Climate Change

Greenhouse gas emissions rose again last year, while global temperatures continued to rise. Carbon dioxide concentrations reached new record highs. Despite this, climate-related issues, events, and developments saw less frequent media coverage around the world, down 14% compared to 2024 and 38% lower than in 2021.

People have always relied on natural resources like clean water, forests, soil, biodiversity, and more. According to an estimate by the World Economic Forum, more than half of the world’s gross domestic product is moderately or highly dependent on the environment. Or as one ecologist put it: if there were no nature, there would be no economy.

Tidal power is a way to generate clean, renewable energy by harnessing the rise and fall of ocean tides. Unlike wind and solar power, tidal power is predictable on a regular basis.

There are around 200,000 glaciers in the world and virtually all of them are melting with the rate accelerating. More than half of the world’s population makes use of meltwater from glaciers and snow for drinking, agriculture, and energy. Nearly 2 billion depend on seasonal glacier melt that supplies rivers and aquifers. This is especially true in Asia and in the Andes.

The global growth of electric cars has continued to rise over the past year, increasing by 20% over 2024. Worldwide, 20.7 million EVs were sold, constituting nearly 23% of all light vehicle sales.

Plastic pollution remains one of the world’s most challenging environmental problems. Plastic pollution has been found everywhere on Earth, from the highest mountain peaks to the deepest parts of the ocean. And scientists are finding that plastic is also moving through the air we breathe.

We are all aware of the dangers of second-hand smoke. It is why smoking is not allowed in almost all public spaces. But a new study has revealed a persistent and evolving threat to indoor air quality known as third-hand smoke.

The world’s oceans just keep getting hotter. International analysis published in the journal Advances in Atmospheric Sciences finds that the oceans stored more heat in 2025 than in any year since modern measurements began.

The use of energy by artificial intelligence technology is rapidly increasing. Massive data centers performing the intense computation needed for training large models are consuming huge amounts of energy. Last year, AI consumed over 4% of U.S. electricity, putting a real strain on electric grids. Projections are that AI energy demand will more than double by 2040.

In healthy ecosystems, mosquitoes feed on a wide range of animals, including birds, amphibians, and mammals. But when those ecosystems lose species, mosquitoes are left with fewer choices. New research suggests that in some places where biodiversity is shrinking, humans are becoming the preferred target.