<p>Brazilian police launched a probe last week to investigate an offshore oil spill in a field operated by Chevron Corp. Brazil's energy agency attributed oil seeps off the coast of Rio de Janeiro to a spill at the company's Fade site, where Chevron estimates that as much as 650 barrels of oil was creating a sheen on the surface. Some environmental groups claim that the spill is much larger, and Fabio Scliar, head of the federal police's environmental affairs division, said that information provided by Chevron did not match reports from technicians.

<p>The European debt crisis may widen the climate funding gap to $45 billion by 2015, according to accounting firm Ernst &amp; Young in a report last week. Governments facing severe austerity measures will struggle to maintain promised climate change investments in the Green Climate Fund, as 10 of the world's major economies will likely produce a gap of $22.5 billion in renewable energy, clean technology, pollution-cutting measures and subsidies, which could escalate if the crisis worsens.

<p>Environment Minister Peter Kent announced last week proposed standards to require new vehicles sold in Canada to have an average fuel efficiency of 100 km on 4.35 litres of fuel by 2025, matching similar American standards. The regulations would also reduce tailpipe emissions over the next five years until more stringent rules take effect in 2017. Kent acknowledged automakers were skeptical. "I've met with representatives of the Canadian auto industry and the American side of the industry and there are concerns," said Kent.