Climate

    Beryl, Helene and Milton join list of nearly 100 hurricane names so deadly they won’t be repeated
    05 Apr 2025

    The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season was the ninth in a row with above average activity, the WMO says. Hurricanes Helene, Milton and Beryl caused so much destruction last year that their names are being retired. The World Meteorological Organization on Wednesday officially replaced the names of the trio of 2024 storms that killed more than […]

    Dramatically higher loss of GDP under 4°C warming
    04 Apr 2025

    New projections by the UNSW Institute for Climate Risk & Response (ICRR) reveal a 4°C rise in global temperatures would cut world GDP by around 40% by 2100 — a stark increase from previous estimates of around 11%. The recently-published analysis fixes an oversight in the current economic model underpinning global climate policy, toppling previous […]

    The Arctic’s glaciers are retreating, exposing new coastlines that could trigger tsunamis
    03 Apr 2025

    The unstable new coastline poses safety risks for the tourists that flock to coastal glacial areas for their beauty and abundant wildlife. Shrinking glaciers exposed 2,500 kilometres of coastline and 35 ‘new’ islands in the Arctic between 2000 and 2020, new research has found. Scientists examined satellite images of more than 1,700 ice caps in […]

    From Finland to the UK, European countries are slashing aid. What does it mean for climate funds?
    31 Mar 2025

    Political changes, higher defence spending and a shift in focus towards national priorities have seen many European aid budgets slashed recently. Several key Western European countries including the UK, Switzerland, Germany, France and the Netherlands have slashed their aid budgets considerably in the last few months. This trend comes amid escalating geopolitical tensions and global […]

    Losing forest carbon stocks could put climate goals out of reach
    30 Mar 2025

    In the past, intact forests absorbed 7.8 billion tonnes of CO2 annually — about a fifth of all human emissions — but their carbon storage is increasingly at risk from climate change and human activities such as deforestation. A new study from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) shows that failing to account for […]

    Arctic winter ends with lowest sea ice cover in recorded history
    29 Mar 2025

    Since satellites began tracking it, Arctic sea ice’s winter peak has shrunk by an area about the size of Pakistan. Arctic sea ice had its weakest winter buildup since record-keeping began 47 years ago. It is a symptom of climate change that will have repercussions globally, scientists said Thursday. The Arctic reaches its maximum sea […]

    UAE study warns of threat to wild crops key to protecting food chain from climate change
    24 Mar 2025

    UAE scientists have sounded the alarm over the uncertain future of dozens of at-risk wild varieties of staple crops, which could hold the key to strengthening the food chain against the growing threat of climate change. New research has highlighted that the Emirates is home to 87 crop wild relatives (CWRs), some of which possess genes which […]

    Nearly half of last year’s ‘unprecedented’ weather events were in Europe, WMO data shows
    23 Mar 2025

    “The latest planetary health check tells us that Earth is profoundly ill,” the UK Met Office’s chief scientist says. 2024 was the hottest in 175 years of observations, the World Meteorological Organisation’s latest landmark report has confirmed. Atmospheric concentrations of CO2 are now at the highest levels in the last 800,000 years and globally, each […]

    Melting glaciers could have serious consequences for the Middle East
    22 Mar 2025

    The global challenges created by climate change causing glaciers to melt will only get worse unless urgent action is taken to address the issue, experts have warned. Their remarks follow a report from the World Meteorological Organisation that revealed glaciers have experienced the largest loss of mass on record in the past three years. Saturday is […]

    Your home could be built with ‘carbon-negative’ sand
    21 Mar 2025

    Scientists say they have invented a “carbon-negative” alternative to sand that could be used to build homes more sustainably. Made from seawater, the material invented by US scientists is described as a greener way of making cement and concrete, which typically contain sand. Researchers say the new material is as strong and can “permanently” lock […]