UK Minister for Development Announces New Funding and Partnerships to Deliver SDGs
In a speech at the London Stock Exchange, UK Minister for Development Anneliese Dodds announced funding and partnerships to deliver Sustainable Development Goals.
Switzerland Updates Emissions-Reduction Targets
At its meeting on 29 January, the Federal Council approved Switzerland's new reduction target under the Paris Agreement. This corresponds to the reduction path of the Swiss Climate and Innovation Act. By 2035, Switzerland should reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 65% compared to 1990 levels, and by 59% on average between 2031 and 2035.
Rosebank and Jackdaw Oil and Gas Fields Consent Unlawfully Granted, Scottish Court Rules
The Court of Session in Edinburgh ruled that consent to drill Rosebank and Jackdaw oil fields was approved unlawfully, after UK NGOs Uplift and Greenpeace launched legal challenges.
International Clean Energy Day and 16 years of IRENA
January 26 marks the second International Day of Clean Energy, declared by the UN General Assembly, as a call to raise awareness and mobilise action for a just and inclusive transition to clean energy for the benefit of people and the planet.
John Kerry Special Intervention at CIF24 for the launch of the Climate Action Coalition
John Kerry took to the stage at the Climate Innovation Forum 2024 to deliver a Special Address and launch the Climate Action Coalition.
Extreme Weather Events Affecting Food Insecurity in Latin America and the Caribbean
74 percent of Latin American and Caribbean countries are highly exposed to extreme weather events, affecting food security, according to new UN report.
UN Special Envoy Michael R. Bloomberg Announces Effort to Ensure U.S. Honours Paris Agreement
Following the United States’ second withdrawal, Bloomberg Philanthropies and others will ensure the nation’s funding and reporting obligations to the UN Climate Change Secretariat are met.
Environmental Risks a Mounting Concern Over Both the Short and Long-Term Time Horizons
Despite Trump’s questioning of the Biden Administration’s climate policies, environmental risks are solidifying their position as the greatest source of long-term concern, according to the Global Risks Report 2025, with extreme weather events a key concern for the year ahead.
Realising the embodied carbon of structures is “increasingly urgent” to reduce emissions in time
IStructE’s updated guidance "How to calculate embodied carbon" and revised Structural Carbon Tool steer the built environment industry to make informed decisions and calculations about emissions due to the use of construction materials.
UK Government to Support Workers to Benefit from Thousands of Clean Power Jobs
Regional skills investments will help workers access thousands of jobs in UK heartlands as part of Plan for Change to make Britain energy secure with clean power by 2030.
Trump Withdraws United States from Paris Agreement
President Donald Trump has signed an Executive Order to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement, a key international treaty on climate, for a second time.
U.S. and Indonesia Debt-for-Nature Swap
Conservation International announced on 15 Jan that the debt-for-nature swap between the United States of America, the Republic of Indonesia and several non-governmental organisations (Conservation International, Yayasan Konservasi Cakrawala Indonesia, Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara, The Nature Conservancy) has officially been closed and $35mn will now begin to flow toward the protection and restoration of Indonesia’s highest priority coral reef ecosystems.
CIF Capital Markets Mechanism Makes Historic Debut with Inaugural $500 Million Bond
The debut CCMM bond, which was six times oversubscribed, marks the launch of a new era in climate finance.
New Report Highlights Critical Food System Trends and Challenges in Countdown to 2030
The Food Systems Countdown Initiative report identifies governance and resilience as pivotal leverage points for food system transformation.
African Development Bank Launches Pioneering Energy-Efficiency Project in Senegal
The African Development Bank has approved an €8.51mn loan for Senegal’s "Programme to Promote Efficient Lighting Lamps" (PPLEEF), a trailblazing initiative to advance energy efficiency in the country. This marks the Bank’s first fully dedicated demand-side energy efficiency investment project, setting a new benchmark for sustainable development across Africa.
Innovation and New Technology are Drivers to Progress
For centuries, technological leaps have powered our lives and had a profound impact on the way we live, work and communicate. From the steam engine to the internet and everything that followed, technology has enabled great leaps forward for humanity. Now, looking ahead to the net zero transition, what role can technology and innovation play in a sustainable future? Following COP29, Steve Smith, Chief Strategy and Regulatory Affairs Officer at National Grid, explores the issue.
15th IRENA Assembly Sets Energy Transition Narrative for 2025
As the first international energy meeting of the year, the IRENA Assembly addresses pressing energy transition challenges and assesses collective progress towards UAE Consensus goals.
2024 Exceeds 1.5°C Above Pre-Industrial Level
Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) confirms 2024 to be the warmest year on record globally, and the first calendar year that the average global temperature exceeded 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
One Quarter of Freshwater Animals at Risk of Extinction
The largest global assessment of freshwater animals on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species to date has revealed that 24% of the world’s freshwater fish, dragonfly, damselfly, crab, crayfish and shrimp species are at high risk of extinction, according to an analysis published in Nature. The IUCN co-authored study recommends targeted action to prevent further extinctions and calls for governments and industry to use this data in water management and policy measures.
2024 a ‘Record-Breaking’ Year for Low-Carbon Electricity
Great Britain made progress towards low-carbon generation goals, with wind power overtaking gas as the biggest source of electricity in 2024.