'Now or never': Only severe emissions cuts will avoid climate extremes -U.N. report 5/4/2022

Drastic cuts to fossil fuel use. Growing forests and eating less meat. These are just some of the actions needed in this decade to contain global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial temperatures, a major report by the U.N. climate science agency said Monday. ...more

Poorer nations lag behind higher-income countries in air quality standards: WHO 5/4/2022

Around 99% of the global population breathes air that exceeds World Health Organization's air quality limits, with people in low and middle-income countries being most exposed to pollution, according to the UN agency's latest database. ...more

REUTERS EXCLUSIVE Investors warn European companies over climate accounting 5/4/2022

Thirty-four investors managing more than $7 trillion in assets have warned 17 of Europe's largest companies, including BP and Volkswagen, that they could challenge board directors over their accounting of climate risks. ...more

New York set to ban natural gas in new buildings -environmental groups 5/4/2022

New York Governor Kathy Hochul will soon release a budget that likely will include a plan to make New York the first state to ban natural gas and other fossil fuels in new construction, according to Food & Water Watch and other environmental groups. ...more

Global wind power must gather speed to meet climate goals, report finds 5/4/2022

Pandemic-related supply chain problems slowed the rollout of new wind power in 2021, as the sector lags far behind the capacity needed to curb greenhouse gas emissions and meet net zero emission targets, an industry report said on Monday. ...more

New UN climate report to tackle reining in emissions 4/4/2022

The U.N. climate science panel publishes its final report in the current assessment cycle on Monday, and this time will focus on ways of curbing greenhouse gas emissions, although the consensual nature of the reports means it could steer away from the most dramatic warnings. ...more

Reuters Exclusive: Climate change could cost U.S. budget $2 trillion a year by the end of the century, White House says 4/4/2022

Flood, fire, and drought fueled by climate change could take a massive bite out of the U.S. federal budget per year by the end of the century, the White House said in its first ever such assessment on Sunday. ...more

Dutch investor group targets oil, gas execs' pay plans if climate goals fall short 4/4/2022

A group of Dutch investors managing assets worth nearly 1.5 trillion euros threatened on Friday to oppose oil and gas sector executives' pay plans if their companies failed to set climate change goals in line with the Paris Agreement on global warming. ...more

Bitcoin under pressure to adopt more sustainable practices 4/4/2022

Several environmental advocacy groups have launched a campaign to pressure bitcoin miners to change their coding and reduce energy consumption. Led by Environmental Working Group and Greenpeace USA, the campaign claims the massive amount of energy miners use could decrease by 99% with a coding style change.  ...more

UN rights body appoints Tuvalu negotiator as climate change expert 4/4/2022

The U.N. top rights body appointed an expert on climate change and human rights for the first time on Friday, a move that is expected to embolden environmental defenders and provide more support for victims of extreme weather. ...more