Greenpeace to shut down in Russia after being declared ‘undesirable organisation’

(Reuters) -The Russian branch of environmental group Greenpeace on Friday said it would shut down after authorities declared the group an “undesirable organisation”, effectively banning it from operating. In a statement, Russia’s Prosecutor General said Greenpeace had tried to “interfere in the internal affairs of the state” and was “engaged in anti-Russian propaganda” by calling…

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Exclusive-Staff at top U.S. farm research center file complaint alleging unsafe work conditions

By Leah Douglas (Reuters) -Three employees of the largest agricultural research facility in the U.S. have filed federal whistleblower complaints alleging that the facility’s conditions are hazardous to workers and undermine their research, even as farmers are facing pressing issues like climate change, according to documents reviewed by Reuters and interviews with staff. The Beltsville…

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‘ESG’ in U.S. finance job titles comes with 20% pay premium

By Isla Binnie NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S.-based bankers and money managers whose job titles include “ESG” or “sustainability” earn on average around 20% higher base salaries than colleagues of the same seniority without those labels, according to analysis of salary data shared with Reuters. More than $30 trillion in capital has been committed to…

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More than half of the world’s large lakes are drying up, study finds

By Gloria Dickie LONDON (Reuters) – More than half of the world’s large lakes and reservoirs have shrunk since the early 1990s, chiefly because of climate change, intensifying concerns about water for agriculture, hydropower and human consumption, a study published on Thursday found. A team of international researchers reported that some of the world’s most…

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Exxon rebuts proxy advisor, says net zero emissions scenario ‘unlikely’

By Sabrina Valle HOUSTON (Reuters) – Exxon Mobil Corp has pushed back against investors pressing the largest U.S. oil producer to report on the risks to its business from restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions and potential environmental disasters. In a reply on Wednesday to proxy advisor Glass Lewis, Exxon said the prospect of the world…

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Russian forces dig in at Ukrainian nuclear plant, witnesses say

By Tom Balmforth and Sarah McFarlane LONDON (Reuters) -Russian military forces have been enhancing defensive positions in and around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine in recent weeks, four witnesses said, ahead of an expected counteroffensive in the region. New trenches have been dug around the city and more mines have been laid….

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Netherlands to ban inland vessels from discharging toxic fumes

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – The Netherlands is banning inland vessels from discharging toxic fumes from July 2024, Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management Mark Harber announced this week. The ban will cover seven types of substances including carcinogenic benzene, gasoline and mixtures of petroleum and benzene. Countries along the river Rhine agreed in 2017 to jointly…

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U.S., Taiwan reach deal on first part of ’21st Century’ trade pact

By David Lawder WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. and Taiwan reached agreement on the first part of their “21st Century” trade initiative, covering customs and border procedures, regulatory practices, and small business, the U.S. Trade Representative’s office said on Thursday. After the initial agreement of the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade is signed, negotiations will…

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Mexico declares national security protection for Mayan tourist train

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexico’s president said on Thursday that construction and operation of a tourist train project that could cost up to $20 billion is a matter of national security, offering new legal protections for the high-profile public work. In a decree published in Mexico’s official gazette, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador invoked government…

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