This weekly round-up brings you key climate news from the past seven days, including reactions to the Trump administration’s rollback of the endangerment finding and a new EU-wide ban on the destruction of unsold clothes.
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1. Endangerment Finding: Trump Administration Hails Repeal as Green Groups Decry ‘Unlawful’ Move
Reactions are pouring in following the Trump administration’s announcement on Thursday that it is repealing the endangerment finding, a landmark scientific finding that determined that greenhouse gases pose a risk to public health and welfare. Issued in 2009 under then-president Barack Obama, the endangerment finding has since underpinned US climate policy and emission regulations.
While the EPA has said the repeal will save American taxpayer $1.3 trillion, dozens of politicians, scientists and environmental groups have denounced the move, saying it will put lives at risk and shift the costs of harmful pollution onto American families, communities, and future generations. They called the move “illegal” and threatened legal action against the Trump administration.
2. January’s Weather Extremes Mark Turbolent Start to 2026
Extreme heat and cold and erratic rainfall made January a month of weather extremes, weather agencies have said.
Globally, last month was the fifth warmest January ever recorded, with an average surface air temperature of 12.95C, 1.47C above the pre-industrial level. But temperatures varied greatly across regions.
Europe experiencing its coldest January since 2010 and the majority of the North American continent hit by bitterly cold temperatures as low as −43F (−42C), while parts of the Southern Hemisphere, including Australia, Chile and Patagonia, saw unusually intense heat that fueled devastating wildfires.
Meanwhile, south-eastern Africa, Indonesia, New Zealand and large parts of Europe experienced heavy rainfall in the latter part of the month, which triggered flooding and landslides, claiming dozens of lives. Mozambique was worst hit, with flooding affecting at least 650,000 people and destroyed or damaged at least 30,000 homes, according to Mozambique’s National Disasters Management Institute.
3. EU Bans Destruction of Unsold Clothes and Shoes
The European Union has banned the destruction of unsold clothes, a move aimed at tackling overproduction and making the fashion industry more sustainable.
On Monday, the European Commission introduced new rules prohibiting companies from destroying unsold textiles and footwear. The measures are part of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), which entered into force in July 2024. As the cornerstone of the EU’s transition toward a circular economy, the regulation focuses on enhancing product durability, reusability, reparability, and resource efficiency. The ESPR covers almost all physical goods placed on the EU market, with the exception of food, feed and medicinal products.
The new measures aim to support businesses in complying with the requirements regarding the destruction of unsold textiles under the ESPR. Besides clarifying under which circumstances the destruction will be permitted – for instance, due to safety reasons or product damage – they also introduce a standardized format for businesses to disclose the volumes of unsold consumer goods they discard.
4. Climate Change Fueled Deadly January Wildfires in Argentina, Chile: Study
Recent deadly wildfires in parts of Argentina and Chile would have been less likely to occur in a cooler world, according to a new study.
New research by the World Weather Attribution group concluded that reduced rainfall and elevated temperatures created the perfect conditions for the wildfires to spread. The blazes ripped through the Andean foothills of central-southern Chile and across northern Patagonia in Argentina, affecting dense native forests, national parks, and small rural and tourist communities along the Chile–Argentina border.
Months of drought, temperatures above 38C and winds of 40–50 km/h allowed the fires to spread rapidly, destroying thousands of homes, killing and injuring dozens of people, and prompting local authorities to declare a state of emergency.
5. Environmental Groups Sue EU Over Controversial Lithium Mine in Portugal
Environmental and community groups have sued the European Commission over its decision to grant “strategic” status to a lithium mine in northern Portugal.
Non-profit groups Associação Unidos em Defesa de Covas do Barroso (UDCB) – a local residents’ association – and ClientEarth filed the case at the European Court of Justice on Thursday. They allege that the Commission has failed to reconsider its decision to grant special status to Portugal’s Barroso lithium mine project as “detailed evidence” of the project’s environmental, social and safety risks emerged.
The Barroso lithium mine is one of 47 raw material projects within the EU that the Commission designated as “strategic” in March 2025 after assessing “their contribution to the security of the Union’s supply of strategic raw materials, technical feasibility, sustainable implementation, and cross-border benefits.” The status effectively fast-tracks the development of these projects by providing faster permitting, improved access to financing, and reduced administrative burden.
