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Environment and development AL-BIA WAL-TANMIA Leading Arabic Environment Magazine

314 - May 2024
Editorial
Forum
Najib Saab
Coalition of 'climate willing' partners needed
Najib Saab
Climate action is facing unprecedented challenges, due to the rise of populist movements led by the United States administration
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Nate Blum
Sorghum and the Carbon Economy: Unlocking Nature-Based Solutions for a Warming Planet
Nate Blum
As the planet faces increasing climate-related challenges, there’s growing recognition that some of the most powerful solutions may come from the natu
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Antonio Guterres
A RESCUE PLAN FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Antonio Guterres
This month, leaders will gather in Sevilla, Spain, on a rescue mission: to help fix how the world invests in sustainable development
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Tom Pickerell
UN Ocean Conference Ends with Momentum — and Missed Chances
Tom Pickerell
There's real momentum coming out of Nice — but also a lot of unfinished business
more...
 
 
 
Meet the
 Editor-in-Chief Najib Saab 		 
 
Selected articles News
Climate Action Has a Messaging Problem 14/9/2025
In the summer of 2024, Dutch citizens ranked climate change as the most serious problem facing the world. Just a few months later, they elected a national government that ran on a platform of pulling back its climate policies. ...more
 
Europe’s Soaring Heat and the Great Air Conditioning Dilemma 21/8/2025
Much of Europe sweltered in August 2025 as a heat dome spread across the continent, pushing peak afternoon temperatures to over 40 degrees C (104 degrees F) in France and Spain. Meanwhile, parts of Greece, Turkey and Albania battled historic and devastating wildfires as high temperatures scorch the land. ...more
 
Planned hydrogen refuelling stations may lead to millions of euros in yearly losses 10/7/2025
As hydrogen infrastructure is rolled out in the EU, refuelling stations must be distributed according to the same principle in all countries. But now a study from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, points to shortcomings in EU regulations. Using an advanced model, the researchers show that the distribution of refuelling stations may both be incorrectly dimensioned and lead to losses of tens of millions of euros a year in some countries. ...more
 
Ships trigger high and unexpected emissions of the greenhouse gas methane 3/7/2025
Ship traffic in shallow areas, such as ports, can trigger large methane emissions by just moving through the water. The researchers in a study, led by Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, observed twenty times higher methane emissions in the shipping lane compared to nearby undisturbed areas. Despite the fact that methane is a greenhouse gas that is 27 times as powerful as carbon dioxide, these emissions are often overlooked with today's measurement methods. ...more
 
Agricultural waste can become the clothes of the future 17/6/2025
Cellulose-based textile materials can make the clothing sector more sustainable. Currently, cellulose-based textiles are mainly made from wood, but a study headed by researchers from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden points to the possibility of using agricultural waste from wheat and oat. The method is easier and requires fewer chemicals than manufacturing forest-based cellulose, and can enhance the value of waste products from agriculture. ...more
 
Transforming waste into a public asset: Michigan State University leads next-generation anaerobic digestion innovation 10/6/2025
MSU is spearheading next-generation anaerobic digestion technologies that convert agricultural and food waste into renewable energy, recover nutrients and water, and support environmental sustainability across Michigan and the Great Lakes region. ...more
 
Massive Growth Ahead: Low Carbon Building Market Eyes $1.3 Trillion by 2033 14/5/2025
According to a new report published by Allied Market Research, the low carbon building market size was valued at $0.6 trillion in 2023, and is estimated to reach $1.3 trillion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 9.1% from 2024 to 2033. ...more
 
A Step Toward Harnessing Clean Energy From Falling Rainwater 23/4/2025
When two materials come into contact, charged entities on their surfaces get a little nudge. This is how rubbing a balloon on the skin creates static electricity. Likewise, water flowing over some surfaces can gain or lose charge. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Central Science have harnessed the phenomenon to generate electricity from rain-like droplets moving through a tube. They demonstrate a new kind of flow that makes enough power to light 12 LEDs ...more
 
Difficult and costly energy transition unless the EU invests in biomass 22/4/2025
Biomass is currently the EU’s largest renewable energy source, but climate strategies often focus on other energy sources. A comprehensive analysis, led by Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, now shows that biomass is crucial for Europe's ability to reach its climate targets, as it can be used to produce fossil-free fuels and chemicals and also enables carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere. If biomass were excluded from the European energy system, it would cost an extra 169 billion Euros per year – about the same as the cost of excluding wind power. ...more
 
Renting clothes for sustainable fashion – niche markets work best 27/3/2025
Renting clothes can reduce the fashion industry's enormous environmental impact, but so far, the business models have not worked very well. The best chance of success is for a rental company to provide clothing within a niche market, such as specific sportswear, and to work closely with the suppliers and clothing manufacturers. This is shown by a study led by researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, which highlights the measures that can make clothing rental a success. ...more
 
Ice stupas of the Ladakh desert: an ingenious solution to water scarcity – a picture essay 28/1/2025
Farmers in the northern Indian region used to rely on snow and glacier meltwater, but the climate crisis is disrupting the water cycle – which means new ways of storing water are needed ...more
 
Toxic waste from world's deadliest gas leak fuels protests in India 23/1/2025
Vegetable vendor Shivnarayan Dasana had never seen so many policemen descend on his village in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. ...more
 
Natural disasters in the past 12 months have been the most costly and impactful stretch of extreme weather in America in 90 years 18/1/2025
Experts at AccuWeather say extreme weather events and disasters in the past 12 months have had the costliest and most widespread impacts that Americans have faced in nearly a century.    ...more
 
Arab-Israeli Environmental Cooperation: A Controversial Path to Peace Amid Ecocide 28/11/2024
On August 30, 2024, amid the Israeli aggression on Lebanon, Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced that Lebanon joined the Saudi-led Middle East Green Initiative (MGI), describing the step as crucial, especially for southern border towns and villages that are suffering significant environmental and agricultural damage. ...more
 
CO2 & Waste-Derived Bioplastics: Pioneering Sustainable Manufacturing 22/11/2024
As the world grapples with the environmental impact of traditional plastics, bioplastics derived from carbon dioxide (CO2) and waste materials present a promising solution. This emerging sustainable market seeks to address two critical global challenges: reducing greenhouse gas emissions and managing waste. By converting CO2 and waste into useful bioplastics, scientists and companies are pioneering technologies that could revolutionize the way we produce and consume plastics. ...more
 
COP30 presidency draws up early draft of deal text 19/11/2025
Brazil's COP30 presidency has drawn up a draft of a possible deal. ...more
 
South Korea pledges to phase out coal plants at COP30 19/11/2025
Seoul announced its decision to join the Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA) of governments and organisations pushing to eliminate unabated coal as a power source, as Brazil hosts UN climate talks in Belem. ...more
 
Pope Leo urges stronger action as UN climate summit enters final week 19/11/2025
Pope Leo criticized world governments on Monday for failing so far to slow global warming and called for a stronger response to the threat, as countries at the U.N. climate summit in Brazil's Amazon city of Belem entered the second week of negotiations with a goal to resolve their thorniest issues ahead of schedule. ...more
 
Allianz Green Transition Tracker 2025: Not (yet) doomed  19/11/2025
Ten years after the Paris Agreement, the global green transition is reaching a decisive moment. Allianz Research’s latest report, “A decade after Paris: progress, paralysis and the race to net zero”, shows that while progress varies widely across countries, many are advancing more quickly than commonly assumed.    ...more
 
European wildcats could be seen again in England for first time in 100 years 19/11/2025
Two-year study finds area of woodland in Devon to be ideal habitat to support a controlled release of the creatures. ...more
 
Demand for air con set to triple by 2050, warns UN 18/11/2025
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) said demand could surge due to increases in population and wealth around the world, combined with more extreme heat. ...more
 
Global Renewable Energy Investment Hit USD 807 Billion in 2024 18/11/2025
Record investment in renewables, but growth pace slows to 7.3% ...more
 
Brazil's Amazon rainforest at risk as key protection under threat 18/11/2025
The Amazon rainforest could face a renewed surge of deforestation as efforts grow to overturn a long-standing ban that has protected it. ...more
 
Kew studies hot weather trees and new coffee types 18/11/2025
While the climate change convention COP30 takes place in Brazil, a team of scientists in London is working on finding ways to help our changing planet, and keep topping up our caffeine intake. ...more
 
Bristol to launch world-first ‘clean power hub’ for festivals and film crews 18/11/2025
City council and regional authority collaborate to guarantee renewable mobile energy for next summer’s festival season. ...more
 
Dubai to be landfill-free by 2027 under major waste-to-energy shift 17/11/2025
Dubai's waste-to-energy plan to power 350,000 homes. ...more
 
Thousands hit streets of Belém to call for action during crucial Cop30 summit 17/11/2025
The streets of Belém echoed with indigenous chants, classical Brazilian songs and calls for environmental justice on Saturday as tens of thousands of people marched to demand urgent action on the climate and nature crisis. ...more
 
EU Parliament backs new 2040 climate target 17/11/2025
The European Parliament on Thursday approved the EU's plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040 and outsource 5% of that target to countries outside the bloc via carbon credits, paving the way for it to be passed into EU law. ...more
 
Researcher warns about data gap on wars' effects on climate change 17/11/2025
Global armament and wars such as in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan are affecting the world's climate but are going underreported, a British researcher told the UN Climate Change Conference in Brazil on Thursday. ...more
 
Deadly heat worldwide prompts $300 million for climate health research at COP30 17/11/2025
With more than a half-million people worldwide dying from heat-related causes every year, a group of philanthropies is putting $300 million into developing life-saving solutions as global temperatures continue to rise. ...more
 
‘A wave of truth’: COP30 targets disinformation threat to climate action 14/11/2025
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva set the tone at the opening session, declaring that the battle for truth has become just as critical as the fight to cut emissions. COP30 must mark “a new defeat for climate denialists,” he said.  ...more
 
EU lawmakers back further weakening of sustainability law 14/11/2025
European Union lawmakers backed further cuts to the bloc's corporate sustainability law on Thursday, following months of pressure from companies and some governments demanding the EU weakens its rules. ...more
 
World still on track for catastrophic 2.6C temperature rise, report finds 14/11/2025
The world is still on track for a catastrophic 2.6C increase in temperature as countries have not made sufficiently strong climate pledges, while emissions from fossil fuels have hit a record high, two major reports have found. ...more
 
Fossil fuel emissions rise again - but renewables boom offers hope for climate 14/11/2025
The world's burning of fossil fuels is set to release more planet-warming carbon dioxide than ever before this year, new figures show. ...more
 
Cop climate summit websites ‘produce more carbon than average sites’ 14/11/2025
Between 1995 and 2024 when the last Cop conference was held, average emissions from the websites had risen by more than 13,000%, according to data. ...more
 
EU countries seek another year-long deforestation law delay 13/11/2025
European Union member states are seeking to postpone the implementation of the bloc's anti-deforestation law by another year, an EU negotiating draft dated November 10 shows. ...more
 
Fossil fuel projects around the world threaten the health of 2bn people – report 13/11/2025
A quarter of the world’s population lives within three miles (5km) of operational fossil fuel projects, potentially threatening the health of more than 2 billion people as well as critical ecosystems, according to first-of-its-kind research. ...more
 
Supply boom in cheaper renewables will seal end of fossil fuel era, says IEA 13/11/2025
Watchdog’s flagship report says rise in low-carbon electricity will make transition ‘inevitable’, despite Trump’s calls to carry on drilling. ...more
 
China planning renewable energy expansion beyond power sector 13/11/2025
China's energy administration said on Wednesday that it will push renewable energy use beyond the power sector over the next five years, aiming to better absorb the country's booming wind and solar output. ...more
 
A Growing Number of ‘Repair Cafes’ Are Popping Up Around the World to Curb Consumer Waste 13/11/2025
Local communities are hosting events where people can bring in their broken goods for repairs—free of charge. ...more
 
 
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