Podcast

How much is it? The cost of climate change – Ep. 08

Money moves the attention of people, investors, and capital owners. Money is part of many solutions to the climate deadlock. But numbers are not enough to calculate the economic value of the climate issue. Numbers are only the final step on a pathway that passes through many crossroads. Climate change has huge economic, social and cultural costs. Assessing these costs is challenging yet vital for our planet’s future. And when it comes to climate policies, responding to different climate emergencies requires different lenses.

Article

IPCC press release: Urgent climate action can secure a liveable future for all

Official press release by the IPCC on the publication of the Synthesis Report – AR6 —-
There are multiple, feasible and effective options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to human-caused climate change, and they are available now, said scientists in the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report released March 20.

Article

A survival guide for humanity: the IPCC’s latest synthesis report

From science to policy: a matter of urgency, action, and hope. The latest IPCC synthesis report lays out the harsh truth on the current state of the climate. But, it also shows us that we have the tools to invert our current trajectory and that the decisions and measures we take today will have a lasting effect on the world of tomorrow. A collection of media reactions.

Interview

Business and policy: climate ambitions beyond greenwashing

It is the ambition loop. It involves science-based knowledge, business support and policy action. It is about raising “the bar higher and higher” towards climate targets and backing them with concrete commitments. Sophie Punte tells us all about the link between business action and policy advocacy by the We Mean Business Coalition.

Article

What’s under the tree: carbon and journalistic investigations

What’s at the root of carbon credits from forestry? The capacity of forests and forestry to remove CO2 from the atmosphere moves a lot of money but assessing the actual input and output of carbon remains fraught with complexity.

climate technology cover image
Seeds

Climate technology

Can they fix a deepening climate crisis created by dirty technologies and systems? In recent years, climate technology has entered the lexicon of innovators and decision-makers in an effort to speed up the development and transfer of effective solutions. An in-depth definition of climate technology and the solutions they bring to climate-related issues.

Ocean waves (1878-1940) vintage Japanese woodcut prints by Uehara Konen
Article

“A historic moment for the ocean” – international reactions to the new High Seas Treaty

Top ranking representatives of international institutions, opinion leaders, diplomats, scientists and civil society: from emotional reactions to pragmatic comments, the international community hails the Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBJN) treaty. After almost two decades of negotiations, a two-week-long conference, more than 48 hours of talks, international efforts led to an agreement for the conservation and protection of ocean areas that fall beyond national borders.

Interview

Growing the new green commons

Urbanization has altered the way cities and the people that inhabit them interact with nature. In countries such as Japan, where high levels of urbanization and a rapidly aging population is leading to abandoned spaces in cities, there is a unique chance to reimagine the role of urban green spaces. “How we design green urban spaces is key for both human and planetary wellbeing,” says urban ecosystem development expert Juan Pastor Ivars.

vertical farming
Article

Is the future of farming vertical?

Efficient, resilient and future proof or wasteful, energy intensive and prohibitively expensive? To some the future of food production lies in indoor vertical farms, where food is grown locally and in controlled environments that are resilient to the fast changing outside world. Others are not buying into the hype.

We are brokers of sustainability: The science, policy and business nexus

CEOs, shareholders, voters and policy-makers: there is a way of communicating with all of them that helps build a common, sustainable future. However, it requires a holistic perspective of the climate crisis. With experience in international diplomacy and private consultancy, the eclectic journalist Ione Anderson underscores what holds together business people in meeting rooms and young generations marching during climate strikes.

Watch the video

A collection of words with which we hope to plant the seeds of awareness, providing in-depth definitions of some of the most pressing topics related to climate change.

Because understanding the discourse that surrounds the climate crisis is the key to a sustainable future.

Kyoto Protocol

One of the first steps towards creating global climate diplomacy, the Kyoto Protocol laid the groundwork for today’s climate negotiations. From its innovative elements, to what it sought to achieve and how it worked, understanding the Kyoto Protocol is essential for a better understanding of the UNFCCC process.

Carbon market

Giving a price to carbon means innovation, technological deployment, and profound changes in the economic system. However, the costs of a low-carbon transition will not be felt equally by all. Trading emissions in a carbon market allows us to start cutting emissions where it is cheapest whilst leaving room for the most virtuous to make gains. Origins and evolutions of a flexible and cost-effective policy with almost 20 years of history.

Carbon border adjustments

As countries implement measures to curb emissions they are also looking to protect local industry players from unfair competition and ensure that emissions aren’t simply shifted outside of their jurisdiction. Carbon border adjustments use levies and rebates to do just that. How do they work and why are they contentious?

Climate on trial – Ep. 07

The Urgenda case was the game changer. It opened up a new dialogue between human rights law and climate science, while it marked a watershed moment for climate justice: from then on, we saw new

Power to the communities

Power to the communities – Ep. 06

Knowledge is power. It is the backbone of an alliance that spans the farthest corners of the planet to the laboratories of the most advanced scientific research. In this episode, we explore the terrain where

Interview

Yes, it was a success: All the merits of the Kyoto Protocol

 It all started 20 years ago when the signing of the protocol laid the foundation for climate negotiations. Now we consider it outdated, and some criticise it harshly, but it was the starting point of a process that continues to change the world. Nada Maamoun tells us about her research and the positive outcomes of the Kyoto Protocol.

No, it wasn’t successful: Failures and lessons from the Kyoto Protocol’s ashes

From overarching great consensus treaties to smaller agreements between countries, the future of international climate agreements has to learn from the failures of the Kyoto Protocol and its inability to stem the flow of greenhouse gas emissions. Ralph Winkler, international environmental cooperation expert, on the contradictions and opportunities of the agreement signed in 1997.

Carrot and stick: The competitiveness of sustainability

How to find a balance between incentives and disincentives? Two different visions from either side of the Atlantic. With the USA launching its Inflation Reduction Act, Basile Chartier and Thorfinn Stainforth from the Institute for European Environmental Policy, walk us through some of the most important American and European environmental policy developments.

We are brokers of sustainability: The science, policy and business nexus

CEOs, shareholders, voters and policy-makers: there is a way of communicating with all of them that helps build a common, sustainable future. However, it requires a holistic perspective of the climate crisis. With experience in international diplomacy and private consultancy, the eclectic journalist Ione Anderson underscores what holds together business people in meeting rooms and young generations marching during climate strikes.

Game over: The future of skiing and winter tourism

If the winters disappear can we engineer them or do we need to start looking into alternative approaches? As more and more evidence piles up against the demise of the ski industry as we know it, mountain communities and researchers start to explore new heights.

Inspiring women: stories of science and talents

They are distinguished scientists who have written (and still do) the history of many disciplines or are teachers whose dedication and encouragement is a reference point for many scientists today. These are stories of women in science. Beyond the barriers of gender inequality that still affect the world of scientific research, there are success stories of women who, pursuing their ambitions and nurturing their talents, make a difference for science, society and people. These stories can shorten the path to inclusion by inspiring other Women and Girls in Science. As the world is about to celebrate them with an International Day on February 11, we share some of such amazing stories.

Bot or scientist? The controversial use of ChatGPT in science

For some, they are a threat. For others, an opportunity. Chatbots based on artificial intelligence hold centre stage in the international debate. In the meantime, top scientific journals announced new editorial policies that ban or curtail researchers from using them to write scientific papers.

The climatization of finance

In our polycrisis era, the year 2023 will be decisive for the finance-nature-climate nexus. Three key upshots for net-zero law based on how policymakers (as recently Ursula von der Leyen in Davos) call financial institutions to mobilize behind future-proof pathways.

Visualizing climate science

A participatory approach is the foundation for building solutions that empower citizens, policymakers, experts, and non-experts to make informed decisions. Co-designing data visualizations that reflect the findings made with climate science is key to reach the right audiences and foster change. Data visualization explained by Angela Morelli, the information designer that contributed to the most recent Summaries for Policymakers published by the IPCC.

Watch the video

Be prepared for the polycrisis era

Diverse crises spanning over three different timeframes. They are interconnected and put us in the middle of a shift in power. This is the time to adapt ourselves to a “new order”, but this is also a period of crucial opportunity for moving forward. Insights from the Global Risks Report 2023.

Heatwave

Are we ready for Europe’s winter warmland?

The news is record-breaking temperature. Media coverage swings from talk of “astonishing luck”, to alarm and concern from those who look at the bigger picture, identifying heatwave’s impacts on health, ecosystems and the economy. The point is: are we able to connect the dots between the energy crisis, climate change and increasing extreme events? From the New York Times to the Washington Post, from the Guardian to the most influential scientists on social media, a review of the temperature anomalies affecting Europe and beyond.

The lessons of yesterday, the tasks of tomorrow: 10 climate science insights

Are we going beyond the limit of adaptation and crossing irreversible tipping points? What do we know about the triple planetary crisis, the social costs of climate extremes, vulnerability and the myth of endless adaptation? A list of the ten new insights in climate science puts together advancements, challenges and solutions to shape future strategies and activities.

Our 2023: Ten challenges at the climate sciences, policy and society interface

Cutting-edge research to improve our understanding of climate change and its impact on our socioeconomic systems: from CMCC scientists, ten issues at the forefront of the climate-neutral world.

Latest from the Future
Fast-Changing World

Signup and get news, stories, and updates about Research, Climate Change, and Challenging Topics