"The science hasn't changed, no other country has changed its position ... the direction of travel is the same… So, it's regrettable that the United States is out ... but we're moving ahead." Britain's climate envoy Rachel Kyte
SUSTAINABILITY
Layoffs by the Trump administration at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have reached the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL), a small but important institute that is responsible for climate models the world relies on. DETAIL
A new study has found that half of the carbon emissions that cause global warming come from just 36 fossil fuel companies. The researchers said that data from 2023 provides a clearer picture of fossil fuel companies’ responsibility for global warming. Similar reports from previous years have been used as evidence in lawsuits against companies and investors. DETAIL
The European Commission has unveiled two major legislative packages—Omnibus I and Omnibus II—aimed at reducing regulatory burdens, improving sustainability rules, and unlocking investment. The goal: Achieve a 25% reduction in administrative burdens and at least 35% for SMEs by simplifying sustainability reporting, due diligence, EU taxonomy, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), and investment programs. DETAIL
A species of fungus found in soil can be fed to cows to cut down on the potent greenhouse gas methane in their burps. “It’s a fungal soup,” says Matthew Callaghan at Roam Agricultural, a startup in Australia aiming to grow large amounts of the fungus in bioreactors. Instead of feeding cows the fungi directly, however, the company plans to extract the methane-reducing compound they make – called bromoform – and add it to feed… DETAIL
The Sustainability Standards Board of Japan (SSBJ) has officially launched its inaugural Sustainability Disclosure Standards (SSBJ Standards) to enhance corporate sustainability reporting in Japan. These standards mark a significant milestone in the country’s transition toward more transparent and internationally aligned ESG disclosures. DETAIL
China, the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, is pushing forward with major renewable energy projects to meet its 2030 carbon peak and 2060 carbon neutrality targets. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) confirmed plans for offshore wind farms and large-scale energy bases in desert regions. DETAIL
The Rainforest Alliance is updating its Sustainable Agriculture Standard (Version 1.4) to simplify certification, reduce unnecessary requirements, and improve data accuracy. The new version, informed by farmer and company feedback, ensures a more user-friendly, effective approach while maintaining rigorous sustainability commitments. DETAIL
According to the report published by the Health and Safety Labor Assembly (İSİG) for January and February, 299 people, 9 of whom were child workers, lost their lives in work accidents in two months. DETAIL
There was less sea ice covering the oceans in February of this year than at any other point on record. “One of the consequences of a warmer world is melting sea ice, and the record or near-record low sea ice cover at both poles has pushed global sea ice cover to an all-time minimum,” said Samantha Burgess at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts in a statement. DETAIL
A new executive order signed by President Donald Trump over the weekend could have a disastrous effect on endangered species, climate change and local economies, warned conservation groups. The order encouraging the “Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production” seeks to erode Endangered Species Act (ESA) protection rules in favor of the expansion of tree felling across 280 million acres of United States national forests, as well as other public lands, for timber, reported The Guardian. DETAIL
Germany's push for solar and wind power expansion to meet its climate goals and compensate for a drop in Russian fossil fuel imports has boosted its renewables sector. In fact, the share of jobs in the country related to the energy transition has more than doubled since 2019, but a shortage of skilled workers threatens a sector that has so far resisted the country's recession, a study by the German Economic Institute (IW) for the Bertelsmann Foundation found. DETAIL
HEALTH
A new study suggests, even a single night of sleep deprivation may cause significant upheaval in the immune system, potentially contributing to the development of conditions like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. DETAIL
A 3D-printed penis implant has restored erectile function to rabbits and pigs in a world first. Pigs with damage to their penile tissue that received the one-of-a-kind surgery not only achieved erections, their rates of successfully producing offspring increased from 25 percent to 100 percent. DETAIL
According to a new study, chewing on a hard substance like wood can boost levels of a naturally occurring antioxidant in the human brain, which in turn might improve a person's memory. DETAIL
DIGITAL / TECHNOLOGY / SCIENCE / ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Researchers at Ohio State University have developed a device called e-Taste that will allow you to taste in digital environments. The device releases virtual food aromas that you can swallow directly. The research was published in the journal Science Advances. The device works by obtaining the five basic tastes (sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami) with related chemicals and mixing them to represent different foods. DETAIL
Solar panels are finding new ways to fit into unfamiliar places. With that in mind, it’s taken far too long for anybody to try sticking one directly into a laptop. For MWC 2025, Lenovo showed off a Yoga Solar PC concept. Too many laptops claim full 24 hours of battery life even though you’ll never get it. Experts have seen the Yoga Solar in action, and it’s intriguing enough, considering it may actually last for 24 hours without needing to plug it in. DETAIL
A rare collision between two supermassive black holes appears to have sent the resulting merger speeding through the universe at more than a thousand kilometres per second, making it one of the fastest-moving black holes we have ever seen. DETAIL
AstroForge's (an asteroid mining startup) attempt to launch the first commercial deep space mission fell apart shortly after liftoff. A privately built spacecraft is tumbling aimlessly in deep space, with little hope of being able to contact its home planet. Odin is around 270,000 miles (434,522 kilometers) away from Earth, on a silent journey that’s going nowhere fast. DETAIL
A team of scientists has just landed a massive grant to build materials strong enough to withstand the blistering heat and radiation inside a fusion reactor, where temperatures soar beyond 180 million degrees Fahrenheit (100 million degrees Celsius). DETAIL
ENERGY / TRANSPORTATION
Australia’s first nuclear reactor retires after powering science for 70 years. ANSTO begins decommissioning Australia’s historic HIFAR reactor, marking a milestone in nuclear history after nearly 70 years. DETAIL
Uber expands Waymo robotaxi service to Texas: Uber customers can now hail Waymo autonomous vehicles in Austin, Texas, marking a major expansion for the company’s driverless fleet. The vehicles will initially serve 95 sq-km of high-demand areas in the city. DETAIL
An AI-powered and driverless Maserati MC20 has set a new autonomous speed record of 197.7 mph (318km/h). DETAIL
A new scientific study has shown that the biological effects of violence and trauma on a mother continue across generations after the violence ends. The study analyzed DNA from 48 Syrian families across three generations. Families who left Syria before 1980 served as controls. However, 14 genome changes associated with violence were found in people whose grandmothers witnessed the most devastating moments of the Syrian civil war after 1980. Eight of these were found to persist in grandchildren who did not directly experience the violence. DETAIL
CYBERSECURITY
It took less than two weeks for the North Korean state-sponsored hacking group Lazarus to launder more than $1 billion worth of ethereum (ETH) and its derivatives, stolen from the Bybit crypto exchange, analysts claim. DETAIL
Officials in Queens, New York, arrest two individuals for exploiting a backdoor at a StubHub contractor to intercept and re-sell almost 1,000 tickets to popular events. DETAIL
One of Argentina's most popular shopping apps, with a million downloads on the Google Play Store, has suffered a cybersecurity gaffe that spilled the private data of over a million clients. DETAIL
CURIOSITY
The DNA of Yersinia pestis bacteria has been found in a Bronze Age sheep, offering a clue to how the plague may have spread through prehistoric farming communities. DETAIL
