An intense storm that has killed at least 21 people in Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania and Austria this week has now reached Italy, BBC News reports. Warnings for heavy rains, winds and floods have been issued for much of the country and floods have already been reported in the central city of Pescara, the broadcaster says. In Poland, volunteers and emergency workers raced to reinforce river bank defences in the historic city of Wroclaw in western Poland on Tuesday as the nation braced for more flooding, Reuters says. Wroclaw, Poland’s third-largest city, is preparing for flooding along the Oder and Bystrzyca rivers, it adds. The Guardian says that Storm Boris has dumped up to five times the average September rainfall on Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia in four days. The newspaper says: “The Danube River had peaked in Slovakia, the environment minister, Tomáš Taraba, said, leaving parts of Bratislava’s old town flooded. It was still rising in Hungary, including by about a metre every 24 hours in Budapest.” On the role of climate change, the Guardian says: “Extreme rainfall is becoming more common and intense because of human-caused climate breakdown across most of the world, particularly in Europe, most of Asia, central and eastern North America, and parts of South America, Africa and Australia. Warmer air can hold more water vapour, while human factors, such as flood defence planning and land use, are also important factors in consequent flooding.” The New York Times says the floods are a “clear reminder” of the threats posed by extreme weather. It quotes Dr Richard Rood, a climatologist at the University of Michigan, saying: “The climate is so warm that every storm or weather event is influenced by a warming climate. It’s impossible to have an event, especially an extreme event, that doesn’t have some relation to climate change.”

Elsewhere in Europe, more than 5,000 firefighters are battling wildfires in Portugal, Euronews reports. As of Tuesday, there were at least 48 active fires in the country, the news site says. Reuters says that the fires have killed at least seven people since Saturday, including three firefighters. BBC News adds that the fires have already burned through more than 10,000 hectares (37 square miles). On the role of climate change, it adds: “Portugal and neighbouring Spain have recorded fewer wildfires this year, largely due to a wet and rainy start to the year. But they remain vulnerable to blazes due to hot and dry conditions. Climate change increases the risk of the hot, dry weather that is likely to fuel wildfires.” 

Climate change poses a more fundamental threat than terrorism or Vladimir Putin, UK foreign secretary David Lammy has said in his first major policy address, reports the Independent and others. Giving a speech at London’s Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, Lammy said that climate change “may not feel as urgent as a terrorist or an imperialist autocrat”, “but it is more fundamental…It is systemic…Pervasive…And accelerating towards us”, the Independent reports. The Financial Times says that Lammy pledged that climate change and biodiversity loss would be “central to all the Foreign Office does”, and that he will create new “special representatives” in each area. BBC News reports that Lammy also announced “a global initiative to accelerate the rollout of clean energy”, BBC News says, adding: “But Lammy warned the UK’s previous funding commitments on the issue would have to be reviewed given the ‘dire’ state of the country’s finances.” The Times leads on Lammy’s comments that the UK’s pledge of giving almost £12bn in climate finance to other countries will be subject to the government’s spending review. According to the Times, in an apparent reference to Boris Johnson’s 2019 pledge to give £11.6bn in climate finance between the financial years of 2021-22 and 2025-26, he said: “The reality is that the British contribution to this target was a promise which the Tories casually made, but for which they did not have a plan. In contrast, my focus is on how we can actually deliver that promise given the dire financial inheritance from the last government. Ahead of the spending review, we are carefully reviewing our plans to do so.” The Times cites Carbon Brief analysis, saying: “The government will need to deliver more than £6.5bn in the next two financial years to hit the £11.6bn target, according to the website Carbon Brief.” Climate Home News reports that Lammy called on ministers to set an “ambitious” new goal for climate finance to help developing countries at the COP29 climate summit, but declined to say how much it should be when questioned. Reuters says that Lammy also announced on Tuesday that the UK will next month provide a guarantee for the Asian Development Bank to help unlock more than $1bn of climate finance for developing countries.

Business and net-zero secretary Ed Miliband also gave his first major speech yesterday, where he “vowed to take on the nimbys opposed to the government’s rollout of wind turbines, solar farms and pylons across the UK as a matter of ‘national security’ and ‘economic justice”, the Guardian reports. Speaking at Energy UK’s annual conference in London, Miliband argued “in favour of speedy consent for new energy infrastructure to break the UK’s reliance on fossil fuels”, the Guardian says. He also promised to “take on the blockers, the delayers, the obstructionists” who have opposed the new government’s plans to speed up the UK’s progress towards a clean energy system by the end of the decade, the newspaper adds. The Daily Mail reports that former Conservative energy secretary Claire Coutinho has “challenged” Miliband to “reveal the cost of his green policies” in response to the speech.

Elsewhere, the Independent reports that Money Saving Expert (MSE) founder Martin Lewis has written to Miliband warning him that “too many smart meters don’t work”. It comes as the Daily Telegraph reports that “faulty smart meters risk undermining Miliband’s net-zero ambitions”. The Daily Express reports on its frontpage that 1.7m households plan to not heat their homes this winter, after Labour announced it would start means testing the winter fuel allowance for pensioners. The Daily Mirror also reports on the poll by price comparison site Uswitch, noting that a quarter of pensioners say they will not heat their homes because of the change in fuel allowance.

European commissioner Ursula von der Leyen has chosen Spanish ecological transition minister Teresa Ribera as her second-in-command, giving her a vast portfolio including climate and competition policy, Politico reports. Politico says that Ribera, a Socialist politician, will be the new Commission’s “first executive vice president … responsible for a clean, just and competitive transition”, according to von der Leyen. According to Politico, von der Leyen added: “She will guide the work to ensure Europe stays on track to stay on track for its goals set out in the Green Deal.” The Guardian says that “outspoken” Ribera is to become one of six executive vice-presidents in the incoming EU executive led by von der Leyen, which is expected to start work at the end of the year. Separately, Politico reports that Ribera has “hinted” she will not oppose nuclear power expansion in Europe. Euronews says that green activists have “breathed a sigh of relief” at von der Leyen’s picks for top climate roles. EurActiv reports that von der Leyen on Tuesday sent mission letters to her commissioner-delegates making it clear that “the 2020s will be a rollercoaster ride in terms of energy and climate legislation in Brussels”.

Germany and China are “actively working” on persuading member nations of the EU to oppose imposing tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs), ahead of a vote planned for 25 September, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post (SCMP) reports. The Chinese commerce minister Wang Wentao, who is visiting Europe this week, has told Italy on Monday that the bloc’s investigation into Chinese-made EVs “has seriously affected the confidence of Chinese auto firms to invest in Italy, which is not in the long-term interests of Italy”, Reuters reports. The World Economic Forum carries a commentary by academics in Australia and Singapore saying that China’s EV industry “faces a wave of unilateral trade restrictions in major export markets”, and manufacturers “may continue to move their production to a third-country”, such as Thailand. A Bloomberg article says that while China’s “wealthy cities”, such as Shanghai, Shenzhen and Beijing, have “led electric car adoption”, the market in the rural areas, where about 800 million people live, still have big potential. 

Meanwhile, in an analysis of Chinese president Xi Jinping’s speech about “large-scale wind and solar bases” last week, economic news outlet Jiemian notices he changed the strategy from “accelerating [the] construction” of the bases to “orderly advance” the power transmission. The news outlet adds it indicates that China’s renewable energy faces “bottleneck” challenges in “integration and consumption”. An article by Economic Daily, a Communist party-affiliated newspaper, also says that China’s “green transformation of the economy and society” faces “structural issues and global challenges”.

Elsewhere, Reuters cites a report by Wood Mackenzie, saying that “global onshore wind turbine orders hit 91.2 gigawatts (GWs) in the first half of the year, a 23% year-on-year rise, due to higher demand in the second quarter from China’s northern region”. It adds that “orders outside of China fell by 16%, dropping 42% year-over-year in the US and Europe”. A separate Reuters commentary says China’s coal use and output is still rising, “even as renewables surge”. The Times of Central Asia reports that Kazakhstan and China have signed a memorandum to “develop joint projects in green technologies”. In a comment article, Xinhua argues that decoupling with China will “cripple industries, drive up prices for American consumers, and weaken the US’ competitive edge in innovation”. The Financial Times reports that China’s solar panel boom could “threaten Pakistan’s debt-ridden grid”.

Finally, the “economic losses” from Typhoon Bebinca “could hit 10bn yuan after it slammed into Shanghai”, Bloomberg reports. China News reports that the 14th typhoon of the year, Typhoon Pulasan, is gradually approaching China, adding that the coastal province Fujian has “initiated a Level IV emergency response for typhoon prevention”. China Weather also covers the story, saying that Typhoon Pulasan is expected to move north-west, slowly intensifying, before making landfall on 19 September. Another report by China Weather says that the “future path” of Typhoon Pulasan appears to resemble that of Typhoon Bebinca.

India’s climate and environment minister Bhupender Yadav has said that “developing countries need more than $5tn to meet their climate goals by 2030” and that “$100bn is too small an amount”, Press Trust of India reports. Speaking at a sustainability summit organised by Indian industry, Yadav is quoted by the outlet as saying developed countries – “historically responsible for most greenhouse gas emissions and appropriating a large share of the global carbon budget” – had “failed on both fronts” to deliver the $100bn and technology transfer they had pledged. “[I]f poorer nations, such as Ethiopia, were to adopt the consumption patterns of developed countries, humanity would need the resources of seven Earths”, Yadav added, pointing out that “consumption patterns in India align with those in African nations due to their sustainable lifestyles” and that “developing countries require energy for development to ensure a dignified life for their citizens”. Livemint, however, quotes the minister as saying “[c]onsumption patterns need to change in India so that the economy can grow without disrupting the environment”. In related news, the Hindustan Times reports that “[d]eveloped countries are pushing to expand the contributor base by inducting emerging economies (not necessarily historical polluters) in the list of contributors” to the “critical” new climate finance goal on the COP29 agenda. “They are not ready to budge”, said one unnamed source quoted in the paper.

Meanwhile, India’s prime minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that the country has “decided to build its future based on non-fossil fuel sources including hydropower and nuclear energy, as there was [a] dearth of reserves of oil [and] gas”, Hindustan Times reports. “Today’s India is preparing a base not only for today but for the next thousand years”, Modi is quoted as saying, adding that “India is very well aware of its energy needs and requirements to make it a developed nation by 2047”. At the same time, Germany’s minister for economic cooperation and development Svenja Schulze tells the Indian Express that “the problem of climate change, we cannot solve that without India…And if India achieves growth in a more sustainable manner, it will be helpful for not just India but Germany too[,] besides the world at large”. Speaking at the launch of an “India-Germany platform for renewable energy investments”, Schulze is quoted as saying that “[d]epending on just one producer of something…we don’t want that anymore…India is maybe the next player that has the ability to bring solar panels to the world”. 

Elsewhere, Down To Earth reports that the country “is on the verge of creating a carbon market” that will “likely take effect by 2026” once its carbon credit trading scheme (CCTS) comes into force. It adds that while the scheme’s compliance procedure was announced in August, its emission targets – “which will determine CCTS’ effectiveness, are yet to be announced”. Frontline features a comment by climate scientist Raghu Murtugudde who argues that while “India cannot afford to deviate from its dream of sustained and sustainable economic development with steady progress towards its net zero goals”, the gaps in “climate adaptation and mitigation need education, research, training and operationalisation”. 

Finally, India Today reports that 190 glacial lakes in mountainous Indian states have been identified in a new remote sensing-based study as having a “very high” risk of causing glacial lake outburst floods” and these “numbers are increasing due to climate change”. Separately, Dialogue Earth features a story on how climate change is impacting India’s milk industry.

Ongoing UN talks on how to ensure a just transition away from fossil fuels “provoked frustration last week among developing countries as rich nations did not attend in person and refused to discuss thorny issues”, Climate Home News reports. The publication explains: “About 30 developing countries sent civil servants to a five-star hotel in Ghana for official UN discussions on ‘response measures’ that are meant to tackle how to maximise the benefits and minimise the negative impacts of a green transition. All nations agreed at last year’s COP28 climate conference to hold the latest round of talks – but there were no officials present from wealthy governments, and while the US, the European Union and the UK did log on virtually, they kept their cameras largely off during the two-day meeting. Their rare contributions were received badly by developing countries.” 

Elsewhere, Agence France-Presse reports from the site of next UN climate summit later this year in Azerbaijan, with the headline: “Azerbaijan says ‘God-given’ oil and gas will help it go green.”

Several newspapers have analysis and comment articles in response to Lammy’s first major address as foreign secretary, which was focused on climate change and biodiversity loss. An analysis in the Guardian says that Lammy’s speech aimed to “put the UK at the centre of global efforts to repair the damage done to the planet from greenhouse gas emissions and the destruction of the natural world”. Sky News science editor Tom Clarke says Lammy’s “ambition is genuine”, but his plans will require “cash and commitment”. Meanwhile, an editorial in the Daily Mail says that “climate is the wrong priority” for Lammy, adding: “Does Lammy seriously think climate change deserves more of his attention as foreign secretary than the threats immediately to hand?” The Daily Mail also has a comment piece by journalist Leo McKinstry saying Lammy’s speech was “a lesson in virtue-signalling puerility”.

Elsewhere, the Guardian has an editorial on Europe’s future spending, saying: “Globally, China and the US are massively investing in – and subsidising – the green economy of the future, leaving European industrial giants struggling to keep up. The dramatic news that Volkswagen, once the biggest carmaker in the world, plans to close some of its German plants should be viewed as a wake-up call.” It continues: “At a time of deep social insecurity, and acute economic and environmental challenges, this familiar direction of travel will lead to further stagnation and low growth. That, in turn, will give the far right more scope to target green measures as unaffordable and to fuel anti-immigrant sentiment. A paradigm shift is urgently required. Having commissioned Draghi’s report, von der Leyen should take its message on board.” Daily Telegraph world economy editor Ambrose Evans-Pritchard has a piece on how Europe’s “quest for industrial sovereignty has gone horribly wrong”, which comments on stalling efforts to boost electric vehicle battery production. 

Finally, the Daily Mirror and Daily Express have editorials on the news that many pensioners plan not to heat their homes this winter after the government announced it would begin to means test winter fuel allowance.

New research reveals the “disproportionate” impact of atmospheric heat on rising summer surface temperatures in lakes around the world. Using modelling and satellite observations, the researchers quantify the contribution of “hot temperature extremes” (HTEs) to variations in summer lake surface water temperature and lake heatwaves in 1,260 water bodies worldwide between 1979 and 2022. Despite only accounting for 7% of the total summer days, HTEs “are responsible for 24% of lake surface summer warming trends”, the researchers find. In addition, “HTEs are key drivers of both the duration and cumulative intensity of lake heatwaves”, they say.

A new review of research into carbon dioxide removal (CDR) shows a “growing attention to CDR policies and governance issues over time, but with limited coverage of the global south”. Using an “AI-enhanced approach to systematic mapping”, the researchers assess 876 research papers that deal with CDR governance and policy issues. The findings reveal that “long established conventional CDR methods such as afforestation dominate the literature…with little coverage of many novel CDR methods, such as biochar or direct air carbon capture and storage”. The authors also observe a shift from “an initial discussion on CDR in international agreements towards the planning and implementation phase of national and sub-national policies”.