Plastic endgame: Did UNEA 5.2 start a new era
The world’s adoption of the resolution to end plastic pollution by 2024 is only the first step in a long battle
175 countries commit to forge internationally binding treaty on plastic pollution by 2024
The resolution establishes an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to complete a draft global legally binding agreement by the end of 2024
COVID-19 update: Why did UK call BA.2 a ‘variant under investigation’?
At least 40 countries have detected this omicron sub-lineage since November 17, 2021
US following Biden’s climate plan may trigger action elsewhere too
The effect of getting the US back on track can be magnified by its example and its role on international negotiations against climate change, …
Eat Out to Help Out: Crowded restaurants may have driven UK COVID-19 spike
During August, the UK government ran the Eat Out to Help Out scheme to get cash into the hands of hospitality businesses, boost confidence and …
Global warming caused over a third of heat-related deaths between 1991 and 2018: Study
The highest percentage of heat-related deaths caused by human-induced climate change (more than 50%) were in Iran, Kuwait, the Philippines, …
Accelerate efforts to end malaria: World Health Assembly adopts new resolution
7.6 million deaths, 1.5 billion cases averted since 2000, but global gains levelled off in recent years, flags WHO
Dragon in the room: Why China’s target of carbon neutrality is misleading
China contributed 27% to the world’s overall global emissions in 2019, surpassing the United States
COVID-19 has aggravated challenges to manage forests: UN Report
New UN report calls for greater sustainability and a greener, more inclusive economy to tackle the threats of COVID-19, climate change and …
Measles campaigns suspended in most countries; 140 million lives at stake, mostly children
In many countries the regular measles vaccine campaigns are delayed by over a year due to the pandemic disruptions
Biden’s climate summit: Major polluters ramp up climate ambition
The summit has put climate back on the agenda and forced leaders of major economies to confront the scale of the task ahead
How worried should you be about coronavirus variants? A virologist explains his concerns
While current vaccines may not prevent mild symptomatic COVID-19 caused by these variants, they will likely prevent moderate and severe disease, …
International Women’s Day: 10 million more girls at risk of child marriage due to COVID-19, warns UNICEF
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, as many as 100 million girls were at the risk of child marriage in the next decade
Paris Agreement goals: UN urges countries to update emission targets
Sixteen of the world's biggest emitters have not increased their emission reduction targets substantially or at all
Native Hawaiian sacred sites have been damaged in the Lahaina wildfires – but their stories will live on
Lahaina is considered the earthly home of Kihawahine, a Native Hawaiian goddess; it was also the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom under Kamehameha …
Droughts in Western US fuel emissions, here’s how
Between 2012 and 2016, a drought-induced spike in fossil fuel generation cost California more than $5 billion in damages
Why we need a road map for ecological restoration in India
Identifying priority areas for restoration, enhancing biodiversity and preventing natural disasters should comprise areas of focus
Doha outcome adopted. US reserves its right to walk out later
US does a Kyoto again. It rejects the idea of equity by refusing to associate itself to any new agreement that is under the Convention.
Pact Politics
High political drama marks climate negotiations as the European Union strives to enforce the Kyoto protocol without the US. The South could play …
Fingers crossed: Experts cautious about variant evolution in the wake of China’s COVID-19 tsunami
Any new variant that emerges from the current surge in China may not have the same lethal ability as past ones. But one cannot rule out …
Antonio Guterres to convene climate ambition summit in 2023; says 1.5-degree goal ‘gasping for breath’
World still moving in the wrong direction on climate change, UN chief noted in his end-of-year address
When did modern lizards originate? A beast from the Triassic Period offers answers
‘Cryptovaranoides microlanius’ lived in limestone cracks around Bristol about 250-200 million years ago
Joe Biden has a long list of qualified female VP candidates. So, who will he pick?
Choosing a vice president is the first presidential decision Biden will make in his campaign. It will say a lot about him and his presidency if …
Many provinces experiencing highest emissions since 2003: Scientist monitoring Canadian wildfires
Experts say climate change escalated the fires with the fumes spilling over into to the United States
Wildfires: New York City’s orange skies raise environmental questions
The dystopian orange skies are due to the flames that have been raging north of the US-Canada border