How to Transform Food Systems in the Face of Climate Change
Climate change is already undermining food systems in many parts of the world, contributing to a rise in global hunger and threatening the livelihoods of millions of farmers, herders and fishers. In the arid regions of Ethiopia, droughts are becoming more
How Climate Change Affects Health and How Countries Can Respond
Since early 2020, the world’s attention has been on the global coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic continues to put massive stress on existing health systems, exposing their fault lines. As nations think about how to make health systems more resilient to
Pressing Questions About Ecosystem Restoration, Answered
The world’s ecosystems are under threat. Fires are turning biodiverse forests in California and wetlands in Argentina and Brazil into charred landscapes. The ocean is getting warmer and more acidic, bleaching colorful, fish-filled coral reefs across the Seychelles. The abuse of the soil, exacerbated by overuse of
As Cities Grow Across Africa, They Must Plan for Water Security
Here’s a startling figure: 1.5 billion people will live in African cities by 2050, more than double the number today. African cities — including unplanned urban areas and informal settlements — are already facing staggering challenges: poverty, the need for
How to Make Agriculture Carbon-neutral: Lessons from Denmark
Agriculture and related land-use change generate one-quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Producing the food the world will likely need by 2050 using today’s technologies would triple GHG emissions while destroying most of the planet’s remaining tropical and
US Cities Bought More Renewable Energy Than Ever in 2020. Here’s How
As the world reels from the financial blow of COVID-19, local governments in the United States are under huge pressure as cities and counties face severe budget shortfalls. This is forcing cuts to crucial spending on education and infrastructure as well as layoffs, furloughs
4 Ways to Reduce Plastic Pollution
A whopping 8 million tons of plastic winds up in the ocean each year, endangering wildlife and polluting ecosystems. This number is expected to grow — a recent report from Pew Charitable Trust suggests that without improvements to waste management, 90 million tons of
Trade Associations Speak on Carbon Pricing. Will Action Follow?
Carbon pricing has had broad business support for over a decade. As a market-based mechanism, this is often the private sector’s preferred approach in addressing climate change. Consequently, carbon pricing is a convenient mechanism to measure trade association support for
A Just Transition to a Zero-carbon World Is Possible. Here’s How.
The global shift to a green economy could create 18 million jobs, with the potential to provide high-quality employment and livelihoods around the world. But what about the people and communities whose livelihoods, right now, depend on the fossil fuel or other
5 Reasons the US Should Cut its GHG Emissions in Half by 2030
Climate change already affects millions of Americans, from worsening asthma and other respiratory problems to spurring destructive and costly hurricanes, wildfires, heat waves and other extreme weather. Disadvantaged and marginalized communities often bear the brunt of such devastating climate change
Brazil’s Forests Are Being Restored — Now We Can See Where
We often hear how Brazil’s deforestation crisis threatens its major ecosystems and the people who live in them. That’s an undeniable truth. But, even as the country lost 2.7 million hectares (6.6 million acres) of tree cover in 2019 alone, regenerating forests
How Do Countries’ New Emissions-reduction Plans Stack Up?
A new UN report finds that countries’ emissions-reduction commitments under the Paris Agreement are falling far short of what’s needed to prevent the most dangerous impacts of climate change. It is imperative that countries that have not yet submitted their plans deliver much