Climate

    Earth’s oceans are ‘perilously close’ to tipping point, marine biologist says
    16 Jan 2025

    Sylvia Earle, one of the world’s most famous oceanographers and marine biologists, has raised the alarm over the stark threat posed to ocean ecosystems by climate change and rampant overfishing. Dr Earle, 89, holds the record for the deepest untethered walk on the sea floor at a depth of 1,250 feet and was the first woman […]

    President Sheikh Mohamed and Azerbaijan leader discuss global climate fight in UAE meeting
    14 Jan 2025

    President Sheikh Mohamed and his Azerbaijan counterpart Ilham Aliyev called for collective global action to combat the threat of climate change during high-level talks in Abu Dhabi on Monday. The two leaders explored ways to bolster collaboration in renewable energy and the environment during discussions held at Qasr Al Shati in the UAE capital. Mr Aliyev is on […]

    ‘The future is in our hands’: Climate scientists share solutions as 2024 declared hottest on record
    12 Jan 2025

    Experts say the world is now ‘teetering on the edge’ of passing the crucial 1.5°C warming limit. 2024 was the warmest year on record and the first calendar year where the global temperature exceeded 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). Scientists had suspected 2024 would clinch the record and […]

    Billions face arid future as climate change turns land to desert
    11 Jan 2025

    More than three quarters of the Earth have become irreversibly drier over the past three decades, according to a UN report which says there is an existential crisis that could affect billions more worldwide. About 77.6 per cent of Earth’s land was under drier conditions during the three decades up to 2020 compared to the 30 years […]

    Could the UAE and rest of Gulf see more rain? New data shows close to 19% rise in rainfall over 20 years
    10 Jan 2025

    Severe storms that swept through the UAE last year unleashed the heaviest rainfall ever recorded in the UAE. But is the amount of rain increasing in the region year on year? New data has revealed an 18.8 per cent increase in rainfall across the six member countries of the GCC- Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE – between […]

    Weather extremes ‘wreaking havoc’ on global water systems
    07 Jan 2025

    Scientists say climate extremes wreaked havoc on the global water cycle last year, leading to flooding and droughts around the world that displaced millions and cost the global economy billions. Last year, half of the world’s population experienced their warmest year yet. Air temperatures were 1.2ºC warmer than at the start of the century and 2.2ºC above […]

    China is driving an electric vehicle revolution. But is it good news for the climate?
    06 Jan 2025

    China’s EV boom offers climate hope, but market dominance risks new environmental challenges. Ten years ago, you would be forgiven for assuming the snowballing climate crisis was low-down on China’s priority list. Accounting for approximately 11.9 billion metric tonnes of emissions in 2023 alone, the country has been the largest global emitter of CO2 since […]

    How building ‘green walls’ can cut indoor pollution and promote more productive offices
    05 Jan 2025

    Cities across the globe have long harnessed the power of nature by integrating more green spaces in urban development plans to boost the environment, as well as improve well-being. But research in the UAE has underlined how creating additional green spaces should not be merely confined to streets and parks, but can be crucial to cultivating healthier, happier […]

    US cloud-seeding efforts ‘limited by fragmented approach and lack of data’
    04 Jan 2025

    Unlike in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and China, cloud-seeding efforts to boost rainfall in the US remain minimal, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office. Cloud seeding often involves shooting salt or other small materials into clouds to try to generate extra rain. The new report, issued to the US House Committee on science, space […]

    Increased wildfire activity may be a feature of past periods of abrupt climate change
    03 Jan 2025

    A new study investigating ancient methane trapped in Antarctic ice suggests that global increases in wildfire activity likely occurred during periods of abrupt climate change throughout the last Ice Age. The study, just published in the journal Nature, reveals increased wildfire activity as a potential feature of these periods of abrupt climate change, which also saw […]