A new UN negotiating document has revived efforts to secure the world’s first legally binding treaty on plastic pollution — but governments remain divided over how far the agreement should reach, particularly whether it should address plastic production itself or focus more heavily on product design, circularity and waste management.
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake in southwestern Japan is providing a real-world test of decades of investment in seismic resilience — demonstrating the value of preparation while exposing vulnerabilities that emerge after the shaking stops. KUMAMOTO, Japan — When a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture on July 28, Japan’s extensive
PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico — Record sargassum blooms across the Atlantic are forcing governments to confront a growing challenge at the intersection of environmental resilience, tourism and economic development. Nowhere is that more visible than along Mexico’s Caribbean coastline, where authorities are mounting one of the region’s largest cleanup and
As governments prepare for the first global review of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework at COP17, Convention on Biological Diversity Executive Secretary Astrid Schomaker is calling for faster corporate assessment of nature-related risks and greater alignment between financial flows and biodiversity commitments. LONDON — Many companies and financial institutions have
The Phoenix Species Project will provide sustained funding and technical support to locally led recovery programs in 30 countries, testing whether major philanthropy can help address a persistent gap in global conservation. The Bezos Earth Fund and conservation organization Re:wild have launched a $200 million initiative to support the recovery
New research suggests restoring the world’s seagrass meadows could become one of the largest untapped opportunities in nature-based climate finance—particularly for Small Island Developing States and coastal economies. A new peer-reviewed study published in npj Ocean Sustainability concludes that restoring the world’s seagrass ecosystems could generate between USD $1.13 trillion
LONDON — At a moment when governments are scaling back funding for climate science and conservation, billionaire philanthropist and former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg has announced a new $260 million (£196 million) commitment to ocean protection, positioning private philanthropy as an increasingly important force in protecting the world’s
For more than three decades, Dr. Ralph Chami has worked at the highest levels of global finance, advising governments on economic policy, financial markets, and development. A former Assistant Director at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and recipient of the IMF’s Operational Excellence Award, his career has spanned financial crises,
A sweeping move by U.S. President Donald Trump to reopen vast stretches of previously protected Pacific waters to commercial fishing has reignited a fierce debate over marine conservation, economic development, and the rights of Pacific communities whose cultural and ecological futures are deeply intertwined with the ocean. The new proclamation
BRUSSELS — In an era defined by economic uncertainty, geopolitical competition, and escalating climate impacts, the European Union is making an increasingly bold argument: investing in nature is not environmental philanthropy—it is one of the smartest economic investments Europe can make. At this year’s EU Green Week in Brussels, policymakers,
