News | Latest Breaking News Stories & Headlines

20 years after Hurricane Katrina - could it happen again?

When Hurricane Katrina tore into the Gulf Coast of the United States on 29 August 2005, it was not merely a storm - it was a brutal unveiling of the US's deepest vulnerabilities.

US • 29 Aug

Bank of Ireland said it 'recognises the path to sustainability can be complex for many businesses'

Bank of Ireland trebles Green Business Loan limit to €1m

Bank of Ireland has increased its Green Business Loan limit from €300,000 to €1m, supporting businesses or farmers looking for finance to reduce their costs and carbon footprint.

Business • 26 Aug

Orsted told to halt work on US offshore wind project

Orsted said today it would continue with a plan to raise capital after the Trump administration ordered the offshore wind farm developer to stop construction on a near-completed project off Rhode Island, sending its shares down 17%.

Business • 25 Aug

Those particularly at risk include manual workers in sectors such as construction

Billions of workers suffering from heat stress, UN says

Governments and employers must act urgently to ease the harmful impacts of heat stress on billions of workers worldwide, according to United Nations' agencies.

Climate Change • 22 Aug

Hurricane Erin brings high waves to Long Beach in New York

Erin brings coastal flooding to North Carolina, Virginia

Hurricane Erin has brought coastal flooding to North Carolina and Virginia as it made its closest approach to the US mainland.

US • 21 Aug

Govt warned of rising household bills as data centres strain grid

Senior officials have warned ministers that Ireland's rapid growth in data centres is using up electricity capacity and adding to the risks around energy costs and climate targets.

Prime Time • 21 Aug

a number of solar panel on gravel ground beside a road in front of a cloudy sky

Launch of first large-scale solar power joint project

Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment Darragh O'Brien has officially launched the first large-scale solar power project developed as a joint venture between ESB and BnM, formerly known as Bord na Móna.

Climate Change • 20 Aug

71% of firms say US ESG changes will affect compliance

7 in 10 financial firms say US and EU Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) rule changes will affect Irish compliance

Business • 20 Aug

Man standing in front of a red electric vehicle charger with a blue car nearby

EasyGo rebrands as EZO amid continued expansion

Irish electric vehicle charging network EasyGo is rebranding as EZO as the company continues to expand rapidly around the country.

Business • 20 Aug

Two men standing in front of a lake with an Aldi sign and a bag of fuel

ALDI Ireland's €1.2m partnership deal with Arigna Fuels

ALDI has today announced a new €1.2m partnership deal with Arigna Fuels, a family-run business from Arigna, Co Roscommon.

Business • 19 Aug

Two men in high viz jackets stand in front of wind turbines

New Flogas deal brings wind energy to Irish companies

Flogas, which is owned by DCC, has announced a new partnership with Ørsted Onshore Ireland, which will enable businesses to directly source renewable electricity from the Knockawarriga wind farm in Co Limerick.

Business • 19 Aug

A view of flames on the slope, consuming vegetation and threatening nearby olive trees in Portugal

Firefighters killed in Portugal and Spain as blazes rage

A firefighter has been killed battling wildfires that have been ravaging Portugal while a firefighter in Spain died when his truck crashed on a forest path.

Europe • 18 Aug

Row over 'temperature neutrality' vs 'climate neutrality'

A big academic row has broken out among Ireland's climate scientists over the commitment to a "climate neutral economy" in the country's national climate objective, writes George Lee.

Analysis and Comment • 16 Aug

A man stands next to a fire truck in portugal

Portugal reports first death from heatwave fires

The fires raging across Portugal claimed their first victim, when the former mayor of the eastern town of Guarda died fighting fires there, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa announced.

Europe • 15 Aug

Firefighters worked through the night and this morning remain on scene at the fire

Orange forest fire warning issued for weekend

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has issued a Condition Orange Forest Fire warning in advance of warm weather forecast for the weekend.

Ireland • 16 Aug

Fossil fuels behind 81% of Irish energy use last year

Fossil fuels were Ireland's primary energy source last year, accounting for 81% of primary energy supply, according to an analysis of global energy data by KPMG.

Business • 15 Aug

A view of the outside of the UN building in Geneva

New compromise but no deal at plastic pollution talk

Countries trying to break the deadlock and strike a landmark global treaty on combating plastic pollution negotiated through the night on a last-minute revised proposal.

Environment • 21 Aug

People run by a burnt area during a wildfire near the village of Larouco, in the province of Ourense, in northwestern Spain

EU working 'non-stop' to help countries hit by wildfires

The EU said today that it is working "non-stop" to support countries as they continue to battle wildfires that have ravaged the continent for ten days.

Climate Change • 14 Aug

Used for RTÉ story about concerns over windfarm

Concerns over wind project on Laois-Kilkenny border

Two communities on the Laois-Kilkenny border say they are concerned about the environmental and health impacts of a proposed wind project in their area and are appealing to the Government to urgently update guidelines around wind energy projects.

Environment • 14 Aug

Two female Certa executives pose at a HVO pump and a map of Ireland indicating the location of HVO fuel service station

Certa expands to 25 HVO sites around the country

Certa, which is part of DCC, is expanding to 25 HVO fuel sites across Ireland as it responds to demand from diesel drivers who are choosing the renewable fuel to reduce their carbon emissions.

Business • 12 Aug

Wind energy made up 24% of total supply in July - report

Wind energy made up almost a quarter of the country's electricity last month, according to the latest report from Wind Energy Ireland.

Business • 12 Aug

Proposed carbon budget approach 'not enough' - expert

Ireland's proposed carbon budget approach is "not enough" and needs to be reassessed, a climate expert has said.

Climate Change • 12 Aug

Orsted plans to raise $9.4 billion in rights issue

Denmark's Orsted has today asked its shareholders for 60 billion crowns ($9.4 billion), sending the stock sharply lower as the wind farm developer seeks to boost its finances amid US President Donald Trump's opposition to wind power.

Business • 11 Aug

People bathing at the Ounaskoski Beach at the Arctic Circle in Rovaniemi, Finnish Lapland

Third-hottest July on record wreaks climate havoc

The third-hottest July worldwide ended a string of record-breaking temperatures last month, but many regions were still devastated by extreme weather amplified by global warming, the European climate monitoring service has said.

Climate Change • 07 Aug

a row of white electric cars plugged into charging stations

EV sales help exceed interim Climate Action Plan target

New figures from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry show that 4,913 new electric cars were registered in July, a jump of 57% from the 3,129 registrations in July of last year.

Business • 01 Aug