united nations

5 Things to Know Before Next Week’s Critical UN Climate Talks

5 Things to Know Before Next Week’s Critical UN Climate Talks

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 […]

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    Climate Change a ‘Key Driver’ Behind Rising Global Hunger

    Climate Change a ‘Key Driver’ Behind Rising Global Hunger

    The number of hungry people in the world has reverted to levels last seen a decade ago, the United Nations warned Tuesday in its annual report on food security and nutrition. Nearly 821 million global citizens—or one out of every nine people—were undernourished in 2017, the third consecutive rise since 2015. Hunger affected 804 million […]

    UN Pact Acknowledges Climate Migration for the First Time

    UN Pact Acknowledges Climate Migration for the First Time

    The final draft of a UN compact on migration published July 11 recognized the existence of climate refugees specifically for the first time, The Thomson Reuters Foundation reported Thursday. The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration acknowledged climate change as a cause of migration, both due to extreme weather and “slow onset events” […]

    Global Warming to Exceed 1.5°C Threshold by 2040, UN Draft Report Warns

    Global Warming to Exceed 1.5°C Threshold by 2040, UN Draft Report Warns

    A final draft report from the United Nations‘ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says only “rapid and far-reaching” changes in the world economy can keep global warming below the internationally agreed target barrier. “If emissions continue at their present rate, human-induced warming will exceed 1.5°C by around 2040,” the draft states, according to Reuters, […]

    UN Launches First-Ever Global Plastics Report on World Environment Day

    UN Launches First-Ever Global Plastics Report on World Environment Day

    The theme for this year’s World Environment Day, the world’s largest environmental celebration which takes place June 5, is “Beat Plastic Pollution.” In honor of the occasion, UN Environment released the first ever “state of plastics” report, tracking government action against plastic waste, a UN Environment press release reported. The report, titled “Single-Use Plastics: A […]

    5 Things to Know About Plastic Pollution and How to Beat It

    5 Things to Know About Plastic Pollution and How to Beat It

    Today, on World Environment Day 2018, the United Nations’ Environment Program is urging governments, industries, communities and individuals around the world to take on a daunting but necessary task: Beat Plastic Pollution. “Plastic pollution has become an epidemic,” the agency writes. “Every year, we throw away enough plastic to circle the Earth four times. Much […]

    Whale’s Tragic Death by Plastic Bags a Reminder of a Global Crisis

    Whale’s Tragic Death by Plastic Bags a Reminder of a Global Crisis

    A pilot whale died in southern Thailand last week after swallowing 17 pounds of plastic waste, despite a five-day effort to save the animal’s life. A necropsy revealed that the plastic debris, which included 80 plastic bags, clogged the whale’s stomach, Reuters reported. The whale was found in critical condition in a canal near Thailand’s […]

    UN’s #BeatPlasticPollution Tag Is the New Ice Bucket Challenge

    UN’s #BeatPlasticPollution Tag Is the New Ice Bucket Challenge

    In one of the coolest social media campaigns since the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, the United Nations launched a global challenge to #BeatPlasticPollution, the theme of World Environment Day on June 5. The movement encourages you to give up single-use plastics and replace them with reusable and sustainable alternatives. Participants are asked to announce their […]