French Environment Minister Christophe Bechu on Tuesday lashed out at UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for walking back last week on green commitments on cars and domestic heating as he called on European leaders to communicate better on the topic.
“When you see the position of Rishi Sunak which consists in explaining that you have to slow down the rhythm [of the green transition], you can appreciate that across Europe, there is a need for explanations,” said Mr Bechu during an online brief with journalists.
Mr Sunak last week announced a shift of Britain's climate goals, pushing back a ban on new petrol-only cars from 2030 to 2035 and delaying another ban on buying new boilers. “We have stumbled into a consensus about the future of our country that no one seems to be happy with,” he said.
His decision drew criticism from climate experts who warned that avoiding short-term costs was likely to lead to a greater bill for taxpayers down the road.
But it was hailed by former US president Donald Trump, who said on Sunday that he always knew that Mr Sunak was “smart, that he wasn’t going to destroy and bankrupt his nation for fake climate alarmists that don’t have a clue.”
Responding to a question from The National, Mr Bechu said that controversies such as those created by Mr Sunak's recent decision showed that “all European countries are searching for the right track.”
“There is a need for explanations everywhere because we can see that there are tensions,” he told reporters.
Mr Bechu pointed at other cases of European pushback against green policies, including deep divisions in the Netherlands over reducing nitrogen-based pollution and recent infighting within Germany's coalition government over a phase-out of fossil heaters.
Describing himself as a moderate, Mr Bechu criticised the European Parliament's centre right and far right's attempt this summer to block the adoption of a climate conservation law.
He also lambasted the far left for allegedly calling for a “hammer and sickle on green background instead of [the communist] red [symbol].”
“We need nuance,” pleaded Mr Bechu. “A [green] transition does not happen in 15 seconds with bans and taxes [ …] We need subtlety and finesse.”
Mr Bechu, a centre-right politician, will be demonstrating his ability to communicate the government's climate goals during an “environmental tour de France” that kick-starts later this week in Brittany.
“The idea is to go out and meet the French people directly for two reasons: so that environmental planning is not taken hostage by populist movements and also to bring forward explanations and find solutions,” he told reporters.
His “tour de France” comes after French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday unveiled an ambitious multiyear climate investment plan, pledging that the country's green transition would create jobs and increase France's energy independence as it reduces its emissions by 5 per cent a year over the next seven years.
He promised that low-income households would receive government subsidies to switch to green energy, including an upcoming €100 a month leasing programme for vehicles that are made in Europe.
Mr Bechu said that he aims to fight narratives propagated by climate sceptics and defeatists who say that it is too late to fight climate change, while also taking a swipe at social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, for not moderating fake news enough since it was bought by Elon Musk last year.
“Our narrative about accelerating [the green transition] collides with those who say that others must take their share of the responsibility,” said Mr Bechu.
“Except that's forgetting a bit fast that in terms of historic and cumulative emissions, Europe is far ahead. Saying that others don't go fast enough is the worst argument to justify inaction. But even that is something that must be explained” to the public, he said.
Europe has reduced its greenhouse gases emissions by more than 30 per cent since 1990. This is more than other heavily industrialised regions of the planet like the US and Japan but scientists have warned that it is not fast enough to achieve the continent's target of reducing emissions by 55 per cent by 2030.
In parallel, the French Energy Ministry has launched its own communication programme centred around climate policies, with an international conference on Thursday aimed at promoting nuclear energy as a climate-friendly source of power.
A dozen ministers and climate envoys will attend, including Cop28 President designate Dr Sultan Al Jaber, the US secretary of energy Jennifer Granholm and South Korea's deputy minister for energy policy Young Ghil Cheon.
Energy minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher on Tuesday said that France had reduced its emissions by 2.7 per cent in 2022 and by 4 per cent in the first four months of 2023.
Despite criticism from right-wing MPs who described Mr Macron's climate announcements as too abstract, Ms Pannier-Runacher argued, like the president, that they represent an economic opportunity with limited impact on consumer behaviour that will revamp local industry.
Speaking to journalists during a phone brief, she said that she believed in “an ecology of progress, of science and solutions.”
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
NATIONAL%20SELECTIONS
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more from Janine di Giovanni
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
RESULT
Manchester United 2 Burnley 2
Man United: Lingard (53', 90' 1)
Burnley: Barnes (3'), Defour (36')
Man of the Match: Jesse Lingard (Manchester United)
Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
England's Ashes squad
Joe Root (captain), Moeen Ali, Jimmy Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.
PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS
Bournemouth 1 Manchester City 2
Watford 0 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Newcastle United 3 West Ham United 0
Huddersfield Town 0 Southampton 0
Crystal Palace 0 Swansea City 2
Manchester United 2 Leicester City 0
West Bromwich Albion 1 Stoke City 1
Chelsea 2 Everton 0
Tottenham Hotspur 1 Burnley 1
Liverpool 4 Arsenal 0
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
NBA FINALS SO FAR
(Toronto lead 3-2 in best-of-seven series)
Game 1 Raptors 118 Warriors 109
Game 2 Raptors 104 Warriors 109
Game 3 Warriors 109 Raptors 123
Game 4 Warriors 92 Raptors 105
Game 5 Raptors 105 Warriors 106
Game 6 Thursday, at Oakland
Game 7 Sunday, at Toronto (if needed)
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
Company%C2%A0profile
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Coming 2 America
Directed by: Craig Brewer
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, Jermaine Fowler, Leslie Jones
3/5 stars
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
