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

Climate change and nature loss are no longer distant environmental concerns — they are deeply interconnected risks threatening the core of economic and financial stability. For Africa, where healthy ecosystems underpin a large share of GDP and livelihoods, the stakes are even higher. Science warns that we are approaching irreversible ecosystem tipping points. According to WWF’s Living Planet Report 2024, nearly 70% of global wildlife species populations have vanished since 1970 — a staggering loss in just over 50 years. In the same year, the world crossed a historic climate threshold, temporarily surpassing the 1.5°C warming limit set by the Paris Agreement — a clear signal that urgent and coordinated action is needed. As global awareness of climate- and nature-related financial risks grows, African central bankers and financial regulators are uniquely positioned to lead in integrating these risks which are firmly within their mandates. Their leadership will be vital in building a resilient, nature-positive financial system that safeguards both people and planet. In response, MEFMI (Macroeconomic and Financial Management Institute of Eastern and Southern Africa) and WWF´s Greening Financial Regulation Initiative (GFRi) jointly hosted a hands-on workshop from 16-20 June 2025 in Cape Town, South Africa. The event brought together more than 30 central bankers and financial regulators from 10 countries across the Eastern and Southern Africa region including Botswana, Tanzania, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, creating a unique platform for peer learning, practical skill-building, and dialogue on integrating climate and nature risks into financial regulation. Over the week, participants engaged in dynamic training sessions exploring the connections between climate, nature, and financial risk. The workshop emphasized practical tools, real-world case studies, and policy strategies that regulators can use to build more resilient, nature-positive financial systems. Speakers included representatives from the Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS), Financial Sector Deepening Africa (FSD), the South African Reserve Bank, University College London, Council on Economic Policies, Global Canopy and the Sustainable Banking and Finance Network alongside close collaboration with various WWF national offices. Key challenges highlighted during the training include central banks' struggle to address climate and nature risks, facing two main hurdles: limited detailed data for accurate modeling and capacity constraints, where even available data is hard to fully integrate into financial supervision. The complexity of the interconnected climate and biodiversity risks makes this task both urgent and difficult. Central banks should focus on sectors and regions with the most immediate risks, balancing timely action with evidence-based analysis. And while climate and nature risks require strong international cooperation, effective action begins at the country level. Workshops like this demonstrate that African central banks and regulators are not working in isolation — they are part of a growing, connected community committed to tackling these urgent challenges together. The workshop concluded with identifying concrete steps to strengthen regulation and supervision in support of nature-positive, net-zero economies. This landmark event reflects growing momentum across the continent to embed sustainability at the heart of financial governance — not as a side issue, but as essential to financial stability and long-term prosperity.

Bonn, Germany (22 June 2025) - In his fourth open letter to the negotiatorsand the world, issued on 20 June 2025, COP30 President-elect André Corrêa do Lago calls on all stakeholders in the climate negotiations process to “act decisively in the face of climate urgency through an ambitious and integrated Action Agenda at COP30.” WWF welcomes decision to have a COP30 Action Agenda that reinforces multilateralism, delivers meaningful outcomes in Belém, Brazil, and accelerates the scale-up of the Global Stocktake implementation. Fernanda Carvalho, WWF Global Climate and Energy Policy Lead, said: “We are running out of time and need concrete, large-scale outcomes to tackle the climate crisis. This is a collective responsibility — and failure is not an option. We need concerted efforts from all stakeholders — civil society, the private sector, and governments — and the Action Agenda must be an implementation enabler and not a substitute for negotiated outcomes. It must drive momentum for the full implementation of the Global Stocktake (GST), which meets the goals of the Paris Agreement. To do so, we urgently need greater clarity on the next steps, along with transparency, monitoring, and accountability mechanisms to effectively track progress.” In strengthening multilateralism, connecting the UNFCCC to peoples’ lives and accelerating the Paris Agreement implementation, the COP30 Action Agenda will endeavour to address three major challenges, Corrêa do Lago writes in his letter: Aligning the Action Agenda with what has already been collectively agreed under successive UNFCCC COPs and the Paris Agreement; Leveraging existing initiatives to accelerate and scale climate implementation; and Driving transparency, monitoring and accountability of existing and new pledges and initiatives. “To tackle those challenges, (we) envision an Action Agenda that will honour the invaluable legacy already achieved and shift its scope towards the future: from merely complementing negotiations to actively implementing agreed outcomes, with a focus on the Paris Agreement's first Global Stocktake, which is our global NDC,” said Corrêa do Lago. Tatiana Oliveira, WWF-Brazil Public Policy specialist said: “We welcome the proposal to reshape the climate action agenda, reinforcing GST implementation and embracing the Paris Agreement’s bottom-up spirit. But as the process evolves, it is essential to create capacity so the regime can actually embrace deepening civil society engagement and strengthen transparency mechanisms, because we must be able to track progress and ensure delivery on commitments.” Notes to Editors: 1. The Action Agenda will be organized six key objectives: transitioning energy, industry, and transport; stewarding forests, oceans, and biodiversity; transforming agriculture and food systems; building resilience for cities, infrastructure, and water; fostering human and social development; and unleashing enablers and accelerators, including finance, technology, and capacity-building. 2. Read WWF’s policy papers for the Bonn Climate Conference: Reports WWF 2025 Climate and Energy Manifesto WWF COP30 Expectations Paper Policy briefing papers and proposals WWF proposal for a COP30 Package on ending Deforestation and Ecosystem Conversion WWF proposal for a UNFCCC Workstream on Climate and Energy WWF policy brief on Fossil Fuel Phase Out in negotiations WWF policy brief on Fossil Fuel Phase Out in NDCs 3.0: A Guide for Decision-Makers (available in English, Portuguese, Spanish and French) For further information, contact Mandy Woods mwoods@wwfint.org

The convergence between climate and biodiversity has been getting increased recognition both from a scientific and a political perspective. This could be achieved through the implementation of national plans required under both Conventions and synergetic enabling conditions. The workstream will also aim to connect those plans to the Action Agenda and Presidency Pledges. Climate change has been recognized by the IPBES Global Assessment on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (2019) as the third driver of biodiversity loss; in its Sixth Assessment Report the IPCC has recently recommended that 30% to 50% of Earth’s land, freshwater, and ocean needs to be protected. Last year also saw a Global Report on Tipping Points2 that highlights that negative tipping points will have devastating impacts on people and ecosystems. Despite all those advances, WWF has identified an implementation gap for nature-related climate action. We believe that synergies between climate and nature must be integrated in national mitigation and adaptation strategies, targets and objectives and those must be aligned with biodiversity national strategies and plans. We also believe synergies must be considered under a whole-of-society approach, considering human rights and in partnership with local communities and indigenous peoples. WWF proposes a Belém Work Programme on Climate and Nature to be created in a Cover Decision or similar prominent text at COP30, with a year for Parties to discuss and propose a draft decision to be adopted at COP30. We envisage a minimum duration of four years for the workstream, with a decision to be adopted on conclusions/recommendations and its continuation. The conclusions/ recommendations should feed into the next GST. The workstream would be composed of an implementation component focused on designing solutions and assessing progress on specific themes (workshops) and a political component (Ministerials) with recommendations for Parties. For further information, contact Mandy Woods mwoods@wwfint.org