Human activity is pushing the world towards multiple tipping points that will cause rapid and fundamental change to the planet, according to a new report by the United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS). The Interconnected Disaster Risks report, released on Wednesday, identifies six key tipping points: accelerating extinctions, groundwater depletion, mountain […] Continue reading ->
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has projected that global demand for oil, coal, and gas will peak by 2030, but that demand for fossil fuels is set to remain “far too high” to keep the Paris Agreement Target of 1.5C within reach. The IEA now says that the transition to clean energy is happening worldwide […] Continue reading ->
The world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitters are doing very little to address air pollution, with Saudi Arabia scoring worst of the group, according to a new global air pollution evaluation released on Wednesday. The 2023 Clean Air Scorecard analyses how governments’ climate commitments – called nationally determined contributions (NDCs) – recognise and contribute to ensuring […] Continue reading ->
Exclusive: COP28 Climate and Health Draft Declaration Ignores Fossil Fuels as Driver of Health Harms
BERLIN – A draft “health and climate ministerial declaration” set to be released at the upcoming UN Climate Conference in Dubai (COP28) 30 November-12 December, omits any reference to fossil fuels and their health harms, Health Policy Watch has learned. While the declaration mentions the need for climate mitigation, as well as the related health […] Continue reading ->
How to get more money to address the climate crisis and poverty has been the focus of the annual meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), taking place in Marrakesh in Morocco this week. Staggering under enormous debt burdens that increased exponentially during the pandemic, African countries appealed for a 10-year […] Continue reading ->
After the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing in indoor spaces raised awareness of the risks of infection in closed spaces and super-spreader events, scientists concerned about human exposure to other indoor contaminants and strategies to reduce risks are hopeful that the time has come for more action. BERN, Switzerland – A dearth of data and […] Continue reading ->
The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, explicitly excluded the world’s five largest emitters of greenhouse gasses – China, the United States, Russia, India and Japan – from his Climate Ambition Summit, held Wednesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. The United Kingdom, another major polluter, was notably absent from the summit, amid reports […] Continue reading ->
Nearly seven million people die prematurely each year because of ambient and household air pollution, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Moreover, studies have shown a direct correlation between classroom air quality and children’s performance in school. Finally, according to WHO, household air pollution exposure contributes to non-communicable diseases, including increased risk of illness […] Continue reading ->
European air quality activists have won a key victory in the European Parliament, which approved tough new air pollution rules that would require countries to meet stricter WHO air quality guidelines by 2035, and allow EU citizens to sue for financial compensation for air pollution-related health damage. But the draft legislation still faces an uphill […] Continue reading ->
Thousands of people and hundreds of civil society organisations are expected to march in New York City this weekend to call on US President Joe Biden to use his executive powers to stop the expansion of fossil fuel projects in the country. The march is one of over 400 marches, rallies and protests worldwide coordinated […] Continue reading ->