The first convention on protecting workers from the devastating impact of uncontrolled biological hazards was adopted at the United Nations on Friday. The Biological Hazards in the Working Environment Convention was adopted by the UN's International Labour Organization.

Photographs appear to show how nickel mining damaged one the world's most diverse marine environments

Environmental groups have praised government's progress made on marine protection at the UN meeting

Environmental groups have praised government's progress made on marine protection at the UN meeting

With one day remaining before the conclusion of the Third UN Ocean Conference, delegates in Nice are preparing for the adoption of the summit’s eagerly anticipated political declaration. Small island developing States, facing the direct effects of climate change and marine resource decline, are pushing to ensure their perspectives are reflected in global ocean policy.

Behind closed doors, in a domed conference pavilion steps away from the historic port of Nice, more than 40 ministers gathered on Tuesday to tackle one of the planet’s fastest-growing environmental threats: plastic pollution. 

With 2024 confirmed as the hottest year on record, the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a stark warning: the climate crisis is also a health crisis – and it’s already claiming lives.

May 2025 was the second-warmest on record, with the Northern Hemisphere experiencing its second-hottest spring, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service. Although global temperatures dipped below 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels for the first time in 22 months, experts warn that this threshold will likely be exceeded again soon.

Iceland is experiencing unprecedented heat, with temperatures soaring to record highs in May, exacerbating Greenland's ice melt at an alarming rate. Scientific analysis attributes this extreme weather directly to global warming, primarily driven by fossil fuel emissions. The accelerated melting threatens to disrupt global ocean currents and contribute to rising sea levels, impacting coastal regions and indigenous communities.

Dozens of countries at the UN oceans summit on Tuesday took a first step toward recognising an invisible but growing threat to marine life -- underwater noise pollution. In a step toward a quieter ocean, 37 countries led by Canada and Panama have launched a new effort to reduce harmful underwater noise pollution.