When you think of climate migration, you probably think of people moving from one country to another to escape rising seas or expanding deserts. And to some extent, you’d be right. But the fact is, the vast majority of climate migrants are actually moving within their country’s borders Hotspots of climate migration may start to emerge as early as 2030, as people leave places that can no longer sustain them and go to areas that offer opportunities. The drivers of these migrations, according to the , will be water scarcity, declining crop productivity and sea-level rise.
Climate Change
New data from 100 countries shows that only 53% of the world’s national education curricula make any reference to climate change and when the subject is mentioned, it is almost always given very low priority. Furthermore, fewer than 40% of teachers surveyed by UNESCO and Education International were confident in teaching about the severity of climate change and only about one-third felt able to explain the effects of climate change on their region or locality. Over a quarter of those surveyed felt some approaches to teaching climate education were not suited to online teaching.
While coal played a major role in the development of the modern world, it is also the primary reason behind climate change: coal burning is responsible for more than 40 per cent of global carbon emissions and more than 75 per cent of emissions from electricity generation. The clean energy transition means shifting energy production away from sources that release a lot of greenhouse gases to those that release little to no greenhouse gases. The fosters sustainable nuclear energy development by producing publications, facilitating technical cooperation, and coordinating research.
The latest round of global climate talks, 26 (COP26), takes place from 31 October to 12 November 2021 in . Thousands of government delegates and people from civil society, business and the media will gather to advance climate action. The world will be watching. Science confirms we have reached a “code red” for our world and must be a turning point. It must deliver bold, large-scale and rapid actions to deliver in full on the promises made in the Paris Agreement. Get to know the priorities of this important meeting.
Cities worldwide are increasingly suffering the effects of climate-related disasters, such as floods, droughts, sea level rise, heatwaves, landslides and storms. At least 130 port cities will be affected by coastal flooding and the one billion people in urban informal settlements are particularly at risk. Creating more sustainable, climate-resilient societies involves addressing poverty reduction, managing ecosystems, among a wide range of issues. This World Cities Day (31 October), the UN affirms that better cities create better lives as they adapt to climate resilience.
In of , the UN climate action podcast, UN News talked to Mr. Ezekiel about why we should be treating climate change with the same urgency we have treated COVID-19, how he works with local leaders and youth to protect Ghana’s environment, and why he faced arrest for simply speaking out against coal.
Our food systems are breaking the planet – and the climate crisis is breaking our food systems. These are two of the biggest problems the world is facing today, and subject to the two biggest conversations the UN. At the UN Food Systems Summit in September, the issued a wake-up call: 811 million people are going to bed hungry in countries where food systems are unequal, strained or broken. Yet, as more than 190 countries come together for COP26, the topic of food systems is yet to make it into the mainstream conversation at UN climate meetings.
Staple crops in eight African countries could decrease by as much as 80 percent by 2050 in some areas if temperatures continue to rise due to climate change, according to a report released today by . This could have a catastrophic impact on poverty and food availability unless there is an urgent injection of funding to help vulnerable farmers adapt how and what they farm. The organisation warned that COP26 will fail to achieve a lasting impact if world leaders continue to prioritise mitigation and neglect investments in climate adaptation.
Nuclear technology and applications contribute to tackling climate change. As the only world forum in the nuclear field, the continues to contribute to an informed debate on the benefits of nuclear power and applications in the many international events, including COP26, where political leaders, industry, scientists and civil society will discuss the way forward.
The world spends an astounding US$423 billion annually to subsidize fossil fuels for consumers – oil, electricity that is generated by the burning of other fossil fuels, gas, and coal. This is four times the amount being called for to help poor countries tackle the climate crisis, one of the sticking points ahead of the COP26 global climate summit, according to new research. The main contributor to the climate emergency is the energy sector which accounts for 73 percent of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. Fossil fuel subsidy reforms would contribute to reducing CO2 emissions
Building materials and the construction sector accounts for 11 per cent of annual carbon dioxide emissions. A project shows how a construction project can help achieve a carbon-free world.
A new report from , and the University of Oxford reveals how infrastructure defines our climate and calls for radical changes in the way governments plan, design and manage infrastructure.
Climate impacts are widespread, rapid, and intensifying. will be working towards three goals at COP26: raising national level ambitions, stimulate private funding, and reducing GHG emissions.
The commits to increase climate finance targets to 35% of total commitments over the next five years, align financing flows with the Paris Agreement, and integrate climate and development.
New reports published ahead of the show that even though decision-making and technical panels under (known as “constituted bodies”) are increasingly integrating a gender perspective into their work, male overrepresentation in government delegations persists. Equal and meaningful participation and leadership of women is vital to achieve climate goals. While women and girls around the world are demanding more climate action and have received increasing recognition for their leadership, women’s voices are not yet equally represented.