U.N. plastic treaty talks face deep divisions as deadline nears
Ecuadoran diplomat Luis Vayas Valdivieso, who chairs the proceedings, said 'progress made has not been sufficient.'
Energy & Environment
International energy and environment policy largely focuses on a rapid transition towards renewable energy sources, with a major emphasis on solar and wind power, as governments invest in clean energy technologies and aim to significantly reduce carbon emissions, with the goal of limiting global warming. Key developments include increased trade policies around clean energy technologies, a decline in coal usage, and a growing push for a complete phaseout of fossil fuels.
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Lobbyists outnumber E.U. diplomats at plastic treaty talks, analysis shows
Corporate presence at the INC-5.2 negotiations in Geneva raises concerns about the integrity of the final treaty text.
Plastic treaty talks open with longshot bid for consensus deal
The negotiations in Geneva are the sixth round of talks since 175 nations agreed in 2022 to create a legally binding treaty.
Geneva's plastic treaty talks at make-or-break moment for ocean health
The 10-day session at the U.N.'s European headquarters is widely seen as the definitive moment for a global accord.
Global droughts intensify threats to food security, trade, social stability
Experts call it a 'slow-moving global catastrophe' for food, energy, and trade that will require systematic monitoring.
Sand and dust storms intensify global health and economic crises
The World Meteorological Organization revealed these airborne hazards affect 330 million people in 150 countries.
French Riviera's ocean summit aims to prevent 'Wild West' lawlessness
The summit created momentum for the adoption of the first legally binding rules to better protect international waters.
People, wildlife, planet pay cost of convenience for single-use plastics
A plastic layer in Earth’s geological record may become our legacy, marking a moment we turned into a single-use planet.
Trump orders U.S. to expedite permits for deep seabed mining
The order would allow exploratory mining of the ocean floor that is overseen by an organization the U.S. hasn't joined.
World's largest coral bleaching event affects over four-fifths of reefs
The bleaching event began at the start of 2023 and continues today, affecting 82 nations, territories and economies.
U.N.-brokered biodiversity financing deal keeps green diplomacy alive
Three days of talks in Rome ended with nations agreeing to support a $200 billion a year global plan to protect nature.
Three-quarters of Earth’s land is significantly drier since the 1990s
People living in drylands doubled to 2.3 billion, more than a quarter of the world population, in the past three decades.
Debate over plastic production limits scuttles global treaty talks
Nations for plastic production limits and oil-rich producers deadlocked in the hours before the talks were set to expire.
Nations head into final round of global talks to curb plastic pollution
Negotiators are meeting in Busan, South Korea to conclude the world's first legally binding plastic waste treaty.
U.N. biodiversity summit ends without financing deal in overtime
World leaders failed to reach agreement over who should pay what into which fund toward the global biodiversity goals.
More than 1-in-3 species of trees could disappear in 192 countries
Scientists say at least 16,425 tree species are at risk of extinction as agriculture expands and the climate changes.