The report "Bracing for Superbugs" provides evidence that the environment plays a key role in the development, transmission and spread of .
UNEP
Natural gas has long been billed as a good steppingstone to replace coal with renewable energy. As solar arrays and wind farms are being built, the theory goes, natural gas can be a stand-in for âdirtierâ fuels, like coal and, in some cases, oil. But research indicates that emissions of methane â the main constituent of natural gas â that occur during its extraction and transport mean natural gas isnât as climate-friendly as once thought. tells us about the role natural gas should play in reducing emissions and the transition to a renewable energy future.
reports on the landmark agreement to guide action on nature through to 2030 resulting from the United Nations Biodiversity Conference (). 188 governments adopted the aiming to address biodiversity loss, restore ecosystems and protect indigenous rights. The plan includes concrete measures to halt and reverse nature loss, including putting 30 per cent of the planet and 30 per cent of degraded ecosystems under protection by 2030. It also contains proposals to increase finance to developing countries â a major issue during talks.
In March, a recycled plastic gavel hammered down sealing a global resolution to work towards ending plastic pollution, long considered one of the planetâs most pressing environmental blights. The agreement was one of several major environmental accords forged in 2022, which observers have called a historic year for the planet. In pacts, many shepherded by , that unfolded from March to December, nations large and small committed to addressing everything from the fallout of climate change to a looming extinction crisis. Here's a closer look at 2022âs environmental milestones.
The United Nations recognizes 10 ground-breaking efforts from around the globe for their role in restoring the natural world. They were selected under the banner of the , a global movement coordinated by and , designed to prevent and reverse the degradation of natural spaces across the planet. The winning initiatives are eligible to receive UN-backed promotion, advice or funding. Together, the 10 flagships aim to restore more than 68 million hectares â an area bigger than Myanmar, France or Somalia â and create nearly 15 million jobs.
Nature is our lifeline. Our health, food, economies, and well-being depend on nature. Yet nature is in crisis. One million of the worldâs estimated 8 million species of plants and animals are threatened with extinction. Ecosystem degradation is affecting the well-being of 40% of the global population. The UN Biodiversity Conference () will be held in Montreal, Canada from 7-19 December 2022. COP15 aims to achieve a historic agreement to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030. Follow 's live coverage of COP15 .
Ellie Goulding joins and The Ocean Agency for a mission to witness the heat resilient coral reefs of the Red Sea in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. Ellie learns why these reefs are able to take the heat as our planet's temperature rises and the existential threats to reefs around the world if we don't meet the Paris Agreement to keep our temperature to 1.5 degrees celsius since pre-industrial times.
The (UNEP) has announced its 2022 , honouring a conservationist, an enterprise, an economist, a womenâs rights activist, and a wildlife biologist for their transformative action to prevent, halt and reverse ecosystem degradation. ! Since its inception in 2005, the annual Champions of the Earth award has been awarded to trailblazers at the forefront of efforts to protect our natural world. It is the UNâs highest environmental honour. This year the organization received a record 2,200 nominations.
research shows that land-based and marine ecosystems play a vital role in regulating the climate. They currently absorb acting as natural carbon sinks.
The concentration of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere is wreaking havoc across the world and threatening lives, economies, health and food. For over a decade, the has provided a yearly review of the difference between where greenhouse emissions are predicted to be in 2030 and where they should be to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. This yearâs report will provide an update on global emissions pathways and progress towards achieving national mitigation pledges and the Paris Agreement goals. Find out more at todayâs .
A new One Health Joint Plan of Action was launched by , , , and partners. This first joint plan aims to integrate systems to better prevent, predict, detect, and respond to health threats. This initiative seeks to improve the health of humans, animals, plants, and the environment, while contributing to sustainable development. The five-year plan focuses on expanding capacities in six areas: health system capacity, zoonotic epidemics, endemic zoonotic, neglected tropical and vector-borne diseases, food safety risks, antimicrobial resistance and the environment.
Methane: youâve probably heard of it, but what is it and why is it important to reduce it? Methane is a greenhouse gas mainly emitted from dumpsites, oil and gas wells, coal mines, wetlands and cow burps.
Crashing populations of plants, animals and insects lead fears that the planet is entering its sixth mass extinction. reports on the efforts underway to revive terrestrial and marine habitats.
The way food is produced and consumed today results in high rates of food loss and waste. This waste is responsible for an estimated 8-10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Food loss and waste has other impacts, such as wasted resources, loss of biodiversity and loss of natural ecosystems. All of this happens against a backdrop of rising food insecurity and malnutrition, with some 828 million people around the world suffering from hunger. promotes the massive potential to reduce the emissions of the sector while delivering benefits across the SDGs.
Thereâs lots of talk about how some countries emit significantly more greenhouse gases than others. But where do these numbers come from? Countries estimate these emissions by using a âbottom-up approachâ - combining data on certain polluting activities with the emissions typically produced by those activities. But greenhouse gas levels are still too high. Global emissions need to fall almost 50% by 2030 if we want to avoid over 1.5 degrees of warming. Learn more in .