Climate change will fundamentally reshape life on Earth in the coming decades, even if humans can tame planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions, according to a landmark draft report from the UN's climate science advisors obtained by AFP. Species extinction, more widespread disease, unliveable heat, ecosystem collapse, cities menaced by rising seas – these and other devastating climate impacts are accelerating and bound to become painfully obvious before a child born today turns 3

Searing, unrelenting heat scorches large swathes of the Earth, killing millions who have no means to escape.

The world is falling short of promises made under the Paris climate deal to help the most vulnerable nations deal with the increasingly devastating impacts of climate change, according to the United Nations (UN). Adaptation - reducing the fallout among communities and increasing their capacity to deal with climate-related disasters such as floods and drought - is a pillar of the landmark 2015 accord, which aims to chart a path away from catastrophic warming.The deal requires signator

2020 was one of the hottest years ever recorded since time immemorial.According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the average global land and ocean temperature last year was the highest ever measured, edging out the previous record set in 2016 by less than a tenth of a degree.The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) too announced recently that 2020 “rivalled 2016 for the top spot,” adding that the years from 2011 to 2020 had been the warmest decade recorded.

The 10 costliest weather disasters worldwide this year saw insured damages worth US$150 billion, topping the figure for 2019 and reflecting a long-term impact of global warming, according to a report Monday.The same disasters claimed at least 3,500 lives and displaced more than 13.5 million people. From Australia's out-of-control wildfires in January to a record number of Atlantic hurricanes through November, the true cost of the year's climate-enhanced calamities was in fa

2020 has been one of the most challenging years since time immemorial. While news of effective vaccines has made the headlines these past few weeks, the journey to eradicate the COVID-19 virus is far from over. The novel coronavirus has infected over 68.5 million people around the world to date. It has not only taken over a million lives in the past year, but it has also severely affected livelihoods and the economy in general.

Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the main driver of climate change, hit record highs last year and have continued climbing in 2020 despite measures to halt the COVID-19 pandemic, the United Nations (UN) said Monday.World Meteorological Organization (WMO) chief Petteri Taalas meanwhile welcomed several countries' vows to focus on climate-friendly technologies as they seek to revive their economies after the coronavirus crisis.Speaking to journalists, he also voiced optimism at United S

Oceans cover more than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface and about 97 percent of our planet’s water is in them. Of the tiny percentage of water that is not found in our oceans – about two percent – is frozen up in glaciers and ice caps.The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) noted that the oceans are a life-support system for the Earth and a global common that provide us with free goods and services, from the food we eat to the oxygen we breathe.

China's surprise pledge to slash its carbon footprint to zero by 2060 was met with cautious applause, but fresh spending on coal to rev up a virus-hit economy threatens to nullify its audacious bid to lead the world into a low carbon future.The fossil fuel has powered China's economic surge over the last thirty years, and the nation burns about half the coal used globally each year.Between 2000 and 2018, its annual carbon emissions nearly tripled, and it now accounts for nearly a th

Xi Jinping's shock promise to lead the world into a safer climate future was thin on details, leaving many questions unanswered on how the world's worst polluter will meet a 2060 carbon neutral target.China is responsible for over a quarter of the world's greenhouse gas emissions linked to global warming.But it is also the biggest global investor in renewable energy - a country whose energy policy points both ways. We look at what China has achieved, what needs to be d