January 2025 Continues Alarming Global Warming Trend
January 2025 was the warmest January globally, with an average surface air temperature of 13.23°C, according to the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).
Investors Warn Omnibus Package Could Weaken EU Sustainability Disclosures
More than 200 financial sector actors, including 162 asset owners and asset managers with a combined €6.6tn assets under management, have signed a joint statement calling on the EU Commission to “preserve the integrity and ambition” of the EU’s sustainable finance framework.
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.
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.