China vows to join fight against global plastic waste as UN talks loom 23/2/2022

China will participate in international efforts to combat plastic pollution and build on its existing policies to cut waste, the environment ministry of the world's top producer said on Wednesday, a week before talks on a new global plastic pact. ...more

Extreme wildfires are here to stay - and multiply 23/2/2022

Indonesia's peatlands, California's forests, and, now, vast swathes of Argentine wetland have all been ravaged by extreme wildfires, heralding a fiery future and the dire need to prevent it. ...more

Energy sector methane emissions 70% higher than official figures -IEA 23/2/2022

Emissions of the potent greenhouse gas methane coming from the global energy sector are 70% higher than officially reported, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Wednesday, with the coal sector identified as the biggest single source. ...more

REUTERS EXCLUSIVE HSBC targets 34% oil and gas emissions cut by 2030 23/2/2022

HSBC aims to cut emissions associated with loans made to its oil and gas clients by 34% this decade, the bank's sustainability chief told Reuters, marking the first time that Britain's biggest lender has committed to such a target. ...more

Deforestation threat to Amazon indigenous areas if protected status changed - report 23/2/2022

Areas of Amazon rainforest with a combined area the size of England could be threatened by new mining and deforestation, a new report claims. ...more

Qatar's World Cup turf needs chilled stadiums, desalinated water to thrive 22/2/2022

Winter will come early to soccer stadiums in baking-hot Qatar when groundskeepers blast chilled air starting in September to ensure pitch turf thrives in the desert country for the World Cup. ...more

IPCC: Climate change report to sound warning on impacts 22/2/2022

A new report on the impacts of climate change will likely be the most worrying assessment yet of how rising temperatures affect every living thing. ...more

75% of people want single-use plastics banned, global survey finds 22/2/2022

Three in four people worldwide want single-use plastics to be banned as soon as possible, according to a poll released on Tuesday, as United Nations members prepare to begin talks on a global treaty to rein in soaring plastic pollution. ...more

EU countries to ask top diplomat to increase climate action 22/2/2022

European Union foreign ministers will call on the bloc’s top diplomat to scale up efforts on climate change this year to help clinch tougher emissions-cutting goals from individual countries, a draft document due to be adopted on Monday said. ...more

Drought hits Mediterranean crops, rest of Europe in good condition 22/2/2022

Persistent rain deficits in Mediterranean regions have led to droughts, harming grasslands and crops such as wheat and barley, while dry weather has had a limited impact in central and western Europe, European crop monitor MARS said on Monday. ...more