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    What is UNOC? World leaders gather in Nice to confront ocean emergency

    More than 10,000 people will gather in France for largest ocean conference ever. World leaders are gathering in the French city of Nice on Monday for the United Nations Ocean Conference. It comes as just 2.7 per cent of the world’s oceans are effectively protected from extractive activities, according to the non-profit Marine Conservation Institute. […]

    ‘We don’t need a disaster to justify resilience’: Climate projects can bring big economic benefits
    09 Jun 2025

    The 320 climate projects analysed were found to have potential yields of about €1 trillion in projected returns over a decade. As floods, fires and heatwaves grow more frequent and destructive, new research shows that climate adaptation isn’t just urgent. It’s also one of the smartest investments governments can make. According to a new report […]

    Saving the ocean is easier than we realised, says David Attenborough

    In August 2022, David Attenborough was sitting in the kitchen with his daughter Susan and long-time friend and collaborator Keith Scholey. They were sketching out the idea for a new film – one that would reveal the ocean as humanity had never seen it before. It was an ambitious vision for any filmmaker, let alone one in […]

    Clean start: UAE hotel soaps recycled in drive to cut waste and boost hygiene

    Each year, hotels across the UAE throw away an estimated 16 million bars of soap – many after just a single use. Now, a growing number of hotels are signing up to a grassroots recycling programme that is tackling the waste head-on, transforming used soap into new bars for communities in need. Launched in 2023, the Unisoap […]

    Solving the mystery of the UAE’s largest bird of prey

    Show the picture above to shoppers in a mall in Abu Dhabi or Dubai and most wouldn’t have a clue that this striking bird is a UAE species, reckons Basil Roy, conservation officer at Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve. Yet it is found almost daily at the reserve. The image below − of the paler Gulf sub-species […]

    How Abu Dhabi’s ban on single-use plastic bags is saving precious sea turtles
    05 Jun 2025

    Abu Dhabi’s mission to eliminate single-use plastic bags is offering a safer passage to sea turtles navigating the emirate’s waters. The capital introduced its single-use plastic ban on June 1, 2022, in a major push to safeguard the environment and greatly reduce plastic pollution in the sea. The campaign has generated significant dividends, with an […]

    UAE has hottest May on record after temperatures top 50ºC
    04 Jun 2025

    The UAE experienced its hottest May on record with peak daily temperatures averaging more than 40ºC, the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) has said. It comes after a month when the Emirates broke May daily temperature highs for two consecutive days and follows the hottest April since records began in the early 2000s. The mercury rose to 51.6ºC in […]

    Landmark UAE climate law aims to curb emissions and boost net-zero ambitions
    03 Jun 2025

    A new UAE climate law that requires companies to keep emission levels in check or face fines has been hailed as a “pivotal shift” for the country. Federal Decree-Law No 11 of 2024 on Reduction of the Effects of Climate Change, which came into effect on Friday, mandates emissions reporting and climate adaptation measures across all sectors, from heavy industry […]

    Grow more with less: Al Dahra chief plots global growth from the ground up

    Arnoud Van den Berg, group chief executive of Al Dahra, is a man on a mission: to turn one of the Middle East’s leading agribusinesses into the world’s largest irrigated farming platform. From the company’s headquarters in Abu Dhabi, Mr Van den Berg is leading a strategy of expansion, technology adoption, and sustainable transformation rooted in the […]

    Environment minister sets out green goals as national agriculture centre and museum are launched

    The Minister of Climate Change and the Environment has set out the UAE’s green vision, supported by the launch of an agriculture hub to help develop a fresh crop of farmers and bolster food security, and a museum celebrating farming history. Dr Amna Al Dahak told The National about moves to champion home-grown produce as the Emirates […]