China smog: Greenpeace reports some easing pollution levels in 2015

China may have found itself once again in the news for the choking smog which blanketed many of its cities over the past month, but pollution in the worlds number two economy actually eased in 2015, data compiled by Greenpeace shows. The data, which covers 367 cities, showed average PM2.5 levels dropping by 10 percent in 2015 compared with the previous year. However, even with the improvement, 80 percent of the cities in the survey still failed to meet national air quality standards. Jan 20, 2016

Renault to recall 15,000 vehicles for emissions tweaks

French carmaker Renault will recall more than 15,000 vehicles to make changes to their engines to bring them into line with emissions standards, Environment Minister Segolene Royal told RTL radio on 19 January. The minister, responsible for the environment and sustainable development, repeated that Renault was not alone in exceeding emissions levels, although she did not name any other carmakers. Jan 19, 2016