In an increasingly interconnected world, the ripple effects of conflict go far beyond immediate human suffering and geopolitical instability, exacerbating global challenges such as environmental degradation and climate change. The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and the ongoing violence in Gaza have unleashed humanitarian disasters with serious ecological consequences.

These conflicts have disrupted global energy supplies, degraded ecosystems and shifted political priorities away from addressing the climate crisis. The urgency of climate justice—an equitable approach to addressing climate change—has become more critical as these conflicts intensify environmental vulnerabilities around the world. (Anjan Sarma, more at mahabahu.com)

To avert the climate crisis, global greenhouse gas emissions must reach "net zero" within a few decades. The Ecological Institute combines political, economic and legal analysis to propose effective policy solutions to this challenge at all levels.

At the international level, our legal experts monitor and contribute to the negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). At EU, national, regional and local level, our research projects generate recommendations for specific policy instruments as well as appropriate governance and institutions to implement the Paris Agreement.

The climate team covers most aspects of climate policy, especially at the European level. Our team has an exceptionally strong track record in a number of specific policy areas, such as carbon pricing (with a focus on the EU Emissions Trading System), climate law, long-term planning and evaluating policy effectiveness. Our team also includes experts from the fields of energy, transport, agriculture and circular economy.

We engage with and work for a wide range of academic organizations and stakeholders from government, business and civil society, co-creating solutions to address the climate crisis. Communicating results and insights in a targeted manner is one of the team's priorities. We strive for innovation in fostering ongoing dialogue between key public and private actors – online and in person – to support effective and progressive climate action. The climate team is also engaged in teaching in cooperation with several universities. In addition, we design our own training courses, increasing the capacity and understanding of climate change and possible solutions for an audience that includes journalists and UNFCCC negotiators. We also regularly present ourselves to groups of visitors from all over the world, where we explain how we understand the political processes of the EU and Germany. In addition, we have been continuously teaching emissions trading courses for over ten years.More on ecologic.eu)

Living in the days of climate change means we live in an era of ecological sadness. This emotional phenomenon has inspired glacier burials in Iceland, Oregon and Switzerland. Scientists have reported feeling shock and loss with each subsequent return to the Great Barrier Reef as new areas of coral bleach and dry out. Throughout the mining country of Central Appalachia, where mountains have been cut in half and forests cut down for coal mining, grief appears in the form of diagnosed mental health conditions.(Eve Andrews, more at theatlantic.com)

The European Green Deal is a package of policy initiatives to ensure that the EU achieves climate neutrality by 2050. Given this challenge, the parallel goals of green and digital transformation are at the heart of the European Commission's priorities, but are they consistent with each other? A study by the UOC (Universitat Oberta de Catalunya) warns of the risk that the grouping of these two transformations could lead to environmental challenges taking second place to digital innovation. The findings are published in the journal Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space . (Agustín López, Open University of Catalonia, viac on phys.org)

At the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau co-hosted a high-level event on carbon pricing and innovation entitled "Innovation for a Sustainable Future: Working Together for Industrial Growth and Decarbonization". The event was enriched by the participation of industry leaders, as well as closing remarks by Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization and Selwyn Charles Hart, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Climate Action. (More on climate.ec.europa.eu)

Textile supply chains have become the new focus of the fight against climate change. The European Commission plans to use new regulations to promote circulation and sustainability in this industry, which has the fourth largest environmental impact. Digital Product Passports (DPPs) will be key to increasing traceability and transparency, helping a more sustainable industry.

Consisting of scannable QR codes, RFID tags and blockchain, DPP will provide a unique digital ID for each product, enabling consumers to make informed and sustainable purchases. Although there are challenges in implementation, the system is trying to expand the circular model of production, which will also affect brands outside the EU.

The implementation of DPP will bring challenges, such as the need to invest in IT systems and training. In some EU countries, businesses have already started this process based on the Care in the Supply Chain Act.

Businesses will need to streamline data collection and organization by using cloud platforms that enable data integration and management across systems. The latest data analysis tools will provide opportunities for environmental reporting and regulatory compliance.

Players in the fashion industry can benefit from technological solutions that meet the needs of micro-sectors. Integrated systems covering the entire supply chain will facilitate data sharing. Although DPPs present challenges, they also bring opportunities to increase consumer trust and improve brand reputation, along with the possibility of creating business models based on circularity. Successful minimization of environmental impact combined with operational efficiency can yield significant commercial benefits. (Co2AI)

The EU's Climate Action Academy has a mission to inform everyone about the consequences of climate change, as well as the best ways to act. Climate change is already here and will affect us all - so we must act fast. Whether you're just starting out on your climate action journey or want to make an even bigger difference, the Academy is here to support you every step of the way.

Why not start learning today? Register for our upcoming webinar on October 1st, discover our wide range of resources and look forward to new courses coming soon. (More on climate-pact.europa.eu)

A new multi-agency report coordinated by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) provides an update on the latest data on the state of weather, climate, water and related environmental (more…)

Humanity may not be better prepared for the impacts of climate change today than it was in the 1970s. He claims it new study led by researchers at Stanford University, which compares how vulnerable societies are to extreme weather now compared to 50 years ago. This research has yet to undergo peer review, and its conclusions run counter to what many climate policy experts have long assumed. If accurate, it means that additional wealth, technology, and climate skill have not meaningfully improved our defenses as the weather has become more severe. ( Jack Marley, more at theconversation.com)

The Gulf Stream, a strong ocean current that moves warm water from the Gulf of Mexico toward the East Coast, flows 12 to 50 miles off the coast of North Carolina. It helps fuel the state's vibrant seafood industry and plays an important role in weather systems not only in the state but also along the Atlantic.

The Gulf Stream is driven by what is known as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Current (AMOC), one of the largest ocean circulation systems in the world. Imagine a giant hot tub stretching across the Atlantic Ocean.

Study from 2023 in the magazine Nature suggests that the entire AMOC system could collapse by mid-century, or even as early as 2025.

Scientists say this is due to climate change and that it would be catastrophic for the weather around the world. (Frank Graff, more at pbsnc.org)

The increasing frequency and severity of forest fires may lead to increased warming of the Earth's surface, according to an analysis of satellite data published in Nature. The findings highlight a previously overlooked factor that could influence future climate and fire dynamics. Wildfires are becoming more frequent and larger, with some areas such as the western US and eastern Spain seeing fires that have doubled or tripled in size in recent decades. Larger wildfires typically result in greater vegetation loss, but the effects of this increase in exposed land on climate have not yet been determined. (Nature Publishing Group, more at phys.org)

In May 2023, the European Union approved the directive (EU) 2023/1115, which concerns the availability of certain commodities and products linked to deforestation and forest degradation on the EU market and their export from the Union. (more…)

Climate change has made downpours like those that caused devastating floods in central Europe this month twice as likely, a report said on Wednesday, as its scientific authors urged politicians to act to stop global warming.

The worst floods to hit central Europe in at least two decades have left 24 dead, cities strewn with mud and debris, damaged buildings, collapsed bridges and left authorities with a billion-euro repair bill.

A report from the World Weather Attribution, an international group of scientists that studies the effects of climate change on extreme weather events, found that the four days of rainfall brought by Storm Boris were the heaviest ever recorded in central Europe. (More on voanews.com)

Scientists using ice-breaking ships and underwater robots have found that Antarctica's Thwaites Glacier is melting at an accelerating rate and could be on an irreversible path to collapse, spelling disaster for global sea-level rise. Since 2018, a team of scientists making up the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration has been studying Thwaites – often called the “Doomsday Glacier” – up close to better understand how and when it might collapse.

Their findings, presented in a set of studies, provide the clearest picture yet of this complex, ever-changing glacier. The outlook is "bleak", the researchers said in a report published on Thursday, which reveals the key conclusions of their six-year research. (Laura Paddison, more at edition.cnn.com)

It is not clear whether it was environmental anxiety that motivated the brave fifteen-year-old Greta Thunberg, who went on strike at school in August 2018 to protest non-compliance with the Paris Climate Agreement. maybe yes (more…)

Education is a decisive factor in solving the problem of climate change. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) assigns the parties to the convention the responsibility to conduct educational and public awareness campaigns on climate change and to ensure public participation in programs and access to information on this issue. Education can encourage people to change their attitudes and behaviour; it also helps them make informed decisions. In the classroom, young people can learn about the impact of global warming and learn how to adapt to climate change. Education strengthens all people, but especially motivates young people to be active. Knowing the facts helps eliminate fear of an issue that is often tinged with doom and gloom in the public arena. In this context, UNICEF tapped the minds and imaginations of children around the world to capture what it means to be a child growing up in an age of rapid climate change. ( More on www.un.org)

The Climate Shift Index (CSI) reveals how much climate change is affecting the temperature on a particular day. The index ranges from -5 to +5 with positive levels indicating temperatures that are increasingly likely due to climate change (negative scores indicating conditions that are increasingly less likely). For levels 2 or higher, the index is a multiple of how often a particular temperature will occur due to climate change. For example, a CSI level of 5 means that the temperature occurs 5 times more often compared to a world without human-caused carbon pollution. This temperature would be very difficult to encounter in a world without climate change – not necessarily impossible, just highly unlikely. (More on csi.climatecentral.org)

The climate crisis is the defining issue of our time. Currently, solving this problem should be at the top of every country's priority list. In this time of great unrest around the world, it may seem counterintuitive for him to take precedence, but frankly, if we don't act now, nothing else will.

As Greta Thunberg so accurately and succinctly puts it, it is an existential emergency. Last year was the hottest on record, with temperatures in the UK reaching 34.8°C. Forest fires have swept through Europe, hurricanes are increasingly out of season, and crops are destroyed by floods and droughts, pushing ecosystems to the brink.

In addition to the terrifying effects we can see and feel, there are those that are not visible but very present, including the disparity between rich and poor nations. The latter bear a disproportionately large part of the physical and financial burden of the climate crisis, but have contributed the least to it. Island states, smaller countries and coastal areas are at risk of complete inundation. Entire cultures could be lost along with the land, and entire populations are at risk of displacement. We are approaching tipping points where the drastic effects of the human-caused climate crisis will become irreversible . (More on independent.co.uk)

The goal of the European Union is to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 within the framework of the comprehensive green agreement concluded four years ago. An analysis of the policy documents of the Green Deal reveals that (more…)