<p>On January 24, the European Court of Human Rights condemned Italy for failing to protect its citizens from a polluting steel plant in the southern city of Taranto that has been blamed for hundred of cancer-related deaths. The court ruled that the country must pay 161 people who live near the plant 5,000 euros each in damages. The Ilva plant is Europe's largest steel plant and was put under special administration in 2015 after magistrates directed it to be cleaned up or shut down.

<p>On January 25, the Dutch Environmental Assessment Agency published a report stating that the Netherlands' emissions reductions target for greenhouse gases—reducing emissions by 25% from 1990 levels by 2020—which was confirmed last year by an appeals court, is "out of reach." The agency predicted that the reduction in 2020 will more likely amount to 21% compared with 1990. Dutch lawmakers approved new climate legislation last month that aims to reduce emissions by 95% by 2050, but a plan to achieve these goals has not been confirmed.

<p>China's environment ministry has announced a new plan to tackle illegal lead recycling and increase the collection rate of lead acid batteries for recycling to 70% by 2025. It is estimated that the country produces around 3.3 million tons of waste lead batteries every year, and less than 30% of the batteries are properly recycled.