The changing climate of climate change: The message, it seems, has finally gotten through: global warming represents a serious threat to our planet. At the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, world leaders saw climate change, for the first time, topping the list of global concerns. Europe and Japan have shown their commitment to reduce global warming by imposing costs on themselves and their producers, even if it places them at a competitive disadvantage. The biggest obstacle until now has been the United States. Joseph Stiglitz in Chosun Ilbo

90 international companies call for action: Immediate action by the world’s governments to mitigate the effects of greenhouse gases is essential to preserving the environment and the global economy, according to a joint statement released yesterday by a group of more than 90 international companies including Air France, General Electric and Volvo. LiveScience

Insurance doubt on carbon plan: Australia’s insurance industry says it cannot provide cover for the Federal Government’s preferred way to combat climate change by burying greenhouse gas emissions underground, raising the prospect that taxpayers could bear the risk for future projects. The Australian Insurance Council told The Age that no framework existed to allow companies to insure projects where greenhouse gas emissions are stored in rock formations underground for thousands of years. The Age

EU agrees to 20% cut in CO2 by 2020: EU environment ministers said that they would cut overall carbon dioxide emissions 20% by 2020 and were ready to go to 30% if other industrialised nations would match European efforts to curb global warming. But the EU’s 27 nations are still to agree what each should do to meet a 20% target for the entire bloc, with Finland, Spain and Denmark calling on other nations to share the burden. SMH

Call to halt fleet subsidies to save deep sea fish: Scientists have called for subsidies paid out to a handful of national deep sea fishing fleets to be stopped immediately to prevent permanent ecological damage and the extinction of some of the longest living creatures on the planet. Without the $152m (£78m) of subsidies paid out annually, deep-sea fisheries would operate at a loss of $50m. But the technologically advanced fleets are moving from place to place, fishing areas to extinction before moving on. The Guardian