Climate change news

GLAND, Switzerlad (28 October 2025):A major UN climate report has warned that current global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have failed to close the ambition and implementation gaps, despite evidence of progress in some areas. The UN’s latest NDC Synthesis report finds that current national climate plans, if fully implemented, could result in emissions dropping by less than one third of what is needed to avert dangerous climate change by 2035. The expected reduction of 19-24% below 2019 levels is a long way from the 60% decline required by 2035 to limit global warming to the Paris Agreement warming to 1.5°C to avoid the most severe climate change impacts. Ahead of COP30, WWF is calling for a global response plan that can put the world on a 1.5°C pathway with the minimum overshoot possible, addressing energy, methane emissions, forests, heavy industry and ensure a just transition. The Brazilian Presidency will need to steer countries towards such a response to reinforce multilateralism and global efforts to reduce emissions under the climate regime. Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, WWF Global Climate and Energy Lead, said: “In the decade since the Paris Agreement was approved, there has been some progress in the right direction, but efforts so far are falling short. The 1.5°C threshold of the Paris Agreement is a legal, moral and scientific guardrail crucial to avoiding the most devastating risks to people and nature. “It is vital that we collectively act to stop pushing our planet to the brink. The science is clear, and tried and tested solutions are available now for use across every sector. What we are missing is the political will to scale up, speed up and finance solutions. COP30 must be where we see momentum pick up to secure a liveable planet for generations to come.” The report is based on the 64 national climate plans known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) that were submitted by countries by the 30 September 2025 deadline. This only represents around one-third of global emissions and excludes targets from major G20 economies. WWF urges the remaining parties to urgently deliver 1.5°C-aligned national plans before COP30. Shirley Matheson, WWF Global NDC Enhancement Coordinator, said: “While countries are making genuine progress, the gap between words and action remains dangerously wide. It is particularly disappointing that, instead of setting the pace, major G20 economies still haven’t submitted their targets with less than a fortnight to go before COP30 begins. “At COP30, the G20 must stop hesitating and start delivering. It’s time to turn the slow jog into a sprint by supercharging a clean and fair energy transition. This means increasing the share of renewable energy whilephasing out fossil fuels, mobilising climate finance and ending deforestation and the wider destruction of nature. The world can’t afford delay disguised as diplomacy.” Despite the gaps emaining on ambition and delivery, WWF is encouraged by the report’s finding that more countries have included a broader range of forest-related measures. Countries must build on this at COP30 and provide the next steps on their existing commitment to conserve, protect and restore nature and exosystems, including through halting and reversing deforestation and forest degradation by 2030. Notes to Editors: The NDC Synthesis Report is published by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and assesses the collective impact of countries’ national climate plans, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (or NDCs). You can find full details of the outcome WWF wants to see in Belém in WWF’s COP30 Expectations Paper which is available here For further information, contact WWF COP30 climate comms team cop30-comms@wwfint.org Ruth Cobbe, WWF international Media Relations Manager Whatsapp +44 7990 711935

Carbon dioxide (CO₂)levels in the atmosphere have soared to new highs in 2024, committing the planet to more long-term temperature increase, according to a new report from theWorld Meteorological Organization (WMO). In the the Greenhouse Gas Bulletin, published yesterday, WMO said continued emissions ofCO₂from human activities and an upsurge from wildfires were responsible, as well as reducedCO₂absorption by “sinks” such as land ecosystems and the ocean – in what threatens to be a vicious climate cycle. Concentrations of methane and nitrous oxide – the second and third most important long-lived greenhouse gases related to human activities – have also risen to record levels. Growth rates ofCO₂have tripled since the 1960s, accelerating from an annual average increase of 0.8 ppm per year to 2.4 ppm per year in the decade from 2011 to 2020. From 2023 to 2024, the global average concentration of surged CO₂by 3.5 ppm, the largest increase since modern measurements started in 1957. Dr. Stephanie Roe, WWF Lead Climate and Energy Scientist, said: “This new record for atmospheric CO₂ is a stark and sobering milestone - a reminder that emissions are still rising, not falling. Nature has long been our silent partner: forests, grasslands, wetlands, and oceans absorb roughly half of human CO₂ emissions each year. But this critical service depends on healthy, functioning ecosystems.” WMO released the annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin to provide authoritative scientific information for the UN Climate Change conference in November. The COP30 meeting in Belém, Brazil, will seek to ramp up climate action. “Pressures like deforestation, land conversion, degradation, and pollution are already eroding their health -and climate change is now compounding the damage. Warming impacts like heat stress, drought, wildfires, permafrost thaw, and ocean acidification weaken nature’s ability to absorb carbon. It is critical thatwe cut emissions sharply and fast, and we scale up conservation, restoration, and the resilience of nature to keep these carbon sinks intact," said Roe. WMO Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barrett saidheat trapped by CO2and other greenhouse gases is "turbo-charging our climate and leading to more extreme weather. Reducing emissions is therefore essential not just for our climate but also for our economic security and community well-being.” Today’sCO₂emissions to the atmosphere not only impact global climate today, butwill do so for hundreds of years because of its long lifetime in the atmosphere. Notes: 1. When the bulletin was first published in 2004, the annual average level ofCO₂was 377.1 ppm. In 2024 it was 423.9 ppm. 2. About half of the totalCO₂emitted each year remains in the atmosphere and the rest is absorbed by Earth’s land ecosystems and oceans. However, this storage is not permanent. As global temperature rises, the oceans absorb lessCO₂because of decreased solubility at higher temperatures, whilst land sinks are impacted on a number of ways, including the potential for more persistent drought. 3. The likely reason for the record growth between 2023 and 2024 was a large contribution from wildfire emissions and a reduced uptake ofCO₂by land and the ocean in 2024 – the warmest year on record, with a strong El Niño. During El Niño years,CO₂levels tend to rise because the efficiency of land carbon sinks is reduced by drier vegetation and forest fires – as was the case with exceptional drought and fires in the Amazon and southern Africa in 2024. 4. Read the WMO report here. 5. See WWF’s COP30 Expectations Paper here.

9 October 2025 — As the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress opens today, members are preparing to vote on a historic motion that could redefine the future of global conservation by tackling the world’s biggest threat to nature: fossil fuels. Motion 42: “Addressing the climate and biodiversity crises through fossil fuel supply-side measures and a just transition” calls on the IUCN to develop guidance, analysis, and pathways for a fair and funded phaseout of coal, oil, and gas—placing fossil fuel supply at the heart of conservation for the first time in the IUCN’s history. If adopted, the motion would make the IUCN the first major environmental body to formally call for international cooperation toward a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty—a new global framework to stop fossil fuel expansion, equitably phase out existing production, and enable a just transition for workers and communities. Hon. Ralph Regenvanu, Minister of Climate Changeof Vanuatu, says:“Vanuatu knows what is at stake. Our islands are on the frontline of this crisis. That is why we became the first country to call for a global Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty—to phase out fossil fuels fairly and support a just transition. With the recent ICJ Advisory Opinion, it is now clear: states have legal obligations to prevent climate harm. This is our chance to act together. Phasing out fossil fuels could reduce extinction risks by 75% and free up billions for biodiversity protection. By supporting Motion 42, we can show that the conservation movement is ready to confront the fossil fuel crisis head on.” Fernanda Carvalho, WWF Global Climate and Energy Policy Head, says: “Fossil fuels are not just heating the planet—they’re dismantling the natural systems that sustain life —and the longer we delay action, the deeper the damage. The IUCN has a historic opportunity to address a main cause of both the biodiversity and climate crises.The planet can’t afford to wait another four years. Motion 042 is our chance to turn the tide. It will be a critical step toward ending this harm at its source and restoring the balance between climate, nature, and people, and we urge all IUCN members to support it.” Kumi Naidoo, President of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, says: “Ending fossil fuels is not just climate action. It is biodiversity conservation at its most crucial. By passing Motion 42, IUCN will be the first major environmental body to put fossil fuel supply front and centre on the conservation agenda. This is about science, justice, and ensuring our collective survival. It is the leadership needed to set new norms, to shift what the world thinks is possible, and to inspire governments to follow.” For decades, the IUCN has guided global conservation efforts through resolutions and recommendations that influence international environmental law. However, none have directly addressed fossil fuel supply, despite the clear link between the biodiversity and climate crises. The fossil fuel industry is already responsible for over 50% of ocean acidification and widespread habitat destruction. A successful vote on Motion 42 would mark a turning point—embedding fossil fuel phaseout into conservation policy alongside nature protection and climate goals. The proposal is supported by WWF, the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, and a growing coalition of governments, civil society organizations including BirdLife International and COICA, Indigenous leaders, and youth movements, all urging IUCN to take bold leadership. For further information, contact: Ruth Cobbe WWF International Media Manager news@wwfint.org Becca Galvez Strategic Communications, Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative becca@fossilfueltreaty.org +63 917 550 0819 (in Abu Dhabi / GMT+4)

Close to 100 world leaders announced their countries’ new climate pledges at a Special High-Level Event on Climate Action as part of the UN General Assembly this year. Hopes were high that these plans would show real leadership and bring the world closer to keeping global warming under the critical 1.5°C limit. Instead, the announcements leave us concerned, said Shirley Matheson, WWF Global NDC Enhancement Lead. Scientists warn that global emissions must fall by nearly half this decade to keep 1.5°C within reach. 2024 was the first year that global heating exceeded 1.5°C for the first time ever. This is a deep concern, Johan Rockstron, Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, told the Summit. "An ever deeper concern is that warming appears to be accelerating, outpacing emissions. The long-term average warming is now between 1.3 and 1.4°C. We are on a path to breach the 1.5°C. multi-decadal boundary within the next 5 - 10 years. We must return to a safe climate future," he said. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterressaid in his opening statement, “the science demands action. The law commands it. The economics compel it. And people are calling for it.” In the last ten years, projected global temperature rise has dropped from four degrees Celsius to less than three - if current NDCs are fully implemented. We are close to triggering fundamental and irreversible climate change. All countries are supposed to submit new national climate pledges to the UN before COP30, scheduled to start on 10 November in Belem, Brazil, said Matheson. ‘Yet the newpledges, while a step forward for some countries, still add up to a dangerous path.”In the past decade, projected global temperature rise has dropped from4°Cto less than3°C- if current national climate plans (called Nationally Determined Contributions, NDCs) are fully implemented. Current commitments could lock in warming well beyond 1.5°C, with devastating consequences for communities already living with floods, droughts, wildfires, and rising seas. As of 29 September 2025, only 54 countries had submittedtheirclimate pledges formally to the UNFCCC. Of these, only half of G20 countries have submitted their NDCs. Several major economies including China – the world’s largest emitter – as well as Nigeria, announced economy-wide emissions reduction targets covering all greenhouse gases and all sectors. Other nations detailed ambitious renewable energy goals, plans to curb methane emissions, strategies to safeguard forests, and measures to phase out fossil fuels. Leaders emphasized that accelerating the energy transition can unlock jobs, growth, and energy security. Developing countries, meanwhile, underscored the importance of incorporating adaptation, resilience, and loss and damage measures within their NDCs, stressing the urgent need for scaled-up financing to meet and surpass their ambitions. The biggest issue is clear: governments are still not moving fast enough to end reliance on coal, oil, and gas. Fossil fuels remain the largest driver of climate change, yet few leaders are making the bold decisions needed to phase them out. At the same time, renewable energy — now the cheapest form of new power in most parts of the world — is still not being rolled out at the speed or scale required. Decarbonizing major sectors such as energy, transport, and industry has barely begun in many countries. This is disappointing — but not hopeless, said Matheson. The tools to close the gap are in our hands. Every year matters. Every decision matters. Stronger action on fossil fuel phase-out, faster investment in renewables, and clear policies to clean up polluting sectors could still put the world back on track. The urgency is stark. Already, millions of people are facing climate-driven disasters, from record-breaking heatwaves in Europe and Asia to historic floods in Pakistan and West Africa. Without stronger global action, these events will only intensify. Yet at the same time, renewable energy is breaking records around the world, offering a glimpse of the cleaner, safer future within reach.” “As governments head to the international climate negotiations at COP30, the message is clear: the 1.5°C goal is still within reach, but only if leaders listen to the science, step up their ambition, and deliver on their promises — not someday, but today,” said Matheson. “The UN’s The Climate Summit should have shown leadership in loads. Yet with the UN deadline for updated NDCs fast approaching, only half of G20 countries—responsible for 80% of global emissions—have clarified their 2035 ambition,” she said. “We don’t have to keep failing. COP30 in Brazil must conclude with a credible global response plan to get us on track, and we will closely watch what the big emitters will do.” Read more about WWF is doing on NDCs here – www.panda.org/ndcs

Climate change is already reshaping the world around us, threatening nature and its ecosystems on which our livelihoods depend. Its impacts are clear to see from an unrelenting cascade of disasters this year, underscoring just how rapidly the climate crisis is escalating, from the recent wildfires in Turkey to flash-floods in Pakistan, destroying lives and devastating local communities. Businesses have a key role to play in addressing these interconnected crises and in building their own resilience. That is why WWF is working with companies in its Climate Business Network to reduce emissions and help secure a future where people and nature thrive. Climate Business Network members include brands like IKEA and H&M, which have endorsed and are using WWF’s framework to successfully implement climate action plans. Beyond Net-Zero: WWF’s guide for businesses to help drive climate actionpresents seven leadership actions that help organisations take meaningful climate action. These actions, aligned with leading climate frameworks and initiatives, are laid out to help sustainability officers engage their business on climate action with clarity and confidence. Seán Mallon, Climate Business Network Lead at WWF, said:“This is an indispensable guide for corporate climate leadership. With growing pressure, shifting standards, and rising expectations, many companies are struggling to translate their climate ambitions into meaningful action.The framework is focused on helping companies halve emissions by 2030 and reach net-zero by 2050, while playing an active role in restoring nature.” Beyond Net-Zero provides one coherent guide, filled with helpful steps to supportbusinesses of all sizes to identify gaps in their climate plans and resolve them with best practices and metrics for monitoring and disclosing. For more information on Beyond Net-Zero: WWF’s guide for businesses to help drive climate action and WWF's work with businesses click here. Ends For more information, contact: Seán Mallon, Global Lead, Climate Business Network, SMallon@wwf.org.uk.

22 July 2025: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres todaycalled for a ‘supercharged surge for renewable energy’ in a keynote speech in New York, saying that the world was on the ‘cusp of a new era, with fossil fuels running out of road, and the sun rising on a clean energy age.’ A new report, Supercharging the new energy era of renewables, efficiency and electrification, launched today at the event, shows how far the world has progressed in the decade since the Paris Agreement sparked a clean energy revolution. The report sets out evidence for the ‘surge’ and making recommendations to supercharge it.Just follow the money,said Guterres, pointing out the following: $2 trillion went into clean energy last year – that’s $800 billion more than fossil fuels, and up almost 70% in ten years. New data released today from the International Renewable Energy Agency shows that solar – not so long ago four times the cost of fossil fuels – is now 41% cheaper. Offshore wind – 53% cheaper. Over 90% of new renewables worldwide produced electricity for less than the cheapest new fossil fuel alternative. He said this signalled notjust a shift in power, it was ‘a shift in possibility’ to repairthe world’s relationship with the climate, increasing the reasons to be hopeful rather than just staring at ‘doom and gloom’. “This transformation ... is fundamentally about smart economics.” Responding to the comments, Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, WWF Global Climate and Energy Lead said: “I couldn’t agree more. The climate economy is no longer emerging, and the fossil fuel era is waning – its end is in sight. There is undeniable evidence of the growth in renewable energy globally, giving momentum to development. This year is the year that we must seize the opportunity to promote more competitiveness, economic growth and development in our energy choices.” The report makes six key recommendations to supercharge the surge to renewable energy: Provide policy coherence, clarity and certainty. Invest in enabling infrastructure for the 21st Century energy system. Meet new electricity demand with renewables, especially for rapidly growing sectors like big tech – especially for AI and data centres. Place people and equity at the heart of the just energy transition, to drive inclusive economic development. Supercharge the transition by increasing cooperation on trade and investment. Dismantle structural barriers to mobilize energy-transition finance for developing countries. Notes for Editors: Read more about the UN SG’s speech and the new report here See what WWF is doing to support the energy transition Read WWF’snew report on how governments can include fossil fuel phase out in NDCs 3.0 Read WWF’s COP30 policy asks for phasing out fossil fuels For further information, contact news@wwfint.org or Mandy Woods mwoods@wwfint.org

As temperatures rise, reindeer face a growing struggle to reach the lichen they depend on. More frequent and intense droughts, storms and heat waves, melting glaciers, warming oceans and rising sea levels – climate change is already causing immense harm to the natural world, putting countless species, including our own, at risk.  WWF’s ‘How climate changes wildlife’ series focuses on the need to safeguard wildlife around the world from these harmful impacts. In our final feature, we look at how wildlife in a colder climate– in the area of the Arctic from the top of Europe to the North Pole – are coping in a warming world. The Arctic climate is changing more dramatically than anywhere else on Earth, with temperatures rising three times faster than the global average. This has huge implications for the planet – from the meltwater of the Greenland ice sheet set to raise sea levels by 33cm by the end of this century to the loss of the bright white sheets of Arctic sea ice, which previously helped stop heat being absorbed by the ocean. These changes are also having a huge impact on Arctic wildlife – from millions of migratory birds to species uniquely shaped by the Arctic environment such as narwhal, polar bear, reindeer and walrus. As well as profound changes to the ecosystems they inhabit, these species must also contend with increased development, infrastructure and shipping as the Arctic warms. Safeguarding a wetland wilderness Tavvavouma is an important 55,000 hectare wetland in northern Sweden. Every summer as the days lengthen, millions of birds migrate to the Arctic. While many of these species are declining due to threats elsewhere, in their summer homes they are mostly left undisturbed to gorge on vast clouds of insects. But the environment is changing – habitats altering, seasons shifting, food availability becoming disrupted. Understanding how birds are responding, and giving them the best chance to adapt, is critical. Tavvavouma, 55,000 hectares of wetland wilderness in northern Sweden, provides prime habitat for vast numbers of waders and other birds. It’s a landscape moulded by permafrost, dotted with semi-frozen peat hills known as palsas that provide a rich range of microhabitats. But with permafrost thawing as the climate warms, the long-term outlook is uncertain. WWF’s Tavvavouma Arctic Flyways project is working to protect the area and its avian inhabitants. In partnership with Birdlife Sweden, scientists and the local Sámi Indigenous people, we’re working to understand how climate change is affecting bird populations and to track their migration routes so we can protect their overwintering and resting grounds too. An ancient way of life under threat We are supporting efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change on reindeer (or caribou in North America), which have survived on the Arctic tundra for 600,000 years. Their grazing shapes the whole ecosystem, and they’re central to the culture of Indigenous Peoples across the continents. For example, herding communities in Sápmi – the Arctic region inhabited by the Sámi people in Finland, Norway, Russia and Sweden – have depended on reindeer for food and livelihoods for millennia. In Finnish Sápmi, the average temperature has already risen by 2.3°C, and snow and ice conditions are changing. In the winter, reindeer dig through the snow to eat the lichen beneath – but warmer weather is leading to wetter snow that compacts and forms icy crusts, locking the precious lichen out of reach. In some recent winters, thousands of reindeer have starved to death. Some herders have resorted to supplementary feeding, but many can’t afford to. We have opposed development that could further threaten migration routes and grazing grounds. But the future of an ancient way of life hangs in the balance. Arctic giant's shrinking environment Polar bears are the world’s largest land predator but they’re also highly vulnerable to the changing Arctic. Climate change and habitat loss are the number one threats to polar bear populations. The sea ice where they live, feed and breed is shrinking. And as the sea ice disappears, polar bears too are likely to disappear from parts of the Arctic by the end of the century. In Norway’s Svalbard archipelago, polar bears are holding on – for now. Around 300 bears are resident full-time on the islands, and while there’s less sea ice to hunt from, they’re adapting by hunting more on land, consuming more birds and eggs, and even catching reindeer. A larger population of polar bears visit Svalbard for some of the year, but head north as the sea ice retreats. These bears, too, are surviving for now – but face an uncertain future. We’re continuing to monitor polar bear populations in Svalbard and other parts of the Arctic to better understand how they’re adapting to climate change, while also working to protect key habitats and minimize potential conflict with people. When two worlds collide Whales depend on the bountiful food supply available in the Arctic. Melting sea ice isn’t just changing the Arctic ecosystem, it’s also opening the Arctic Ocean up to more shipping. From 2013 to 2023, the number of ships entering the Arctic increased by more than a third, and the distance travelled doubled – trends which are only increasing. This raises the risk of fatal collisions between ships and whales, while also exposing marine mammals to underwater noise pollution, which can make it harder for them to navigate, find food and avoid predators. Endemic species – notably the narwhal, beluga and bowhead whales – are especially vulnerable, as they’ve evolved to depend on sound cues in these dark waters. In response, we’ve been mapping out overlaps between shipping and whale migration routes so we can protect these vital “blue corridors”. We’re also pushing for greater protection of the Arctic Ocean, in line with international commitments to protect and conserve 30 per cent of land and sea by 2030. We’ve mapped out how this could be done via ArcNet – anetwork of 83 priority conservation areas covering about 5.9 million square kilometres across the Arctic. By working alongside Arctic peoples to protect key habitats and closely monitor changes in the environment, we can help give Arctic wildlife the best chance of adapting to a changing climate. But the single most important thing we can do for Arctic species? Reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as far and as fast as we possibly can. See more: WWF Global Arctic Programme How climate changes wildlife Beginning in Africa and journeying northwards to the Arctic, this four-part seriesexamines how climate change is affecting wildlife. Part 1: Deepening drought and the threat to iconic African elephants Part 2: Coping with change in a warming Mediterranean Part 3: Fire and resilience on the Iberian Peninsula Part 4: How rapid warming impacts a cold climate WWF is partnering with a pioneering public art project called THE HERDS to inspire action for climate and nature. Until August 2025, herds of life-sized puppet animals are stampeding through city centres on a 20,000km route from Africa’s Congo Basin to the Arctic Circle − an artistic representation of wildlife escaping life-threatening climate impacts that aims to inspire urgent action by people everywhere.

On Wednesday, 23 July 2025, at 3pm CEST, the ICJ will deliver a historic advisory opinion on the climate obligations of states. The decision follows an unprecedented legal process that began with Pacific Island law students and culminated in the UN General Assembly requesting the ICJ to provide an advisory opinion on two questions: What are states' obligations under international law to protect the climate system from greenhouse gas emissions? What are the legal consequences for states that fail to meet these obligations? “This ICJ decision could be the fork in the road that leads us to a better future. It has the potential for far-reaching implications for national decisions on climate action and demands that states fulfil their obligations to respect and ensure people’s lives and rights as well as nature and ecosystem integrity and a stable climate system," saidManuel Pulgar-Vidal, WWF's Global Climate and Energy Lead. Many submissions to the International Court of Justice have rightly focused on human rights and transboundary harm. WWF made a submission that emphasizes the fact that the Court cannot lose sight of the inextricable link between climate change and biodiversity. WWF argues that countries have a legal duty to protect and restore biodiversity, recognizing that nature is both threatened by rising emissions and part of the solution to securing a stable climate system. Nature has slowed global warming, but ecosystems remain under serious threat. WWF highlighted to the Court that ecosystems under threat from climate change cannot perform their critical role in climate regulation. Healthy biodiversity is not just threatened by climate change – it's essential for a stable climate system. "We will not succeed in having a stable climate systemif nature loss continues. Our submission to the ICJ highlighted that states have existing legal obligations to protect biodiversity and nature from the harmful effects of greenhouse gas emissions,” he said. How it all started When the decision is delivered, it will be culmination of anunprecedented legal process that began in 2021 when law students in Vanuatu, facing the existential threat of sea-level rise, launched a campaign for legal clarity on climate obligations. Despite contributing less than 0.01% of global greenhouse gas emissions, small island states like Vanuatu and Tuvalu risk being completely submerged by climate change. Under Vanuatu's leadership, a coalition of 132 nations secured unanimous adoption of a UN General Assembly resolution in March 2023, asking the ICJ to clarify the two fundamental questions. Legal context The ICJ opinion arrives amid a remarkable convergence of international climate jurisprudence. In May 2024, theInternational Tribunal for the Law of the Searuled that states have legal obligations to tackle the climate crisis to preserve marine ecosystems. Earlier this month, theInter-American Court of Human Rightsissued a comprehensive advisory opinion recognizing the "right to a healthy climate" as an autonomous right protecting the components of the environment. These opinions – along with a pending request before the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights (submitted in May 2025), represent an unprecedented opportunity to clarify states' obligations regarding climate change, across global jurisdictions. They have the potential to send powerful legal signals that states need to fulfil their duties under international law. The ICJ's advisory opinion carries tremendous legal weight and will be an authoritative statement of the law. Legal observers anticipate the Court may address key questions including whether the duty to prevent transboundary environmental harm applies to greenhouse gas emissions; the steps states must take to minimise harm to others arising from their carbon emissions; how international human rights law intersects with climate obligations, and whether legal obligations extend to future generations. 1. The ICJ will deliver its Advisory Opinion at 3:00 PM CEST on 23 July, 2025, with livestream availablehere 2.Read WWF'ssubmissionto the ICJ (full version and summary), and see our earlier blogs on the ICJ advisory opinionhereandhere Contactnews@wwfint.orgor Mandy Woods mwoods@wwfint.org to request interviews with our experts.

9 July 2025 – The final declaration from BRICS+ leaders, released at their summit yesterday, offers important steps on environmental issues, especially around forests and biodiversity. But when it comes to climate, the message falls short — and the moment demands much more, says WWF. On the positive side, the group has, for the first time, laid out a political vision for nature that builds on previous statements. The declaration provides visibility to international cooperation and climate finance, reaffirming developed countries’ historical responsibility, while recognizing the value of South-South cooperation in bridging the growing gap in climate funding, says Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, WWF Global Climate and Energy Lead. “There is welcome language on forests, including support for the Tropical Forest Forever Fund, a Brazilian-led initiative that could help scale up forest finance and sustainable forest management in tropical countries. But major omissions overshadow those positives.” The climate crisis is treated as background noise, scattered across chapters, with no real integration with important issues such as trade, finance, peace, or multilateral governance. There is still no clear articulation of the BRICS+ role in the global climate response, he noted. Tatiana Oliviera, WWF-Brazil policy specialist said: “A serious concern is the recognition that fossil fuels remain important for BRICS+ countries; this is completely misaligned with a 1.5°C future and will drive further climate chaos. Even the potential for leadership on renewables, where BRICS countries like Brazil, India, and China already have strong examples, is left unexplored.” Shirley Matheson, WWF Global NDC Enhancement Coordinator, said the declaration fails to present BRICS+ as a climate leader. It includes no clear pressure for the delivery of upcoming new national climate plans (Nationally Determined Contributions, NDCs) - due to be submitted this year to the UN, covering the emissions reductions plans for the period 2025 - 2030; or National Adaptation Plans, due to the UN by next year. “We also expected a call for the submission of NDCs 3.0 – strengthened National Plans – by September, but this opportunity was missed, which would have contributed to a good outcome for COP30.” With COP30 in Belém just months away, what isneeded now is a clearer, more ambitious contribution by BRICS+ to the global agenda — one that aligns nature and climate, and reflects the scale and urgency of the crises we face, says Pulgar-Vidal. For further information, contact Mandy Jean Woods mwoods@wwfint.org

3 July 2025 - The European Commission yesterday announced its highly anticipated climate target, pledging to achieve a 90% reduction of green. house gas emissions from 1990 levels. This will form the basis for its national climate plan (or Nationally Determined Contribution NDCs) which the EU must submit to the UN this year, along with all other countries who signed the Paris Agreement, a legally binding international treaty on climate change, approved by 196 countries in 2015. All eyes are on the European Union to lead the charge for ambitious climate action, especially given the current geopolitics. WWF urges the EU to seize this moment and send a clear message that climate leadership means action at home and stronger commitments on the global stage. Shirley Matheson, WWF Global NDC Enhancement Lead cautioned that while the target set was 'good', there is a catch: “By sneaking in international offsets and leaning heavily on permanent carbon removals, the European Commission has built loopholes into the heart of the proposal, turning what should be a serious plan to cut emissions into a cleverly disguised escape clause. “The EU has the credibility, influence, and responsibility to go first and go fast," she said. "Conscious climate action leads to economic development and energy security without relying on fossil fuels, and the EU is best placed to lead the pack on building confidence around this. The NDC 3.0 is the opportunity to prove it.” WWF expects the EU to set a 2035 target based on a straight-line trajectory between 2030 and 2040. This would amount to around 73% emissions reduction. However, taking responsibility and economic opportunity into account, WWF recommends front-loading the necessary climate activities in the first half of the decade, said Matheson. For further information, contact: news@wwfint.orgor Mandy Woods mwoods@wwfint.org