56 m. ago Alaska Native villages have few options and little US help as climate change devours their land

Storms that battered Alaska’s western coast this fall have brought renewed attention to low-lying Indigenous villages left increasingly vulnerable by climate change

Politics

65 m. ago Cop30 live: ‘Clown show’ talks run into overtime with no clarity on climate deal

Negotiations ran late last night, and as delegates begin to leave the outcome of the summit remains unclear Civil society campaigners from the developing world have accused the rich countries of spreading “duplicitous narratives” over their role in the Cop30 climate talks over the past fortnight.As the talks in Belém, Brazil, passed the deadline for their resolution on Friday, European countries indicated they would walk away from any deal that did not include a commitment for “roadmap” to phase out fossil fuels.The world lost the climate gamble. Now it faces a dangerous new realityTen years ago the world’s leaders placed a historic bet. The 2015 Paris agreement aimed to put humanity on a path to avert dangerous climate change. A decade on, with the latest climate conference ending in Belém, Brazil, without decisive action, we can definitively say humanity has lost this bet. Continue reading...

Society

5 h. ago Indian state faces rising bear attacks as officials authorise drastic measures

Forests in the Himalayan state report a surge in maulings as officials warn of shifting bear behaviour

Politics

24 h. ago UN General Assembly chief says curbing climate change would make world more peaceful and safer

The president of the United Nations General Assembly says climate change is the biggest threat to world peace

Politics

27 h. ago Cop30 draft omits any mention of fossil fuel transition plan as talks enter final hours

Negotiators face narrowing window to resolve some of summit’s most politically charged questions before scheduled close this weekend

Politics

33 h. ago As I write my last column, the facts on climate crisis speak for themselves

Since 1995, when the first Cop was held, carbon levels have increased from 360.67 parts per million to 426.68 parts nowIn 1995, when the first “conference of the parties” (Cop) of the UN’s climate change convention met in Berlin, the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration was approximately 360.67 parts per million. The then German chancellor, Helmut Kohl, gave a passionate speech about how greenhouse gases must be reduced to save the planet from overheating. There was a relatively unknown East German woman, the environment minister, Angela Merkel, chairing the conference. She was red hot at keeping order. The UK journalists concluded she would have a bright future.Immediately after the conference I was commissioned to write a book about climate change called Global Warming: Can Civilization Survive? It sold well and was the first of several. Continue reading...

Events

34 h. ago Huge fire at Cop30 forces evacuation as 13 people suffer smoke inhalation

Blaze disrupts UN climate talks in Brazil at critical time, with just two scheduled days left and negotiators yet to announce any major agreements

Events

42 h. ago Cop30 climate summit in Brazil disrupted after fire breaks out in venue

Event thrown into confusion after conference centre evacuated but UN says no one hurtBrazilian president will take fossil fuel phase-out plan to G20 summitTalks at the Cop30 climate summit in Brazil were disrupted on Thursday after a fire broke out in the venue, triggering an evacuation just as negotiators were hunkering down to try to land a deal to strengthen international efforts to address climate change.António Guterres, the United Nations secretary-general, had appealed earlier in the day for a deal from the summit, welcoming calls from some for clarity on the hotly disputed subject of weaning the world off fossil fuels. Continue reading...

Politics

45 h. ago United Nation's COP30 evacuated after major blaze breaks out as crowds run from flames

The United Nation's climate change event COP30, in Brazil today has tuned into chaos after a huge fire was seen engulfing part of a stand as crowds ran to the exits

Politics

47 h. ago UN secretary general urges nations at climate talks to be flexible to get results

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres is urging countries gathered for climate talks in Brazil to be willing to compromise to deliver results in the fight against climate change

Society

50 h. ago The two extraordinary young activists making me feel optimistic at Cop30

In today’s newsletter: Despite valid criticisms, the summits are filled with smart, passionate people dedicating their lives to fighting the climate crisis• Don’t get Down to Earth delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereIt is easy to criticise the UN climate conferences. But unless you’ve been, there’s one wonderful, almost miraculous, thing that you may not be aware of: it is a beautiful gathering of humanity, people from virtually every country on Earth, all thrown together in common cause.What’s more, many are incredibly smart, passionate and dedicating their lives to fighting the climate crisis. The more of them you meet, the more your hope grows that global heating can be defeated.Trump’s anti-climate agenda could result in 1.3m more deaths globally, analysis findsTropical cyclone Fina intensifies to category two and could hit NT coast on FridayEngland’s Beth Mead: ‘If we don’t adapt to climate change, football becomes a privilege, not a right‘ Continue reading...

Politics

51 h. ago ‘My husband and daughter went down to the garage in case it flooded. Then I heard a strange noise’ – This is climate breakdown

She was sure that there would be warnings if there was any danger. But then the floods came. This is Toñi García’s storyLocation Valencia, SpainDisaster Floods, 2024Toñi García lives in Valencia. On 29 October 2024, devastating storms hit the Iberian peninsula, bringing the heaviest rain so far this century. The national alert system sounded at around 8.30pm local time; by then, however, flood waters had already broken through the city. Scientists say the explosive downpours were linked to climate change. Continue reading...

Events

51 h. ago Why the Cop summit is failing to win over the residents of its host city

Residents of Belém’s favelas – or ‘baixadas’ as they are known here – tell Nick Ferris of the daily climate challenges they are facing and explain why they are sceptical that Cop30 will really help them

Politics

59 h. ago Turkey to host next UN climate talks after Australia backs out

The agreement ends a two-year stand-off between Australia and Turkey, both of which had bid to host Cop31

Politics

69 h. ago COP30 summit: Why giving up on climate change is a luxury our children cannot afford

Ben Wilson, of the charity Sciaf, who is attending the COP30 summit in Brazil, explains why we cannot lose hope in the fight against global warming

Politics

69 h. ago Wolfsburg v Manchester United: Women’s Champions League – live

WCL updates from Germany; kick-off 5.45pm GMTLive scores | Read Moving the Goalposts | Mail TahaBeth Mead’s Arsenal will be in action later this evening against Real Madrid. Before then, have a read:We went on to win the tournament – back-to-back European champions. But I walked off the pitch with more than just a medal. I walked away with the realisation that the game I love, the game that’s given me everything, is already being shaped by the changing climate. This isn’t something that’s happening in the future. It’s happening now – on training grounds, in stadiums, and in communities all over the world. Matches are being cancelled because of heatwaves. Training sessions are being moved to dawn or dusk. Continue reading...

Sport

3 d. ago A fight for survival – the reality of life in the Amazon in the shadow of Cop30

A short boat ride from Cop30 lies the home of Seu Ladi, who tells Nick Ferris how deforestation and climate change has changed life in Belém – while others warn of a potentially devastating risks to future of the forest

Events

3 d. ago Belgian farmer sues French energy giant for damage caused by climate change

A Belgian farmer is taking TotalEnergies to court, arguing the company should pay for climate change damage

Society

3 d. ago Beth Mead: ‘If we don’t adapt to climate change, football becomes a privilege, not a right‘

The Arsenal and England forward is backing new global campaign because talent and teamwork should decide the game – not the climateI’ll never forget stepping out on to the pitch in Switzerland for the Euro 2025 tournament. The air felt heavy – not with pressure or expectation, but with heat. It was more than 30C (86f) that day. It makes your lungs sting, makes you feel like you’re running through water.In the England camp, we had done everything to prepare. Ice vests before training, hydration breaks, modified warm-ups – things that just weren’t part of football life a few years ago. At our base in Zurich we even had cryotherapy and Slush Puppies to cool our core temperatures. During training, there were ice-cold towels, extra rest moments and constant reminders to hydrate. You could feel how carefully the staff planned every detail. But when the whistle blew, no protocol could change the fact that the climate itself has changed. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago ‘We sent the kids home. Then all our cellphones went out’ – This is climate breakdown

When the Maui fires ripped through Hawaii, the community came together. For everyone it was a life-changing experience. This is Ryan’s storyLocation Maui, Hawaii, United StatesDisaster Maui wildfires, 2023Ryan Kirkham had been the principal at Maui preparatory school for 13 years when the Maui wildfires ignited in 2023, killing 102 people in Lahaina and costing almost $3.3bn in insured damages. Climate change is increasing the severity of droughts in the Hawaiian Islands, which correlates with an increased likelihood of wildfires. Continue reading...

Society