The disaster on the Nepal-Tibet border highlights a broader challenge for governments: warming is reshaping glaciers, water systems and the stability of some of the world’s highest mountain environments. A catastrophic glacier collapse on the Nepal-Tibet border has killed hundreds of people, left many more missing and devastated communities and
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
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
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
Artificial intelligence is often described as a digital revolution. But a major new report released this week by the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) argues that AI is increasingly becoming a physical one—with profound implications for energy systems, water resources, land use, and climate goals
At a time when governments, courts, and communities around the world are grappling with accelerating biodiversity loss, ecosystem degradation, and climate disruption, Callie Veelenturf is advancing a bold idea that could fundamentally reshape humanity’s relationship with the natural world: Nature has inherent rights. Callie Veelenturf is a marine conservation biologist,
A new presidency of the region’s top environmental forum signals a shift from declarations to delivery— backed by forests, finance reform, and institutional overhaul Panama is attempting something ambitious: transforming one of the world’s longest-running regional environmental forums from a platform of dialogue into an engine for measurable results. At
At a moment when climate shocks, economic volatility, and resource scarcity are converging, the World Bank Group has launched two sweeping initiatives aimed at tackling some of the most fundamental constraints to global development: water insecurity and the structural fragility of small states. Announced during the Spring Meetings in Washington,
Tripoli — In a country long defined by oil, a new agreement between Libya’s Ministry of Marine Resources and the United Nations Development Programme signals a strategic pivot: toward the sea, and toward a more diversified economic future. The memorandum of understanding, signed this week, aims to advance Libya’s “blue
In a decisive shift that could reshape global capital markets, Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM) has issued a comprehensive framework urging companies to treat nature not as an externality, but as a core financial risk. The guidance, directed at thousands of companies in the fund’s portfolio, signals a new phase
