Global Climate News

The Nature Returns programme, led by Natural England in partnership with the Environment Agency, Forestry Commission and Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, has published results demonstrating nature-based solutions' carbon and flood benefits. - **Programme achievements and interventions:** Over four years the six Local Partnership Projects across England delivered **800 hectares of habitat created**, **95,000 trees and shrubs planted**, **16 km of hedgerow restored**, **2.5 km of watercourses improved**, and engaged **over 7,000 people** with **400 volunteer days**. Projects trialled **3D laser scanning** to measure hedgerow carbon (finding hedgerows can rival woodlands) and identified **soil fungi** as an indicator for soil carbon; practical interventions included **leaky dams** that reduced peak flows by **12%** in Plymouth’s Seaton Valley. - **Funding, partnerships and monitoring:** The programme was funded by **HM Treasury’s Shared Outcomes Fund** and **Defra’s Net Zero R&D budget**, and worked with partners to develop **blended public-private finance models**. Sites will be monitored for **10 years** to track long-term carbon storage and biodiversity, with lessons feeding into England’s forthcoming **Land Use Framework**.

The MicroCarb satellite captured its first view of Earth on 28 August, following its 25 July launch. - **First observation details:** MicroCarb collected initial images and spectrometer measurements over the **Amazon Basin** (a region with sparse ground-based CO₂ observations). The **onboard imager** identified cloud-free areas and urban/agricultural/forested interfaces, while the **spectrometer** detected distinct **CO₂ and O₂ spectral signatures**, confirming instrument functionality. - **Background, validation and next steps:** Data were calibrated using **pre-launch characterizations** (including thermal vacuum testing completed in **late 2022**) and **early in‑flight calibrations** (dark current, internal lamp, solar reference). Cross-checks used **Sentinel-2 imagery** for the imager and **4AOP radiative transfer simulations** for the spectrometer, showing both instruments operate **within expected parameters**; the team will now begin **fine calibration** and **tuning of data processing algorithms** to deliver precise space-based atmospheric CO₂ measurements.

The Honourable Tim Hodgson, Canada’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, announced an investment of over $1.44 million on September 26, 2025, to fund 10 projects under Natural Resources Canada’s Global Forest Leadership Program, delivered through the International Model Forest Network. - **Main announcement:** On **September 26, 2025**, Canada (Natural Resources Canada) committed **over $1.44 million** to **10 projects** under the **Global Forest Leadership Program**, delivered via the **International Model Forest Network**; notable grants include **$350,000** to Kasetsart University (Bangkok, Thailand) and **$150,000** to Association Forêt Modèle Ifrane (Ifrane, Morocco), with the remaining project grants ranging from **$100,000 to $125,000** (see project list for exact amounts). - **Background and project details:** The funded projects target **rehabilitation and restoration**, **agroforestry and tree planting**, **forest and mangrove restoration**, **graduate curriculum development for forest leaders**, **nursery development**, **invasive species control**, and **landslide-affected land restoration** across **Morocco, Cameroon, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Switzerland (project supporting India), and India**; recipients include local model forest associations, universities, municipal bodies and IUCN, each receiving specific grant amounts as listed in the announcement.

The African Energy Week (AEW) announced that Invictus Energy will lead the Invest in Zimbabwe Energies Closed Door Summit, hosted by the Government of Zimbabwe, at AEW: Invest in African Energies in Cape Town (Sept 29–Oct 3, 2025). - **Main announcement/action:** Invictus Energy will lead the **Invest in Zimbabwe Energies Closed Door Summit** (hosted by the Government of Zimbabwe) during **AEW: Invest in African Energies (Sept 29–Oct 3, 2025, Cape Town)** to showcase opportunities across **gas, mining and energy**; Invictus has **green light in 2025 to begin pilot production**, including supplying gas to the **Eureka Gold Mine**, and is preparing to drill **Musuma-1 in H2 2025** (Musuma-1 targets **up to 1.2 trillion cubic feet** of gas). - Event sub-details: **Date:** Sept 29–Oct 3, 2025; **Location:** Cape Town, South Africa; **Agenda/subject:** Invest in Zimbabwe Energies Closed Door Summit — gas exploration & production, mining investment, cross-sector gas utilization. - **Background and additional details:** The Government of Zimbabwe holds a **Petroleum Production Sharing Agreement** with Invictus and has granted **National Project Status** to the **Cabora Bassa Project**; in **August 2025** Invictus signed a deal with **Al Mansour Holdings (AMH)** for AMH to acquire **19.9%** of Invictus and **mobilize up to $500 million** in conditional future financing to support exploration; Zimbabwe expects **coal production to rise 10.5% to 6.3 million tons in 2025** and has multiple hydropower projects (Lake Mutirikwi, Batoka Gorge, Osborne Dam Mini-Hydro).

The Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture jointly signed an MOU with National Pingtung University of Science and Technology to establish a campus-based demonstration center for sustainable energy and climate change. - **Main announcement/action:** On 114-09-26 (Minguo calendar), the **Ministry of Environment**, **Ministry of Agriculture**, and **National Pingtung University of Science and Technology** signed an **MOU** (witnessed by Legislators 鍾佳濱 and 蘇清泉 and the **Pingtung County Government**) to build the "Sustainable Energy and Climate Change Demonstration Center" on **about 300 hectares** of campus land; agreed activities include **waste collection**, **energy conversion (biomass-to-energy)**, and **resource reuse** to create a circular economy pilot on-site. - **Background and implementation details:** The project will leverage Pingtung’s agricultural scale to pilot a **Taiwan biomass energy model**, develop **natural carbon sink and carbon capture technologies**, and offer professional training courses to cultivate **green-collar talent**; the MOU sets collaboration scope (research, demonstration, replication) but **no specific multi-year implementation timeline** is specified in the announcement.

BRGM has released a series of films illustrating applications of 3D subsurface modelling, produced with the help of l’Esprit Sorcier and published via BRGM's YouTube channel. - **Main announcement:** BRGM released a video series (produced with **l’Esprit Sorcier**) that demonstrates how the organisation uses **3D subsurface modelling** and software to address concrete problems across **groundwater resources**, **geothermal energy**, **mineral resources**, and **risk management**; films are available on BRGM's YouTube channel. - **Background and examples:** The North-Aquitaine model **MONA** has existed since the **1990s** and is described as the product of **30 years of research** to better understand **aquifer recharge**; example films listed include: **water in Nouvelle-Aquitaine**, **geothermal in Orléans**, **French tungsten**, and the **Le Teil earthquake** case.

The Ministry of Environment launched the Child and School Air Quality Protection Network and held a press conference with Taoyuan City Government to start inspections of key Taoyuan industrial zones on 114-09-26. - **Main action:** The Ministry announced the **"School Air Quality Four-Layer Protection Network"**, selecting **Zhongli Industrial Area** as a demonstration site, installing monitoring instruments at **Qiying High School**, and initiating a systematic **industrial-zone air pollution inspection** including monitoring, source-tracing, enforcement, guidance for improvement, and follow-up. The Ministry identified **22 "priority concern" industrial zones this year**, of which **5 are in Taoyuan**. - **Background & implementation details:** The Ministry and **Taoyuan City Government / Taoyuan Environmental Protection Bureau** will conduct detailed investigations and **reduction negotiations with park firms**, prioritizing Zhongli (about **800 firms**, second-largest VOC contribution in Taoyuan). One industrial site (CPC Taoyuan Refinery) already has a **long-term monitoring station**; the inspections and follow-up actions will be used as a demonstration for further remediation.

Greenpeace reports that Super Typhoon Ragasa made landfall in southern China on 24 September, killing and injuring people and causing major destruction in the Philippines, Taiwan and Hong Kong. - **Main event and impacts:** Super Typhoon Ragasa reached **Category 5** with peak **wind speeds of 260 km/h**, formed in the **western Pacific** and made landfall in **southern China on 24 September**; the article documents **heavy rains, flooding** (e.g., Chico River at **RED ALERT LEVEL**) and images from **Mountain Province DRRM Office** and **Greenpeace** showing damage across affected areas. - **Background and attribution:** The piece states the storm intensified over **warming sea** surface temperatures and attributes intensification to **human-aggravated climate warming**; image credits include **Mountain Province DRRM Office**, **Greenpeace**, and user **0407junnan**, with multiple photos linked in the article.

Greenpeace announces that more than 60 governments have ratified the Global Ocean Treaty. - **Main announcement:** More than **60 governments** have now **ratified the Global Ocean Treaty**, marking a legal step toward creating **high seas sanctuaries**; the text states there are **120 days until the Treaty enters into force**, and Canada — which has signed but not ratified — can still ratify in time to participate in the **first Ocean COP**. The article also notes a global commitment to **protect at least 30% of the oceans by 2030**. - **Background and concrete details:** The piece cites the need to designate **more than 12 million square kilometres** of high seas (an area described as **bigger than Canada**) off-limits each year until 2030 to meet the 30% target; it references specific sites and examples including the **Sargasso Sea**, **Vema Seamount** (off South Africa), and the **Galápagos Marine Reserve** as evidence of sanctuary benefits, and links to a Greenpeace action page calling for signatures to ensure Canada ratifies by 2025.

The federal government is investing $1,390,850 through the Natural Infrastructure Fund to support natural infrastructure enhancements in five Alberta communities (Edmonton, Calgary, Grande Prairie, Nanton, Brooks) announced on September 25, 2025. - **Main action:** The Government of Canada is providing **$1,390,850** via the **Natural Infrastructure Fund (NIF)** to fund water system improvements, ecological restoration, urban forestation, green roofs, stormwater retention/diversion, and other naturalization projects across **five Alberta communities** (Edmonton, Calgary, Grande Prairie, Nanton, Brooks). Municipal and other contributors are providing **$887,713** toward these projects. Funding examples include establishing native Aspen Parkland grasses and Boreal shrub/tree plantings at the Edmonton Valley Zoo and converting **2.1 acres** of parkland in Calgary to an urban forest with stormwater grading. - **Background and conditions:** NIF supports nature-based and hybrid approaches to **climate resilience, carbon mitigation, and biodiversity**; a minimum of **10% of the overall program envelope** is allocated to **Indigenous-led projects** and federal funding is **conditional on fulfilling consultation requirements with Indigenous groups**. The release references PrairiesCan's prior commitment of **$100,000,000 over three years** under the Framework to Build a Green Prairie Economy (launched December 18, 2023).