<p>China's cabinet has launched a new cross-ministerial leadership group to tackle pollution around Beijing. The group will assist in creating a "coordination mechanism" to tackle pollution in and around the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. The group will be headed by the vice-premier Han Zheng, and environment minister Li Ganjie, the mayors of Beijing and Tianjin and the governor of Hebei province will serve as deputies.

<p>Nestlé has been suspended from the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), the world's largest association for ethical palm oil production. The RSPO was established by environmental groups and industry representatives in 2004 to push back against destructive practices by oil palm growers, like deforestation and land grabbing. According to RSPO, Nestlé's suspension was due to its failure to submit a 2016 progress report, for submitting an incomplete report in 2017, and for failing to pay its membership fees.

<p>On July 12, Ireland's lower house of parliament passed a Fossil Fuel Divestment Bill that, if passed by the upper house, would make the Republic of Ireland the first country to sell off its investments in fossil fuel companies. The bill defines a fossil fuel company as a company that derives 20% or more of its revenue from exploration, extraction, or refinement of fossil fuels, and it allows investment in Irish fossil fuel companies if the investment funds move away from fossil fuels.