Report lays out viable pathway to ‘Break the Plastic Wave’ A new analysis by The Pew Charitable Trusts and SYSTEMIQ finds that without immediate and sustained action, the annual flow of plastic into the ocean could nearly triple by 2040. But the study also identifies solutions that could cut this volume by more than 80…
• Report finds putting nature first is good for business and economic resilience • Nature-positive solutions will create $10.1 trillion in business opportunity and millions of new jobs • COVID-19’s impact is a stark reminder of our imbalance with the natural world, but the report shows opportunities for businesses and governments to build back better…
Global Witness has revealed the highest number of land and environmental defenders murdered on record in a single year, with 212 people killed in 2019 for peacefully defending their homes and standing up to the destruction of nature. The NGO’s annual report also shed a light on the urgent role land and environmental defenders play…
Alex Thornton, The World Economic Forum • Miniature urban forests planted using a method invented by a Japanese botanist in the 1970s are growing in popularity. • Dense copses bursting with biodiversity can thrive in areas the size of a tennis court. • Known as ‘Miyawaki’ forests, the trees grow more quickly and absorb more…
The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has announced the names of seven young climate leaders – between the ages of 18 and 28 years old – who will advise him regularly on accelerating global action and ambition to tackle the worsening climate crisis. The announcement marks a new effort by the United Nations to bring…
Lead poisoning is affecting children on a massive and previously unknown scale, according to a new report launched today by UNICEF and Pure Earth. The report, the first of its kind, says that around 1 in 3 children – up to 800 million globally – have blood lead levels at or above 5 micrograms per…
The annual mean global temperature is likely to be at least 1° Celsius above pre-industrial levels (1850-1900) in each of the coming five years (2020-2024) and there is a 20% chance that it will exceed 1.5°C in at least one year, according to new climate predictions issued by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The Global…
Apple has unveiled its plan to become carbon neutral across its entire business, manufacturing supply chain, and product life cycle by 2030. The company is already carbon neutral today for its global corporate operations, and this new commitment means that by 2030, every Apple device sold will have net zero climate impact. “Businesses have a…
• COVID-19 is just one example of the rising trend of diseases – from Ebola to MERS to West Nile and Rift Valley fevers – caused by viruses that have jumped from animal hosts into the human population. • A new assessment offers ten recommendations, and identifies One Health as the optimal way to prevent…
A record 53.6 million tonnes (Mt) of e-waste was produced globally in 2019, the weight of 350 cruise ships the size of the Queen Mary 2; $57 billion in gold and other components discarded – mostly dumped or burned A record 53.6 million metric tonnes (Mt) of electronic waste was generated worldwide in 2019, up…