Latest news with #ecologicaltransition
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Biggest French wildfire since 1949 a 'catastrophe on an unprecedented scale'
French firefighters continue to battle the spread of a wildfire in the south of the country that has left one person dead and burnt 17,000 hectares since Tuesday. It's the country's biggest blaze since 1949, according to the Minister for Ecological Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher. The fire began late on Tuesday in the village of Ribaute in the southern Aude department, a rural, wooded area that is home to several wineries. Some 2,000 firefighters were mobilised to control the blaze, with the aid of 500 trucks, four Canadair planes and helicopters equipped to drop water. "The fire is still very active and the situation remains unfavourable," said Lucie Roesch, secretary-general of the Aude prefecture, citing drought conditions, rising temperatures and strong winds. Planes were dropping water on the flames, but Roesch warned: "This fire will keep us busy for several days. It's a long-term operation." 'Remain cautious' The blaze has already burned some 17,000 hectares of land – an area larger than the city of Paris, according to Colonel Christophe Magny, head of the Aude fire department. Some 3,000 homes were still threatenend by the fire on Thursday, while around 1,000 people who had been evacuated in the area had not yet been allowed to return home. "The objective is to stabilise the fire and halt its progress by the end of the day", Magny said, adding: "We have to remain cautious." Firefighters warned that stronger winds were forecast for later on Thursday, when local temperatures were set to reach 32C. A 65-year-old woman, who had refused to be evacuated, was found dead in her scorched house, while 13 people were injured, 11 of them firefighters, according to the Aude prefecture. Around 36 homes and numerous cars have been destroyed. Three people reported missing by their relatives have since been located, according to authorities. 'It looks like a lunar landscape' French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou, who visited the affected region on Wednesday, described the fire as a "catastrophe on an unprecedented scale," and linked it to global warming. He posted a message on social media pledging support to the firefighting crews, residents, elected officials and local winegrowers. Jacques Piraux, mayor of the village of Jonquières, on Wednesday described scenes of sadness and desolation. "It looks like a lunar landscape, everything is burned. More than half or three-quarters of the village has burned down. It's hellish," he told French television channel BFM-TV. David Cerdan, 51, fled Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, where the woman who had refused evacuation died. "I'm putting it into perspective. I only have material damage," said Cerdan. Far-reaching impact People as far as 30 kilometres away from the fire have felt its impact. "The air is smell of burning has seeped into homes," said Serge de Souza, a local in the seaside town of Port-la-Nouvelle. The frequency of wildfires is taking a toll on local residents, said Aude Damesin, who lives in the town of Fabrezan. "It's terrible for the wildlife, the flora, and for the people who are losing everything," she said. How satellite technology is being used in France to fight forest fires An investigation has been opened into the cause of the fire, local officials said. "All of the nation's resources are mobilised," President Emmanuel Macron said on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), calling on people to exercise "the utmost caution". The European Union's crisis management commissioner, Hadja Lahbib, said on X: "The EU stands ready to mobilise international support, if needed." The Aude department has seen an increase in areas burnt in recent years, aggravated by low rainfall and the uprooting of vineyards, which used to help slow down the advance of fires. This summer has already seen some 9,000 fires, mainly along the Mediterranean coast, according to the French emergency management service. (with newswires)
Arab News
02-07-2025
- Health
- Arab News
Two die in France of ‘heat-related illness': minister
PARIS: Two people died in France as a result of 'heat-related illness,' said the minister for ecological transition on Wednesday, as the country registered its second-hottest June since records began in 1900. 'More than 300 people have been treated by firefighters and two have died as a result of heat-related illness,' said Agnes Pannier-Runacher.
Associated Press
12-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Monaco: at the Yacht Club, Blumorpho pushes maritime finance forward, 'No time to waste'
MONACO, June 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The ecological transition of the maritime and port sectors has reached a critical inflection point. In a high-level working session held at the Yacht Club de Monaco, innovation met finance to chart a clear course toward healthier oceans and sustainable infrastructure. The event, led by Blumorpho in partnership with the International Association of Port Cities (AIVP) and supported by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, brought together port authorities, financial institutions, corporations, and innovators to activate actionable financial mechanisms for the sustainable transformation of coastal urban ecosystems. Part of the momentum building toward the 'Blue Economy Finance Forum' and the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC), the initiative aims to accelerate the deployment of scalable, investable solutions in support of net-zero and biodiversity objectives. Opening the session, Bernard d'Alessandri, General Secretary of the Yacht Club de Monaco, stated: 'On behalf of our President, HSH Prince Albert II, we are pleased to welcome you to the Yacht Club de Monaco to address this key issue. We would like to congratulate the Blumorpho team for their initiative and leadership. On our side, and as part of our collective ambition, 'Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting', we are fully committed to advancing sustainable yachting through concrete actions, including the development of the SEA Index®, a tool to assess the carbon footprint of superyachts; and support for pioneering projects through the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge (1–5 July 2025). This commitment is more essential than ever, and we are proud to contribute to the dialogue on how to protect our Ocean.' The day unfolded through expert panels, collaborative workshops, and project showcases, with three core themes emerging: ports as platforms for systemic innovation, strategic capital for climate impact, and concrete, investment-ready projects. Port cities were highlighted as drivers of integrated innovation, connecting clean energy, biodiversity, mobility, and industrial transformation. Financially, new models are gaining traction, from blended finance and blue bonds to private equity and infrastructure debt. Flagship projects from Kribi, Riga, San Diego, Genoa, and Bordeaux showcased pathways that combine decarbonization, aquaculture, digital infrastructure, and inclusive growth. 'The real challenge is not only funding the transition, but designing collaborative and business models that align profitability with long-term climate and societal goals,' explained Géraldine Andrieux, CEO of Blumorpho. Featured case studies included Ineos Energy's integrated approach to carbon capture and storage, and Republic Bank's expanding role in green infrastructure across Caribbean ports and beyond. 'As key players in the globalisation of trade, port cities bear a large share of the responsibility for the climate change. But the richness of their ecosystem means that they are also home to some of the solutions,' said Bruno Delsalle, General Manager of AIVP. The session sets the stage for a shared roadmap to be presented at the AIVP World Conference Cities & Ports 2025, scheduled in New York this November. Tisha Marajh, Group Sustainability Officer at Republic Bank, concluded with a firm call to action: 'We don't have time to waste. We are among the most affected by climate change. Phased investments tailored to attract different kinds of financing can provide a more sustainable path forward. We also need systems to identify small upstream projects, manage ESG risks, and facilitate technology transfer. Sustainable finance is a market opportunity, and we, as financial institutions, are ready to engage, if the right conditions are in place, in Caribbeans and at global scale.' For more information: Press Office LaPresse-[email protected] A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
CBC
07-06-2025
- General
- CBC
Sherbrooke, Que., faces growing pains as it looks to expand its cycling network
On her daily rides through Sherbrooke, Que., Laurence Williams often finds herself cruising along a bike path — until it suddenly comes to an end. A self-described "utilitarian cyclist," who uses her bicycle for all her transportation needs, Williams says it's possible to get around the city by bike. But it's not always easy. "Sometimes you have a beginning of a bike path and then it just stops," Williams says, adding that this kind of interruption is common on the cycling network in the city, located 150 kilometres east of Montreal. Aside from being inconvenient to someone who is looking for the fastest route to a given destination, Williams feels that the variability in what kinds of infrastructure exist for cyclists also makes her commutes more dangerous, because it is harder to know what is coming up around the next corner. "When you use your bike on a day-to-day basis, you want your route to be quick, to be safe and predictable," she says. Williams argues that in a city like Sherbrooke where there appears to be political will for bike and environmentally friendly initiatives, she expects it to be easier to make progress. "In a context where ecological transition has been mentioned as a priority for the City of Sherbrooke and a context where more than 50 per cent of our citywide greenhouse gas emissions are directly related to transportation, we really need to go faster." 'A big challenge' for the city In May, Sherbrooke highlighted 16 areas where expansions to the cycling network have been planned. Over the next three years, the hope is to bridge a number of significant gaps in the existing system. According to Anne-Sophie Demers, a division chief for sustainable and integrated mobility with Sherbrooke's Strategic Territorial Development Service, the goal of these priority areas is to improve the connectivity between different parts of the network. "It is a big challenge for our team because the context and situation is never the same," Demers says. Demers and her team have been charged with trying to determine how best to implement safe and functional bike paths on existing roads without disrupting the needs of existing traffic. It is an urban planning puzzle, she said, because some roads are simply not large enough to accommodate both drivers and cyclists on fully protected bike lanes. Despite those difficulties, Demers says that the city has been in conversation with local cycling groups to try to find the best options available in the hopes that a more secure cycling network will open the door to more cyclists. The city is also trying to improve access to bikes in other ways. Demers notes that there is currently work underway for the installation of Bixi bike-sharing stations similar to the system that has been in place in Montreal for more than a decade "We think it has the potential to transform mobility in Sherbrooke." The initial Bixi system in Sherbrooke is expected to have 250 bicycles at 25 stations, with 80 per cent of the fleet being e-bikes. Although no official start date has yet been announced, Demers says the system should be operational by July. A city with a lot of potential "The arrival of e-bikes has literally changed the landscape of who's able to cycle," says Magali Bebronne, director of programs at Vélo Québec. The cycling advocacy group is one of the parties Demers's team has turned to for support and data in its planning process. Vélo Québec conducts regular research into the state of bicycle adoption in several different Quebec cities, including Sherbrooke. For a city as hilly as Sherbrooke, Bebronne says bikes equipped with an electric motor are a game changer for cycling accessibility. That, combined with the known benefits of public-access bicycle programs like Bixi, creates an interesting opportunity for increased adoption of cycling as a way of getting around in the city. Vélo Québec also publishes a portrait of cycling in the province every five years and, although the 2020 report was carried out in unusual circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic, research showed that just over half of all Quebecers were using a bicycle and 2.1 million people were using one as a regular mode of transportation. Bebronne says the group is currently in the process of preparing the 2025 edition. Bebronne also challenges the idea that using bikes in this way is uniquely a "big city" phenomenon. "In smaller cities, people actually live closer to where they work," Bebronne explains, noting that Vélo Québec's last study of Sherbrooke showed that about 44 per cent of the population live within five kilometres of their work.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Italy's Meloni warns EU green policies risk 'industrial desertification'
ROME (Reuters) -Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni warned on Saturday that rigid green policies could devastate Europe's industrial base, and called for a more cautious approach to the ecological transition that protects economic and social stability. Speaking after meeting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Meloni said the European Union's push towards electrification, particularly in the automotive sector, risked undermining the continent's manufacturing strength. "I have often said that in a desert there is nothing green," Meloni told reporters in Rome. "Before anything else, we must fight the desertification of European industry." She said that alternative fuels such as biofuels and hydrogen must play a central role in Europe's green strategy. Meloni criticised the EU's past regulatory approach as too inflexible, saying it had "crushed" sectors like the automotive industry. She also expressed concern that Europe was depending on electric vehicle supply chains dominated by non-European countries, calling this a strategic vulnerability. "I continue to believe it is counterproductive to focus solely on the electric transition, where the supply chains are not controlled by Europe, but by other actors," she said. Meloni urged the European Commission to go further in revising key aspects of the so-called Green Deal, including new emissions calculations that account for the entire production cycle of a vehicle, not just tailpipe emissions. The European Parliament earlier this month voted to soften rules for European automakers, meaning they will not have to comply with EU CO2 emissions targets for cars and vans that could have led to fines of up to 15 billion euros ($17 billion). Following heavy lobbying, the European Commission proposed allowing automakers to meet the targets based on their average emissions over the period 2025-2027, rather than just this year. Italy and Germany — Europe's two largest manufacturing economies — should lead efforts to restore competitiveness, Meloni said, adding that the automotive sector was one area where bilateral cooperation could make a decisive impact.
