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In a landmark collaboration, New Zealand and NASA have partnered on five major Earth observation research projects worth $5.6 million, aimed at strengthening climate resilience, improving environmental monitoring, and advancing space science innovation. Announced by Science and Innovation Minister Dr Shane Reti and Space Minister Judith Collins, the joint initiative is part of New Zealand’s Catalyst Strategic Fund, overseen by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). “These projects combine Kiwi research strength with NASA’s world-class space science to tackle real-world environmental challenges,” said Dr Reti. Earth from Above: What the Projects Will Do Backed by $1.9 million in NASA's technical support, the projects focus on using satellite data and machine l...

The United Arab Emirates' Just Transition Work Programme (JTWP) has emerged as a major focus at the 62nd session of the Subsidiary Bodies (SB62) held in Bonn, Germany, from June 16 to 26, 2025. The programme’s broad scope and cross-sectoral relevance have made it one of the most debated issues at the conference, as countries seek to shape a fair transition towards low-carbon economies. The JTWP, launched at COP28 in the UAE, is currently under negotiation with the aim of finalising recommendations for adoption at COP30 later this year in Belém, Brazil. Discussions at SB62 are meant to clarify the programme’s objectives, implementation methods, and support mechanisms, with the goal of ensuring that climate action contributes to economic and social equity. In the first week of talks, t...

India has emerged from the margins to the centre of global scientific innovation over the past eleven years, according to Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Dr. Jitendra Singh. Speaking at a joint press conference of all science ministries in New Delhi, Singh credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “science-led governance” for this transformation, adding that technology is now the driving force behind India’s ₹38 lakh-crore ($455 billion) tech economy contributing over 9 percent to the national GDP. From Observer to Global Leader “India no longer just participates in global science it helps shape its direction,” said Singh, pointing to sweeping reforms since 2014 that eased regulations, encouraged startup collaboration with government R&D labs, and linked research fundi...

Delhi air quality has shown consistent improvement, marking five consecutive days in the 'satisfactory' category. The city recorded an overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of 92, with Punjabi Bagh standing out as the cleanest locality at an AQI of 65, according to Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa. Minister Sirsa credited this progress to intensified pollution control measures under the Delhi Environment Action Plan 2025, a key component of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Viksit Delhi’ vision. Over the last two days, enforcement teams impounded 218 end-of-life vehicles and issued more than 11,000 pollution challans. Additionally, civic agencies have cleared nearly 11,400 metric tonnes of waste and covered over 6,400 kilometers of roads through cleaning drives. “Our crackdown on o...

Asia is heating nearly twice as fast as the global average, driving extreme weather events, ocean warming, and glacier loss that are taking a heavy toll on its societies and economies, according to the State of the Climate in Asia 2024 report released by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Record Heat and Deadly Heatwaves Grip the Continent In 2024, the average temperature anomaly across Asia was 1.04°C above the 1991–2020 average, making it either the warmest or second warmest year on record, depending on datasets. Countries such as Japan, Myanmar, Thailand, China, and India recorded exceptional heat. Myanmar hit a national temperature record of 48.2°C, while India experienced prolonged heatwaves responsible for over 450 deaths. East Asia faced months of abnormal heat stre...

Global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions hit record levels in 2024, accelerating climate change and pushing the Earth’s climate system into increasingly dangerous territory. These findings come from the third edition of the Indicators of Global Climate Change (IGCC) report, published in Earth System Science Data. The IGCC serves as an annual update to track critical climate indicators between major reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Human Activity Driving Unprecedented Warming The IGCC report, compiled by over 60 international scientists, including former IPCC authors, confirms that nearly all the observed warming over the past decade is human-induced. In 2024, global average surface temperatures likely exceeded the 1.5°C mark above pre-industrial levels, wit...

Intense, short-lived summer downpours across the Alps are set to become far more frequent and severe as temperatures rise due to climate change, scientists have warned. A new study by researchers from the University of Lausanne (UNIL) in Switzerland and the University of Padova in Italy suggests that a 2°C regional temperature increase could double the frequency of these dangerous rainstorms. The Alpine region, warming faster than the global average, is especially vulnerable. In June 2018, Lausanne in Switzerland witnessed this risk firsthand when 41 millimeters of rain fell in just 10 minutes, flooding large parts of the city and causing damage estimated at 32 million Swiss Francs. Although such extreme events remain rare today, they are projected to become much more common as climate ...

Contrary to long-held beliefs about glass being a safer packaging option, a new study by France's food safety agency ANSES has revealed that drinks sold in glass bottles contain far more microplastics than those in plastic or metal containers. The study found that beverages such as beer, soda, and iced tea in glass packaging contained up to 100 microplastic particles per litre nearly 50 times higher than in plastic bottles. Published in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, the study traced the unexpected source of contamination to the paint on metal caps used to seal glass bottles. According to lead researcher Iseline Chaib, particles isolated from the drinks matched the shape, colour, and polymer composition of the cap paint, indicating they likely flaked off during sealing. ...

  In a major push towards cleaner air and sustainable urban living, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday unveiled a comprehensive 25-point Air Pollution Mitigation Plan 2025. The ambitious plan focuses on reducing pollution from dust, vehicles, waste, and industrial sources while promoting greenery and clean technologies across the capital. “This is not just a document but a roadmap for a clean and healthy Delhi,” said Gupta at the launch event, reaffirming her government’s promise to halve Delhi’s pollution by 2030—a key pledge in the BJP’s 2025 election manifesto. Key Measures Under the Plan: Electric Vehicle Push The city will roll out over 5,000 electric buses and 2,299 e-autos this year. New EV charging stations will be installed at markets, malls, metro station...

A major new climate study has warned that the collapse of a vital Atlantic Ocean current could bring severe and unprecedented winter cold to northern Europe even in a world made warmer by greenhouse gas emissions. The research, led by Dr René van Westen and a team from Utrecht University, was published on June 11, 2025, in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. It examined what could happen if the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) were to completely shut down in the future. The AMOC is an important part of the Earth’s climate system. It moves warm water from the tropics to northern latitudes and sends cold water back towards the equator along the ocean floor. This process helps balance temperatures across Europe and other regions. However, scientists have raised c...