In brief | 31 July ‘26

The Guardian: ‘Extremely scary findings’ show climate crisis is supercharging Europe’s wildfire weather

Latest report by World Weather Attribution says global heating has made hot, dry and windy conditions in Spain at least 20 times more likely.

Politico: Spain, France, UK warn megafires show climate change is ‘threatening our way of life’

In joint statements, the three countries reaffirmed their commitment to fighting global warming. 

The Guardian: Will brutal wildfires force French leaders to take climate crisis seriously?

Campaigners worry politicians will have moved on by time of elections in which Marine Le Pen is expected to challenge.

Carbon Brief: Factcheck: No, Europe is not having its ‘quietest’ year for wildfires

In this factcheck, Carbon Brief shows that the area burned by wildfires across the European Union in 2026 is second only to 2022 for this time of year.

Reuters: Europe makes trillion-euro bet to revive its battered industry – commentary

The EU is hoping to rebuild its competitive edge with a multi-trillion-dollar wager on home-grown electricity and renewables that could determine its industrial future.

Reuters: Drought leaves Swiss border lake popular with tourists all but drained

Water levels sit more than 9 metres below average, Switzerland experiencing one of its worst droughts.

Climate Home News: Hormuz crisis speeds up transition to electric cars, IEA data shows

With the oil price soaring amid the Iran war, drivers increasingly chose electric cars over internal combustion engines from April to June this year.

Eurostat: New battery-only electric cars up 30% in 2025

In 2025, 1.89 million new battery-only electric passenger cars were registered in the EU, marking a strong rebound of 29.7 percent compared with 2024.

Bloomberg: Portugal approves temporary windfall tax on oil companies

Portugal’s government approved a temporary tax on windfall profits from oil and refining companies, public-news agency Lusa reported.