Global Climate News

The Los Angeles area experienced unprecedented Santa Ana winds causing multiple wildfires. The Palisades fire was uncontainable due to strong winds, and water hydrants ran dry due to insufficient water pressure. The Eaton Canyon fire, possibly caused by an electrical tower, spread to Altadena. SoCal Edison faced criticism due to past fire-related settlements.

India launched ‘Mission Mausam’ to make the country a ‘Weather-ready and Climate-smart’ nation by developing cutting-edge weather technologies, implementing high-resolution atmospheric observations, and improving the understanding of weather and climate processes. The IMD Vision-2047 document for weather resilience and climate change adaptation was also released.

Wales' Natural Resources Wales (NRW) published an interim State of Natural Resources Report (SoNaRR 2025), highlighting urgent need for collective action to address nature degradation, climate change, and pollution. The report emphasizes the importance of pro-nature thinking and decision-making across government, business, and society to ensure the sustainability of Wales’ natural resources. The full report, to be published by the end of 2025, will offer a comprehensive evidence base for decision-making.

German scientists from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics (ITWM) launched the RAMUS project to investigate tire abrasion in electrified vehicles. The project, funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport with EUR 199,738, aims to develop a forecast model for tire abrasion, considering factors like vehicle weight and driving behavior. The research will help meet new Euro 7 tire abrasion limits.

India reported a 7.93% reduction in GHG emissions in 2020 compared to 2019, as highlighted in its 4th Biennial Update Report (BUR-4). The energy sector contributed 75.66% of emissions. India aims for net-zero emissions by 2070 and has launched several initiatives including the "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam" tree plantation campaign and the Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes (MISHTI) Program, with ₹12.55 crores allocated in FY 2024-25.

Researchers from Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, and University of Washington quantitatively compared five environmental justice screening tools used in California to classify disadvantaged communities. They found substantial variation among the tools in designating communities and prioritizing sociodemographic groups, with potential implications for resource allocation and policy interventions. The study highlights the need for careful consideration of tool selection in environmental justice research and policymaking.

The European Union has implemented the FuelEU Maritime Regulation, effective January 1, 2025, to decarbonize its maritime sector. This regulation mandates a gradual reduction in greenhouse gas intensity, starting at -2% in 2025 and reaching -80% by 2050 compared to 2020 levels. The EU has also committed EUR 20 million in EU Allowances and EUR 530 million through Horizon Europe for research and innovation in renewable and low-carbon fuels for the maritime sector.

The Environment Agency in England is consulting the public on an environmental permit application submitted by Old Knowle Square Management Limited for waste and mining waste operations, installations, water discharge and groundwater activities, and medium combustion plant and specified generators in Farnham, Surrey.

US-based Algaeo, founded by Nick Sokol, has developed a technology to produce organic fertilizers from microalgae. This reduces reliance on petroleum-based synthetic fertilizers, decreasing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Algaeo is part of the Innovation Crossroads program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, utilizing ORNL resources to optimize its fertilizer production.

Jeremy Collins has submitted an environmental permit application to the Environment Agency for Meridon House in Bishops Sutton, UK. The application concerns waste and mining waste operations, installations, water discharge and groundwater activities, and medium combustion plant and specified generators.

The Environment Agency in England is consulting the public on an environmental permit application submitted by Richard Pearson-Wood for White Farm Stables in Kingsdown, Kent. The application concerns waste and mining waste operations, installations, water discharge, groundwater activities, and medium combustion plant and specified generators.

The UN Secretary-General expressed sorrow over devastating wildfires in California, claiming lives and displacing thousands. Damages are estimated to exceed $50 billion. The UN commended first responders and highlighted prevention strategies such as clearing underbrush and improving evacuation planning. The WHO emphasized the health risks of wildfire smoke. The UN stands ready to provide assistance if needed.

ETH Zurich researchers have optimized arsenic detection methods, finding it in aerosols, clouds, and rainwater in the Pyrenees. They identified transport patterns from the Atlantic, Spain, France, the Mediterranean, and Africa, showing biological processes are more important in the arsenic cycle than previously assumed. This necessitates incorporating biological processes into models to better estimate global arsenic distribution.

US-based research organization RMI found that uneconomically dispatched coal plants cost communities \\$13–\\$26 billion in health costs annually (2015-2023 total: \\$236 billion). The highest health impacts were in MISO (Midwest) and PJM (Mid-Atlantic) regions due to plant proximity to dense populations. The study used EPA's COBRA tool to assess health impacts, revealing 19,565 ER visits, 16,661 premature mortalities, and 50,000 new asthma cases.

The article discusses the nomination of Lee Zeldin as the EPA administrator under the Trump administration. Zeldin's past financial ties to the oil and gas industry and his stance on climate change legislation are highlighted. Concerns are raised regarding potential weakening of environmental regulations and cuts to the EPA's budget under his leadership. The article proposes three key questions for Zeldin regarding factory farm pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and the safety of agricultural chemicals.

The Environment Agency in England issued an environmental permit (EPR/VP3732VD/V002) to Hovis Limited for its Forest Gate Bakery under the Industrial Emissions Directive.

UK-based Iron Mountain (UK) Data Centre Limited has submitted an environmental permit application to the Environment Agency for its LON3 Data Centre in Slough. The application is for waste and mining waste operations, installations, water discharge and groundwater activities, and medium combustion plant and specified generators.

India has created around 56,000 sq meters of dense forests in Prayagraj in the last two years using the Miyawaki technique. The Prayagraj Municipal Corporation planted trees at more than 10 locations, transforming garbage dumps into green spaces and improving air quality. The project included various species, including fruit-bearing, medicinal, and ornamental plants.

Taiwan's Executive Yuan held a technology advisory meeting in 2025, focusing on climate change adaptation and low-carbon energy. The meeting resulted in recommendations for achieving net-zero emissions and improving climate adaptation strategies, including strengthening science-based public communication, developing localized climate adaptation technologies, promoting diversified low-carbon energy sources, and considering national security in net-zero planning. The government aims to achieve a net-zero transition by 2050 and build Taiwan into an ‘artificial intelligence island’.

Taiwan's Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) extended its "Good Air Wishing Pool" campaign to gather public opinions on air quality improvement, and will hold three public forums in January 2025 to discuss air pollution reduction, carbon neutrality, scientific research, and health sustainability.