On the last of a two-day visit to Somalia, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called out climate injustice. Somalia is in the midst of a drought that claimed 43,000 lives in 2022, but only 15 percent of Somalia’s 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan has been funded so far this year. “It is unconscionable that Somalis, who have […]
By Ajit Niranjan and Stuart Braun Its findings influence governments, business leaders and even young protesters on arguably the biggest issue facing the planet: the climate crisis. But many people may never have heard of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The IPCC is a UN body that evaluates climate science. Its scientists look […]
Arctic temperatures are now “locked in” for increased wintertime warming, with winter temperatures set to rise 3-5 degrees C by 2050 even if the world meets the goals set out in the Paris agreement, a new UN Environment report says. The region’s thawing rapidly thawing permafrost also poses a major risk, and the report warns […]
December 11 is International Mountain Day, an annual occasion designated by the United Nations to celebrate Earth’s precious mountains. Mountains aren’t just a sight to behold—they cover 22 percent of the planet’s land surface and provide habitat for plants, animals and about 1 billion human beings. The vital landforms also supply critical resources such as […]
2018 will likely be the fourth hottest year on record, according to the United Nations’ authoritative voice for weather and climate. The three years that were warmer? 2016, 2015 and 2017. Furthermore, the 20 warmest years on record have been in the past 22 years, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said Thursday in its 2018 […]
The United Nations issued a wake-up call to world leaders on Tuesday for urgent climate action. Despite national pledges to curb planet-warming emissions, the current pace of government action is “insufficient” to limit global warming to well below 2 C this century, much less the more ambitious 1.5 C target, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) […]
Next week, heads of state and representatives from roughly 200 countries will descend in Katowice, Poland for the 24th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, informally known as COP24. Here are some things to know ahead of the critical summit: 1. The overarching goal. Creating […]
After decades of thinning, Earth’s ozone layer is slowing recovering, the United Nations (UN) said in a report released Monday, highlighting how international co-operation can help tackle major environmental issues. The ozone layer, which protects humans and other species from the sun’s highly hazardous ultraviolet radiation, has been declining since the 1970s due to the […]
On World Food Day, observed every year on Oct. 16, we can all do our part to combat global hunger and malnutrition. The United Nations’ second Sustainable Development Goal calls for ending world hunger by 2030 and urges profound interventions from governments, businesses and individuals to help feed the growing number of hungry people in […]