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This study provides the first daily projections of when the Arctic Ocean could experience its first ice-free day, revealing that this could happen as early as 2030 or as late as 2100. Using daily data from multiple CMIP6 models, researchers found a wide range of outcomes, but in several simulations, the first ice-free day occurs within 3–6 years from a 2023-equivalent state. These early projections are linked to rapid sea ice loss and unusually strong winter and spring warming, indicating a potentially abrupt and high-impact climate transition.

Source: Nature, Daily Mail

Shell won its appeal against a 2021 Dutch court ruling that had ordered it to cut global carbon emissions by 45% by 2030. The appeals court recognized Shell’s responsibility as a major polluter but decided that legally binding emission cuts on a single company aren’t the right way to achieve climate goals.

Environmental group Milieudefensie, which brought the case, expressed disappointment but noted the case’s role in increasing corporate accountability. The court upheld NGOs’ right to sue and urged oil companies to consider climate impacts, but ruled Shell can’t be legally required to cut customer and supplier emissions.

Shell welcomed the decision and reaffirmed its voluntary goal to halve its operational emissions by 2030. The case may still go to the Dutch supreme court, but only on legal grounds.

Source: The Guardian

An Oxfam report reveals that up to $41 billion—nearly 40% of the World Bank’s climate finance over the past seven years—is unaccounted for due to poor record-keeping. With no clear public record of how the funds were used, it’s impossible to assess their impact or confirm they supported climate-related initiatives. As the largest multilateral provider of climate finance, the Bank’s lack of transparency raises serious concerns. Oxfam also found that accessing even basic information on the Bank’s climate spending was extremely difficult.

Source: Oxfam, Investopedia

Scientists from Newcastle University have successfully used selective breeding to produce corals with greater resistance to ocean warming—a promising step in the fight against climate-driven coral bleaching. Bleaching, triggered by heat stress, occurs when corals expel the algae that provide them with energy and color, often leading to sickness or death if prolonged.

The five-year study, published in Nature Communications, showed that even within a single generation, selectively bred corals exhibited improved heat tolerance. The team tested coral responses to both short, intense heat spikes and longer-term temperature increases, finding that about 25% of heat resilience was inherited from parent corals.

While the research demonstrates that selective breeding can enhance coral resilience, scientists stress it is not a standalone solution. Ongoing ocean warming—driven by climate change—requires urgent global action, and breeding methods must be part of a broader strategy. The team now plans large-scale field trials to test these lab-grown corals directly on reefs.

Source: VOA News

Since February 2023, the world has experienced its most extensive coral reef bleaching event on record, with 77% of global reef areas exposed to heat stress driven by climate change and record ocean temperatures. Declared in April 2024 as the fourth global bleaching event since 1998, it has already surpassed the previous 2014–2017 record in scale, affecting reefs in 74 countries and territories.

This unprecedented event has prompted an emergency session on coral reefs at the upcoming UN COP16 summit, with scientists warning that reefs may have already passed a critical tipping point at just 1.3°C of global warming. The bleaching is exacerbated by the recent El Niño, though hopes for recovery hinge on a potential La Niña and cooler seas. Still, experts fear that ongoing warming could push the planet into a state of chronic global bleaching, threatening biodiversity, food security, and a $2.7 trillion reef economy.

Source: CNN

The latest IPCC report warns that human-induced climate change is causing unprecedented and irreversible impacts, with global temperatures likely to rise beyond 1.5°C within two decades. This breach risks devastating extreme weather, sea-level rise, and melting polar ice, even with immediate emissions reductions. Stabilizing at 1.5°C, while challenging, remains possible and critical to minimize further harm.

World leaders, urged to act decisively before the COP26 summit, face a pivotal moment to transition to a low-carbon future and avert worse climate disasters. The report emphasizes that every fraction of a degree matters, calling for rapid, drastic cuts in greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate future risks. Without action, escalating climate extremes will lead to severe socio-economic and ecological consequences globally.

Source: The Guardian

Greenland’s ice melt has doubled in frequency since the mid-20th century, with recent decades marked by unprecedented melting episodes driven by global warming. Researchers found that extreme melt events, tied to warming Arctic temperatures and atmospheric patterns, now account for up to 50% of melting in colder regions, affecting even higher elevations previously untouched by ice loss. This melting contributes significantly to sea level rise and disrupts atmospheric circulation, potentially altering Europe’s climate and exacerbating climate extremes. The findings underscore the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate accelerating polar ice loss and its global impacts.

Source: Scitechdaily

Scientists warn that without intervention, rapidly melting ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland could contribute to up to one meter of sea level rise by 2100, threatening low-lying cities and displacing millions. While reducing carbon emissions remains critical, they argue that geoengineering glaciers could provide a temporary solution to slow the melt and buy time. Proposed techniques include placing protective curtains around glacier bases or drilling to drain ice streams. The report, stemming from a 2024 European Geosciences Union conference, urges immediate research into geoengineering to evaluate its risks and benefits before future crises demand hasty action.

Source: The Guardian

New data reveals the past 12 months (July 2023–June 2024) were the hottest on record, with global temperatures averaging 1.64°C above pre-industrial levels. This streak underscores a “large and continuing shift” in the climate, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service. While leaders aim to limit warming to 1.5°C by 2100, short-term temperature spikes are already exposing ecosystems and people to severe risks, including violent weather and potential tipping points.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns that even 1.5°C of warming could destroy up to 90% of tropical coral reefs, with worse outcomes likely if warming exceeds 2°C. Scientists emphasize that each fraction of a degree matters, significantly affecting local climates and amplifying human and ecological suffering.

Experts stress the need to cut emissions urgently to prevent worsening impacts while also preparing for a warmer future through robust adaptation measures. The current trajectory signals a climate crisis requiring immediate and sustained global action.

Source: The Guardian

New research confirms that human-induced climate change has significantly increased rainfall variability over 75% of the Earth’s land area, particularly in Australia, Europe, and eastern North America. This growing volatility results in longer dry spells and more intense downpours, heightening the risks of both severe droughts and extreme flooding. The study attributes the changes to greenhouse gas emissions, which have made the atmosphere hotter and more humid, amplifying storm intensity. For Australia, the trend exacerbates drought risks and threatens to overwhelm infrastructure during flash floods. Policymakers must prioritize adapting to this variability while urgently reducing emissions to mitigate worsening impacts.

Source: The Conversation