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A new UN argues that cutting emissions from buildings and construction is not only essential for tackling climate change, but could also reduce energy costs, improve living conditions, and make housing more affordable worldwide. The report warns that decarbonising buildings and construction is progressing too slowly, despite the sector generating 37% of global emissions and nearly half of all material extraction. While buildings are becoming more energy efficient, rising construction activity and continued fossil fuel dependence threaten climate goals. The report calls for stronger policies, investment, and low-carbon construction to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
Heat swept across Europe in 2025 like never before, reaching from sun‑baked southern coasts to places near the Arctic Circle that rarely see such extremes, warns a new by the World Meteorological Organization. About 95% of Europe was warmer than normal. Long heatwaves hit even Arctic areas, with temperatures above 30°C. Seas were the warmest ever, and many wildfires burned a record area. Glaciers across Europe kept shrinking, snow cover fell well below average, and major ice loss was seen in Iceland and Greenland. Many rivers had low water for most of the year. The report warns these changes are harming people and nature and shows Europe is warming faster than any other continent.
Heat was once routine for Sary Kea, a rice farmer in Cambodia, until extreme temperatures began ruining her crops. Repeated plantings failed as rains never came, draining her income and heightening anxiety about each season. Her story reflects a growing global crisis. A new shows how extreme heat, combined with shifting rain and drought, damages crops, livestock and livelihoods. The effects are personal: lower yields, unsafe working conditions and food loss. Solutions that reach farmers in time — early warnings, heat‑tolerant crops, cooling storage and basic worker protections — are turning heat from a sudden disaster into a risk farmers can plan around, helping families like Sary Kea’s stay safe and afloat.
The World Meteorological Organization warns that unprecedented greenhouse gas–driven warming is disrupting Earth’s climate with long-lasting consequences.
Seagrasses are one of the most widespread marine ecosystems on Earth, covering around 300,000 square kilometres of seabed in 159 countries. When compared to colourful coral reefs, or mysterious mangroves, seagrass meadows may appear simple, but they are vital ecosystems supporting marine life, sustaining fisheries and storing large amounts of carbon while protecting coastlines. As these habitats rapidly disappear, the United Nations is through World Seagrass Day and global restoration efforts to help protect biodiversity and combat climate change.
Energy is at the heart of the climate challenge and key to the solution. To avoid the worst impacts of climate change, greenhouse gas emissions need to be reduced by almost half by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. To achieve this, we need to end our reliance on fossil fuels and accelerate the clean energy transition. The International Day of Clean Energy (26 January) is a call to raise awareness and mobilize action for a just and inclusive transition to clean energy for the benefit of people and the planet. Follow our.
In Kyrgyzstan’s rugged Batken Province, 70-year-old farmer Urinisa Tillabaeva is proving that tough land can still grow bright futures. With a new greenhouse, drip irrigation, and hands-on training, she no longer waits out the long winter months—she harvests beyond the traditional season, boosting yields and turning tomatoes into steady income for her family. As a leader in a local women’s farming group, Urinisa Tillabaevais helping her community trade uncertainty for resilience—growing more and wasting less. She is among 4,500 farmers participating in a new World Food Programme () project aimed at boosting incomes and diets and adapting to deepening weather extremes in one of Central Asia’s most climate-vulnerable countries.
Seaweed farming is rapidly growing in Latin America and the Caribbean, offering sustainable food, coastal livelihoods, economic growth, and environmental benefits like ecosystem restoration and carbon capture.
In 2025, the UN climate conference closed with an agreement to strengthen support for developing countries. The outcome includes stronger commitments on adaptation support and climate finance, alongside equity-based and just transition mechanisms. Grounded in science and solidarity, it advances practical solutions while amplifying the voices of affected communities. Learn how collective action can deliver real climate change and watch our video .
For the Seychelles, a small island developing state in the middle of the ocean, land is limited, and 200 years of human settlement has already seen significant impacts on both terrestrial and marine ecosystems. On the main island of Mahé, where 86% of the population live, land is being actively developed for tourism, agriculture, housing, and other human needs. The impacts of these demands can be seen and felt where today less than 5% of the original native forest remains intact. To reverse this damage and restore degraded land, the project ‘Ridge to Reef’, is working to improve tree cover and restore soil. Funded by the and implemented by the Seychelles Government in partnership with , the 'Ridge to Reef' approach focuses on the connection between land and sea to address environmental degradation. Nelson Renaud, chairman of the Local Food Producers Association, says "By taking care of the land, we can grow food that will take care of our community."
The world is heating. Inequalities are deepening. And yet, across continents, young people are stepping into the cracks of broken systems and reimagining what’s possible. While the world works to respond to the climate crisis, youth from around the world are showing what happens when youth are not just invited to the table but trusted to lead. introduces five of these young leaders: Sundus from Pakistan (seen here with her team that brings damaged reefs back to life), Elvis from Liberia, LuÃs from Bolivia, Pablo from Colombia, Specioza from Uganda. All of them, with support of , are building new systems of food, energy, mobility and education, from the ground up. Their projects are different, but their experiences and drive are shared. What they show us is clear: when young people are trusted and supported with the right resources, they can drive meaningful and lasting change.
Climate change is impacting every aspect of our lives. Yet sometimes it can feel abstract or difficult to grasp. Numbers can help make it concrete. They give us a way to see the scale of the problem, the urgency of action and the promise of solutions. invites people around the world to explore 30 facts about the climate crisis that explain the urgency of action and the promise of solutions, while combating disinformation. From 1 to 30, each number highlights a powerful fact paired with an eye-catching visual, drawing attention to key areas – from energy, adaptation and finance to nature, gender, health and justice.
The UN report launched today at COP30, warns that global demand for cooling could more than triple by 2050, fueling climate change due to cooling-related emissions and straining power grids. But we can change the course. The report champions a Sustainable Cooling Pathway that could slash cooling emissions by 64% by 2050 and save trillions of dollars in energy and infrastructure costs. This Pathway promotes nature-based cooling strategies, low-energy and hybrid systems that combine fans and air conditioners, high-efficiency equipment and the reduction of harmful refrigerants.
’s&²Ô²ú²õ±è; finds that within the next decade, global temperatures will likely exceed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.