News
Global actions on World Environment Day underscore urgent need to protect the planet
Individuals, communities, civil society, businesses and governments around the world today marked World Environment Day under the theme #OnlyOneEarth, with official celebrations held in Stockholm and host country Sweden announcing a ban on issuing new licenses for the extraction of coal, oil, and natural gas from 1 July this year to protect people and planet.
World Environment Day: Earth ‘cannot keep up with our demands’
“This planet is our only home”, Secretary-General António Guterres said in his message for World Environment Day, to be marked this Sunday, warning that the Earth’s natural systems “cannot keep up with our demands”. “It is vital we safeguard the health of its atmosphere, the richness and diversity of life on Earth, its ecosystems and its finite resources. But we are failing to do so,” said the UN chief.
COP26: Praise for updated national climate plans, but ‘nowhere near’ goal
New or updated climate action plans by governments can be effective in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but greater efforts are needed to keep global warming at bay, the UN climate change office (UNFCCC) said in a new report on Monday.
UNESCO General Conference: landmark global agreements expected on Artificial Intelligence and Open Science as the agency celebrates its 75th anniversary
The UNESCO General Conference, which takes place in Paris from the 9th to the 24th of November, will mark the organisation’s 75th anniversary. Several important decisions are expected from UNESCO’s 193 Member States, in particular on cultural heritage, on global education policy, on the ethics surrounding technology and the vital need for greater openness around scientific research.
Act now to slow climate change and protect the planet, urges UN chief
The ozone layer – a fragile shield of gas that protects the Earth from the harmful rays of the sun – is “on the road to recovery”, the UN chief said on Thursday in his message for the World Ozone Day.
‘Tipping point’ for climate action: Time’s running out to avoid catastrophic heating
The temporary reduction in carbon emissions caused by global COVID-19 lockdowns did not slow the relentless advance of climate change. Greenhouse gas concentrations are at record levels, and the planet is on path towards dangerous overheating, a multi-agency climate report published on Thursday warns.
Blue sky thinking: 5 things to know about air pollution
Around 90 per cent of people go through their daily lives breathing harmful polluted air, which has been described by the United Nations as the most important health issue of our time. To mark the first International Day of Clean Air for blue skies, on 7 September, UN News explains how bad it is and what is being done to tackle it.
Climate action essential to cool ‘season of fire and floods’ worldwide: Deputy UN chief
With extreme weather events increasingly impacting countries across the world, the deputy UN chief on Monday underlined the importance of limiting temperature rise to the internationally agreed goal of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
