<p>European politicians will renew their debate this week on raising the target for carbon emission cuts as the bloc plans for international climate change talks in Durban. Some politicians and campaigners have said that the minimum target should be a 30 percent reduction by 2020, but earlier this year Poland blocked an attempt to raise the goal to 25 percent. "Already we have a 17.6 percent reduction in 2012," said Jo Leinen, chairman of the European Parliament's environment committee.

<p>Four major Chinese airlines are set to jointly sue the European Union over its plans to charge carriers for carbon emissions, an official with the country's industry group announced last week. "There is no way the emission charge can be justified. It violates the basic principles of international law and infringes on other nations' sovereignty," said Cai Haibo, deputy secretary-general with China Air Transport Association. The Chinese suit would differ from one launched by U.S.

<p>A French court has fined energy company EDF 1.5 million euros ($2 million) and jailed two staff members for hiring a security firm to spy on Greenpeace campaigners during an effort to build nuclear reactors. The court also awarded Greenpeace 500,000 euros ($700,000) in damages. The campaign targeted one of the European Pressurized Water Reactors, which is being built on the Normandy coast and is similar to the ones that EDF hopes to bring to the United Kingdom.