The World Meteorological Organisation, its members and partners are ramping up action against extreme heat in Western Europe, parts of North America, North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. Meanwhile, a cold spell in South America could also be a health threat.
Category: Updates
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The UN Sec-Gen sees three ways to fix the world
UN Chief, António Guterres, has issued a warning that sustainable development underpinned by international cooperation is in trouble. Addressing the opening session of the 4th Financing for Development Conference, he noted that multilateralism is struggling, as is trust between the major actors. He said he saw three areas of action:
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The Climate Finance Vulnerability Index shows how hot the world is
The Climate Finance Vulnerability Index (CliF-VI) provides a comprehensive understanding of nations' climate vulnerability to help improve the targeting and provision of climate change adaptation financing. It shows a country’s climate and financial vulnerability as well as governance considerations that may impact lending.
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£833m net zero Teesside contract for UK’s Balfour Beatty
Balfour Beatty, the international infrastructure group, has announced that it has been awarded an £833m contract by Technip Energies to act as the construction partner for Net Zero Teesside Power – an onshore power, capture and compression project and poised to be the world’s first gas-fired power station with carbon capture and storage.
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UK to become sustainable finance capital of the world
The UK Energy Secretary, Ed Miliband, has outlined plans to support banks and large companies in developing climate transition plans. To date, about 70% of FTSE 100 companies have voluntarily developed many of the key elements of a transition plan. The UK Government says that widespread transition planning will help provide long-term certainty and clarity to help scale the sustainable finance industry.
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WMO: Asia is warming twice as fast as global average
Asia is currently warming nearly twice as fast as the global average, according to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO). The WMO’s 'State of the Climate in Asia 2024' report says that 2024 was the warmest or second warmest year on record (depending on the dataset), with widespread and prolonged heatwaves. The warming trend between 1991-2024 was almost double that of the 1961-1990 period.
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UN Conference: oceans are essential to mitigating climate change
The third United Nations Ocean Conference has adopted a political declaration entitled: “Our ocean, our future: united for urgent action”, stressing that the ocean plays an essential role in mitigating the adverse effects of climate change.
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OECD: accelerated climate action can drive growth and development
Ambitious climate targets that are underpinned by robust implementation and investment plans can provide economic opportunities, unlock investment, and support sustainable development and growth, while facilitating low-emission transitions, according to a new joint report by the OECD and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
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£86bn boost to science and tech to turbocharge UK economy
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves will announce a transformative £86bn in the Spending Review to turbo-charge the country's fastest growing sectors, from tech and life sciences, to advanced manufacturing and defence, as part of the the UK Government’s plan to invest in Britain’s renewal through its Modern Industrial Strategy.
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Big shout out to growing list of companies committing to DEI
Impactivize has published a long list of companies who have publicly stated their commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The list includes some big names. Amongst them are: Adidas, American Express, Apple, AstraZeneca and Audible. And that's only in the section under 'A'.
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IEA publishes Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2025
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has published its Critical Minerals Outlook 2025. It points out that critical minerals, which are essential for a range of energy technologies and for the broader economy, have become a major focus in global policy and trade discussions. Price volatility, supply chain bottlenecks and geopolitical concerns make the regular monitoring of their supply and demand vital.
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Rules agreed for credible climate project crediting
The UN body responsible for setting up a carbon market under the Paris Agreement has adopted important new standards to guide how emission-reducing projects measure their impact. Known as the Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism (PACM), it enables countries and other actors to work together on reducing greenhouse gas emissions by generating high-integrity carbon credits that support global efforts to fight climate change.
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Uzbekistan to modernise irrigation infra with World Bank support
The World Bank has approved a $200m concessional credit to support Uzbekistan in modernising its irrigation and drainage infrastructure and improving the quality of irrigation service delivery. The project aims to reduce water losses and increase the energy efficiency of irrigation systems across five regions of the country. The Government of Uzbekistan will provide $23.2m in co-financing.
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UK publishes its woodland natural capital accounts 2024
Natural capital accounts containing information on the extent, condition and ecosystem services for woodlands in the UK have been published by the UK’s Office for National Statistics. They show that the UK land area covered by woodlands increased from 7% in 1965 to 13% in 2023. The asset value of UK woodlands was an estimated £382bn in 2021. While timber and wood fuel is often seen as the main woodland asset, it accounted for just 3.9% or £14.bn.
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FRV Australia and Genesis commission huge NZ solar farms
Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV) Australia, a developer of sustainable energy solutions, and the Canadian infrastructure fund OMERS have announced the commissioning of the Lauriston Solar Farm, in partnership with Genesis Energy.