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

314 - May 2024
Editorial
Forum
Ani Dasgupta
Investing in Climate Resilience
Ani Dasgupta
From rising energy bills to children breathing polluted air and communities being hit by floods, droughts and extreme heat
more...

Antonio Guterres
World Environment Day 2026: Climate Ultimatum
Antonio Guterres
This World Environment Day, warning signals are everywhere
more...

WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE
Climate Action Can Be One of the World’s Biggest Job Creators
WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE
We are in the midst of a great economic shift — one that will shape livelihoods and growth for decades to come
more...

Inger Andersen
Why the UN Environment Assembly is essential to a safer, more resilient planet
Inger Andersen
As geopolitical challenges and tensions escalate globally, one thing is clear: fragmented politics will not fix a fractured planet
more...

Najib Saab
Coalition of 'climate willing' partners needed
Najib Saab
Climate action is facing unprecedented challenges, due to the rise of populist movements led by the United States administration
more...
 
 
 
Meet the
 Editor-in-Chief
Najib Saab
 
 
Selected articles News
EU rules could make fossil-free aviation fuels unnecessarily expensive and energy-intensive 14/5/2026
The effects of the Iran war on the oil market have brought renewed attention to the EU’s plans for domestic production of fossil-free aviation fuels. But EU rules for synthetic aviation fuels risk steering development towards production pathways that are both more expensive and more energy-intensive than necessary – making it harder to meet climate targets. This is shown in a recent study from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, that has analysed different methods for producing synthetic methanol. ...more
 
The food commodities driving deforestation globally 27/3/2026
Maize, rice and cassava drive more deforestation than major export-oriented crops like cocoa, coffee, and rubber. This has been shown by researchers from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, in the most comprehensive global survey of how different commodities are causing deforestation. The study confirms the major impact of meat production, but reveals several overlooked drivers of deforestation. ...more
 
Local water supply crucial to success of hydrogen initiative in Europe 26/2/2026
Green hydrogen is considered to be an important part of the global climate transition, especially as a fuel and energy carrier for heavy transport and industry. However, large-scale green hydrogen production requires sustainable ways of managing water resources to avoid giving rise to water shortages and conflicts with agriculture over access. This has been shown in a unique study from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, that connects local water supply with a range of scenarios for future hydrogen needs in Europe. ...more
 
Solar hydrogen can now be produced efficiently without the scarce metal platinum 9/1/2026
A research team led by Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have presented a new way to produce hydrogen gas without the scarce and expensive metal platinum. Using sunlight, water and tiny particles of electrically conductive plastic, the researchers show how the hydrogen can be produced efficiently, sustainably and at low cost. ...more
 
The Paris Agreement at 10: A Celebration and a Call to Action 13/12/2025
Ten years ago, we witnessed something akin to a miracle. ...more
 
Climate Action Has a Messaging Problem 14/9/2025
In the summer of 2024, Dutch citizens ranked climate change as the most serious problem facing the world. Just a few months later, they elected a national government that ran on a platform of pulling back its climate policies. ...more
 
Europe’s Soaring Heat and the Great Air Conditioning Dilemma 21/8/2025
Much of Europe sweltered in August 2025 as a heat dome spread across the continent, pushing peak afternoon temperatures to over 40 degrees C (104 degrees F) in France and Spain. Meanwhile, parts of Greece, Turkey and Albania battled historic and devastating wildfires as high temperatures scorch the land. ...more
 
Planned hydrogen refuelling stations may lead to millions of euros in yearly losses 10/7/2025
As hydrogen infrastructure is rolled out in the EU, refuelling stations must be distributed according to the same principle in all countries. But now a study from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, points to shortcomings in EU regulations. Using an advanced model, the researchers show that the distribution of refuelling stations may both be incorrectly dimensioned and lead to losses of tens of millions of euros a year in some countries. ...more
 
Ships trigger high and unexpected emissions of the greenhouse gas methane 3/7/2025
Ship traffic in shallow areas, such as ports, can trigger large methane emissions by just moving through the water. The researchers in a study, led by Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, observed twenty times higher methane emissions in the shipping lane compared to nearby undisturbed areas. Despite the fact that methane is a greenhouse gas that is 27 times as powerful as carbon dioxide, these emissions are often overlooked with today's measurement methods. ...more
 
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
 
Kazakhstan and UAE launch construction of €1.2bn wind farm 1/7/2026
Kazakhstan and the United Arab Emirates have broken ground on a €1.2 billion wind farm in the Zhambyl region, marking one of Central Asia's largest renewable energy projects as the Kazakhstan accelerates its transition towards cleaner energy. ...more
 
US leads global CO2 emissions increase in 2025, report finds 1/7/2026
The United States accounted for about a third of the rise in global carbon emissions in 2025, as higher gas prices pushed power producers ‌back to coal, an Energy Institute report showed. ...more
 
World Bank to abandon goal to devote 45% of lending resources to climate change projects 1/7/2026
The World Bank Group said on Monday it will "retire" its previous goal ‌to devote 45% of its annual lending resources to projects with climate co-benefits, but extend its longstanding Climate Change Action Plan that was due to expire on Tuesday. ...more
 
Canadian company delivers North America's first direct air capture carbon credits 1/7/2026
Canada's Deep Sky became the first North American company to deliver verified carbon removal ‌credits from direct air capture technology, announcing on Monday it provided credits to Microsoft and Royal Bank of Canada. ...more
 
Greece using satellites and AI to detect wildfires earlier than ever 1/7/2026
As Greece braces for yet another exceptionally difficult wildfire season a new line of defence is being deployed from above. ...more
 
Abu Dhabi cultivates more than 302,000 new coral colonies this year 30/6/2026
The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) has cultivated more than 302,000 new coral colonies since the start of the year as part of the Abu Dhabi Coral Gardens Project, one of the largest coral reef restoration initiatives in the Middle East. ...more
 
How simple bottles of water helped map life on 10% of Earth's surface 30/6/2026
More than half of global GDP depends on nature – yet wildlife is disappearing at an alarming rate. Freshwater species have fared worst of all, with populations down 85 per cent since 1970. ...more
 
Trump declared war on renewables – but Americans aren’t listening 30/6/2026
Donald Trump’s ruthless war on renewables is being met with heavy resistance, as American interest in homegrown, clean energy continues to surge. ...more
 
Stanford scientists built an AI that can design healthier, greener burgers 30/6/2026
The new system balances nutrition, taste, cost, and environmental impact to create better recipes. ...more
 
Europe's heatwave 'virtually impossible' without climate change, scientists say 29/6/2026
The record-breaking heatwave engulfing Western Europe would have been "virtually ‌impossible" without human-caused climate change, which has made this week's soaring night-time temperatures 100 times more likely than they would have been just two decades ago, scientists said on Friday. ...more
 
Snow and ice on Swiss glaciers melting at alarming rate amid heatwave, expert says 29/6/2026
Accumulation on Switzerland’s glaciers from last winter expected to all be gone by Monday amid ‘enormous’ melt rates across Alps. ...more
 
Paris court rules TotalEnergies must account for indirect emissions and tighten climate policies 29/6/2026
A partial victory, the ruling stopped short of making TotalEnergies directly liable for its customers’ actions. ...more
 
Eleven EU countries call for methane rules pause amid energy security fears 26/6/2026
The eleven EU countries say that the methane rules could jeopardise natural gas supply, especially from foreign suppliers who would face extra costs. ...more
 
Datacentres facing increase in global climate-related legal cases, report finds 26/6/2026
The proliferation of datacentres and AI is increasingly at the forefront of environmental litigation around the world from Chile to Ireland, a report has found. ...more
 
Climate-vulnerable countries push for global funding framework 25/6/2026
The world’s most climate-vulnerable nations and ‌a set of major development banks launched a new initiative on Tuesday aimed at unlocking cheaper and more predictable funding for countries increasingly facing climate shocks and rising debt costs. ...more
 
EU court says private jet manufacturing can be labelled green investment 25/6/2026
The manufacture of private jets cannot be excluded from a list of activities deemed to be environmentally sustainable, the ‌European Union's second-highest court said on Wednesday, annulling a decision by the European Commission. ...more
 
UN's Guterres says climate risk must be core priority for finance ministers 25/6/2026
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said ‌on Wednesday that climate adaptation must be treated as a core priority for governments — and properly valued by the financial system — as climate risks intensify and a funding gap widens. ...more
 
‘Carspreading’ could lead to extra 2,600 crash deaths a year by 2040, study finds 25/6/2026
The increase in size, which leaves people more likely to be killed in a crashand increases emissions that hurt lungs and heat the planet, has progressed at a roughly steady rate for two and half decades even as family sizes have fallen, the campaign group Transport & Environment (T&E) found. ...more
 
Adidas, Uniqlo and Calvin Klein ads in UK banned over ‘recycled’ clothing claims 25/6/2026
Ads for Calvin Klein, Adidas and Uniqlo promoting “recycled” clothing and shoes have been banned by the UK watchdog after the advertisers were unable to prove their green claims. ...more
 
 
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