Global Climate News

US-based Land Life has announced a partnership with the Colorado State Land Board to reforest up to 1,000 acres of wildfire-affected land in Colorado. This initiative will use private finance to generate carbon credits, which will be sold on the voluntary carbon market to support public schools. The project will focus on state trust lands in Grand, Huerfano, and Larimer counties, with tree planting set to begin in Fall 2025. The project aims to improve watershed health, wildlife habitat, and landscape resilience to climate-induced stressors.

India's Vice President, Dr. Jagdeep Dhankhar, addressed the African-Asian Rural Development Organization conference, highlighting the importance of gender participation in governance. He stressed that climate change is a significant issue stemming from the reckless exploitation of natural resources, with India leveraging technology to empower people and combat these issues. His government has invested heavily in rural development and education, with a goal of making India a developed nation by 2047.

Norwegian SINTEF has been developing advanced models since the 1980s to simulate cable properties in complex marine environments. These dynamic underwater cables are crucial for transporting energy from floating installations like offshore wind turbines to static seabed cables, essential for Europe’s planned 6,000 km of underwater power cables annually. This transition to renewable energy marks a significant shift from previous oil and gas industry investments, optimizing design and manufacturing processes to reduce costs.

US-based researchers leveraged extensive community science resources to investigate how extreme weather events (EWEs) affect the phenology of 581 angiosperm species and 172 Lepidoptera across the contiguous United States. Their study revealed that plant and insect phenology is highly responsive to EWEs, which are expected to increase in frequency and severity due to climate change. The findings suggest that EWEs may be crucial drivers of mismatches in the timing of plant flowering and insect activity.

Canada's Natural Resources Minister, in collaboration with provincial representatives, announced over $3.6 million in funding for six climate adaptation projects across Quebec on February 20, 2025. This funding aims to enhance community resilience to climate change impacts. Specific projects include economic analyses on wildfire adaptation in Laval receiving $750,000, and a resilience initiative in Gaspé Peninsula with $977,032 allocation. These initiatives are part of a broader $39.5 million government commitment to climate adaptation strategies.

Frank Elderson, a member of the ECB's Executive Board, highlighted the urgent need for central banks to integrate climate and nature risks into their financial systems. He emphasized that the current EU policies may lead to a 3.1°C warming by century’s end, far exceeding the 1.5°C climate target. Elderson drew attention to the economic risks inherent in biodiversity loss and stressed that banks must account for these risks to ensure financial stability. He reported that in the euro area, €3.24 trillion in corporate loans are associated with firms reliant on ecosystem services.

US-based President Trump signed multiple executive orders on February 10, 2025, drastically impacting climate initiatives. These orders led to the United States' withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, termination of the Green New Deal, and removal of financial commitments to climate projects. The actions are expected to result in a 36% increase in greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 compared to previous targets and signify a shift towards promoting fossil fuels while blocking clean energy investments.

Spain-based Sidenor participated in the SCALE-UP project, an initiative funded by the Basque Government's HAZITEK program. This project aims to develop innovative methodologies to validate the reliability of large scale wind turbine components without the need for extensive testing facilities. Focused on optimizing induction hardening processes for offshore wind turbine fasteners, Sidenor integrates experimental trials and simulation models to enhance mechanical properties and durability. This effort also aligns with their commitment to reduce carbon emissions in steel production using renewable energies.

The EU's expert group on climate change policy (CCEG) is currently accepting applications from organizations to enhance the aviation formation. The CCEG aims to strengthen discussions and effectively implement the EU ETS Directive for aviation. The selected members will contribute to achieving the EU's target of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030. Additionally, a new support mechanism to accelerate the use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) has been introduced, allocating 20 million allowances worth an estimated €1.6 billion. The first meetings will begin in 2025.

ASEAN's Secretary-General Dr. Kao Kim Hourn attended the Japan-ASEAN Youth Summit 2025, emphasizing the crucial role of youth in tackling societal challenges, particularly in public health and environmental sustainability. He called for the nurturing of youth talent and innovation through initiatives that promote collaboration within the ASEAN community. This summit aimed at fostering closer ties among youth and encouraging them to lead sustainable change within their regions.

In 2022, the greenhouse gas footprint of goods and services consumed in the EU amounted to 10.7 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents per capita. The lowest footprints were recorded in Sweden (7.9 tonnes), Portugal and Romania (8.0 tonnes), while the highest were in Cyprus (16.6 tonnes), Luxembourg (15.5 tonnes), and Ireland (14.2 tonnes). EU’s greenhouse gas footprint was driven significantly by consumption of imported products.

Finland-based Wärtsilä Corporation has reinforced its commitment to decarbonisation by setting a new target of reducing 25% of greenhouse gas emissions from direct suppliers by 2030. This target will focus on Tier 1 suppliers and includes Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions related to their deliveries. The baseline for this target will be established using data collected from suppliers in 2024. The company is already on track to achieve carbon neutrality in its own operations by 2024, having decreased emissions by 50% compared to the 2021 baseline. Wärtsilä continues to innovate sustainable technologies and has launched several zero-carbon fuel solutions for the marine and energy sectors.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) published a report titled 'Building Resilience in Education Systems' in February 2025 to address the impact of disasters, pandemics, and conflicts on education in Asia and the Pacific. This publication consists of 13 chapters focused on strengthening education system resilience, providing key insights and experiences from diverse contexts across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. One critical chapter addresses how to transform education systems for a climate-resilient and sustainable future, emphasizing that while solutions will vary by country, leveraging resources is essential for building a more resilient education system.

Norway's parliament (Stortinget) has recently decided to allow development projects in protected waterways, which previously were safeguarded from water power development. This decision has sparked intense debate about the potential loss of valuable natural heritage. Researchers from NTNU and SINTEF are now working to gather new data on the state of these protected waterways and the implications of any developments.

A Eurobarometer Youth Survey revealed that one-third of young EU citizens believe the EU should focus on the environment and climate change over the next five years. This survey, conducted among 16-30 year-olds, highlighted that the rising prices and cost of living are significant concerns for many, making climate action a priority alongside economic stability.

Stanford University researchers have quantified the contributions of climate change and adaptation to mortality during the August 2003 heat wave in France. Their study found that 6,038 deaths were attributable to climate change, which is ten times higher than previous estimates. Additionally, they showed that adaptation measures implemented in response to the event have reduced projected future mortality by more than 80%.

Mexico-based researchers Alfonso Arroyo-Santos, Luis A. Bojórquez-Tapia, and Yosune Miquelajauregui proposed a novel "adaptation grid" to enhance climate change management. This framework aims to integrate current strategies with Decision Making under Deep Uncertainty (DMDU) methodologies, focusing on managing both success and acceptable degrees of failure. The authors emphasize the urgent need for robust adaptation plans in light of recent climate challenges and unintended negative consequences from existing adaptation measures.

The EU economy reported a 0.6% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions in Q3 2024, totaling 767 million tonnes of CO2-equivalents, down from 772 million tonnes in the same period of 2023. The largest reductions came from the electricity and gas supply sector, which saw a decrease of 6.7%, and the transportation sector, which reduced emissions by 0.9%. A total of 16 EU countries recorded a decline in greenhouse gas emissions, with Austria leading the way at a 7.8% decrease. Notably, 12 of these countries managed to grow their GDP during this period.

Carbon Brief analyzed 100 national and international media reports to map how extreme weather has destroyed crops across the globe from January 2023 to December 2024. The analysis revealed that drought, floods, storms, and other weather extremes have severely impacted food production in various countries. For instance, over half of Zimbabwe's maize crop was ruined due to drought linked to El Niño in 2024.

This analysis examines the critical role of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) in achieving net-zero emissions pathways. It highlights that 78 out of 81 scenarios require all available sustainable CDR to offset emissions from hard-to-abate sectors. The study suggests transitioning CDR to focus on these sectors to reduce long-term costs associated with reaching net-zero goals.