Nairobi biodiversity talks end in stalemate, prompting open letter to world leaders calling for action before Montreal conferenceUN biodiversity negotiations have reached crisis point due to a lack of engagement from governments, leading NGOs have warned, three years after experts revealed that Earth’s life-support systems are collapsing.Last week, countries met in Nairobi for an extra round of talks on an agreement to halt the human-driven destruction of the natural world, with the final targets set to be agreed at Cop15 in Montreal. Governments have never met a target they have set for themselves on halting the destruction of nature despite scientists warning in 2019 that one million species face extinction, and that nature is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. Continue reading...

Activists horrified by decision to give green light to stage three of the New Hope Group’s controversial mine

‘It’s the wrong policy debate at the wrong time,’ industry says of capacity mechanism

Scientists warn that while total number of cyclones may be decreasing, global heating will see a higher proportion of more damaging stormsGlobal heating has coincided with fewer tropical cyclones forming each year around the globe compared with the second half of the 19th century, according to a new study.The average annual number of cyclones fell by 13% across the 20th century, with steeper declines seen after 1950. Continue reading...

Former military heads warn of risks to food supply ahead of report from Australian Security Leaders Climate Group

A third of respondents think Albanese should adopt a more ambitious emissions target, while nearly half blame the Coalition’s climate wars for the energy crisis

Discovery of varroa mite at Newcastle port has led to NSW beehives being locked down with a potentially ‘devastating effect’ on crops

Climate-friendly practices can increase yields while improving ecosystem of farms, scientists sayFarmers could continue to produce high crop yields with far less use of artificial fertilisers if they adopted environmentally sustainable practices, an academic study has shown for the first time.Techniques such as adding manure and compost to soils, growing nitrogen-fixing plants between crops, and cultivating a wide range of produce instead of sticking to the same crops, can all increase yields while protecting and improving the natural ecosystems of farms. Continue reading...

António Guterres says the world must turn the tide of rising sea levels, ocean heating, acidification and plastics pollutionThe UN secretary general has declared that the world is in the middle of an “ocean emergency”, and urged governments to do more to restore ocean health.Speaking at the opening of the UN ocean conference in Lisbon, Portugal, attended by global leaders and heads of state from 20 countries, António Guterres said: “Sadly, we have taken the ocean for granted and today we face what I would call an ocean emergency. We must turn the tide.” Continue reading...

Tim and Geli Harris to take agency to high court over groundwater removal for farming near protected wetlandsA couple are taking the Environment Agency to the high court in a landmark case to stop the abstraction of water damaging internationally important wetlands in the Norfolk Broads.In a sign of the growing struggle over the allocation of scarce water resources in the dry south-east, Tim and Geli Harris are seeking to reduce the removal of groundwater to irrigate potatoes and other crops farmed next to three protected wetlands, including Hickling Broad national nature reserve. Continue reading...

Ten arrested as direct action group starts week of ‘disruption’ to ‘resist climate destruction’ as NSW police pledge crackdown

Extreme temperatures forecast for capital this week after premature end to rainy seasonJapan’s government has warned millions of people in the Tokyo region to save energy or face power cuts, as the capital battles record June temperatures after a premature end to the rainy season.Temperatures of 35C (95F) were forecast in the city throughout the day, with similarly extreme weather expected for the rest of the week, according to the Japanese meteorological agency. Continue reading...

After becoming extinct in the wild, European bison were reintroduced to Poland in 1954 and Romania in 2012. Photographer Alexander Turner went in search of Europe’s largest land mammal with rangers from Foundation Conservation Carpathia Continue reading...

New data shows carbon pollution rose 0.8% in 2021 as manufacturing, agriculture and gas bounced back from pandemic lockdowns

Environment minister receives enthusiastic welcome in Lisbon and flags five blue carbon projects to safeguard ocean health

Penalties for peaceful action are now the same as for aggravated assaultLast Friday dozens of armed New South Wales police officers raided a camp near Sydney and arrested two environmentalists. One was Aunty Caroline Kirk, an Aboriginal elder. She was charged with “wilfully obstructing and intimidating police”.“I can’t run, I can’t climb,” she said. “All I can do … is teach my culture. Why are they doing this?” Continue reading...

Spanish city becomes first in the world to adopt measure as periods of hot weather become more frequentThe southern Spanish city of Seville is to become the first in the world to name and classify heatwaves – much in the way that tropical storms or hurricanes are named – in an effort to better shield residents as periods of excessively hot weather become more frequent.The year-long pilot project in one of Spain’s hottest cities will classify heatwaves into three categories and named from a list that include Xenia and Wenceslao. Continue reading...

Nieces of journalist killed in the Amazon pay tribute to their uncle, who sent frequent and funny emails about life in BrazilDom Phillips was a storyteller. Through his career as a journalist, he told the stories of those who were unable to speak out and whose views were overlooked. His second book, How to Save the Amazon, aimed to do exactly this – to speak the story of the Amazon and the Indigenous people within it, and provide solutions to preserve their culture in conjunction with current Brazilian society.For us, however, he was always Uncle Dom. He has been present in our lives since we were born and was very much involved with our upbringing when we were small children. He remained a positive influence, even when he moved to Brazil in 2007. Continue reading...

From Montana’s prairies to Kazakhstan’s steppes, vast tracts of land are being enriched. Here’s how to witness those changes

19-year-old activist warns world faces ‘total natural catastrophe’ unless citizens take urgent actionGreta Thunberg has warned that the world faces “total natural catastrophe” unless citizens take urgent action as she made a surprise appearance at Glastonbury festival.The 19-year-old activist led chants of “climate … justice” after delivering a rousing speech from the Pyramid stage which painted an apocalyptic picture of the future of the planet. Continue reading...

Demands include end to fossil fuels, preservation of biodiversity and greater social justiceAbout 3,500 protesters have gathered in Munich as the G7 group of leading economic powers prepare to hold their annual gathering in the Bavarian Alps in Germany, which holds the rotating presidency this year.Police said earlier that they were expecting a crowd of about 20,000, but initially fewer people showed up for the main protest, which started at midday on Saturday, the German news agency dpa reported. Continue reading...

Control zone had been enforced around a pig farm near Feltwell after possible case reportedOfficials have ruled out a suspected case of foot and mouth disease in Norfolk.Movement restrictions and a temporary six-mile (10km) control zone for animals were enforced around a pig farm near Feltwell in west Norfolk, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Continue reading...

Nearly 100 birds are being ‘headstarted’ to boost numbers as species vanishes from lowland EnglandAn evocative peeping echoes across a large, sunny aviary. The distinctive call of the curlew comes from dozens of chicks, who strut through long grass squabbling over a much-prized worm.The scruffy-looking chicks with the beautiful voices may be the best hope for the endangered species, whose numbers have halved in the past 25 years as it vanishes from lowland England. Continue reading...

Makers of the €250,000 Lightyear 0 hope to convince drivers it can be a viable climate-friendly alternativeWinding past the ochre-coloured plateaux of the Bardenas Reales natural park in northern Spain, Roel Grooten nudged me to take my foot off the accelerator.The car continued to barrel down the open stretch of road, its speed dipping only slightly. “It keeps on going,” said Grooten, the lead engineer for the Dutch car company Lightyear, as we whizzed through the lunar-like landscape. “What you feel is nothing holding you back. You feel the aerodynamics, you feel the low-rolling resistance of the tyres, of the bearings and the motor.” Continue reading...

We must work with local communities to restore key species on a global scale if we are to tackle the climate and biodiversity crises gripping the world

Australian fisheries management says there are regional differences and new data only applies to population in New Zealand

By funding and stocking products from Brazilian meat giant JBS, firms have also supported land-grabbing, investigation claims Continue reading...

Campaigners call to prioritise grain for human consumption over its use as a fuelThe US will press ahead with biofuels production, the deputy secretary for agriculture has said, despite increasing concerns over a global food crisis, and calls from campaigners to prioritise grain for human consumption over its use as a fuel.Jewel Bronaugh, the deputy secretary of agriculture, said US farmers could continue to produce biofuels without harming food production. “We are keeping food security top of mind, but at the same time we also want to remain steadfast in the support and promotion of biofuel,” she told journalists in London, where she met the UK government to discuss a possible trade deal and cooperation on food issues. Continue reading...

1994 agreement allows investors to sue governments for changes in energy policy that harm their profitsClimate activists have said a deal to update a “dangerous” energy treaty has failed to make the agreement compatible with the urgency of the climate crisis.After more than four years of talks, 52 countries and the EU on Friday struck a deal to “modernise” the energy charter treaty, a 1994 agreement that allows investors to sue governments for changes in energy policy that harm their profits. Continue reading...

Government generosity meant industry could pollute for free, and airlines were left with 900,000 excess permits they could keep or sellThe UK government gave airlines nearly a quarter of a billion pounds in free pollution permits in a single year, enough for the entire industry to dodge a carbon emissions cap and trade scheme entirely, according to research.In 2021 the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS), which charges polluters per tonne of carbon emitted, handed airlines 4.4m free allowances and the industry only surrendered 3.4m back. In effect, UK taxpayers covered the entire cost of aviation industry emissions, plus some to spare. Continue reading...

The best of this week’s wildlife pictures, including a rare albino otter, a wild toki bird and a big-eared opossum Continue reading...

Lawyers representing 20-week-old foetus allege state is breaching rights of future generationsA 20-week-old foetus is fronting a legal challenge in South Korea that argues the state is breaching the rights of future generations by not doing enough to cut national emissions.Parents and lawyers representing the foetus, as well as 61 babies and children under 11, claim national carbon targets do not go far enough to stop runaway climate change and that this is unconstitutional. Continue reading...

Images from Lake Oroville and Lake Shasta compiled by the state show ‘a shocking drop in water levels’ compared to years pastCalifornia’s two largest reservoirs are at critically low levels, signaling that the state, like much of the US west, can expect a searing, dry summer ahead.This week, officials confirmed that Lake Oroville, the state’s second-largest reservoir, was at just 55% of its total capacity when it reached its highest level for the year last month. Meanwhile, Shasta Lake, California’s largest reservoir, was at 40% capacity last month – after the state endured its driest start to a year since the late 19th century. Continue reading...

It began with a philanthropic couple buying a swamp but has become one of the world’s boldest experiments in restoring degraded habitats, bringing wildlife and landscapes back from the brink

Records for electricity usage broken in Shandong, Henan and Jiangsu after early summer heatwavesChina’s premier has called for increased production of coal to stave off mass blackouts, as early summer heatwaves have prompted record electricity usage.On Friday, authorities again issued high temperature warnings for about a dozen provinces across the central and northern provinces, after consecutive days in the high 30s. Continue reading...

Opioid fatalities – driven by synthetics such as fentanyl – in the state were up 80% last year compared with 2018 and punishing heat is making things worseAndy Brack was out cold with his head slumped back on the driver’s seat of a white pickup truck, a faint blue tinge around his lips. His friend, Ellen, had called 911 after the 50-year-old lost consciousness while driving to the store.Brack had been smoking fentanyl for two days straight, according to Ellen, who managed to stop the vehicle from crashing. It was around 4.30pm and boiling outside, almost 108F (42C), and the pickup didn’t have air conditioning. She was doing CPR compressions when the paramedics arrived. Continue reading...

Conservationists who re-established the raptors in the UK with birds from Spain are now returning the favourWhen red kites were reintroduced in England more than 30 years ago, young birds were brought over from thriving populations in Spain. Now the carrion-feeding raptor is doing so well that English chicks – with distant Spanish ancestry – are being flown back to Spain to boost ailing numbers there.Fed on culled grey squirrels and meticulously checked by vets, 15 chicks collected from nests in Northamptonshire are this week travelling to southern Spain where they will be held in special aviaries in the countryside until they are mature enough to be set free. Continue reading...

After Russia rejected agreed catch limits, Britain unilaterally licensed boats to hunt toothfish near Antarctica – a move the US says breaches international rulesA diplomatic row has broken out between the UK and the US over efforts to conserve a deepwater species of fish near Antarctica, as Russia obstructs attempts to set catch limits.Last year, amid tensions with the west over Ukraine, Russia rejected catch limits for Patagonia toothfish – also known as Chilean seabass – set by a 26-member fishing regulatory body, the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). Continue reading...

Tata Chemicals Europe hopes the process will reduce the greenhouse gas’ emissions by 10% annually and supply high-purity C02 for industryA Cheshire chemicals factory is to start capturing carbon dioxide on an industrial scale from energy generation in what is described as the UK’s first major use of the emissions-reduction technology.Tata Chemicals Europe (TCE) hopes to capture 40,000 tonnes of the greenhouse gas per year, reducing its annual emissions by 10% and providing it with a supply of high-purity carbon dioxide that could be used in products ranging from glass and washing detergents to pharmaceuticals and food. Continue reading...

Conservationists say exploitation of amphibians leading to depletion of native species abroadA voracious appetite for frogs’ legs among the French and Belgians is driving species in Indonesia, Turkey and Albania to the brink of extinction, according to a report.Europe imports as many as 200 million mostly wild frogs every year, contributing to a serious depletion of native species abroad. Continue reading...

Research to focus on more efficient and durable solar cells, increasing manufacturing capacity and a shift to more abundant and cheaper metals

Industry and analysts predict budget measure could provide billions in additional revenue

Sector says £5bn energy profits levy will make investment in new projects and renewables more difficultRishi Sunak has asked Britain’s biggest banks to keep the money taps flowing to the oil and gas sector after slapping it with a windfall tax.In a bruising meeting in Aberdeen on Thursday, the chancellor told oil and gas executives he is trying to ensure investment in their businesses is not curtailed. Continue reading...

Deputy opposition leader criticises government’s 43% reduction target but says Liberal party’s climate position is not fixed

Dairy Crest sentenced for repeatedly breaching environmental permit at Davidstow creameryOne of the UK’s biggest dairy firms has been fined £1.5m for repeatedly polluting a river near its Cornwall factory and causing local residents to suffer years of noxious smells – but the problems are continuing.Dairy Crest was sentenced on Thursday at Truro crown court for repeatedly breaching its environmental permit at Davidstow creamery in Camelford. The site, the UK’s largest dairy processing facility, makes Cathedral City cheese, Clover and Country Life. Continue reading...

Out of 14 nations surveyed, UK citizens measured lowest for their oneness with the natural worldFrom the romantic poets to the global reach of Sir David Attenborough, Britain has a reputation for being a nation of nature lovers.But the citizens of this supposedly green and pleasant land are ranked bottom of 14 European nations measured for their “nature connectedness”, according to a new study. Continue reading...

Blaze in Sierra de la Culebra mountains in Zamora province destroyed 30,000 hectares of woodlandThe Spanish government has declared the Sierra de la Culebra mountain range in Zamora province a catastrophe zone after a fire destroyed 30,000 hectares (74,000 acres) of woodland, raising fears for the future of the local wolf population.The decision gives the Castilla y León region immediate access to €2m (£1.7m) in economic recovery funds to help make good the damage caused by the worst fire in a decade, which destroyed a huge swathe of the 600 sq km biosphere reserve in north-west Spain. Continue reading...

The singer-songwriter and UN environment ambassador is a self-confessed ‘nature nerd’ and urges her fans to get ‘stuck in’ to ecological activism

The Diablo Canyon facility, which provides 9% of the state’s energy, was due to shutter in 2025, but the state’s energy crunch could save itCalifornia’s last nuclear plant was nearing the end of its life.Tucked against picturesque bluffs along California’s central coast, the aging facility known as Diablo Canyon began operating in 1985. It was designed for a different era, with analog knobs and systems that no longer comply with the state’s environmental standards. The plant has faced controversies over its impact on underwater ecosystems, the production of toxic waste and its proximity to earthquake fault lines – and its planned closure by 2025 seemed an all-but-certain step in California’s ambitious journey toward a greener future. Continue reading...

Analysis reveals 73% of remaining fragments of rare temperate rainforest in England are not under protectionNearly three-quarters of England’s remaining temperate rainforests do not have any official protection, according to new analysis, as a campaign urges the public to help identify, protect and expand what remains.Just 18,870 hectares (46,624 acres) survives in England from an ecosystem that once stretched from Cornwall to the west of Scotland, having slowly been cleared by humans over the centuries. Seventy-three per cent of the country’s remaining fragments of temperate rainforest, a species-rich habitat, are not designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), despite their importance for biodiversity. Many are threatened by overgrazing, pollution and invasive species. Continue reading...