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International Mountain Day

11 December 2024, New York, United States of America

International Civil Aviation Day

7 December 2024, Montreal, Canada

International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer

16 September 2024, Nairobi, Kenya

International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies

7 September 2024, New York, United States of America

Intersessional activities on biodiversity and climate change

Reference: SCBD/SSSF/JL/TT/AC/91588 (2024-036)
To: CBD national focal points, SBSTTA focal points, indigenous peoples and local communities, and relevant organizations

World Meteorological Day

23 March 2024, Geneva, Switzerland

Statement by David Cooper, Acting Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, on the occasion of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, 13 October 2023

Statement by David Cooper, Acting Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, on the occasion of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, 13 October 2023

The twenty-first session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC21) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

9 - 13 October 2023, Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Open-ended Working Group on Climate Change and World Heritage (UNESCO)

15 September 2023, Paris, France

International Forum facilitated by the Forest Ecosystem Restoration Initiative: Workshop on ecosystem restoration-related planning and capacity-building needs for the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

12 September 2023, Online

Statement by David Cooper, Acting Executive Secretary of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity at the G20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Ministerial Meeting

Statement by David Cooper, Acting Executive Secretary of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity at the G20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Ministerial Meeting

International Conference on Climate Risk, Vulnerability and Resilience Building

19 - 21 April 2023, Paris, France

Submission of views and information on biodiversity and climate change

Reference: SCBD/SSSF/JL/SK/TT/AC/90960 (2023-043)
To: CBD National Focal Points, SBSTTA Focal Points, indigenous peoples and local communities, and relevant organizations

Open-ended Working Group on Climate Change and World Heritage (UNESCO)

21 March 2023, Paris, France

Linked Climate Variability Between Distant Regions Highlights Interconnectivity of Global Climate Change

The report, in the journal Nature, reveals interconnectivity between the two vulnerable yet disparate regions and their bonded tipping points — planetary connections sensitive to climate change that shift abruptly once certain thresholds are reached.

Sixth Global Meeting of the Indigenous Peoples’ Forum at IFAD

9 - 13 February 2023, Paris, France

Fifty-seventh session of the IPCC (IPCC-57) - Approval session for the Synthesis Report andFifty-seventh (bis) session (IPCC-57bis)

26 September - 6 October 2022, TBC, Geneva, Switzerland

International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies

7 September 2022, New York, United States of America

Heatwaves, rains, floods: Climate change is here and Pakistan needs to act now

Social media is awash with horrifying images of the havoc monsoon rains that have wreaked on a wide swathe of Pakistan. People living in low-lying areas, in the path of hill torrents, or on poorly made embankments are awash in the misery of floods brought in the wake of the monsoon spell.

The importance of hedgerows in the battle against climate change

Up to a million tonnes of carbon are stored by our hedgerows, between 2,000km and 6,000km of which are being lost each year. Alan Moore loves hedgerows. They are remnants of the wilder world of his boyhood.

Hotter than Dubai: US cities at risk of Middle Eastern temperatures by 2100

The climate crisis risks pushing many Americans into entirely new climatic realities, with a new analysis finding there are 16 US cities at risk of having summer temperatures on a par with locations in the Middle East by the end of the century.

UK farmers count cost as heatwave kills fruit and vegetable crops

The UK heatwave has caused fruit and vegetables to die on the vine as growers fear the drought and further hot temperatures could ruin harvests this year.

Climate change will severely impact bird species by 2080: Study

Climate change will not only impact the number of bird species by 2080 but also have profound effects on their diversity and community composition, according to a study.

Photos: Mauritanians dig deeper wells to cope with climate change

Droughts have long been an issue in Mauritania but in recent years, rains have been erratic and inconsistent there.

5 Genius African Solutions Fighting Climate Change & Protecting the Environment

Nothing can top the resilience of Africa’s people; in the face of adversity, Africa responds with boundless creativity designed to benefit an entire region, or better, the entire continent. This is true of many situations — but for right now, we’re going to look at how it rings true for the cont ...

Europe’s record summer of heat and fires – visualised

Europe has already endured a record amount of fire damage in 2022, as the continent has baked in extreme – and in some cases, unprecedented – high temperatures, Guardian analysis shows.

Iraqi Kurd farmers battle drought as Lake Dukan retreats

Farmers in Iraqi Kurdistan seeking to irrigate crops face seeing their economic lifeline slip away as the waters of Lake Dukan recede and dams upstream in Iran stem the flow.

How likely would Britain’s 40°C heatwave have been without climate change?

Every heatwave occurring today is made more likely and intense by human-caused climate change. Early estimates by the UK Met Office suggest that days over 40°C have become ten times more likely to happen in the UK as a result of the rising global temperature.

Jellyfish invasion: Climate change blamed as swarm swamps Israeli coast

A vast swarm of jellyfish has appeared off the coast of Haifa in Israel in recent days, turning beaches normally packed with summer bathers into no-go areas. Scientists say the phenomenon is a result of climate change and human impact on the marine ecosystem.

A moral imperative’: how southern ministers are trying to change minds about the climate crisis

Robin Blakeman, an eighth-generation West Virginian, has been a practicing minister since 2004. This May, the city where she lives flooded for the second time in nine months. Several inches of rain left roads in disarray, with cars washed out and first responders rushing to evacuate families. Th ...

Climate change: When does planting trees make sense?

Trees can be powerful allies in the fight against global heating because they can trap CO2 and lock it away. But planting billions more of them won't be enough to save the climate.

Will extreme weather spur world leaders to act on climate change?

It’s been a long and painful summer for much of the world. Blistering heatwaves in Europe, Asia and the Americas have left thousands dead, buckled roads and runways and fueled wildfires and floods across the globe.

How are Cities Adapting to Heatwaves in the Face of Climate Change

The climate crisis has made heat waves more likely and more intense around the world. In the northern hemisphere, the record-breaking temperatures are putting millions of people in danger.

Explainer | What does 1 degree on the thermostat mean for climate change?

The hottest day of this year’s heat wave is bearing down on us. The sun’s scorching effect on Earth will be at its peak on the 12th of the lunar calendar’s 24 solar terms - known as Dashu - which falls on July 23 this year.

Weatherwatch: arrival of bee-eaters is a worrying sign of climate crisis

News that a flock of European bee-eaters has turned up in Norfolk – and appear to be settling down to breed – is guaranteed to delight Britain’s birders. Yet the arrival of these multicoloured birds has also caused concern. Why? Because it is a sure sign that the climate crisis is really startin ...

Americans recognize the climate is changing. But they disagree on why — and what to do about it

As images of melting runways, buckling railway tracks and raging wildfires consumed the world's attention this week, Americans remained deadlocked on how to slow the climate change that scientists say is driving much of the extreme weather we're seeing.

Most countries 'woefully unprepared' for changing climate: analysis

Major economies such as India, Brazil and Russia face "cascading" crises driven by climate change such as food insecurity, energy shortages and civil unrest, an industry analysis warned Thursday.

How Climate Change Might Impact Disease Outbreak in Antarctic Fish

Scientists investigate a particular kind of fish that has evolved to survive in the severe arctic climate. However, on a field trip in 2018, they discovered an unusual phenomenon: several of the fish had terrible skin tumors.

Polar bears scavenge on garbage to cope with climate change

Hungry polar bears are turning to garbage dumps to fill their stomachs as their icy habitat disappears. On Wednesday, a team of Canadian and U.S. scientists warned that trash poses an emerging threat to already-vulnerable polar bear populations as the animals become more reliant on landfills nea ...

How not to solve the climate change problem

When politicians talk about reaching “net zero” emissions, they’re often counting on trees or technology that can pull carbon dioxide out of the air. What they don’t mention is just how much these proposals or geoengineering would cost to allow the world to continue burning fossil fuels

How climate storytelling helps people navigate complexity and find solutions

Despite learning that climate change is hitting the planet faster than scientists predicted, society has been slow to decrease the use of fossil fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The UK just hit 40℃ for the first time. It's a stark reminder of the deadly heat awaiting Australia

A severe heatwave in Western Europe is shattering temperature records—including in the United Kingdom, where temperatures exceeded 40℃ on Tuesday for the first time on record.

Thousands evacuated as heat causes wildfires in Europe and north Africa

Thousands of people in Portugal, Spain, France and Morocco have been evacuated from their homes as firefighters tackle wildfires caused by this week’s heatwave, which has brought extreme temperatures of more than 45C (113F) to parts of Europe and north Africa.

How Have Microbes Adapted to Climate Change?

Human activity is causing climate change which impacts most of life on Earth. This article will discuss how microbes, which support all life on Earth, have adapted to anthropogenic climate change.

Wildfires raging across Europe aggravated by climate change, EU warns

A dangerous heat wave is fueling fires across Europe and climate change is "aggravating the situation, making countries more prone to wildfires and increasing the intensity of such events," a new EU report warns.

Climate change: Tourist destinations under threat

If you want to see firsthand the impact of climate change, take a trip to Es Trenc, one of Mallorca's finest beaches. Here, massive concrete bunkers — built in the mid-20th century by the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco — were originally hidden amid the sand dunes. Today, these structures stan ...

Climate change drives down yields and nutrition of Indian crops

Rashpinder Singh, 36, is a farmer who owns 17 acres (almost seven hectares) of land in the state of Punjab. He took up the profession of his forefathers after completing his MTech degree.

Escaping Climate Change Liability Just Got A Bit Harder

If there ever was a David versus Goliath story, this would be it. Four residents of Pari, an Indonesian island threatened by rising sea levels, are suing the largest cement maker in the world over its contribution to global warming. Flooding has already damaged houses and businesses on the island.

Multi-objective optimization can balance trade-offs among boreal caribou, biodiversity, and climate change objectives when conservation hotspots do not overlap

The biodiversity and climate change crises have led countries—including Canada—to commit to protect more land and inland waters and to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations. Canada is also obligated to recover populations of at-risk species, including boreal caribou. Canada has the opportunity ...

Cuban sea turtles can't escape climate change, even on these far-flung beaches

On Cuba's far-flung Guanahacabibes peninsula, park guard Roberto Varela watches as a green sea turtle lumbers ashore and a ritual as old as the dinosaurs unfolds.

How Europeans saw climate change in June

In June we heard from gardeners, fishers, readers who see their landscapes reshaped by fire and those just sweltering through record-breaking heat.

How climate change is threatening Japan's sushi culture

For half a century, Takeo Nakajo has been catching katsuo, or skipjack tuna - indispensable in Japanese cuisine whether eaten raw, dried or used as a base for the broth.

How a carbon-backed cryptocurrency is tackling climate change

Over the last decade, cryptocurrency has exploded in growth, onboarding around 300 million new users. This exponential growth has been accompanied by serious environmental side effects stemming from energy intensive activities such as Bitcoin mining – which by some estimates, consumes as much el ...

Reimagining the Human-Environment Relationship: Why Climate Change Matters for Human Security

This paper outlines the state of knowledge regarding security risks related to climate change, synthesizing the existing scientific evidence to set out five broad pathways of risk. Climate change itself is rarely a direct cause of conflict.

Climate change: new rules to stop EU-driven deforestation globally

To fight climate change and biodiversity loss globally, Environment MEPs want only deforestation-free products to be allowed on the EU market.

Dangerous heatwaves engulf parts of China, US and Europe

Dangerous heatwaves are engulfing parts of China, Europe, south-west and central US this week, as dozens of cities have found themselves dealing with soaring summer temperatures.

Climate change exacerbates violence against women and girls

It is estimated that 80 per cent of people displaced by climate change are women, according to UN Environment. When women are displaced, they are at greater risk of violence, including sexual violence, said Michele Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

WHO Examines the Effects of Climate Change on Mental Health

Last month, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a policy report to confront the increasingly strong and lasting impacts that climate change is having directly and indirectly on people's mental health and psychosocial well-being.

Can you pay an elephant to fight climate change?

Countries and businesses pay billions of dollars to offset their carbon dioxide emissions, transferring money to projects like forest or wetland restoration. But these markets have generally ignored wildlife, which are often critically important to the growth of their ecosystems.

How climate change is making extreme weather a regular occurrence

Torrential rains in Japan, record-breaking heatwaves in Europe, and recurring droughts in the western US. For the second year in a row the start of summer in the northern hemisphere has been marked by extreme weather. To what extent is global warming to blame?

Why is it so hot in the UK and elsewhere in Europe and what are the dangers?

The UK and continental Europe are sweltering in a heatwave due to last until at least the weekend, and the climate crisis is playing a clear role in intensifying extreme temperatures.

Coastal fishing and farming at risk from climate change

Coastal communities could face losses of food from both fisheries and agriculture as a result of climate change, a study of five Indo-Pacific countries suggests. The research is published in Nature Communications.

More frequent european heat waves linked to changes in jet stream

Heat waves over Europe have increased three to four times faster than in the rest of the northern mid-latitudes, including the United States and Canada. Why? In a new study, an international team of scientists has shown the increase is linked to changes in the jet stream, the fast air current th ...

Warming world creates hazard for Alpine glaciers

Italy was enduring a prolonged heat wave before a massive piece of Alpine glacier broke off and killed hikers on Sunday and experts say climate change will make those hot, destabilizing conditions more common.

Climate change forcing nature reserves to adapt, warns new report

Projects to help wildlife adapt to habitats affected by climate change will become more commonplace, warned a new report. The Wildlife Trusts said people must be prepared to see nature reserves change.

Climate change doesn’t have to mean more insect-borne disease

Human-caused climate change has a complex effect on insect-borne diseases. Many may be spreading more, but effective strategies exist to manage this risk. These strategies are available rich and poor.

Climate Change Plays a Major Role in the Distribution of Holoparasitic Plants and Their Obligate Host

Predicting the impact of climate change is essential to the establishment of efficient conservation and management plans to maintain the present biodiversity and avoid extensive extinction.

[Explainer] Can planting trees mitigate climate change?

As the world is struggling to combat climate change, one idea – planting trees – seems to be taking hold as a panacea for curing the ills of pollution, soaring carbon emissions, and degrading soil health.

Ecosystems get increasingly thirsty due to climate change

A new study shows that future ecosystem functioning will increasingly depend on water availability. Using recent simulations from climate models, an international team of scientists found several "hot spot regions" where increasing water limitation strongly affects ecosystems.

Climate change is making flooding worse: 3 reasons the world is seeing more record-breaking deluges

Heavy rain combined with melting snow can be a destructive combination. In mid-June 2022, storms dumped up to 5 inches of rain over three days in the mountains in and around Yellowstone National Park, rapidly melting snowpack.

The UK urgently needs to cut its methane emissions by 2030: cows and sheep hold the key to success

When it comes to climate change, the focus tends to be on carbon dioxide. But hot on its heels is methane (CH₄), the second most important greenhouse gas contributing to the climate emergency.

How long you keep clothes can help fight climate change

A small, simple and cheap way to prevent some future climate pollution is to wear the clothes already in your closet about twice as many times as you might have otherwise before tossing them.

The Solution To Climate Change Lies In Businesses Embracing The Technology Revolution

Technology is supposed to make our lives easier. But in the last few years, it’s been at the center of some problematic discussions. From the anxiety that the pandemic brought about by meteoric social media use to alarm over 5G and ongoing fears around data protection and cookies—what started wi ...

Comprehensive climatic suitability evaluation of peanut in Huang-Huai-Hai region under the background of climate change

The climate changes influence the growing suitability of peanut, an important oil crop. Climatic suitability evaluation in the Huang-Huai-Hai region, the main peanut producing region of China, which can optimize peanut planting structure and provide basis for increasing output. In this study, th ...

Climate change: Australia floods, with staggering 1.5 metres of rain in 24 hours, are a warning sign we cannot ignore – Scotsman comment

Four months after New South Wales was hit by a “once-in-a-thousand-year” flood that killed 20 people and forced thousands of people to flee their homes, torrential rain has brought “life-threatening” flooding to Australia once again.

Climate Change: Wildfire Risk Has Grown Everywhere

As climate change makes hot and dry conditions—often termed “fire weather”—more common and severe, vegetation dries out and landscapes become more flammable, pushing up the odds of dangerous wildfires.

‘Every year it gets worse’: on the frontline of the climate crisis in Bangladesh

Ever since she was a little girl, Amina Ahmed has been afraid of the water. Growing up in Sylhet, north-east of Bangladesh, the heavy rainfall that typically occurs during monsoon season would make her anxious.

Snow at Austrian observatory 3,000 metres above sea level melting earlier than ever before

The snow at the highest observatory in the world to be operated all-year-round is expected to completely melt in the next few days, the earliest time on record.

We built an algorithm to predict how climate change will affect future conflict in the Horn of Africa: here’s what we found

The Horn of Africa, on the eastern coast of the continent, is currently being battered by an intense and sustained drought thanks to which around 20 million people are going hungry. And, given the ongoing armed conflict in the region – particularly in Somalia and Ethiopia – safely getting nutrit ...

Is fungi the most underused resource in the fight against climate change?

Picture a group of “climate change warriors”, massing together in a battle to save the planet. Did you imagine a line of mushrooms? Well, maybe you should have, according to scientists at Boston University in the United States.

Events like Italian glacier collapse likely to increase as planet heats

Events like the collapse of a glacier on the Marmolada mountain, which has killed at least seven people, are likely to become more common as the planet heats, according to scientists who spend their life scrutinising the ice on mountains.

Climate change complicates a precarious relationship between birds and farmers

In the northeastern United States, most natural grasslands have been developed or converted to farmland. So grassland songbirds like bobolinks and Savannah sparrows nest and care for their chicks in farm fields, in the path of mowers and equipment.

Billions of euros in aid for the poorest countries are being rerouted into climate finance

At the 2009 Copenhagen Climate Change Conference (COP15), developed countries committed to financially supporting climate change adaptation and mitigation activities in developing countries.

An Avoidable Disaster: Experts Believe That Climate Change Threatens the Health of Billions

Climate change is thought to have a vast range of impacts on health today. However, experts believe that this will become even more severe unless action is soon taken. The health of vulnerable groups might become more jeopardized by both direct effects, such as excessive heat, and indirect effec ...

Spain, Portugal dryness 'unprecedented' in 1,200 years

Parts of Portugal and Spain are the driest they have been in a thousand years due to an atmospheric high-pressure system driven by climate change, according to research published Monday, warning of severe implications for wine and olive production.

Green transport and cleaner mobility are key to meeting climate goals

No scenario for containing global warming is possible without urgent and distinct action in the transport sector. This is a sector that is often overlooked in the climate equation, but it shouldn’t be.

One in six UK adults doubt human link to climate change - report

One in six adults in the UK does not believe that climate change is mainly caused by human activities, according to a report released on Wednesday. That's despite scientists and policymakers around the world almost unanimously believing this to be the case.

Counting the true cost of climate change

Some of the biggest businesses in the country are complaining about the projected expense of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s proposed rule about climate disclosure. The proposed rule mandates that companies must report their greenhouse gas emissions and climate change risks, and th ...

Can we beat climate change by geoengineering the oceans?

Chemically altering the seas through iron fertilisation or alkalinity enhancement could be our best hope to suck vast amounts of carbon out of the atmosphere – but questions remain on whether it is worth the risk

Climate change may spark conflict in Africa

Scientists have found interesting details about how climate change plays a role in likelihood and duration of conflict on the African continent. The likelihood and duration of armed conflict in Africa can be impacted by climate change, a new study suggests.

Why we need a code of conduct for ocean-based carbon dioxide removal

It is becoming clearer with every passing day and with every new high-level report that we need to take immediate and increasingly drastic action to blunt our current climate crisis.

Mice populations increase due to climate change, as demand soars for pest control in the US

At her home in Rockford, Illinois, Rita Davisson said the “one or two” mice she normally sees during the waning winter months “have turned into more like 10 or 15” in the last couple years. Scientists say the warmer weather might have something to do with it.

Can degrowth stop climate change and end poverty?

A growing movement of researchers want to shrink rich economies to stop the planet heating — but both supporters and critics are gambling on prosperity and climate stability for billions of people across the world.

Every heatwave occurring today is more intense due to climate change

It is no longer important to use modelling to determine whether a heatwave was made more likely by climate change, say scientists, because it plays a role in all heatwaves today

As Climate Change Threatens Mounting Urban Costs, Is Biomimicry The Way Forward?

It’s well established that urban environments are going to be home to the majority of the world’s population in the coming decades. While extreme weather is causing floods, droughts and wildfires, it’s also going to have significant effects on urban living.

London Could Feel as Hot as Barcelona by 2050

A major climate change study has found that London's weather could feel more like Barcelona's by 2050. Even though this might sound like a dream at first to Londoners, the change could turn into a nightmare as it would be accompanied by stretches of severe drought as well as heavier downpours in ...

Climate Change and the Affordable Housing Crisis

1 in 10 residential properties in the United States was impacted by natural disasters in 2021 alone. The climate crisis has exacerbated economic and social disparities within the country, directly affecting the human right to adequate housing.

The eco–climate nexus

Ecosystems, and the services they provide, can support climate mitigation and adaptation, yet also suffer from climate change impacts. Now, discussions surround how to best support the eco–climate nexus, overcoming the challenges ahead and creating multiple benefits.