UN issues global alert to combat severe sand and dust storms 14/7/2023

Severe sand and dust storms (SDS) are becoming increasingly common, with UN climate experts attributing the rise to human-driven causes such as climate change and unsustainable farming practices. To combat this, the UN has designated 12 July its first-ever International Day of Combatting Sand and Dust Storms. ...more

Colombia says deforestation fell 29% in 2022 14/7/2023

Deforestation in Colombia fell 29.1% in 2022 versus the previous year spurred by sharp decreases in the country's Amazon region, the government said on Wednesday, marking the lowest level since 2013. ...more

Plastic pollution on coral reefs gets worse the deeper you go, study finds 14/7/2023

No part of the planet is free of plastic waste, and coral reefs are no exception, but scientists have now made the discovery that the deeper the reef, the more plastic debris it is likely to have. ...more

IDB Backs IRENA's ETAF with Potential Investment of up to USD 100 Million 14/7/2023

Through this partnership, the climate financing platform ETAF boosts its ongoing support for public sector renewable projects in Latin America and the Caribbean ...more

The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi Targets a Reduction of 20 Million Single-Use Plastic Bottles this Year 13/7/2023

The Environment Agency –Abu Dhabi (EAD), in collaboration with key stakeholders, has set the ambitious target of collecting 20 million single-use plastic bottles a year for recycling. ...more

Canadian lake sediments reveal start of Earth's Anthropocene age, scientists say 13/7/2023

Sediment deposited at Crawford Lake, a small but deep body of water in Canada's Ontario province, provides unmistakable evidence that Earth entered a new human-driven geological chapter - the Anthropocene epoch - some seven decades ago, a team of scientists said on Tuesday. ...more

EU Parliament passes nature law after political backlash 13/7/2023

The European Parliament on Wednesday voted to pass a fiercely contested law to restore degraded natural ecosystems, salvaging the environmental measures that centre-right lawmakers had campaigned to kill off. ...more

Diversifying Critical Material Supply Chains Minimises Geopolitical Risks 13/7/2023

New report on the geopolitics of critical materials sees significant concentration in supply chains and calls for collaborative strategies to sustain the energy transition ...more

World’s oceans changing colour due to climate breakdown, study suggests 13/7/2023

Earth’s oceans are changing colour and climate breakdown is probably to blame, according to research. ...more

Yemen: Transfer of oil from decaying ship expected to start next week 12/7/2023

Carrying over 1.1 million barrels of oil, the supertanker FSO Safer was abandoned off Yemen’s Red Sea port of Hudaydah after the civil war broke out in the country in 2015. Since then, the vessel has deteriorated significantly in absence of any servicing or maintenance, prompting fears of a major environmental disaster. ...more