California seeks long-term water savings as drought lingers

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) - California water regulators on Wednesday recommended tighter oversight of agricultural irrigation and a permanent ban on over-watering urban lawns, a first step toward developing a long-term conservation plan amid ongoing drought.

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China's Hebei province issues red alert for smog

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's northern Hebei province has issued its first "red alert" of the year for severe pollution, the official Xinhua news agency said on Thursday, the highest level alert for smog which will see factories suspended and cars pulled off the road.

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Germany's Merkel says will work with Trump on climate policy

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's Angela Merkel said on Wednesday she would try to work on climate policy with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who has said he may pull out of a landmark international accord to fight global warming.

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China slaps extra 10 percent tax on 'super cars'

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China will impose an extra 10 percent tax on high-end cars in a bid to rein in lavish spending and to reduce emissions, the ministry of finance has said, a potential headache for luxury car makers.

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Obama moves to lock in vehicle greenhouse gas rules

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday said it will push to lock in fuel efficiency standards central to outgoing President Barack Obama’s climate policy before the Trump administration takes over in January.

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EU unveils power market reform to boost renewables

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - EU regulators set a path on Wednesday for renewables to power half of Europe by 2030, with plans to cut energy use, phase out subsidies for coal and enforce greater cross-border trade.

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EU plan for CO2 limit to power reserve schemes hasty: Poland

WARSAW (Reuters) - The European Commission's proposal to attach emissions limits to subsidies paid to utilities that set aside capacity to avert blackouts would be hasty and bad for the environment, Poland's energy ministry said.

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