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Global carbon markets have crossed the $100 billion mark for the second year in a row, signalling the growing acceptance of carbon pricing as a central climate policy tool. Nearly 28 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions are now covered by a direct carbon price, a sharp rise from just 5 per cent in 2005, according to the World Bank State and Trends of Carbon Pricing 2025 report. While this expansion reflects progress at the global level, India’s experience with carbon markets suggests that scale alone does not guarantee meaningful emission reductions. Across the world, carbon pricing instruments are expanding rapidly. The World Bank report notes that 80 direct carbon pricing mechanisms are currently operational, including 37 emissions trading systems and 43 carbon taxes. Much of t...

    The failure of negotiations at the 11th Session of the Governing Body of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, held in Lima, Peru, in late November 2025, has exposed a deep and widening fault line in global biodiversity governance. What unfolded in Lima was not merely a technical disagreement over seeds, but a fundamental clash between the Global North and the Global South over control, compensation, and the future of food security. At the heart of the deadlock was a long-standing dispute over access to plant genetic resources and the equitable sharing of benefits derived from them. Developed nations pushed for a sweeping expansion of Annex I of the Treaty, seeking access to all plant genetic resources under a single multilater...

    New Delhi witnessed continued cold day conditions for the second consecutive day as dense upper-level fog and icy northwesterly winds kept daytime temperatures well below normal. The maximum temperature on Wednesday settled at 16.7 degrees Celsius, marginally higher than Tuesday’s 15.7 degrees Celsius, but still around two degrees below the seasonal average. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), cold day conditions were recorded at Palam and Lodhi Road weather stations, similar to the previous day. The weather agency has issued a yellow alert for the Capital, warning that chilly conditions are likely to persist, even as a slight rise of about one degree in the maximum temperature is expected on Thursday. Meteorological officials said shallow fog ...

    Saudi Arabia now known for its vast deserts and arid climate, was once a land shaped by flowing rivers, large lakes and fertile grasslands, according to a growing body of scientific research. Multiple international studies suggest that the Arabian Peninsula experienced long periods of humid and green conditions in the past, supporting wildlife and repeated human settlement. Today, nearly 95 per cent of Saudi Arabia is covered by desert, including the Arabian Desert and the Rub’ al Khali, or Empty Quarter. Despite this, recent scientific evidence shows that extreme dryness is not the region’s permanent natural state. Researchers say dramatic climate shifts over millions of years repeatedly transformed Arabia into a habitable landscape. Much of this transformation o...

    Every winter, the banks of the Yamuna River in Delhi turn into a vibrant refuge for hundreds of migratory birds that travel thousands of kilometres to escape extreme cold in their native regions. With the arrival of the winter season, these winged visitors settle along the river, adding life and movement to the otherwise quiet riverbanks. Among the most prominent visitors are Siberian seagulls, which migrate from the freezing landscapes of Siberia to the comparatively milder climate of Delhi. These birds typically arrive in the national capital between November and remain until March, using the Yamuna as a resting and feeding ground during their long seasonal journey. Large congregations of Siberian seagulls can be seen at Nigambodh Ghat, one of Delhi’s most promi...

The Asian Waterbird Census 2026 has sounded a major ecological alarm for the National Capital Region, reporting a sharp decline in both the population and diversity of migratory birds. The findings highlight a troubling trend in two of the region's most vital ecosystems, specifically the Surajpur Wetland in Greater Noida and the Yamuna riverine wetlands. According to the latest data, the Surajpur Wetland saw its bird count drop from 3,137 individuals across 37 species in 2023 to just 2,633 individuals belonging to 31 species in 2026. The situation is even more dire at the Yamuna wetland, where the count plummeted from 2,451 birds in 2023 to a mere 1,564 birds this year, representing a loss of nearly a third of the visiting population. Experts, including TK Roy, the Delhi state coordi...

Researchers from the Kunming Institute of Botany at the Chinese Academy of Sciences have uncovered previously unknown bioactive compounds in roasted coffee beans that could revolutionize the management of type 2 diabetes. The study, published in Beverage Plant Research, identified three specific molecules named caffaldehydes A, B, and C that effectively inhibit a key enzyme responsible for blood sugar spikes. These findings reveal that coffee is far more than a morning stimulant; it is a chemically rich functional food with significant implications for metabolic health. The primary focus of the research was the enzyme \alpha-glucosidase, which plays a critical role in the human digestive system by breaking down complex carbohydrates into simple sugars like glucose. When this process ...

The Indus Waters Treaty, a Cold War-era landmark signed in 1960, is facing an unprecedented crisis as climate change reshapes the hydrology of South Asia. In December 2025, Pakistan raised urgent alarms regarding "unusual and abrupt variations" in the flow of the Chenab River, suggesting that sudden changes in discharge patterns were impacting downstream water security. These allegations have resurfaced at a particularly volatile time, as the treaty currently stands in abeyance following the Pahalgam terror attacks in April 2025. Experts argue that the framework, which was designed for a world of predictable river flows, is ill-equipped to handle a future defined by glacial melt and erratic weather. A central concern for researchers is the rapid warming of the Hindu Kush-Himalayan re...

    The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has introduced a transformative yet controversial amendment to India's forest conservation guidelines that fundamentally alters how forest land can be used by private and government entities. Issued on January 2, 2026, the new directive reclassifies commercial plantations as a "forestry activity," effectively exempting developers from paying the Net Present Value (NPV) or undertaking mandatory compensatory afforestation. This move, which applies to the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, has drawn sharp criticism from environmentalists who argue that it removes the last financial and legal safeguards protecting India's natural ecosystems from industrial exploitation. The government defends the policy ...

    Before dawn settled over the open plains and swamps of Amboseli National Park, an unusual stillness spread across the landscape where elephants usually gather at first light. Kenya Wildlife Service rangers stood watch through the night beside a lone, weakening bull elephant whose immense body showed the strain of age and exhaustion. At 3:32 am on January 3, 2026, Craig, one of Africa’s last legendary super tuskers, lay down for the final time and did not rise again. Craig was 54 years old, far older than most wild bull elephants, and his passing marked more than the loss of an individual animal. With tusks that nearly touched the ground and weighed around 45 kilograms each, he represented a vanishing genetic lineage that once defined Africa’s elephant populations. Ve...