Nestle unveils method to boost cocoa yields as climate change hits
Geneva, Switzerland - Faced with climate change diminishing farmers' yields, Nestle announced Wednesday that it was working on a technique...
Business
Iranians told to use less water as heatwave worsens shortages
Tehran, Iran - Iranian authorities have urged residents to limit water consumption as the country grapples with severe shortages amid...
Economy
‘Moment of truth’ for world-first plastic pollution treaty
Bangkok, Thailand - Plastic pollution litters our seas, our air and even our bodies, but negotiators face an uphill battle next...
- Countries will have a week in South Korea's Busan from Monday to round off two years of negotiations
- The talks are a "moment of truth", UN Environment Programme chief Inger Andersen warned this month
Divided G20 fails to agree on climate action, Ukraine war escalation dominates Rio summit talks
G20 leaders in Rio failed to resolve UN climate talks deadlock, merely stating funding for developing countries battling global warming...
- Ahead of the meeting, the UN had implored the leaders of the world's richest economies to rescue stalled climate talks in Azerbaijan by boosting funding for developing countries
- G20 members, who are divided on who should pay, did not make such commitments, saying only that the trillions of dollars needed would come "from all sources."
COP29: Why new climate pledges need ambition, finance and action to succeed
Major emitters must take the lead, but every nation has a role in addressing the climate crisis. Success hinges on...
- Many countries are due to submit their climate action plans – Nationally Determined Contributions – in 2025
- The collective ability to limit global warming to 1.5°C depends on three key factors: ambition, finance and accelerated action
World leaders meet for climate talks, but big names missing raising concerns over global climate commitment
The small group of developed countries that currently contributes the money wants the donor pool expanded to include other rich...
- More than 75 leaders are expected in Baku over two days but the heads of some of the most powerful and polluting economies are not attending this year's summit
- Just a handful of leaders from the G20 -- which accounts for nearly 80 percent of planet-heating greenhouse gas emissions -- are expected in Azerbaijani capital
How harmful are microplastics to human health?
A New England Journal of Medicine study found microplastics in blood vessels are linked to higher risks of heart attack,...
- These tiny pieces of plastic have been detected almost everywhere on Earth, from the deepest oceans to the highest mountains, as well as in the air, water, soil and food chain
- Every day humans ingest, inhale or otherwise come in contact with microplastics, which are less than five millimetres (0.2 inches) and mostly invisible to the naked eye
UN biodiversity conference in Colombia: what’s at stake?
Paris, France - The world's pledges to halt humankind's destruction of nature will be put to the test when the 16th...
- The COP16 is the first meeting of the international community since the adoption two years ago of an unprecedented roadmap to stop humankind's destruction of nature
- But putting that agreement into practice risks not moving fast enough to stop the destruction of land, oceans and species by a 2030 target date
Can biodiversity credits unlock billions for nature?
Paris, France - For supporters, biodiversity credits could unlock billions in much-needed funding for nature, but critics fear a repeat of...
- Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has mooted a global fund for rainforest conservation that considers paying countries for forest areas that are protected or restored
- Many environment groups are wary, fearing money generated from biodiversity credits will not benefit conservation or indigenous communities living closely with nature
World Bank boosts climate financing by 10 percent
Washington, United States - The World Bank announced Thursday that it delivered a record $42.6 billion in climate change financing in...
- In December, the Bank committed to raising the proportion of its annual financing that goes to climate change adaptation from 35 percent to 45 percent
- This figure included lending, along with other financial instruments such as grants and guarantees, a World Bank official told AFP by email
UN draft on climate finance highlights deep divisions ahead of COP29
Paris, France - The UN has published a draft on climate financing due to be presented at the COP29 in November,...
- The document is the basis for negotiating an accord that is due to be reached at COP29 in Baku under Azerbaijan's presidency
- Arab countries say developed countries should commit at least $441 billion a year in grants between 2025-2029 to mobilise loans and private financing
Dubai airport diverts flights as ‘exceptional weather’ hits Gulf
Dubai, the Middle East's financial centre, has been paralyzed by the torrential rain that caused floods across the UAE and...
- The world's busiest air hub for international passengers confirmed a halt to arrivals at 7:26 pm (1526 GMT) before announcing a "gradual resumption" more than two hours later
- Earlier the airport, which had been expecting more than 100 flight arrivals on Tuesday evening, briefly halted its operations in the chaos caused by the storm
Nestle unveils method to boost cocoa yields as climate change hits
Geneva, Switzerland - Faced with climate change diminishing farmers' yields, Nestle announced Wednesday that it was working on a technique...
Business
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UN summit to tackle ’emergency’ in world’s oceans
Nice, France - A global summit on the dire state of the oceans kicks off Monday in France, with calls...
Science
Money, mining and marine parks: The big issues at UN ocean summit
Nice, France -- France is hosting world leaders this week to confront what the United Nations calls a global "emergency"...
Geostrategy
UAE orders all companies to monitor emissions in new climate law
Under the new law, companies are required to report and reduce their emissions of the greenhouse gases that are responsible...
Geostrategy
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Arts & Culture
AI talking trees feature at Chelsea Flower Show
London, United Kingdom -- Talking trees powered by AI, drought-resistant crops and sweet potatoes sprouting among flowers -- the prestigious...
- More than 140,000 visitors are expected to view what the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) bills as "the pinnacle of horticultural excellence".
- In the Intelligent Garden, plant-lovers can truly talk to the trees thanks to artificial intelligence.
Economy
Morocco volunteers on Sahara clean-up mission as part Nomads Festival
M'HAMID EL GHIZLANE, Morocco - It may be the gateway to the vast Sahara desert, but that does not mean...
- Bottles, plastic bags -- "there are all kinds", noted one helper who has joined the initiative cleaning up the edge of a village bordering the Sahara
- The rubbish is "mainly linked to the massive production of plastic products, low recycling rates and atmospheric pollutants carried by the wind."
Geostrategy
Nations divided ahead of decisive week for shipping emissions
London, United Kingdom -- Members of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) are divided over whether to approve a carbon tax on...
- The carbon tax, the most ambitious measure on the table, would make it more expensive for shipping companies to emit greenhouse gases, encouraging them to curtail emissions.
- But some member states, including China and Brazil, are proposing other measures, arguing the carbon levy would increase the cost of goods and contribute to food insecurity.