Cropped 24 September 2025: High Seas Treaty milestone; ‘Erratic’ water cycle; Family food at COP30
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We handpick and explain the most important stories at the intersection of climate, land, food and nature over the past fortnight. This is an online version of Carbon Brief’s fortnightly Cropped email newsletter. Subscribe for free here. Key developments High Seas Treaty milestone OCEAN PROTECTION: The High Seas Treaty, which aims to “protect the world’s oceans […]
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Andrew Kieffer Joins the Sabin Center as Fellow for the Renewable Energy Legal Defense Initiative
Andrew Kieffer joined the Sabin Center in September 2025 as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow with the Renewable Energy Legal Defense Initiative, which uses legal research and engagement to support siting utility- and community-scale renewable energy facilities and associated transmission and storage equipment. His work focuses on identifying legal pathways to challenge land-use and siting barriers which […]
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Study presents blueprint for hydrogen-powered UAVs
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Image credit: FAST space project, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 license. Researchers in Korea have introduced the first comprehensive safety assessment framework for liquid hydrogen storage systems in UAVs, in a seemingly important contribution to efforts to deploy the putative green fuel in this area of aviation. It was published in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy […]
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Alternative Approaches to Environmental Reparation: Rethinking Existing Legal Frameworks
As climate-related disasters intensify across the globe, the question of how to obtain redress for environmental damage has become increasingly urgent. Yet, public international law has so far struggled to provide effective remedies. The traditional framework of holding states responsible for environmental damage seems to fall short, especially in the context of complex cases of […]
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UK energy from waste sector could go carbon negative by 2035, according to industry report
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Disinfection system installed at a facility owned by South East Water A new report from Baringa, commissioned by EfW opeartor enfinium finds that the UK’s energy from waste sector could be carbon negative by 2035 – and deliver up to 10 million tonnes of carbon removals annually if Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology is […]
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Research details PFAS risk to farmlands and behaviour in soil-plant systems
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A new review study has revealed that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), widely known as “forever chemicals,” are increasingly entering farmland soils through waste recycling and wastewater reuse. Once in the soil, PFAS can migrate into crops, raising concerns for food safety and human health. The study, published in New Contaminants, compiled global waste and […]
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Rising temperatures mean more noise for those living near airports
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About 60,000 people currently live within the 50dB noise footprint of a departing Airbus A320 at Heathrow, with climate change potentially drawing around 2,500 more people into that zone by mid-century, according to the study. Warmer air from climate change will tend to make departing aircraft create more noise pollution around European airports by 2050, […]
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Conservation group warn Labour against painting nature as villain
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The party’s conference returns to Liverpool on Sunday 28 September – Wednesday 1 October (pictured, outside the event in 2018. Image credit: DILOCOM / Shutterstock.com) Ahead of the Labour Party Conference, Matt Browne, head of public affairs at The Wildlife Trusts, warns politicians against deregulation and urges them to heed the Truss debacle on this […]
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Data centres can become net zero and sustainable, says new report
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Presented as a first-of-its-kind strategic roadmap, a new report from consulting firm Ramboll attempts to plot a sustainable path ahead for this infrastructure category. Released at Climate Week NYC on 23 September, the authors of ‘Developing sustainable data centres: A strategic roadmap to achieve net zero carbon and reduce environmental impact’ say it offers full […]
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Green Manufacturing: How Mold Transfer Helps the Planet
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Manufacturers today face big pressure to make less pollution while staying competitive. Companies that sell everyday products must keep costs low but also meet growing green goals. One smart but often ignored method is mold transfer. This process gives old tools a second life. By reusing molds instead of throwing them away, factories cut waste, […]
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Improving the workplace of the future
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Whitney Zhang ’21 believes in the importance of valuing workers regardless of where they fit into an organizational chart. Zhang is a PhD student in MIT’s Department of Economics studying labor economics. She explores how the technological and managerial decisions companies make affect workers across the pay spectrum. “I’ve been interested in economics, economic impacts, and […]
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Numbers of ticks in urban greenspaces influenced by surrounding rural woodland
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A tick found on a deer in the UK (image credit: Shutterstock). Cities and towns surrounded by large areas of woodland are more likely to have ticks in their urban greenspaces, according to a new study. The research, which was led by the University of Glasgow and is published in Nature Cities, found that while […]
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Real-time river monitoring project launches in Devon
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Amy Thompson (second from right) Innovation & Product Manager with Teledyne Valeport, with members of the project team. South Hams District Council is launching a new real-time water quality monitoring initiative across rivers and estuaries in Devon, using sensors designed by local manufacturer Teledyne Valeport. The scheme, due to go live in late 2025, will […]
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Shared blame, shared bill? Joint and several State liability as a proposed legal framework for climate reparations
As climate litigation continues to rise, a pivotal and unresolved legal question emerges in the law of State responsibility: how to allocate responsibility for injuries that result from the cumulative conduct of multiple actors. Climate-related injury derives from the aggregate and diffuse effect of anthropogenic activities, as well as natural events, in which the actions […]
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Sustainability award for spent-carbons recycling enabler
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This article contains paid for content produced in collaboration with Puragen. Puragen (formerly CPL Activated Carbons) has been awarded a Green Apple Award for Environmental Best Practice, recognizing the company’s novel process for handling high-sulphur spent carbons from the biogas and biomethane sector, allowing them to be fully recycled, avoiding disposal via landfilling or incineration. […]
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Hybrid biocarbon solution picks up green award
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This article contains paid for content produced in collaboration with Invica Industries. A hybrid biocarbon solution that acts as a drop-in replacement for traditional fossil fuels in industries including metals has picked up the Green Transformation Award at the Green Awards UK 2025, which recognizes sustainability and innovation. Developed by Invica Industries, the ecoke project […]
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Guest post: Fungal infections are adapting to climate change – and threatening public health
Fungi are learning to adapt to climate change, posing a major threat to human health. Fungal infections range from minor conditions, such as athlete’s foot, to life-threatening respiratory diseases and bloodstream infections. Fungi are known for their ability to adjust to – and thrive in – new and changing environments. Now, they are learning to […]
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Announcing the Relaunch of the Midwest Climate Collaborative’s Educator Community of Practice
We know people are doing amazing work to bring climate change education to their communities, and we want to create a space to co-learn, build skills, and deepen practices that increase climate action. Climate Generation, along with the Midwest Climate Collaborative at Washington University in St. Louis and the Science Education Resources Centre at Carleton […]