Climate science
Maldives greenlights destructive dredging to build housing and luxury resorts
The president is approving a $147 million land reclamation project on Addu atoll, despite warnings of “irreversible damage” to the environment
UN targets early warning systems for all in five years
Building the capacity to alert everyone in time to prepare for droughts, storms and flooding can prevent damage and save lives, at an estimated cost of $1.5 billion
Mapping vulnerability: why the IPCC’s geography of climate risk is contentious
The UN’s climate science panel labelled 3.3-3.6bn people as highly vulnerable to climate disaster – but the definition is disputed
Scientists warn seawalls can make rising waters worse in the long run
Green buffers like mangroves are generally better for protecting coastal communities than concrete defences, although they are not always an option
IPCC report spotlights mental health impacts of climate change
Mental health risks are predicted to increase as temperatures continue to rise and people experience more extreme weather events, the report warns
High-risk geoengineering technologies won’t reverse climate breakdown
Techno fixes like carbon dioxide removal and solar radiation management are no substitute for exiting coal, oil and gas – whatever polluters would like you to think
Under attack: the Ukrainian climate scientist fighting for survival
Svitlana Krakovska had to withdraw from the approval session of the IPCC report as bombs hit Kyiv. She fears for the future of climate science in Ukraine
Revealed: How rich and at-risk nations fought over science of climate impacts
Adaptation finance, nature-based solutions and solar geoengineering were among the contentious topics that sent IPCC talks into overtime
UN report shows us human costs of climate failure
Many of the risks projected in 2014 are now unavoidable reality, as climate science outpaces action to avert the crisis
Five takeaways from the UN’s 2022 climate impacts report
We can adapt to many changes brought by an overheating planet, but some things will be lost forever, scientists warn in blockbuster report
Amazon indigenous community restores giant freshwater fish and thrives
Through control of their territory, the Deni people sustainably manage stocks of pirarucu, boosting their numbers 425% in 11 years
Germany must bring African nations into its G7 ‘climate club’
The new German government must prioritise the climate crisis in its Africa policy, and make climate diplomacy with Africa a core component of its G7 presidency
WWF-UK ends sale of NFTs after backlash, angering the crypto community
The conservation charity cancelled its “tokens for nature” experiment within 48 hours, offering refunds to dismayed buyers
WWF-UK faces backlash over plan to sell NFTs to fund conservation work
On Twitter, WWF donors threatened to cancel their subscriptions, accusing the nature charity of greenwashing Ethereum and Bitcoin
What to watch in 2022: critical moments and issues for climate diplomacy
An African Cop, landmark science reports and a long overdue biodiversity summit will shape the response to climate change this year
Drought-hit town hopes Chile’s new leader will take back water from Big Avocado
Leftist Gabriel Boric won a landslide to become Chile’s president and backs reform to improve water rights and access for communities like Petorca
Europe conflicted over push to fast-track mining code for the ocean floor
While some EU states are calling for a moratorium on deep seabed mining, others have interests in exploration – with Germany sending mixed messages
A rush to mine the deep ocean has environmentalists worried
Tiny Nauru is behind a push to fast-track talks on mining rules for the deep seabed, which could see fragile habitats opened to exploitation as early as 2023
UK needs to deliver on climate, not set higher 2030 target, say advisers
The Glasgow pact calls on countries to improve their 2030 plans next year but the Cop26 host’s goal is already in line with 1.5C, the Climate Change Committee says
African nations settled for ‘moral pact’ with US on adaptation finance at Cop26
With the US refusing to budge on the text of the Glasgow agreement, African nations reluctantly accepted a promise of stronger voluntary support