Eurotopics.net

The 26th UN World Climate Conference starts in Glasgow on 31 October. A new report by the UN Environment Programme does not bode well for the success of the summit: it shows that the world's governments plan to produce twice as much oil, gas and coal by 2030 as the Paris climate targets allow. The world is still heading towards "a climate catastrophe", according to UN Secretary General António Guterres. The press discusses the role of the EU in reversing the trend.

Food prices have been rising across the globe since the beginning of the Covid pandemic. This is causing increasing hardship for poorer countries, but also for the poorer sections of society in wealthier countries, because - as in Russia and Ukraine, for example - even low-cost staple foods are affected by massive price hikes. Commentators examine the causes.

The fourth wave is in full swing in Latvia. On 23 October 2,440 new infections were recorded - the highest figure since the beginning of the pandemic. Restrictions on public life are now once again in place. The pace of vaccination increased markedly in October, but so far only just under 60 percent of the population have received one jab and the vaccination rate is considerably lower in the Russian-speaking parts of the country.

The price of natural gas has quadrupled within a year. But a meeting of EU energy ministers on Tuesday also failed to produce a joint action plan against soaring gas and electricity prices. Once again, Europe seems divided between North and South: Spain, Greece and others are demanding intervention in the markets while Germany, the Netherlands and the Baltic States want to wait and see what happens first, and each state is making decisions independently.