Climate and Environment

A woman cycles past wind turbines on a country road in Heijningen, The Netherlands.
Unsplash/Les Corpographes

Climate change: UN chief calls for ‘great leap’ towards carbon neutrality

16 November 2020
Global

As countries work to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic, they also have the chance to “get it right” on climate change, the UN Secretary-General told a virtual gathering of influential leaders on Monday. 

FAO is helping to create sustainable livelihoods for female clam collectors in Tunisia.
© FAO/Amine Landoulsi

A deep dive into Zero Hunger: farming the seas

15 November 2020
Global

With the world population expected to rise to 9.7 billion by 2050, food production will need to keep pace, and experts believe the Ocean can provide much of the sustenance we need. The second story in our two-part series on aquaculture focuses on the opportunities for significantly scaling up fish farming.

Kelp, a type of seaweed, can be fed to animals and could help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Unsplash/Shane Stagner

A deep dive into Zero Hunger: the seaweed revolution

14 November 2020
Global

If just two per cent of the Ocean were to be sustainably farmed, the world could easily be fed, according to experts. In the first story of a two-part series looking at the opportunities and challenges facing Ocean farming, we take a look at the huge potential role of seaweed in mitigating climate change, cutting marine pollution, and achieving the UN goal of Zero Hunger.

Emissions at a manufacturing complex in Toronto, Canada. (file)
UN Photo/Kibae Park

UN chief stresses need for greater speed to achieve carbon neutrality

9 November 2020
Global

Although more Governments and businesses are committing to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, the world is still falling far short of that goal, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Monday in his latest push for a cleaner, greener future. 

UN campaign empowers kids to take climate action and protect the planet.
United Nations

Climate Action Superheroes empower children to protect the planet

6 November 2020
Global

Eight new animated characters on a mission to protect the planet, have been pressed into service by the UN to empower children worldwide and boost the drive towards sustainability by 2030. 

Cycling avenues aim to shift urban infrastructure to sustainable, zero-emission transport.
C40 Cities Finance Facility

UN and partners express regret over US departure from Paris climate accord

4 November 2020
Americas

The UN climate change secretariat, UNFCCC, has underlined its commitment to work with stakeholders in the United States and beyond, to accelerate climate action, in line with an historic treaty on limiting global warming and curbing greenhouse gas emissions. 

Bosnia and Herzegovina is demonstrating how even highly polluted cities can be transformed into well-planned, climate-resilient urban hubs.
UNDP/Sulejman Omerbasic

FROM THE FIELD: Planning a route to green cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina

31 October 2020
Europe

Bosnia and Herzegovina  is showing how even highly polluted cities can be transformed into well-planned, climate-resilient urban hubs.

The UN Secretary-General António Guterres at the CARICOM Caribbean Community conference, in St. Lucia. 3 July, 2019 (file photo)..
UN Spokesperson's Office

Caribbean vital to tackling COVID-19, climate change, UN chief tells regional leaders

29 October 2020
Americas

The twin crises of COVID-19 and climate change present a once in a generation opportunity for the Caribbean and its development partners to form a new alliance for inclusive, sustainable and resilient recovery, the UN Secretary-General told regional Heads of Government on Thursday. 

Tuvalu is particularly susceptible climate change.
UNDP/Joe Hitchcock

After nearly a decade away, La Niña weather system is back…

29 October 2020
Global

Many will be familiar with El Niño – the ocean-warming phenomenon that affects global weather patterns – but how about La Niña, which is linked to cooler sea temperatures? 

Some areas of Niger have been degraded due to unsustainable land practices.
© FAO/Giulio Napolitano

UN builds momentum for restoring forests as world enters key decade for ecosystems 

28 October 2020
Global

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is leading a push for the world to scale up efforts to restore landscapes and forests over the next decade, with eyes on a target to salvage 350 million hectares of degraded and deforested lands, an area bigger than India in total.