Habari Kushughulikia Mazingira

Kuangazia ushughulikiaji wa mabadiliko ya tabianchi

Dharura ya tabianchi ni matokeo ya moja kwa moja ya matumizi ya kaboni nzito ardhini na kwa kilimo, uchukuzi, michakato ya ujenzi na michakato ya viwanda na vyanzo chafuzi vya nishati. Bila mabadiliko makubwa kwa sekta hizi na bila kupunguza athari za hewa ya ukaa, kuna matumaini kidogo ya kulinda sayari dhidi ya athari mbaya za joto ulimwenguni. 

Upeperushaji huu wa moja kwa moja utakufanya upate habari za hivi punde kutoka kwa Kongamano la Umoja wa Mataifa la Mabadiliko ya Tabianchi, linalojulikana kama Kongamano la Nchi Wanachama (COP29) Mfumo wa Umoja wa Mataifa wa Mabadiliko ya Tabianchi (UNFCCC) utakaofanyika nchini Baku, Azerbaijan.  

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

19 Mar 2025 12:36

Effective, innovative climate-resilient housing in Bangladesh

To help communities cope with water-related disasters, the UNEP and several partners launched a pilot project to build flood-resilient homes across the country. So far, the effort – also supported by the UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre and BRAC, an international development organization – has built 37 residences. 

More on this project.

17 Mar 2025 13:08

Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction 2024/2025 is out

Crane over city

UNEP and the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC) launched its annual Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction 2024/2025: Not just another brick in the wall.  

The report finds that emissions from building sector stopped rising for the first time since 2020. A growing number of countries are working to decarbonize buildings, but sluggish progress and financing puts global climate goals at risk. The report calls for greater ambition on six challenges, including building energy codes, renewable energy, and financing.

16 Mar 2025 15:26

New MEPS for Air Conditioners in Nigeria to Boost Energy Efficiency

People standing around a table
Image: U4E

The Nigerian government has approved new Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) and energy labelling for air conditioners to improve energy efficiency and environmental sustainability, benefitting families and business on their electricity bills while reducing impacts on the power grid and the planet.  Air conditioners are among the most energy-intensive appliances, accounting for over 40 per cent of household electricity usage, and much of that is wasted due to outdated technology.

This newly approved standard is aligned with international best practices and will help ensure that Nigeria is home to modern appliances with energy savings that can be redirected for further productive uses. Nigeria is one of the largest air conditioners markets in Africa, so this landmark development will have profound impacts both within the country and more broadly in the region, building momentum for similar actions in other markets.

This initiative, developed under the project "Scaling Up Energy-Efficient and Climate-Friendly Cooling in Nigeria's NDC Revision" is a collaborative effort between the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) and the United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) United for Efficiency (U4E) team, with funding from the Clean Cooling Collaborative (CCC) The Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) also played a crucial role in this development and the implementation that will continue henceforth.