Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech by video at the U.N. Climate Summit in September.

ANALYSIS

As U.S. and E.U. Retreat on Climate, China Takes the Leadership Role

As U.N. talks get underway, China is emerging as a key leader in international climate efforts. It is empowering the global energy transition, and along with India and Brazil, is becoming the driving force in climate diplomacy and filling a vacuum left by the world’s rich nations.

By Isabel Hilton

Solutions

From Ruins to Reuse: How Ukrainians Are Repurposing War Waste

Russian bombardments have generated more than a billion tons of debris across Ukraine since 2022. Now, local and international efforts are meticulously sorting the bricks, concrete, metal, and wood, preparing these materials for a second life in new buildings and roads.

By Paul Hockenos
ANALYSIS

Carbon Offsets Are Failing. Can a New Plan Save the Rainforests?

Brazil is set to unveil an ambitious international plan that would provide up to $4 billion a year to countries that protect their tropical forests. Proponents see it as a potential game-changer for forest conservation, but some ecologists and economists are raising concerns.

By Fred Pearce
Energy

Facing a Hostile Administration, U.S. Offshore Wind Is in Retreat

Offshore wind had been poised to take off along the East Coast, with about 30 utility-scale farms planned. But the Trump administration’s opposition to wind power has caused most of those projects to be abandoned, with only seven farms now moving ahead or in operation.

By Andrew S. Lewis

Biodiversity

As Jaguars Recover, Will the Border Wall Block Their U.S. Return?

Decades of conservation efforts in Central and South America are starting to pay off, with increased protections for jaguars and the corridors that connect them. But the construction of the border wall is creating a roadblock to the big cat’s return to the U.S. Southwest.

By Jim Robbins

E360 Digest

Digest Archive →

Climate Plans Focus More on Planting Trees Than on Protecting Forests, Experts Warn

The climate plans that countries have submitted to the U.N. will do too little to protect the world's forests and their vast stores of carbon, experts say. Instead, plans lean heavily on "unrealistic" tree-planting schemes. More about Climate Plans Focus More on Planting Trees Than on Protecting Forests, Experts Warn →
World Headed for 'Peak' Fossil Fuels Before Decade's End

The International Energy Agency, the world's chief forecaster of future energy use, continues to project that global demand for fossil fuels will peak before the end of this decade, if countries push forward on their climate goals. However, it sees rising power demand from data centers and air conditioners buoying the use of fossil power. More about World Headed for 'Peak' Fossil Fuels Before Decade's End →
China's Emissions Have Been Trending Down for 18 Months

For 18 months, China's carbon emissions have been flat or falling as solar and wind displace coal and electric vehicles supplant gas-powered cars. That is the finding of a new analysis, which comes as China takes center stage at the U.N. climate negotiations now underway in Brazil. More about China's Emissions Have Been Trending Down for 18 Months →

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WATER

An E.U. Plan to Slash Micropollutants in Wastewater Is Under Attack

Earlier this year, a European Union directive mandated advanced treatment of micropollutants in wastewater, with the cost to be borne by polluters. But the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries, which are responsible for most of those contaminants, are now pushing back.

By Christian Schwägerl

INTERVIEW

This Data Scientist Sees Progress in the Climate Change Fight

Countries are falling short on reducing emissions, but British data scientist Hannah Ritchie looks at the numbers and sees the world making real gains on climate change. In an interview, she talks about the unheralded progress she sees in the global shift to clean energy.

By Jeremy Deaton
Climate

Heat Stress Is a Major Driver of India’s Kidney Disease Epidemic

Cases of chronic kidney disease unrelated to pre-existing conditions are on the rise in India and other tropical nations. As climate change raises temperatures and humidity, the disease is increasingly prevalent among outdoor laborers without access to rest, shade, or hydration.

By Kanika Gupta
Climate

How Climate Risks Are Putting Home Insurance Out of Reach

After years underestimating the risks posed by climate-fueled disasters, the U.S. home insurance industry is in turmoil. In vulnerable areas, rising insurance costs are upending housing markets and communities, as homeowners scramble to try to find insurance they can afford.

By Gilbert M. Gaul