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

314 - May 2024
Editorial
Forum
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
more...

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...

Najib Saab
Trump's Lost War on Humanity and the Environment
Najib Saab
The hostile economic war, launched by US President Donald Trump against the entire world under the slogan "America First"
more...
 
 
 
Meet the
 Editor-in-Chief Najib Saab 		 
 
Selected articles News
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
 
The blue-green sustainable proteins of seaweed may soon be on your plate 15/11/2024
The protein in sea lettuce, a type of seaweed, is a promising complement to both meat and other current alternative protein sources. Seaweed also contains many other important nutrients, and is grown without needing to be watered, fertilised or sprayed with insecticides. However, the proteins are often tightly bound, and their full potential has not yet been realised on our plates.  But now researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, in Sweden, have found a new way to extract these proteins three times more efficiently than before – and this progress paves the way for seaweed burgers and protein smoothies from the sea. ...more
 
Industry royally champions sustainable floriculture project led by Coventry University 9/10/2024
Coventry University is leading a project to reduce plastic, packaging and waste in the British cut-flower industry. ...more
 
Major boost in carbon capture and storage essential to reach 2°C climate target 27/9/2024
Large expansion of carbon capture and storage is necessary to fulfill the Paris Climate Agreement. Yet a new study led by Chalmers University of Technology, in Sweden and University of Bergen, in Norway, shows that without major efforts, the technology will not expand fast enough to meet the 2°C target and even with major efforts it is unlikely to expand fast enough for the 1.5°C target. ...more
 
Europe’s deadly floods are glimpse of future climate 25/9/2024
Central Europe's devastating floods were made much worse by climate change and offer a stark glimpse of the future for the world's fastest-warming continent, scientists say. ...more
 
Which Countries Should Pay for International Climate Finance? 18/9/2024
The world needs trillions of dollars annually to combat climate change, but questions remain as to where that funding will come from. Most at stake are poorer countries that are the least protected — and hardest hit — from the increasing ravages of heat waves, storm surges and other extreme weather events exacerbated each year by climate change. Many of these countries lack the resources to undertake a rapid and just transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy without external help. ...more
 
Vegetation in UAE deserts grew by 40% after 2024 floods 19/6/2025
The flood that hit the UAE in April last year caused an increase in greenery in the country's desert landscapes, research has found. ...more
 
Bonn Bulletin: Slow start to climate talks fails to reflect urgency 19/6/2025
A bitter row over the agenda ended with a compromise on adding finance and trade measures, while COP30 host Brazil sold off oil blocks to fossil fuel giants. ...more
 
EU council agrees requirements on vehicle recycling at their end of use 19/6/2025
The Council of the European Union said on Tuesday it had agreed on setting requirements to ensure that new vehicles are designed in a way that supports their re-use and recycling. ...more
 
Turning coalmines into solar energy plants ‘could add 300GW of renewables by 2030’ 19/6/2025
Solar panels on defunct surface mines could put land to productive use for renewable generation, report says. ...more
 
Global Energy Transition Gains Ground, but Security and Capital Challenges Persist 19/6/2025
Global progress towards secure, equitable and sustainable energy is accelerating after years of sluggish gains, according to a World Economic Forum report released today. However, rising geopolitical tensions, investment gaps, and a growing disconnect between clean energy innovation and deployment where it is needed most threaten to undermine momentum. ...more
 
As wars intensify, their carbon toll remains off climate summit agendas 18/6/2025
As world leaders prepare for another global climate summit (COP30 in Brazil this November), the skies over Gaza, Ukraine, and other war-ravaged regions remain filled with the smoke of bombs, fuel, and concrete dust. Despite decades of climate diplomacy, the carbon toll of armed conflict remains off the books. ...more
 
US set to object to green jet fuel recommendation at UN aviation council, sources say 18/6/2025
The U.S. is expected to object this month to a recommendation at the UN aviation agency council that Washington says unfairly favors Brazilian corn farmers at the expense of U.S. producers in development of green jet fuel, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. ...more
 
Bank unveils green loans plan to unlock trillions for climate finance 18/6/2025
An innovative plan to use public money to back renewable energy loans in the developing world could liberate cash from the private sector for urgently needed climate finance. ...more
 
Investors want clear ocean management rules to scale up funding 18/6/2025
A U.N. push for investment to protect the world's oceans yielded around $10 billion in deals at a conference last week, way below the estimated annual need as many investors seek clearer regulation on ocean management before committing funds. ...more
 
Insects are dying: here are 25 easy and effective ways you can help protect them 18/6/2025
Insects are in trouble. Around the world, scientists are reporting catastrophic declines in their numbers, even in nature reserves that are largely protected from human touch. We are also beginning to see huge drops in the populations of other animals – such as birds – that depend on insects as food. ...more
 
Egypt signs financial closure deal with Norway's Scatec for 1 GW solar plant 17/6/2025
Egypt signed a financial closure deal on Sunday with Norwegian renewable energy developer Scatec (SCATC.OL) for a 1 gigawatt solar plant, which will allow the project to move into its construction phase, the Egyptian cabinet said. ...more
 
'Forever chemical' found in all but one of tested UK rivers 17/6/2025
A chemical that scientists worry might have an impact on human reproduction has been found in rivers across the UK. ...more
 
Trump’s ‘gas-guzzling’ parade will produce planet-heating pollution costs, analysis says 17/6/2025
Among other concerns, the US military parade will produce as much pollution as created to heat 300 homes for a year. ...more
 
How does air pollution affect mental health? New study aimed to find out 17/6/2025
What happens to your mental and physical health when you move to an area with worse air pollution? That’s the subject of a fascinating new UK-based study. ...more
 
A Third of Forests Lost This Century Will Likely Never Be Restored 17/6/2025
Of the forest lost so far this century, roughly a third was destroyed to make room for farms, a new analysis finds. Those woodlands, which spanned an area larger than Mongolia, will likely never be restored, authors say. ...more
 
Morocco invests in desalination, waterways to mitigate drought 16/6/2025
Morocco is accelerating investments in desalination plants, water transfer projects and new dams to mitigate prolonged drought and meet rising demand from agriculture and cities, water minister Nizar Baraka said. ...more
 
Race to mine metals for EV batteries threatens marine paradise 16/6/2025
Stark images, captured from a drone by environmental campaigners and shared with the BBC, appear to show how nickel mining has stripped forests and polluted waters in one of the most biodiverse marine habitats on Earth. ...more
 
Basel Committee makes climate risk disclosure for bank regulators voluntary 16/6/2025
The world's forum for banking regulators published a framework for disclosing climate-related risks on Friday, making the implementation voluntary, following pushback from the U.S. ...more
 
Brazil, others to tap $1 billion industry decarbonisation programme 16/6/2025
Brazil, Egypt, Mexico are among seven middle-income countries chosen by multilateral lender the Climate Investment Funds to tap a $1 billion programme to cut emissions from their industrial sectors. ...more
 
Fast-fashion retailer Shein's transport emissions jump in 2024 16/6/2025
Shein's carbon emissions from transporting products climbed 13.7% in 2024, the online fast-fashion retailer's sustainability report showed on Friday, and its 2023 transport emissions were 18% higher than previously reported after a recalculation. ...more
 
UN ocean summit in Nice closes with key commitments 14/6/2025
The Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) ended in Nice, France, after five days of high-level discussions and negotiations. The conference united heads of state, ministers, scientists, Indigenous leaders, youth and civil society to accelerate progress on Sustainable Development Goal 14 — Life Below Water. ...more
 
EU countries consider softening methane emissions law on gas imports 13/6/2025
European Union countries may demand that Brussels simplify the EU's methane emissions law, which has stoked concerns from companies that it could hamper imports of U.S. liquefied natural gas, according to a document seen by Reuters. ...more
 
Trump administration moves to repeal Biden power plant pollution rules 13/6/2025
President Donald Trump's administration has proposed repealing rules passed under former President Joe Biden to curb emissions of carbon dioxide, mercury and other air pollutants from power plants, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin said on Wednesday. ...more
 
Portugal leads marine protection with new designated area 13/6/2025
Portugal said on Wednesday it was creating a new protected marine area around the Gorringe Ridge in the Atlantic Ocean that includes Western Europe's tallest seamount, positioning itself as a leader on the way to international conservation goals. ...more
 
EU to subsidise high volume of greener aviation fuel to boost airline demand 13/6/2025
The European Union has offered to subsidise airline purchases of more than 200 million litres of sustainable aviation fuels to encourage carriers to swap kerosene for cleaner alternatives, Reuters calculations show. ...more
 
Climate change could cost Italy over 5% of GDP in 2050, budget watchdog says 13/6/2025
Extreme weather due to climate change may cost Italy more than 5% of GDP in 2050, the country's budget watchdog said on Wednesday, adding that global action to reduce carbon emissions could significantly reduce the impact. ...more
 
 
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