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Programme des Nations Unies pour l'environnement
Actualités Climate Action

Focus sur l'action climatique

Photo: Unsplash/Tobias Rademacher

L'urgence climatique est une conséquence directe de l'utilisation des terres et de l'agriculture, des transports, des bâtiments et des processus industriels à forte intensité de carbone, ainsi que des sources d'énergie polluantes. En l'absence de changements profonds dans ces secteurs et d'une réduction drastique de l'empreinte carbone, il y a peu d'espoir de protéger la planète des effets dévastateurs d'un monde plus chaud. 

Ce flux en direct vous tiendra au courant de toutes les dernières nouvelles de la Conférence des Nations Unies sur le changement climatique, connue sous le nom de 29e Conférence des Parties (COP29) à la Convention-cadre des Nations Unies sur les changements climatiques (CCNUCC), qui se tiendra à Bakou, en Azerbaïdjan. 

03 Apr 2025 07:21

Learn to Eat Well: Biodiverse Diets and Youth as Agents of Change

People sitting at a panel

As part of the official programme of the Nutrition for Growth Summit hosted by France on 26 March, UNEP joined forces with UNESCO and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine to spotlight how education and youth leadership can revolutionise food systems.

The message was clear: well-nourished children learn better, and schools are ground zero for the food revolution. Yet, education is too often overlooked in nutrition strategies—despite its power to shape healthier choices, reduce food waste, and instill lifelong habits that benefit both people and planet.

By embedding food literacy and sustainable consumption into education systems, we can activate the next generation of climate leaders and turn classrooms into catalysts for systemic change.

More on the event.

Last updated at
02 Apr 2025 10:11

Shining a Light on Energy Efficiency: A Competition for Young Photographers

A child reading a book illuminated by a lamp
Image: Kunal Gupta/Climate Visuals Countdown

Energy efficiency is often called the "first fuel" – a powerful, invisible force that helps lower energy bills, boost energy security, and create healthier, more comfortable living environments. But its impact goes far beyond saving energy. It sparks innovation, creates jobs, improves air quality, and raises living standards worldwide.

But here’s the challenge: how do we see what’s invisible?

The International Energy Agency is inviting people around the world to capture the meaning of energy efficiency in their lives through photography. It could be the glow of a study lamp with an LED bulb, a well-insulated home staying warm in winter, an efficient form of transport, some state-of-the-art machinery at a factory, or a community coming together to prevent energy being wasted. Possibly someone learning new skills for a job that can help improve efficiency or enjoying savings on heating or cooling bills. Maybe it’s a hands-on moment – installing a smart thermostat, sealing a drafty window, or adjusting the blinds to let in natural light. However you see energy efficiency, the International Energy Agency wants to see it through your eyes.

Learn more and apply. 

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01 Apr 2025 11:36

‘Renewables are renewing economies’, UN chief tells top climate forum

Words on a wall
Image: UNFCCC

Addressing the 16th Petersberg Climate Dialogue (PCD) in Berlin – the first official gathering on climate since last year’s COP29 summit in Baku – the UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a strong call for decisive climate action.

Mr. Guterres pointed to a promising development: 2024 was officially a record year for global renewable energy production, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

Renewables made up over 92 per cent of all new electricity capacity installed last year – equivalent to the total electricity capacity of Brazil and Japan combined.

Europe’s capacity rose by nine per cent, with Germany contributing over a quarter of that growth. Meanwhile, Africa’s grew by nearly seven per cent.

“All of this is another reminder of a 21st century truth: Renewables are renewing economies,” Mr. Guterres said. They are “powering growth, creating jobs, lowering energy bills, and cleaning our air.”

Wind power has dropped in cost by 60 per cent since 2010; solar is now 90 per cent cheaper.

More information.

Last updated at
28 Mar 2025 13:58

Insights into Elevated Methane Emissions from an Australian Open-Cut Coal Mine Using Two Independent Airborne Techniques

Open mine

This week researchers published a new scientific study finding that a major mine in Australia, which produces coal for steel production, emits 3-8 times more methane than reported.

The study, sponsored by UNEP's IMEO, was conducted by academic partners who flew airborne instruments over the mine to collect methane measurements.

The findings underscore the value of credible measurement data to inform emissions accounting — and highlight the opportunity for methane abatement in the steel supply chain from metallurgical coal mining.

More on the study.

Last updated at
26 Mar 2025 09:18

Global leaders rally in Brasília to tackle super pollutants ahead of COP30

Held from 16-21 March, the Climate and Clean Air Conference 2025 marked a critical milestone to accelerate mitigation of super pollutants in new climate action plans. 

Over the three-day conference, discussions focused on integrating ambitious strategies to reduce super pollutants into updated national climate plans (NDCs 3.0) and moving from momentum to action. As we head towards COP30 in Belém later this year, addressing super pollutants alongside deep decarbonization must take center stage.  

New initiatives were launched during the conference to reflect the CCAC’s mission to turn science into action.

Read the closing press release.

Watch the event recording.

Last updated at
25 Mar 2025 20:23

2025 is the year to invest in forests – and the people who depend on them

A man standing in a forest
Photo: Ollivier Girard/CIFOR

This year will present us with a unique opportunity to put forests at the forefront of climate implementation. As one of the most effective solutions we have to climate change, forests can be a game-changer, and we should seize the moment to ramp up investments. 

Forests are more than a network of trees. Covering a third of the world’s land mass, they are vital carbon sinks, helping to avert major climate change impacts. The conditions must be put in place to enable this to continue. Forests also provide food security and sustainable livelihoods for more than 1.6 billion people – from Indigenous Peoples in the Amazon to herders in the Sahel.

Forest solutions are real and there is evidence they deliver. They provide multiple benefits thanks to a massively growing movement of champions across all stakeholders. REDD+ has been tested and proven to work. We now have a global mechanism for forest and climate action, finance and results that works. Our collective effort should now focus on massively scaling up implementation and finance. 

Read the full op-ed by Mario Boccucci, Head of the UN-REDD Secretariat.

Last updated at
25 Mar 2025 10:01

REDD+ Benefit Sharing Exchange wrap up

People standing outside during daytime
Image: UNEP

Last week, representatives from 17 countries, along with experts from the UNEP, UNDP and FAO from the UN-REDD Programme and the World Bank, convened for a global exchange on REDD+ benefit-sharing mechanisms. The discussions underscored insights, solutions and challenges that aim to drive fair and effective climate action moving forward.

Key takeaways from the event:

  • Clear Legal Frameworks: Establishing robust legal, policy, and regulatory frameworks that outline who receives what benefits, based on defined rights and responsibilities.
  • Strong Institutions: Ensuring funds are managed by institutions with diverse stakeholder representation and the capacity to make informed decisions.
  • Inclusive Processes: Building trust through transparent and participatory stakeholder consultations that account for diverse perspectives and facilitate negotiated trade-offs.
  • Simplicity in Design: Creating straightforward benefit-sharing structures that clearly attribute monetary and non-monetary benefits, fostering accountability and efficiency.
  • Urgent Implementation: Fast-tracking the distribution of benefits to communities who have been awaiting recognition and support for their conservation efforts for many years.

This exchange marked an important first step in opening conversations, connecting countries, and identifying priorities for the road ahead. Each participating country outlined tailored key challenges and next steps to advance benefit-sharing in their specific context.

More information. 

Last updated at
24 Mar 2025 18:23

Women in District Cooling: Driving Inclusive and Resilient Solutions for India

Image of a woman and text overlay

As with many sectors, the cooling sector in many countries lacks diversity with low participation of women in the workforce across a range of professions. To spotlight this issue and help advance this agenda, UNEP Cool Coalition, in collaboration with Indian Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ISHRAE) and Women in District Cooling – India Chapter, hosted a webinar on ‘Women in District Cooling: Driving Inclusive and Resilient Solutions for India’ on 7 March 2025. The discussion explored how district cooling can address India’s growing cooling demands while creating career opportunities for women in this critical sector.

The panelists shared their personal journeys, highlighting challenges and opportunities for women in the cooling industry and the need for increased participation, training, and awareness. Key discussions also focused on career opportunities for women in sustainable cooling, the need for technical training and mentorship, and the importance of urban resilience in cooling solutions.

Read more.

Last updated at
21 Mar 2025 13:30

Happy International Day of Forests!

21 March is International Day of Forests. Forests are more than a network of trees—they are vital, complex ecosystems essential to life on Earth. 

Efforts are underway to channel more finance to Indigenous communities that conserve, restore and sustainably manage forests.  

See how this is being implemented.

Last updated at
19 Mar 2025 13:47

WMO's State of the Global Climate 2024 report is out

WMO’s State of the Global Climate report confirmed that 2024 was likely the first calendar year to be more than 1.5°C above the pre-industrial era, with a global mean near-surface temperature of 1.55 ± 0.13 °C above the 1850-1900 average. This is the warmest year in the 175-year observational record.

“While a single year above 1.5 °C of warming does not indicate that the long-term temperature goals of the Paris Agreement are out of reach, it is a wake-up call that we are increasing the risks to our lives, economies and to the planet,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.

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