Climate Change Series

Food has a climate problem: Nitrous oxide emissions are accelerating with growing demand for fertilizer and meat – but there are solutions

Jun 12, 2024 05:59 am UTC| Insights & Views

Foods role in climate change has emerged as one of the defining challenges of our time. The journey of a steak, fruit or salad from the vast expanses of agricultural lands to the plates on our tables leaves a significant...

Fossil CO₂ emissions hit record high yet again in 2023

Dec 06, 2023 07:57 am UTC| Insights & Views

Global emissions of fossil carbon dioxide (CO₂), in yet another year of growth, will increase by 1.1% in 2023. These emissions will hit a record 36.8 billion tonnes. Thats the finding of the Global Carbon Projects 18th...

Climate Change Series

The green energy surge still isn't enough for 1.5 degrees. We'll have to overshoot, adapt and soak up carbon dioxide

Sep 29, 2023 01:57 am UTC| Nature

It was a rare bit of good news on climate. The International Energy Agency this week released its latest net zero roadmap, showing it was still just possible to hold global heating to 1.5℃. In the last two years, weve...

Future of Coal Series

Global emissions to hit 36.8 billion tonnes, beating last year's record high

Dec 04, 2019 11:21 am UTC| Insights & Views

Global emissions for 2019 are predicted to hit 36.8 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂), setting yet another all-time record. This disturbing result means emissions have grown by 62% since international climate...

Nitrogen fertilisers are incredibly efficient, but they make climate change a lot worse

Nov 19, 2019 02:29 am UTC| Insights & Views Science

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) (more commonly known as laughing gas) is a powerful contributor to global warming. It is 265 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide and depletes our ozone...

Eighteen countries showing the way to carbon zero

Feb 26, 2019 14:55 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Eighteen countries from developed economies have had declining carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels for at least a decade. While every nation is unique, they share some common themes that can show Australia, and the...

Climate Change Series

Global food production threatens to overwhelm efforts to combat climate change

Mar 09, 2016 22:01 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Each year our terrestrial biosphere absorbs about a quarter of all the carbon dioxide emissions that humans produce. This a very good thing; it helps to moderate the warming produced by human activities such as burning...