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The year 2025 became a stark illustration of how rapidly the planet is warming and how unevenly societies are responding. Global temperatures remained at historic highs, with scientists confirming that the rolling multi-year average temporarily crossed the 1.5°C warming threshold set under the Paris Agreement. This warming translated into severe real-world impacts: prolonged heatwaves, destructive […]

India’s central government has proposed a sweeping restructuring of its flagship rural employment scheme, moving to repeal the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and replace it with a new framework that drops Mahatma Gandhi’s name. The proposed legislation, tentatively titled the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill,

Japan is pioneering a new era of ecological recovery with advanced AI-powered drones capable of restoring forests at unprecedented speed. Using high-resolution LiDAR mapping, onboard machine learning, and soil-health analytics, these drones identify ideal planting spots and fire seed-pods with remarkable precision — enabling them to plant trees ten times faster than human-led efforts. Each

The breakdown of the latest global plastics treaty negotiations in Geneva — where countries again failed to agree on binding limits for plastic production and toxic additives — has pushed cities, researchers, and regional governments to accelerate their own solutions. As INC-5.2 ended without a deal, several U.S. states and European municipalities moved ahead with

In Assam, a fleet of solar-powered medical boats is revolutionizing healthcare for communities on remote river islands, where floods and poor road connectivity often cut off access to hospitals. Operated by the Centre for North East Studies and Policy Research (C‑NES) with state health authorities, these boats now serve around 250,000 residents across 14 districts.

A federal judge in Hawaii has reinstated a ban on commercial fishing across the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument, safeguarding one of the world’s most ecologically rich and remote marine ecosystems. The ruling invalidated a 2025 NOAA letter that briefly allowed industrial fishing after a government rollback, citing failure to follow proper regulatory procedures,

A U.S.-based human rights group has filed a lawsuit alleging that Apple continues to source cobalt, tin, tungsten, and tantalum from mining regions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) tied to armed conflict, child labor, and severe human rights abuses. The filing argues that Apple’s “clean supply chain” claims are misleading, pointing to global

The Netherlands has approved a major tax increase on private-jet travel, shifting from an aircraft-weight fee to a distance-based model that will apply from 2030. Under the new system, passengers will pay €420 for flights under 2,000 km, €1,015 for flights between 2,000 and 5,500 km, and €2,100 for long-haul trips. This marks one of

At COP30 in Belém, Brazil, world leaders announced ambitious commitments to expand renewable energy, accelerate industrial decarbonisation, and strengthen global energy-efficiency measures. New financial tools — including a proposed “Green Swap” mechanism — were introduced to channel more investment into clean energy and climate adaptation, particularly for developing nations. Countries also backed increased support for

The 2025 G20 Summit in Johannesburg — the first ever held in Africa — signaled a powerful realignment in global leadership, placing African priorities at the centre of world decision-making. Under the theme “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability,” leaders endorsed a landmark declaration that highlighted Africa more than 80 times and focused on clean energy expansion, development