Environment

A new scientific study warns that the Western United States will experience more frequent and intense fire-flood cycles by 2100. As climate change progresses, burned regions are likely to face multiple extreme rainfall events within five years, dramatically increasing flood and mudslide risks in states like California, Colorado, and Oregon.

Rhode Island's greenhouse gas emissions increased by 8.2% between 2017 and 2018, primarily from transportation and electricity sectors. This growth puts the state's climate reduction targets at risk, with officials concerned about meeting the 10% reduction mandate by 2020.

Climate activists from Fridays for Future movement staged global protests across multiple countries, calling for systemic change and criticizing G20 nations' continued fossil fuel support while connecting environmental activism with peace efforts.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres cautions that countries rushing to replace Russian energy supplies may undermine climate goals by defaulting to high-carbon alternatives, calling fossil fuel addiction a path to "mutually assured destruction"

HSBC and the Climate Bonds Initiative reveal ASEAN's sustainable finance market's resilience, with Malaysia's green bond and sukuk market reaching US $2.6 billion. The region is positioning itself as a key sustainable finance center, emphasizing green investment strategies despite pandemic challenges.

Swiss food giant Nestle plans to plant 3 million trees in Mexico and Brazil by next year, partnering with environmental nonprofits to restore ecosystems. This initiative is the first phase of their strategy to reduce carbon footprint, with the initial million trees expected to offset emissions from a new coffee-processing plant in Veracruz.

Norwegian multinational Equinor has canceled its plans to drill for oil in the Great Australian Bight after determining the project was not economically feasible. Despite receiving environmental approval in December, the company concluded that the exploration costs were prohibitively expensive compared to alternative opportunities in its portfolio.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) urges Malaysian companies to reduce plastic waste after a study revealed Malaysians consume 16.8 kg of plastic packaging annually, significantly contributing to ocean pollution. The organization calls for immediate measures to eliminate single-use plastics and protect marine environments.

Top investment leader predicts climate crisis will transform financial markets, signaling major shift in corporate investment strategies driven by environmental sustainability concerns

As devastating bushfires ravage Australia, the government takes innovative action by airdropping thousands of pounds of vegetables to feed endangered wildlife, including rock wallabies, in an effort to support animal survival and habitat recovery.