3 Shifts to Advance Adaptation and Resilience in 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic did not break the world, but rather revealed a world already broken. COVID-19 and the climate crisis exposed the fragility of economies and societies, upending the lives of people worldwide and, in particular, harming vulnerable communities and countries already facing
Just 7 Commodities Replaced an Area of Forest Twice the Size of Germany Between 2001 and 2015
New analysis shows that just seven agricultural commodities — cattle, oil palm, soy, cocoa, rubber, coffee and plantation wood fiber — accounted for 26% of global tree cover loss from 2001 to 2015. These agricultural commodities replaced 71.9 million hectares
5 Opportunities of a Circular Economy
More than 100 billion tons of resources enter the economy every year – everything from metals, minerals and fossil fuels to organic materials from plants and animals. Just 8.6% gets recycled and used again. Use of resources has tripled since 1970 and could double
Direct Air Capture: Resource Considerations and Costs for Carbon Removal
As global carbon emissions continue to rise, the effects of climate change are increasingly felt through more severe storms, wildfires and flooding. The need to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions — such as through investing in energy efficiency, deploying solar panels
To Build Back from COVID-19, Don’t Overlook Informal Workers
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused widespread health and economic hardship, and it’s occuring in parallel to a year of climate-driven catastrophes. East Africans face food shortages after the worst locust invasion in 70 years. Cyclone Amphan in eastern India caused an estimated $13.2 billion in
In the Time of COVID-19, China Could Be Pivotal in Swapping Debt for Climate and Health Action
Exacerbated by COVID-19 and building on economic and climate challenges, a major debt crisis is brewing in the developing world. The International Monetary Fund projects that average GDP in emerging market and developing countries will decline 3.3% in 2020. These developments make existing
Leveraging the Ocean’s Carbon Removal Potential
To meet the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting temperature rise to 1.5 degrees C (2.7 degrees F), greenhouse gas emissions must reach net-zero by mid-century. Achieving this will not only require reducing existing emissions, but also removing carbon dioxide already in the
Europe Charts a Course for Sustainable Recovery from COVID-19
On May 27, the European Union unveiled a €750 billion ($826 billion) recovery proposal as a centerpiece of its economic response to the coronavirus crisis, while also increasing its existing budget. EU officials have said that 25% of the stimulus package will be
To Unlock the Potential of Direct Air Capture, We Must Invest Now
Congress recently approved at least $35 million for research and development of direct air capture technology and $60 million overall for research into carbon dioxide removal technologies. This is the first time direct air capture — a type of technology that
5 Visible Signs of Climate Change in Antarctica
“Why did you choose to come to Antarctica?” my fellow passengers asked shortly after we exchanged names. So many answers quickly surfaced in my mind: the wildlife; the icebergs; the history of exploration. But above all, I decided to travel
Resilience After Recession: 4 Ways to Reboot the U.S. Economy
The COVID-19 pandemic is already affecting the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans; it’s poised to get worse before it gets better. Our primary concern is for the health and welfare of all those affected. In the long run,
4 Charts Explain Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Countries and Sectors
Global annual greenhouse gas emissions have grown 41% since 1990, and they are still climbing. While emissions dipped notably in 2016, recent data suggests that carbon dioxide emissions rose each year since then. Where are these emissions coming from, and who is responsible?