Tag: Climate
COP28: The climate crisis is also a health crisis
Our planet has logged higher mean temperatures each year, with 2023 set to be the hottest on record. Ice sheets are melting at an unprecedented rate. Wildfires have made the air hazardous in some regions, while in others, floods regularly threaten to contaminate drinking water. Against this backdrop, more and more people are being affected…
Read MoreCOP28: Methane pledge by the ‘giants behind the climate crisis’ falls short, says Guterres
As the fourth day of this year’s UN climate conference got under way, the UN chief stated: “The fossil fuel industry is finally starting to wake up, but the promises made clearly fall short of what is required.” Reacting to the pledge announced on Saturday by several major oil and gas companies to reduce methane…
Read MoreTackling health impacts of climate change and scaling up digital climate action in the spotlight at COP28
Ahead of the first ever ‘Health Day’ at a UN climate conference, delegates signed onto a new declaration on climate and health and separately considered the role of digital technology can play in climate action. The UN World Health Organization (WHO) welcomed the new declaration, which aims to help accelerate actions to protect people from…
Read MoreGlobal agrifood systems are the climate solution, new FAO report highlights
The current climate crisis is affecting the world’s capacity to produce sufficient food. Its multiple impacts on water, soil, biodiversity, as well as the frequency of extreme weather events are leading to increased food insecurity. These effects diminish crop yields, livestock productivity, and the potential of fisheries and aquaculture as food producers, according to the report.…
Read MoreScience points to ‘climate collapse’ as UN chief calls COP28 to action
While 2023 is not yet over, a provisional report from the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirmed that it is set to be the warmest on record, with global temperatures rising 1.4 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Mr. Guterres said that the race is on to keep alive the 1.5-degree limit agreed by world leaders…
Read MoreClimate change risks upending global fight against malaria
Releasing its 2023 World Malaria Report as nations gather at the UN climate change conference, COP28, the health agency warned that despite expanding access to malaria prevention, more people are getting sick with the disease. WHO documented 249 million cases in 2022, an increase of two million from 2021 and exceeding the pre-pandemic level of…
Read MoreImpact of ‘failed promises’ on climate, evident in Antarctica: A UN Resident Coordinator blog
Maria José Torres Macho travelled to Antarctica with the UN chief, António Guterres, ahead of the global climate conference, COP28, which is getting underway in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates: “The sleeping continent hides under its beauty, its undeniable role as a key climate regulator for the planet. While we enjoyed the majestic and…
Read MoreIn visit to Antarctica, Guterres appeals for action to end ‘climate anarchy’
António Guterres is in Antarctica this week, where he saw first-hand how climate change is impacting the world’s southernmost continent, which is mostly covered in ice. The heat is on “Fossil fuel pollution is heating our planet, unleashing climate anarchy in Antarctica,” said Mr. Guterres, adding that the Southern Ocean has taken the majority of…
Read MoreGuterres urges G20 to lead the way in financial and climate justice
António Guterres said the world, particularly developing countries, is facing “a perfect storm”, with growing inequalities, climate chaos, conflicts and hunger. Meanwhile, fiscal space is tightening for many, with crushing debt burdens and skyrocketing prices. “This is a recipe for global instability and suffering,” he said, speaking from Santiago, Chile. Support for SDG Stimulus The…
Read MoreUN agencies urge action to safeguard maternal, child health amidst climate crisis
In Protecting maternal, newborn and child health from the impacts of climate change, the World Health Organization (WHO), UN Population Fund (UNFPA), and UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) jointly underscore the neglect, underreporting, and underestimation of climate events’ effects on maternal and child health. It also draws attention to the importance of integrating maternal or child…
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