united nations

Newly Adopted UN High Seas Treaty Gives Ocean a ‘Fighting Chance’

Newly Adopted UN High Seas Treaty Gives Ocean a ‘Fighting Chance’

After almost two decades of negotiations, the 193 United Nations Member States have adopted a landmark legally binding marine biodiversity treaty for the high seas beyond national boundaries, covering two thirds of Earth’s oceans, UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced yesterday during the Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity in New York. The purpose of the High […]

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    ‘Polluters Must Pay’: UN Chief Calls for Windfall Tax on Fossil Fuel Profits to Address Climate and Cost-of-Living Crises

    ‘Polluters Must Pay’: UN Chief Calls for Windfall Tax on Fossil Fuel Profits to Address Climate and Cost-of-Living Crises

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a bold proposal during his opening remarks to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday: tax fossil fuel companies to help those suffering from the climate and cost-of-living crises.  Guterres’ proposal, also known as a windfall tax, comes at the close of a summer that saw extreme weather events worldwide and […]

    What Is the IPCC and What Does It Do?

    What Is the IPCC and What Does It Do?

    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 Now ‘Locked In’ for Serious Warming, UN Report Warns

    Arctic Now ‘Locked In’ for Serious Warming, UN Report Warns

    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 […]

    7 Reasons Why #Mountains Matter

    7 Reasons Why #Mountains Matter

    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 […]

    The Last Four Years Were Likely the Hottest on Record

    The Last Four Years Were Likely the Hottest on Record

    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 […]

    UN: Nations Must Triple Action to Avoid Disastrous Climate Change

    UN: Nations Must Triple Action to Avoid Disastrous Climate Change

    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) […]

    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 […]