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Forests the size of France regrown since 2000, study suggests
Conservation groups say naturally restored forests can help in the fight against climate change.
11 May 2021, 5:40am
Climate change: Promises will mean rise of 2.4C - study
Recent climate change pledges bring the world a fraction closer to Paris goals, analysis suggests.
4 May 2021, 4:08pm
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Third of global food production at risk from climate crisis - The Guardian
Third of global food production at risk from climate crisis The Guardian
14 May 2021, 5:50pm
Crying about hamburgers is dead-end on climate crisis, Republicans warned - The Guardian
Crying about hamburgers is dead-end on climate crisis, Republicans warned The Guardian
14 May 2021, 7:00am
The climate supercycle - The Ecologist
The climate supercycle The Ecologist
14 May 2021, 7:10am
Health and climate change: country profile 2021: Mauritius - World Health Organization
Health and climate change: country profile 2021: Mauritius World Health Organization
14 May 2021, 7:19am
'German Greta' says UN climate talks were 'hopeless' - Sky News
'German Greta' says UN climate talks were 'hopeless' Sky News
14 May 2021, 2:42pm
One in four cities cannot afford climate crisis protection measures – study - The Guardian
One in four cities cannot afford climate crisis protection measures – study The Guardian
12 May 2021, 5:03am
World's Oldest Cave Paintings Are Fading, Climate Change May Be to Blame - Scientific American
World's Oldest Cave Paintings Are Fading, Climate Change May Be to Blame Scientific American
14 May 2021, 6:30pm
Building farm resilience key amid changing climate - The Courier
Building farm resilience key amid changing climate The Courier
14 May 2021, 3:29pm
UN climate summit organisers consider vaccine drive for delegates - Financial Times
UN climate summit organisers consider vaccine drive for delegates Financial Times
14 May 2021, 10:12am
Investor group to build tool to assess climate change governance, performance - IPE.com
Investor group to build tool to assess climate change governance, performance IPE.com
14 May 2021, 4:17pm
For Greg Zegas, climate finance is also a matter of climate justice - Landscape News
For Greg Zegas, climate finance is also a matter of climate justice Landscape News
14 May 2021, 10:50am
Climate Risk Country Profile - Indonesia - Indonesia - ReliefWeb
Climate Risk Country Profile - Indonesia - Indonesia ReliefWeb
14 May 2021, 8:03am
Exxon Blames You for Climate Change - Gizmodo
Exxon Blames You for Climate Change Gizmodo
14 May 2021, 6:12pm
Earth observation satellites key to tracking climate change - E&T Magazine
Earth observation satellites key to tracking climate change E&T Magazine
14 May 2021, 12:51pm
Trace gases from ocean are source of particles accelerating Antarctic climate change - University of Birmingham
Trace gases from ocean are source of particles accelerating Antarctic climate change University of Birmingham
14 May 2021, 11:12am
Welsh housing minister to lead new climate change ministry - Inside Housing
Welsh housing minister to lead new climate change ministry Inside Housing
14 May 2021, 2:27pm
Invisibility cloaks and a climate dashboard: News from the College | Imperial News - Imperial College London
Invisibility cloaks and a climate dashboard: News from the College | Imperial News Imperial College London
14 May 2021, 12:34pm
What 2050 could look like if we don't do anything about climate change: Hot, a constant cough, regular mask-wearing - CNBC
What 2050 could look like if we don't do anything about climate change: Hot, a constant cough, regular mask-wearing CNBC
14 May 2021, 5:42pm
Revamped EPA Website Shows Increased Climate Change Risks - Claims Journal
Revamped EPA Website Shows Increased Climate Change Risks Claims Journal
14 May 2021, 5:10pm
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Connecticut can take the lead on creating a cleaner transportation system that cuts climate pollution
Connecticut is poised to lead the way on creating a cleaner and healthier transportation system – if legislators seize the moment to act. This past March, Connecticut Governor Lamont and 11 co-sponsors in the legislature introduced Senate Bill 884, which would give Connecticut the greenlight to implement a major multi-state program aimed at reducing climate […]
10 May 2021, 1:51pm
Climate action is a top priority in the 21st Century Latino Agenda
By: Sindy Benavides, CEO of LULAC, and Esther Sosa, Project Manager at EDF In the United States, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed inequities in nearly every aspect of life, illustrating the frustrating reality that today, national crises affect everyone but do not impact everyone equally. Similarly, climate change poses a more devastating threat to Latino families. Threats […]
3 May 2021, 5:14pm
How Biden’s climate summit can accelerate global ambition
Tomorrow is Earth Day, and it is a pivotal one for global climate action. On Thursday and Friday, President Joe Biden will host a virtual Leaders Summit on Climate, fulfilling a pledge he made on the campaign trail. The ultimate measure of the Summit’s success will only become clear later this year, at the COP26 […]
21 April 2021, 3:44pm
The U.S. Department of Energy can marshal its innovation efforts toward beating the climate crisis. Here’s how.
This post was co-authored by Steve Capanna, Director for U.S. Climate Policy and Analysis In a new policy blueprint, EDF offers recommendations for how the Department of Energy can align its innovation budget with the climate challenge across its technology programs. President Biden has pledged to deliver the largest ever federal investment in clean energy […]
15 April 2021, 1:00pm
Cut methane emissions to avert global temperature rise, UN-backed study urges
Methane emissions caused by human activity can be reduced by up to 45 per cent this decade, thus helping to keep global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius in line with the Paris Agreement on climate change, according to a UN-backed report published on Thursday.
6 May 2021, 6:23pm
SDGs will address ‘three planetary crises’ harming life on Earth
The “three planetary crises” of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution are reinforcing each other and driving further damage to the environment and to our health, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) said on Tuesday.
27 April 2021, 8:38pm
The planet’s on ‘red alert’ UN chief warns leaders at President Biden’s climate summit
World leaders must act now and put the planet on a green path because “we are at the verge of the abyss”, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Thursday in his address to the virtual climate summit convened by United States President Joseph Biden.
22 April 2021, 5:22pm
First Person: ‘Youth won’t stay silent’ says Madagascar climate activist
Young people around the world “won’t stay silent” about the global climate crisis according to a youth activist from Madagascar.
22 April 2021, 2:32pm
Ocean benefits increasingly undermined by human activity, UN assessment reveals
Greater understanding of the ocean is essential if the world is to recover better from the COVID-19 pandemic and achieve agreed targets on sustainable development and climate action, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Wednesday in launching a major study on what he called “the life support system of our planet.”
21 April 2021, 4:43pm
Green transformation will rival industrial revolution: US climate envoy
The transition to a global economic model which will slow down climate change and create jobs will be the “biggest economic transformation since the industrial revolution” according to John Kerry, the US climate envoy.
18 April 2021, 11:20am
Guterres urges cities to embrace ‘generational opportunity’ for climate action, sustainable development
The United Nations Secretary-General, on Friday, called for a “revolution” in urban planning and urban transport to beat back impacts of climate change and build a green and sustainable future for all.
16 April 2021, 6:13pm
Paris goals still ‘long way off’, says President of UN climate conference
The world is “a long way off” from meeting the goals of the landmark Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the President of the crucial upcoming UN climate conference, COP26, said on Thursday.
8 April 2021, 9:35pm
Renewable energy access key to climate adaptation in Africa: UN chief
Support for climate adaptation in Africa is crucial, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Tuesday in appealing for greater action to provide renewable energy to hundreds of millions who still lack access to reliable and affordable electricity.
6 April 2021, 5:41pm
Climate change top challenge over the next decade, UNESCO global survey finds
Climate change and loss of biodiversity is seen as the most pressing challenge over the decade, according to the World in 2030 Survey report published on Wednesday by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
31 March 2021, 10:21pm
More climate action needed during ‘make-or-break year’ for people and planet
The world needs “a major breakthrough” to slow the pace of climate change and build resilience to protect the most vulnerable from increasingly severe and frequent climate impacts, the deputy UN chief told a crucial high-level meeting on Wednesday, looking ahead to November’s COP26.
31 March 2021, 6:24pm
Guterres calls on US to lead global vaccination plan effort, climate action, welcoming Blinken to Headquarters
The Secretary-General welcomed a recommitted and re-engaged United States administration to United Nations Headquarters on Monday, albeit virtually, calling on it to play a leadership role in drawing up a global vaccination plan to beat COVID-19, and make the upcoming COP26 a watershed moment for climate action.
29 March 2021, 7:56pm
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The Southern Ocean is one of the hardest places on Earth to carry out scientific research – but there is a growing realisation that in the era of climate change, we need to understand it better.
Soils are critical to the health of our planet and essential for human, animal and plant life – but are at risk from changes in climate and land use.
Collaboration to beat climate change
With climate change having a huge impact on the decisions and policies we make, collaboration is key – and at the forefront is the NERC and Met Office collaborative Joint Weather and Climate Research Programme.
Hotter summers and wetter winters will bring new challenges and opportunities. The UK Climate Resilience programme, a collaboration between UKRI and the Met Office, brings a wide range of researchers to help in this effort.
From rising sea level impact on coastal ecosystems to exciting new ways to reduce greenhouse emissions, marine scientist Dr Judith Wolf describes her research into the effect of climate change on the world’s oceans.
Scientists are currently marooned onboard the icebreaker RV Polarstern due to the COVID-19 lockdown; we hear first hand how they are coping, what life is like on the ship, and what ongoing experiments can reveal about climate change in this fascinating region.
The Arctic is beautiful and awe-inspiring. It is also a vital element of the Earth's climate system, helping to regulate global temperatures.
Welcome to Carbon Brief’s China weekly digest. We handpick and explain the most important climate and...
The post China Briefing, 13 May 2021: Greta Thunberg criticised; Former energy official arrested; EV boom makes ‘richest man’ appeared first on Carbon Brief.
IEA: Mineral supplies for electric cars ‘must increase 30-fold’ to meet climate goals
At least 30 times as much lithium, nickel and other key minerals may be required...
The post IEA: Mineral supplies for electric cars ‘must increase 30-fold’ to meet climate goals appeared first on Carbon Brief.
Third of global food production at risk from climate crisis
Food-growing areas will see drastic changes to rainfall and temperatures if global heating continues at current rate
A third of global food production will be at risk by the end of the century if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise at their current rate, new research suggests.
Many of the world’s most important food-growing areas will see temperatures increase and rainfall patterns alter drastically if temperatures rise by about 3.7C, the forecast increase if emissions stay high.
Continue reading...Crying about hamburgers is dead-end on climate crisis, Republicans warned
Congressman Peter Meijer, 33, warns that false claims of a burger ban or blaming immigrants risk losing the young generation
Lies that hamburgers will be banned, conspiracy-laden claims of government tyranny, blame for environmental degradation foisted upon immigrants – the Republican response to Joe Biden’s climate agenda suggests the base instincts of Donald Trump still strongly animate the party.
Related: Asia is home to 99 of world’s 100 most vulnerable cities
Continue reading...UK insists Cop26 must be held in person if possible
Alok Sharma is working with health experts and Scottish government on best way for climate summit to go ahead
The UK government is considering how to use Covid-19 vaccines and testing to try to ensure vital UN climate talks this year go ahead in person, rather than as an online event.
Alok Sharma, a former UK business secretary and now president-designate of Cop26, the climate summit to be held in Glasgow this November, said: “I have always been very clear that this should be the most inclusive Cop ever. I have been travelling around the world and it is very clear to me that people want to see a physical Cop, in particular developing countries want this to be face to face.”
Related: Last hope over climate crisis requires end to coal, says Alok Sharma
Continue reading...A green recovery bond will enable the government to fund its climate pledges | Letter
Caroline Lucas MP, Clive Lewis MP, Colin Hines and Richard Murphy call on Rishi Sunak to unveil a new market-leading bond to create jobs and decarbonise homes
To the acres of post-election coverage about jobs, levelling up and devolution, we now have a Queen’s speech calling for lifetime training without answering the question “training for what?” What is lacking is any practical, transformational first-step proposal for achieving all these goals, while providing an answer to how to pay for it.
To fill this gap, the Green New Deal Group is calling for the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, to unveil a new market-leading “green recovery bond” Isa this summer, to keep his March budget promise of an NS&I green bond. Our research shows that this, like the pensioner bonds of 2015, could raise tens of billions of pounds and, as a first step to creating jobs in every constituency, that could be spent on employing a massive multi-skilled carbon army to make all the UK’s 30m buildings energy efficient. Meeting the official UK government target of net zero emissions by 2050 will require making up to 20,000 properties a week energy efficient for the next 30 years.
Continue reading...Last hope over climate crisis requires end to coal, says Alok Sharma
President-designate of Cop26 talks says tackling the fossil fuel is ‘a personal priority’
Coal must be consigned to history as the world faces its “last hope” of holding back climate breakdown, the president of the Cop26 climate summit says.
Alok Sharma, a former UK business secretary and now president-designate of Cop26, to be held in Glasgow this November, is expected to say this Friday morning: “This is our last hope of keeping 1.5C alive. Our best chance of building a brighter future … of green jobs and cleaner air. I have faith that world leaders will rise to the occasion and not be found wanting in their tryst with destiny.”
Continue reading...Australia stands alone in not having a significant climate plan, says UK expert
Nigel Topping says the Morrison government will face ‘a certain amount of pressure’ at the G7 meeting in Cornwall in June
A leading UK climate official says Australia is alone among major countries in that neither its national government nor opposition have a significant climate plan, and frustrating local business leaders.
Nigel Topping, the UN’s “high-level champion” whose role involves global outreach to drive global ambition ahead of the Cop26 climate conference in Glasgow in November, said he had not seen another country in which no major political party had a plan to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Continue reading...Boris Johnson took ‘unnecessary’ helicopter trip to promote bike scheme
Exclusive: prime minister’s short flights cast doubt on the sincerity of his pledges to fight the climate crisis, say critics
Boris Johnson has been criticised for taking a short helicopter flight from London to the West Midlands to promote a local bike hire scheme, despite the train from London taking just more than two hours.
Critics said the flight was “completely unnecessary” and cast doubt on the sincerity of the prime minister’s pledges to fight the climate crisis. Air travel produces far more global-heating emissions than other modes of transport.
Great to show the PM around Stourbridge by bike as well as visiting local businesses & residents
Having Govt's support over the past 4 years has been key to driving investment & jobs so I hope I'll have the opportunity to continue to fight for our regionhttps://t.co/GDymh329gt
Related: Boris Johnson’s advisers may push for a virtual Cop26. He should ignore them | Fiona Harvey
Continue reading...Asia is home to 99 of world’s 100 most vulnerable cities
Indonesia’s capital Jakarta – plagued by pollution, flooding and heatwaves – tops risk assessment ranking
Of the 100 cities worldwide most vulnerable to environmental hazards all but one are in Asia, and 80% are in India or China, according to a risk assessment.
More than 400 large cities with a total population of 1.5 billion are at “high” or “extreme” risk because of a mix of life-shortening pollution, dwindling water supplies, deadly heatwaves, natural disasters and the climate emergency, the report found.
Related: One in four cities cannot afford climate crisis protection measures – study
Continue reading...Are Biden’s carbon markets as good as they look? No, say smaller farms
Carbon credits to cut US emissions may benefit big animal operations but lock out small, climate-friendly food producers
Nicole and Aaron Bradley’s diversified livestock farm is a far cry from the industrial pig operations that dominate the landscape in North Carolina, the second biggest pork-producing state in the US.
Instead of confining thousands of animals and managing their millions of litres of waste in lagoons that release methane, a potent greenhouse gas (GHG), the Bradleys raise 200 pigs at a time on pasture and in wooded areas, where the animals’ manure is integrated into the ground naturally as fertiliser. Similarly, they move their 40 grass-fed cattle using a “mob” grazing system that maximises soil health, with laying hens following behind.
Having the support of multinational agribusinesses ... has given folks the illusion that family farmers support this
There's something offputting about rewarding large-scale farmers who plant some cover crops but keep the rest conventional
Related: Cash cow: could carbon credits get US farmers to plant trees?
Continue reading...As the US and EU get on with green recovery, Australia has missed a huge opportunity | Bill Hare
The volume of funds being put forward in the federal budget is staggeringly low and can only be seen as window dressing
If anyone had any doubts about the federal government’s complete lack of substantive commitment to take ambitious action on climate change and the need for a clean energy transition, it was confirmed in treasurer Josh Frydenberg’s federal budget on Tuesday.
Maybe it shouldn’t be a surprise that the budget pours billions into fossil fuel projects that will exacerbate the problem, and does little to help Australia and its citizens to adapt to the rapidly rising risks from extreme heat, drought, more extreme rainfall events and flooding, increased risks of diseases, coastal flooding and inundation due to sea level rise … the list goes on.
Biden has put climate at the centre of his government
Related: Joe Biden’s move to net zero emissions will leave Australia in the (coal) dust | Bill Hare
Continue reading...The Morrison government prefers a gas-fired recovery to a green one and has offered no new support for renewable energy or electric vehicles
There was little talk of the climate crisis or the environment in Tuesday’s budget, perhaps because the Morrison government has succeeded in framing them as side issues.
But once you dig into the detail there is plenty to know. Here are some key points.
Related: Confusion over Covid vaccination targets as Josh Frydenberg defends big-spending budget
Related: The Coalition is backing a gas plant that also runs on hydrogen. Is this the future or a folly?
Related: Cutting through the budget spin: breaking down the Coalition’s cash splash | Katharine Murphy
Related: The complete 2021 Australian budget: choose what matters to you
Continue reading...Boris Johnson’s advisers may push for a virtual Cop26. He should ignore them | Fiona Harvey
The UK must risk an in-person meeting in Glasgow if this crucial climate conference is to be a success
Walkouts, standoffs, shouting, tears, bloodletting– the UN climate Cops have seen it all. The annual meetings, in which all countries bar a few failed states take part, under the 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), are the only global forum for discussing the future of the planet. They have veered between triumph and disaster, marked by dramatic and sometimes traumatic moments. At their best they can be momentous events, shifting the world’s response to the climate crisis into a higher gear, as at the landmark Paris Cop in 2015.
This year’s 26th conference of the parties, postponed from last year because of Covid-19 and shaded by the pandemic, will be different. Scheduled to take place in Glasgow in November, these will be the most important talks since 2015. At Cop26, countries will lay out their plans for curbing greenhouse gas emissions this decade – probably the last decade in which we still have a chance of limiting global heating to 1.5C, beyond which corals bleach, low-lying islands face inundation and extreme weather will take hold.
Related: How to spot the difference between a real climate policy and greenwashing guff | Damian Carrington
Fiona Harvey is the Guardian’s environment correspondent
Continue reading...Joe Biden’s 50% emissions goal is ambitious. But it’s still not enough | William J Ripple
Addressing the climate crisis will be the greatest undertaking in the history of humankind. We have to give it all we have
Joe Biden wants to cut US emissions in half from their 2005 levels. However, since emissions have been slowly declining since then, this amounts to only a 37% drop from 2020 levels.
That, in a nutshell, is the issue. Our leaders are adhering to a template that doesn’t meet the urgency of the moment. The US is not even the world’s largest emitter any more, and China – the biggest polluter – seeks to build more coal-fired power plants, failing to reach carbon neutrality until 2060. Unfortunately, that is a perfect illustration of just how disconnected we are from the gravity of the situation.
Related: In his first 100 days, how has Biden handled the four crises he outlined?
William J Ripple is a climate scientist and the author of World Scientists’ Warning of a Climate Emergency
Continue reading...One in four cities cannot afford climate crisis protection measures – study
Survey of 800 cities around world finds almost 43% do not even have plan to adapt to impacts of global heating
One in four cities around the world lack the money to protect themselves against the ravages of climate breakdown, even though more than 90% are facing serious risks, according to research.
Cities are facing problems with flooding, overheating, water shortages, and damage to their infrastructure from extreme weather, which is growing more frequent as the climate changes. A survey of 800 cities, carried out by the Carbon Disclosure Project, found that last year about 43% of them, representing a combined population of 400 million people, did not have a plan to adapt to the climate crisis.
Continue reading...‘Love our bogs’: UK should harness all its landscapes in fight for climate – report
First complete assessment of how UK nature-based solutions can combat the climate and biodiversity crises released ahead of crucial environment summits
Regenerating native woodland, restoring grassland and rewetting peatland must be priorities when tackling the “two defining crises of our age”, according to the first complete assessment of how UK nature-based solutions can combat the climate and biodiversity crises.
More than 100 ecologists examined how all kinds of landscapes – from urban to agricultural to coastal – could be enhanced to maximise carbon retention, biodiversity and human wellbeing. These nature-based solutions (NbS) must be implemented at scale to reap benefits, according to the 190-page peer-reviewed report, published by the British Ecological Society.
Related: Land could be worth more left to nature than when farmed, study finds
Continue reading...Champions League final switch good for environment but football must do more | Andrew Simms
Shifting the all-English final from Istanbul would reduce carbon emissions but there is still a lack of long-term thinking from Uefa when it comes to doing the right thing
It was bad enough in 2019 when tens of thousands of football supporters from the United Kingdom traipsed across Europe to watch two English clubs, Tottenham and Liverpool, play the Champions League final at Atlético Madrid’s stadium in Spain. More easily, cheaply and comfortably they could have hopped on a train or coach, or driven to meet each other halfway in Birmingham.
Now, not only are we still in the middle of a pandemic, with Turkey, where this season’s Champions League final between Manchester City and Chelsea was initially scheduled to take place on 29 May, registering an average of 29,000 new coronavirus cases per day, but since 2019 there has been a rising tide of awareness about the climate emergency and the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions.
Related: The climate crisis and football – Football Weekly special
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