UN Environment Programme

Find out what the Slaty Egret can tell us about the state of our ecosystems.

Global warming is set to cross 1.5°C, pushing climate risks and impacts to dangerous new heights, warns a new UNEP report. The possibility of triggering irreversible changes rises with every additional fraction of a degree, and every year temperatures remain elevated. Anticipated impacts include intensified extreme weather, ecosystem loss, and uninhabitability of Small Island Developing States and low-lying coastal cities, as well as severe damage to human health, food security, water supplies, nature, cities, infrastructure, and economies. Action now can still limit how high warming peaks, shorten the duration of the peak, and preserve the possibility of returning below 1.5°C through an ‘overshoot, peak, and decline’ pathway.

Our world runs on natural resources. And as we work to decarbonise the global economy, “critical energy transition minerals” such as copper are becoming increasingly important, with demand for these minerals on track to double by 2040. But what does this mean in practice?

The latest science shows that the planet will keep getting hotter. An alternative exists: an “Overshoot, peak and decline” pathway. Every fraction of a degree avoided and every year by which overshoot is shortened will save lives, protect ecosystems and reduce economic losses. Bringing global temperatures back below 1.5°C requires countries to act fast to cut carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases.

Denim is one of the most iconic fabrics in fashion. It is also one of the most resource-intensive. A single pair of jeans can take up to 3,800 litres of water to produce, along with heavy doses of energy and chemicals to achieve certain colours and finishes. Follow UNEP Goodwill Ambassador Amber Valletta to denim factories in Tunisia to see sustainable manufacturing in action.

Waste is piling up, harming people and the planet. Check out this interactive and learn more about how we can tacke the problem.