Climate and Environment

© FAO/Alessandra Benedetti

Free up ‘bottlenecks’ stifling Africa’s agri-food sector, urges FAO chief 

10 May 2021
Africa

The UN agriculture chief warned on Monday that severe underfunding of Africa’s agri-food sector has boosted food insecurity and was hampering the future development of countries across the continent. 

Jakub Fryš

Climate change threatens winged harbinger of spring

7 May 2021
Global

A sure sign of spring in northern Europe is the arrival of the Arctic tern bird, but ahead of the UN’s World Migratory Bird Day  experts fear the warming of the oceans in its nesting grounds in the northern Atlantic is threatening its very existence. 

Unsplash/Daniel Moqvist

Cut methane emissions to avert global temperature rise, UN-backed study urges

6 May 2021
Global

Methane emissions caused by human activity can be reduced by up to 45 per cent this decade, thus helping to keep global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius in line with the Paris Agreement on climate change, according to a UN-backed report published on Thursday. 

CIFOR/Nanang Sujana

Guterres renews zero-emissions appeal to avoid falling into climate abyss

6 May 2021

All countries should commit to zero carbon emissions by 2050 if the world is to avoid a disastrous 2.4 degree Celsius temperature rise by the end of this century, UN Secretary General António Guterres said on Thursday.

Фото ООН

Increased cancer risk for petroleum industry workers and people living near plants: New UN study

29 April 2021

People working in the petroleum industry or living near petroleum facilities are at increased risk of developing several different cancer types, according to a new report by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARCWHO), part of the UN World Health Organization (WHO).

Unsplash/Jack B

SDGs will address ‘three planetary crises’ harming life on Earth 

27 April 2021
Global

The “three planetary crises” of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution are reinforcing each other and driving further damage to the environment and to our health, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) said on Tuesday. 

Unsplash/Sebastian Unrau

‘Make-or-break moment’ for forests

26 April 2021
Global

Forests are at the core of our efforts to restore our relationship with the natural world, the deputy UN chief said on Monday at the UN Forum on Forests. 

UN Barbados OECS/ Bajanpro

ECOSOC chief calls for financial support for small island developing states

23 April 2021

Small island developing states (SIDS) must receive financial and international support if they are to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters, the President of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Munir Akram, said on Friday. 

© UNHCR/Xavier Bourgois

Climate change link to displacement of most vulnerable is clear: UNHCR

22 April 2021

Weather-related crises have triggered more than twice as much displacement as conflict and violence in the last decade, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Thursday.

NOAA/Jerry Penry

The planet’s on ‘red alert’ UN chief warns leaders at President Biden’s climate summit

22 April 2021
Global

World leaders must act now and put the planet on a green path because “we are at the verge of the abyss”, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Thursday in his address to the virtual climate summit convened by United States President Joseph Biden.