 1.5 meters deep across the continental United States, according to a major scientific report.

Reuters: Google agrees biggest carbon-removal deal yet, aims to scale new model

Deal backs a project in Brazil run by developer Terradot that aims to both cut methane emissions ‌from rice farming and capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, executives told Reuters.

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