A new WMO report indicates the Earth's ozone layer is recovering, projected to reach 1980s levels by mid-century, thanks to the Montreal Protocol's success in phasing out ozone-depleting substances. The 2024 Antarctic ozone hole is smaller than recent years, signaling initial recovery. Continued monitoring of stratospheric ozone and related substances remains crucial for complete healing.

Rising oceans and flooding caused by climate change will threaten the homes and livelihoods of more than a million Australians by 2050, while deaths from heat-related illness will soar, a landmark report warned Monday ahead of Canberra's release of emission reduction targets this week.

Indonesia has permitted PT Gag Nikel to resume nickel mining on Gag Island in Raja Ampat, a decision met with criticism from environmental groups concerned about biodiversity loss and potential irreversible damage. Despite a previous suspension and local opposition, the government cites environmental audits and compliance as justification for the resumption.

Norway's sovereign wealth fund, valued at $2 trillion, has divested from French mining group Eramet due to environmental and human rights concerns at the Weda Bay Nickel project in Indonesia. The fund cited deforestation, habitat loss impacting endangered species, and threats to uncontacted Indigenous tribes as reasons for the exclusion.

Human Rights Watch said Thursday Zambia must investigate the health fallout of a major toxic spill at a Chinese-owned mine dam after reports of risks from heavy metal poisoning. "Zambian authorities should conduct a comprehensive investigation with international and domestic experts to identify environmental health risks, and test affected communities for possible acute and cumulative heavy metal poisoning," it said.

Canada's record-breaking 2023 wildfires exposed more than 350 million people in North America and Europe to air pollution that likely contributed to tens of thousands of deaths, according to new estimates published Wednesday. In North America and Europe, an estimated 354 million people were exposed to levels of PM2.5 above the World Health Organization's (WHO) safe limit, concluded a new study into the long-range impact of the wildfires, published in the journal Nature.

Devastating wildfires and blistering heatwaves during the world's third-hottest August on record underscored the urgency of tackling climate change and preparing for its deadly consequences, the European global warming monitor said Tuesday. "With the world's (oceans) also remaining unusually warm, these events underline not only the urgency of reducing emissions but also the critical need to adapt to more frequent and intense climate extremes," said Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service.

Portugal this year recorded its hottest and driest summer in nearly a century, with temperatures 1.5C above the average for 1991-2020 and just under a quarter of normal rainfall, the national meteorological agency said Friday. The summer months were also the driest since records began with just 24 percent of the normal rainfall during the 1991-2020 period, the Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) said.

China experienced its hottest summer on record in 2025, the meteorological authority said, as heatwaves continued to scorch the country's south. From June to August, "large parts of China experienced intense heat, with the national average temperature reaching 22.31C", the hottest summer since records began in 1961, the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) said in a social media post on Monday night.