High-stakes talks involving 190 countries begin on Monday as world grapples with El Niño supercharged by fossil fuels Adam Morton in Melbourne, and Fiona Harvey, Oliver Milman and Graham Readfearn in Antalya The Cop31 summit must produce progress, “a tangible outcome … that people can see is real”, its host has said as scores of…
Drifting through the polar darkness, a team of scientists is documenting a rapidly changing Arctic. As sea ice retreats and oil tankers move in, a conversation with the UN chief reveals why the battle for climate science matters far beyond the North Pole. Somewhere in the darkness of the Arctic Ocean, 12 people and a…
The world has more tools than ever to tackle climate change, yet millions remain unable to benefit from them. As clean energy technologies advance faster than ever, the challenge facing countries at COP31 is no longer just finding solutions – but making sure everyone can afford them. Catastrophic floods, deadly heatwaves and prolonged droughts have…
Florida governor has consistently opposed any legislation to curb planet-heating emissions, calling it a ‘radical climate agenda’ Oliver Milman A life-sized statue of Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor, was unveiled and promptly began melting in front of an audience in Tallahassee in a symbolic protest at his rejection of action on the climate crisis. The…
Climate crisis blamed as virus that originated in Africa spreads to livestock as far north as Aberdeenshire Pippa Neill Environment reporter British farmers are experiencing the worst bluetongue season on record, with the number of cases surpassing the past three years combined. The viral disease, which affects sheep and cattle among other animals, can cause…
EU Copernicus report shows surface air temperatures from June to August were 2.5C above decadal average Ajit Niranjan The scorching heat that persistently baked western Europe this summer was the worst on record, a report has found, with more than half the continent seared by “very strong” heat stress that felt hotter than 38C. Surface…
New rice varieties give hope that farmers can overcome the climate emergency and a warmer future that threatens harvests Justin McCurry in Shiroishi When schoolchildren in Shiroishi were enlisted to plant rice seedlings in June, Shinto priests blessed the land and asked the deities for a bountiful crop. Judging by the fields behind farmer Haruki Kawasaki,…
The amount of land burned by wildfires across Europe has increased by 57 per cent in four years, according to new data from the World Health Organization (WHO) in Europe. Wildfires destroyed 2.2 million hectares of land in the WHO’s European Region in 2025 – up from 1.4 million hectares in 2022. In Spain and Portugal alone, the…
Milder weather led to a bloom in the invertebrates in south Cornwall and Devon, wildlife charity says Lisa Bachelor Record numbers of sightings of one of the world’s most intelligent invertebrates over the summer have led the Wildlife Trusts to declare 2025 “the year of the octopus” in its annual review of Britain’s seas. A mild winter…
