Marine environment at risk due to ship emissions 14/6/2023

The combined emissions of metals and other environmentally hazardous substances from ships is putting the marine environment at risk according to a new study from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden. When the researchers calculated the contaminant load from these emissions into the marine environment in four ports, it was found that water discharged from ships’ scrubbers, whose purpose is to clean their exhaust gases, accounts for more than 90 per cent of the contaminants. ...more

Saudi Arabia’s environment award launched to encourage conservation 13/6/2023

Governor Prince Faisal bin Salman launched the Madinah Award for Environment to encourage conservation. ...more

UAE looks to salty, muddy mangroves in climate change fight 13/6/2023

Against the heat, urbanisation and sand of the United Arab Emirates, the placid, muddy waterways of the Gulf state's coastal mangroves are being restored and planted in an ambitious fight against climate change. ...more

Fossil fuel company net zero plans 'largely meaningless,' report says 13/6/2023

The number of fossil fuel companies setting net-zero emissions targets has risen sharply over the past year, but most fail to address key concerns, making them "largely meaningless", a report showed on Monday. ...more

Poland to take 2035 fossil fuel car ban to top EU court, minister says 13/6/2023

Poland will appeal against European Union rules to end the sale of fossil fuel cars across the bloc from 2035 to the top EU court within days, the country's climate minister Anna Moskwa said on Monday. ...more

Air traffic is booming again and environment activists aren't happy 13/6/2023

Stalled during the pandemic, air traffic is booming again, the latest IATA report has confirmed. This trend seems to run counter to efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, even though the sector has embraced the ecological transition. ...more

In Central Asia, Audrey Azoulay strengthens scientific cooperation to protect glaciers 12/6/2023

Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, was in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan last week, from Tuesday to Friday, calling for stronger regional and multilateral cooperation in glacier protection and water management. She also announced new UNESCO investments for scientific cooperation in Central Asia. ...more

Revealed: TikTok is the most pollutive social media with each user emitting 2.63g of CO2 each minute 12/6/2023

With social media being used by over 4.76 billion people around the globe, amassing to 59% of the world's population, it is important that as a society we understand the ramifications of it's use. Whilst many consider the implications of social media usage at an individual and societal level, such as its impact on mental health, the wider repercussions are often overlooked.  ...more

US companies face less pressure for climate and social reforms 12/6/2023

Shareholder support for proxy resolutions on topics including climate change and workforce diversity dropped significantly this spring, analysts said, as tough proposals from activists met with growing political pressure on fund firms' voting. ...more

Explainer: How El Nino could impact the world's weather in 2023-24 12/6/2023

Countries are racing to prepare for extreme weather later this year as the world tips into an El Nino — a natural climate phenomenon that fuels tropical cyclones in the Pacific and boosts rainfall and flood risk in parts of the Americas and elsewhere. ...more