News
Arctic sea ice could disappear even if world achieves climate target
Arctic sea ice could vanish in summers this century even if governments achieve a core target for limiting global warming set by almost 200 countries. The ice has been shrinking steadily in recent decades, damaging the livelihoods of indigenous people and wildlife, such as polar bears, while opening the region to more shipping and oil and gas exploration.
Release of Russian edition of the UNESCO Science Report
The Russian edition of the UNESCO Science Report may now be consulted and downloaded from UNESCO’s open access portal. It has been published by Magister Press, with the financial support of the St Petersburg National Research University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics (ITMO). The original English edition was released in November 2015.
Forests to play major role in meeting Paris climate targets
Forests are set to play a major role in meeting the objectives of the Paris Climate Agreement - however, accurately monitoring progress toward the "below 2°C" target requires a consistent approach to measuring the impact of forests on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
In hot water: Climate change harms hot spots of ocean life
The six ocean hot spots that teem with the biggest mix of species are also getting hit hardest by global warming and industrial fishing, a new study finds. An international team looked at more than 2,100 species of fish, seabirds, marine mammals and even tiny plankton to calculate Earth's hot spots of marine biodiversity.
World Bank Scores Sustainable Energy Policies in 111 Countries
An increasing number of developing countries – Mexico, China, Turkey, India, Vietnam, Brazil, and South Africa – are emerging as leaders in sustainable energy, with robust policies to support energy access, renewables and energy efficiency, according to a new World Bank Report.
Climate change will lead to annual coral bleaching, UN-supported study predicts
If current trends continue and the world fails to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, nearly all of the world's coral reefs will suffer severe bleaching – the gravest threat to one of the Earth's most important ecosystems – on annual basis, the United Nations environment agency today reported.
How fair are countries' climate pledges? Incorporating fairness into cutting global emissions
A new study published in Nature Climate Change analyzes the national climate targets needed to meet the 1.5 and 2°C goals according to five different equity principles, and how these compare with the current climate pledges.
Scientists measure pulse of CO2 emissions during spring thaw in the Arctic
When the frozen Arctic tundra starts to thaw around June of each year, the snow melting and the ground softening, the soil may release a large pulse of greenhouse gases, namely, carbon dioxide and methane. Little has been known about such releases.
