climate change

In southern Mauritania, a market garden run by a women's cooperative uses solar energy to irrigate crops.
© UNICEF/Raphael Pouget

Call for ‘decisive action now’ to avoid climate catastrophe 

20 September 2021
Climate and Environment

Speaking alongside the UK Prime Minister in New York on Monday the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, has called on world leaders for “decisive action now to avert climate catastrophe.” 

People cross a flooded river in western Haiti after a bridge was washed away by Hurricane Matthew. (file)
MINUSTAH/Logan Abassi

‘Tipping point’ for climate action: Time’s running out to avoid catastrophic heating

16 September 2021
Climate and Environment

The temporary reduction in carbon emissions caused by global COVID-19 lockdowns did not slow the relentless advance of climate change. Greenhouse gas concentrations are at record levels, and the planet is on path towards dangerous overheating, a multi-agency climate report published on Thursday warns. 

Sugar cane and soybean plantations have replaced hectare after hectare of jungle as the Amazon has been exploited in the name of agriculture, with little regard for the environmental impacts. Photo: UNEP GRID Arendal/Riccardo Pravettoni
UNEP GRID Arendal/Riccardo Pravettoni

Most agricultural funding distorts prices, harms environment: UN report 

14 September 2021
Climate and Environment

Around 87% of the $540 billion in total annual government support given worldwide to agricultural producers includes measures that are price distorting and that can be harmful to nature and health.  

Across the world, more incidents of extreme weather events are being recorded.
WMO/Daniel Pavlinovic

Climate and weather related disasters surge five-fold over 50 years, but early warnings save lives - WMO report

1 September 2021
Climate and Environment

Climate change and increasingly extreme weather events, have caused a surge in natural disasters over the past 50 years disproportionately impacting poorer countries, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) said on Wednesday.

Floods are increasing around the world due to climate change.
UN Women/Mohammad Rakibul Hasan

No pathway to reach the Paris Agreement’s 1.5˚C goal without the G20: UN chief

25 July 2021
Climate and Environment

“The world urgently needs a clear and unambiguous commitment to the 1.5 degree goal of the Paris Agreement from all G20 nations”, António Guterres said on Sunday after the Group failed to agree on the wording of key climate change commitments during their recent Ministerial Meeting on Environment, Climate and Energy.

UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed meets women producers at a farmers’ market in Circo Massimo, Rome.
UN Photo

Farmers the ‘lifeblood of our food systems’, deputy UN chief highlights, ahead of key summit

24 July 2021
Women

Farmers, especially women and indigenous people, work tirelessly to put food on our tables. UN Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed met on Saturday women producers at a farmers’ market in Circo Massimo, Rome, ahead of the Food Systems Pre-Summit taking place next week.

Floods have affected cities across Europe, including Zurich in Switzerland.
Unsplash/Claudio Schwarz

Deadly flooding, heatwaves in Europe, highlight urgency of climate action

16 July 2021
Climate and Environment

Heavy rainfall that has triggered deadly and catastrophic flooding in several western European countries, is just the latest indicator that all nations need to do more to hold back climate change-induced disasters, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Friday.

People wade through water during floods in the Kurigram district of Bangladesh.
© UNICEF/G.M.B. Akash

Time running out for countries on climate crisis front line

8 July 2021
Climate and Environment

The world’s running out of time to limit global temperature rise to below two degrees Celsius, a matter of life or death for climate vulnerable countries on the front line of the crisis, the UN Secretary General reiterated on Thursday.

High food prices are making nutritious food unaffordable for millions of families around the world.
© WFP/Sayed Asif Mahmud

Amid COVID job losses, ‘high food prices are hunger’s new best friend’, WFP warns

8 July 2021
Humanitarian Aid

Job losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic combined with high food prices are making it hard for millions of families to get enough to eat, the World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Thursday. 

Mangrove seedlings are planted in an estuary in Bali to help fight erosion.
UNDP/Tim Laman

The trillion dollar climate finance challenge (and opportunity)

27 June 2021
Climate and Environment

It’s overwhelmingly accepted that climate change is a very significant threat to humanity and while there are countless solutions to tackling what has been described by the UN as the “existential threat” of our times, it is still not fully clear how these solutions will be paid for.