electric vehicle

European electric vehicle production faces setbacks amid worker strikes and corporate profit disputes

Stellantis is under fire from both workers and investors as it blames governments for weak support of electric vehicle transitions, while employees argue corporate mismanagement is behind job losses and poor EV sales.

Kate Aronoff reports for The New Republic.


In short:

  • Stellantis has halted production of its electric Fiat 500e, citing low sales, while laying off workers and shifting focus to hybrid vehicles.
  • Workers in Italy, France and the U.S. are striking over unmet investment commitments, criticizing Stellantis’s focus on profit and executive pay.
  • Stellantis claims the slow transition is due to inadequate government support, but unions argue that corporate underinvestment is at fault.

Key quote:

“They have distributed profits to shareholders, never to the workers.”

— Maurizio Oreggia, international coordinator for the Italian metalworkers’ union FIOM

Why this matters:

Electric vehicle production is vital to reducing carbon emissions, but corporate delays and job losses raise concerns about the auto industry's ability to transition effectively. Addressing these challenges is key to meeting climate goals.

The US EPA building exterior

Trump campaign plans overhaul for EPA's climate policies

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, currently bolstered by recent laws and regulations on climate and toxic chemicals, could see sweeping rollbacks if Donald Trump wins the 2024 election, according to plans outlined by Trump allies.

Lisa Friedman reports for The New York Times.

Keep reading...Show less
Senator Whitehouse & climate change

Senator Whitehouse puts climate change on budget committee’s agenda

For more than a decade, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse gave daily warnings about the mounting threat of climate change. Now he has a powerful new perch.
view of downtown Baku Azerbaijan

Climate pledges fall short as COP29 approaches

Global efforts to curb climate change remain insufficient, with new reports indicating that current national policies will lead to a 3-degree Celsius rise in global temperatures by 2100.

Bob Berwyn reports for Inside Climate News.

Keep reading...Show less
hands holding a cell phone, scrolling Twitter

Bots boost support for Azerbaijan’s hosting of climate summit

More than 1,800 fake social media accounts on X are promoting Azerbaijan as the COP29 host, despite criticism over the nation’s commitment to fossil fuels and human rights.

Maxine Joselow reports for The Washington Post.

Keep reading...Show less
Two people in protective suits spraying pesticides in a field
Credit: NataliAlba/BigStock photo ID: 392048702

Pesticide regulations ignore critical threats to insect health and ecosystems

In a study revealing regulatory gaps, researchers found that pesticides impact insect behavior and survival at non-lethal doses, especially in warmer temperatures, calling into question the effectiveness of current pesticide safety protocols.

Dave Goulson writes for The Conversation.

Keep reading...Show less
US official ballot drop box
Credit: Joe Flood/Flickr

Climate-focused races in overlooked elections are critical this year

Down-ballot races across the U.S. are quietly shaping the nation’s climate agenda, from utility commissions to state legislatures, as local leaders vie to influence energy policy.

Marcus Baram reports for Capital & Main.

Keep reading...Show less
cut down logs near the edge of a forest

Trees worldwide face extinction threat, surpassing endangered animal species

More than a third of the world’s tree species are now at risk of extinction, with impacts rippling across ecosystems that depend on them for habitat, food and carbon absorption.

Helen Briggs reports for BBC.

Keep reading...Show less
overhead view of people sitting in a conference hall

Major corporations push to influence biodiversity talks as UN COP16 unfolds

Businesses in agriculture, pharmaceuticals and fossil fuels have arrived in force at the United Nations COP16 biodiversity summit in Colombia, pushing agendas that could undermine conservation goals.

Hazel Healy and Rachel Sherrington report for DeSmog.

Keep reading...Show less
From our Newsroom
U.S. Steel Pennsylvania pollution

Coal-based steelmaking in Pennsylvania causes up to 92 premature deaths and $1.4 billion in health costs every year: Report

Just three facilities near Pittsburgh cost the state $16 million in lost economic activity annually, according to a new report.

COP16 UN biodiversity

Pollution is one of the top drivers of biodiversity loss. Why is no one talking about it at COP16?

“Chemicals are really at the center of this triple planetary crisis of pollution, biodiversity and climate change.”

COP16 UN biodiversity

La contaminación es una de las principales amenazas de la biodiversidad. ¿Por qué nadie habla de ella en la COP16?

“Las sustancias químicas están realmente en el centro de esta triple crisis planetaria de contaminación, biodiversidad y cambio climático”.

clean energy transition

Op-ed: Labor and environmental groups can both win in the clean energy transition. Here’s how.

Groups are choosing to repair broken lines of communication and visualize the transition for its true potential to mitigate climate change – the common enemy.

environmental defenders

‘Living under this constant threat’: Environmental defenders face a mounting mental health crisis

Environmental activists are struggling with paranoia, panic attacks, and depression. Now, a growing network of mental health shelters in South America hopes to fill a void in care.

fracking opposition

Opposing fracking cost one Colombian activist her mental health. She’s fighting to win it back.

"At some point, they will kill you and kill all of us," environmental leader Yuvelis Natalia Morales Blanco was told.

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.