Ecology
Here Is What COVID-19 Teaches Us About ‘Social Learning’ and the Environment
The dire social and economic impact of COVID-19 could worsen environmental destruction in the long run. But the pandemic is also teaching us how to use individual choices to tackle a global disaster. “Social learning” is a powerful tool for…
UNFCCC Work on Building Climate Resilience Continues – Virtually
Despite the COVID-19 crisis, work is continuing apace on efforts to build resilience to the inevitable impacts of climate change. Last month, the UNFCCC’s Adaptation Committee (AC) hosted its first-ever virtual meeting, thereby showing its determination to continue delivering timely…
What Are the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)?
The Paris Agreement and NDCs 2015 was a historic year in which 196 Parties came together under the Paris Agreement to transform their development trajectories so that they set the world on a course towards sustainable development, aiming at limiting warming…
The Delicate Relationship Between People, Wildlife and the Pathogens
In the past, coronaviruses that circulated in humans caused only mild infections. This changed in 2002, when the SARS-CoV virus presented itself in humans as the disease we now know as SARS. In 2020, SARS-CoV-2–a relative of the same virus–has…
Why Earth Day 2020 Is More Important Than Ever?
22 April is Earth Day. While the coronavirus (COVID-19) has been spreading around the world and dominating news headlines, thoughts and attention, the need to take climate action has remained as urgent as ever. By the end of 2020, global…
Europe’s Environmental Footprints Exceed Several Safe Limits
Global sustainability challenges increasingly raise concerns about the stability of the Earth system that supports all life on our planet. A joint study by the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), published recently,…
96% of All Worldwide Destinations Have Introduced Travel Restrictions in Response to the Pandemic
The scale of disruption caused by COVID-19 to global tourism is shown in a comprehensive new report on travel restrictions from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). The landmark report, published at a time of unprecedented disruption for the sector, shows…