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On July 24, 2025, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) delivered its long-awaited advisory opinion on climate change. Reactions have been swift and enthusiastic. Some of the excitement arguably stems less from the content of the ruling than from the sheer scale of the process itself. The list of individuals who appeared before the Court […]
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Nanoscale Fletching: Revolutionizing the Future of Non-Stick Cookware
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Quick Answer: A cutting-edge innovation from the University of Toronto is reimagining non-stick cookware using a technique called nanoscale fletching—a chemical-minimizing, high-performance alternative to toxic Teflon coatings. What Is Nanoscale Fletching? Inspired by the aerodynamics of arrow feathers (aka “fletching”), scientists have applied this concept at the nanometer scale. Instead of actual feathers, they’ve built […]
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Analysis: Trump’s tariffs could cut just 0.3% from global CO2 emissions in 2025
US president Donald Trump’s tariffs might only shave 0.3% off global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions this year, according to Carbon Brief analysis. While the Trump administration is setting back international climate action through policies such as the “one big beautiful bill”, some analysts have argued that his tariffs would inadvertently cut carbon by throwing sand […]
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Cropped 30 July 2025: ‘Unprecedented’ ocean heatwaves; ‘Uneven’ hunger progress; Brazil’s ‘devastation bill’
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 UN food insecurity report HUNGER DECLINES: The prevalence of hunger dropped in most parts of the world […]
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What the Court Didn’t Say: The ICJ’s Climate Opinion and the Politics of Judicial Restraint
The advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the Obligations of States in Respect of Climate Change has already been hailed as a historic contribution to the evolving body of case-law on climate-related international law. The opinion was described as a “historic legal victory for small island states” who remain most vulnerable […]
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Air filter mimics mucus-coated nasal hair
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Air filters at Facebook’s data centre (image credit: Robert Scoble from Openverse). The bio-inspired approach outperforms existing filtration technology, say researchers at Chung Ang University Airborne particulate matter represents a silent but pervasive threat to our health, infiltrating our homes, workplaces, and public spaces alike. Air filters are often our primary defense against these microscopic […]
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First UK grocer to scale UV packaging traceability
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In what seems a significant milestone for packaging traceability, Ocada Retail has become the first UK grocer to roll out UV invisible tag technology at scale across its product line – starting with its full milk range (pictured). The online grocery retailer has adopted the approach via a partnership with Polytag, the firm behind a […]
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EA sets out pathway for sustainable growth in England’s industrial hubs
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The recommendations would redefine industrial clusters in areas like the Humber (pictured) as potential catalysts for decarbonisation, economic levelling-up, and place-based climate adaptation. The Environment Agency has set out key recommendations that it says will help unlock the economic and environmental benefits of industrial clusters across England. Upcoming planning reforms – including the universal coverage […]
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What are the UN negotiations on a global plastics treaty about?
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Dana Kühnel is an ecotoxicologist at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research Negotiations on the UN Plastics Convention start on 5 August. One of the scientific contributors, Dana Kühnel answers questions about the underlying motivations, desirable outcomes and challenges. What are the UN negotiations on a global plastics treaty about? Dana Kühnel: Through the Plastics […]
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Climate change could make ‘droughts’ for wind power 15% longer, study says
Extreme “wind droughts” that reduce power output from turbines for extended periods could become 15% longer by the end of the century across much of the northern hemisphere under a moderate warming scenario. That is according to a new study in Nature Climate Change, which explores how climate change could impact the length and frequency […]
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Rivers advocacy group and technology firm partner to strengthen river resilience
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Image credit: barnyz, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license. In the wake of the Cunliffe Review and rising demand for transparency and collaboration across the UK’s water sector, The Rivers Trust and Additive Catchments have announced a national partnership to strengthen river recovery and environmental resilience. The rivers advocacy group said the aim was to equip communities, […]
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World-first maps inform call for better protection of underground fungal networks
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The mycorrhizal mushroom Cortinarius sp. emerges from a hyper-diverse but hidden underground fungal community in Tierra de Fuego, Chile (image credit: Tomás Munita). Scientists have released the world’s first high-resolution, predictive biodiversity maps of Earth’s underground mycorrhizal fungal communities, which they explain shows that over 90% of Earth’s most diverse underground mycorrhizal fungal ecosystems remain […]
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New algorithms enable efficient machine learning with symmetric data
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If you rotate an image of a molecular structure, a human can tell the rotated image is still the same molecule, but a machine-learning model might think it is a new data point. In computer science parlance, the molecule is “symmetric,” meaning the fundamental structure of that molecule remains the same if it undergoes certain […]
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“FUTURE PHASES” showcases new frontiers in music technology and interactive performance
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Music technology took center stage at MIT during “FUTURE PHASES,” an evening of works for string orchestra and electronics, presented by the MIT Music Technology and Computation Graduate Program as part of the 2025 International Computer Music Conference (ICMC). The well-attended event was held last month in the Thomas Tull Concert Hall within the new Edward […]
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State of the climate: 2025 on track to be second or third warmest year on record
As it passes its midway point, 2025 is on track to be the second or third warmest year on record, Carbon Brief analysis shows. However, it is very unlikely to beat 2024 as the hottest year. This is not surprising, as 2024’s record temperatures were boosted by a strong El Niño event that has now […]
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World’s Highest Court Embraces the Right to a Healthy Environment
For the second time in a month, one of the world’s highest judicial authorities has issued an advisory opinion on the climate crisis that highlights the importance of the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. Echoing the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in its Advisory Opinion 32/25, on July 23, the International […]
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ADBA welcomes Government’s recognition of biomethane in Clean Flexibility Roadmap
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On 23 July (Wednesday), the Government released its Clean Flexibility Roadmap, in which it recognised that biomethane is currently used to decarbonise heating, but can be used flexibly across many different end-uses including industry, transport, and low carbon dispatchable power generation at gas-fired power plants. The roadmap makes 17 references to biomethane and lists actions […]
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Uncertainty on Climate Risk Disclosure as Trump’s SEC Abdicates Responsibility
For a second time, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has passed the buck on its landmark climate disclosure rule, entitled The Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors. The rule, finalized just last year, remains in legal limbo, as neither the SEC nor the courts seem eager to decide its fate. On July […]
Carbon Neutral Regulation in AI Training