Climate
UK provisionally records its hottest summer
The Met Office says summer 2026 averaged 16.5°C, making it the UK’s warmest season in records dating to 1884.
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Environment
EU water assessments add eight countries to river and flood plan reviews
On 5 October, the European Commission published assessments of river-basin and flood-risk plans for eight EU countries that had not submitted data in time for the earlier review. Third river basin management plans and second flood risk management plans are now included for Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Ireland, Malta, Portugal, Slovakia and Slovenia.
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Germany and EU agree steps to strengthen water resilience
Germany and the European Commission signed a joint statement on 5 October to strengthen water resilience and accelerate implementation of EU water legislation. Germany became the first country to complete the Commission’s structured dialogue process, launched in November 2025.
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Japan survey maps distributions for 113 of 115 freshwater fish species
Japan’s Environment Ministry published results on freshwater fish from a nationwide baseline nature survey covering 2022–2025 on 5 October. The survey compiled distribution information for 113 of its 115 target species and also organized records for 11 related species outside the target group.
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Mediterranean water ministers agree on regional cooperation through 2030
Ministers and senior officials from the 43 members of the Union for the Mediterranean met in Rome on 28 September for the group’s first water ministerial meeting since 2017. They endorsed a second ministerial declaration setting regional priorities for water-related Sustainable Development Goals from 2026 to 2030.
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IEA flags rising heavy-rainfall risk for Kenya’s power grid
The agency’s new assessment says 95% of Kenya’s electricity grid could face heavier rainfall by mid-century under a global-warming scenario above 3°C.
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Japan selects three projects for regional waste recycling support
Japan’s Environment Ministry announced on 25 September that it had selected three projects for support to collect and recycle locally generated composite materials, waste oil, construction waste and other recoverable waste. Projects were required to build systems that collect, sort and recycle local waste and supply recovered materials back into the same region.
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Japan and Singapore renew environmental cooperation memorandum
Japan’s environment minister and Singapore’s minister for sustainability and the environment signed a renewed memorandum on environmental cooperation on 24 September. Japan’s Environment Ministry said the update adds areas to the framework first established in 2017 and will serve as the basis for future cooperation.
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One in nine European moth species faces extinction risk
The European Commission’s European Red List of Moths, published on 21 September, says nearly 11% of moth species in Europe and nearly 12% in the EU27 are threatened with extinction. The assessment covers 3,082 species at the European level.
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Vocational training links livelihoods with forest protection in Madagascar
UNESCO’s BIOCOM project provides training in construction, entrepreneurship and aquaculture for young people in Madagascar’s Sava region. It aims to widen employment options around Marojejy National Park and reduce pressure on forest resources.
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Commission keeps EU waste battery recycling targets unchanged
In an assessment published on 11 September, the European Commission concluded that the EU Batteries Regulation’s targets for recycling efficiency and material recovery remain appropriate. The review considered battery technology developments, scientific and technical progress, and current and forecast availability of cobalt, copper, lead, lithium and nickel.
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Japan revises national reference list for invasive species risks
Japan’s environment and agriculture ministries published the second edition of the country’s list of non-native species that may harm ecosystems on 11 September. The ministries had reviewed the 2015 first edition with scientific experts since fiscal 2023, taking account of updated information on species’ spread and ecological impacts.
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