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.
U.N. Environment (UNEP)
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U.N.'s worst fiscal crisis forces restructuring bid to stay relevant
As the U.N. marks its 80th anniversary, it could streamline and reassure donors that taxpayer money reaches people in need.
E.U.'s €20B plan calls for AI gigafactories with 'green computing'
Europe's 'AI continent' would offer up to five large-scale but power-hungry facilities drawing Big Tech with simpler rules.
Israel follows U.S. retreat from U.N. as Gaza faces 'ethnic cleansing' plans
Israel's brutal military campaign in Gaza has drawn direct criticism from all corners of the U.N. and its top officials.
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.
Organizations in times of crisis must navigate 'agenda-setting' stress
The ability to keep an important issue on the public agenda can depend on how an organization frames the debate.
Atmospheric CO2 is accumulating faster than any time we've known
In 1958, climatologist Charles David Keeling pioneered CO2 measurement in the atmosphere on a Hawaiian volcano.
New U.N. climate report warns 'quantum leap in ambition' needed
When nations update their pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions next year, only a massive improvement will work.
Global talks on Earth's eco-crisis hinge on Indigenous communities
A report found a 73% drop in wildlife populations since 1970 and said nations must tackle the climate and nature crises.
WHO's new global guidance takes aim at antimicrobial resistance
The guidance comes weeks before the U.N. General Assembly takes up the issue of AMR at its high-level meeting this month.
On Geneva visit, diplomats tout international humanitarian law
As the U.N. honored the Geneva Conventions, the Red Cross chief said non-compliance is a 'serious problem.'
War may cause 'irreversible' damage to Gaza's environment and health
Building debris may take $647 million and 15 years to clean up. Around 800,000 tons might qualify as hazardous waste.
Science will prevail over profits for a planet of plastic eaters
Some pointed to a recent landmark human rights ruling on climate change as a potential use for a Global Plastics Treaty.
Nations disagree over cuts in production on road to plastics treaty
Environmentalists said they were disappointed the treaty talks did not address plastic production measures.
Negotiators meet in fourth round over global rules in plastics treaty
The chair of the talks called for optimism despite divisions among plastic-producing nations and those urging restraints.