A new environmental licensing law has been criticised by environmentalists as Brazil prepares for COP30.

Experts warn the move will severely curb the federal government's ability to combat climate change.

In a world increasingly shaped by climate extremes, environmental experts are delivering a blunt warning: four rapidly emerging threats could reshape life for millions unless urgent action is taken.

Nations are pursuing underwater exploration for highly sought-after rare earth minerals, but the head of the UN’s International Seabed Authority (ISA) said the deep-sea belongs to no single country or corporation as efforts are underway to ensure this rich resource will not become “the Wild West” of exploitation.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, Netherlands, issued its advisory opinion on the obligations of States in respect of climate change, read out by the President of the Court, Judge Iwasawa Yuji, on Wednesday. 

Protecting underwater ecosystems from the growing interest in rare mineral mining, framing deep-sea laws and building a biobank are among landmark achievements of the UN’s International Seabed Authority (ISA), which is marking its 30th anniversary at its Kingston, Jamaica, headquarters.

UN Secretary‑General António Guterres declared the world has “passed the point of no return” on the shift to renewables and implored governments to file sweeping new climate plans before November’s COP30 climate summit in Brazil, saying the fossil fuel era is nearing its end.

Worldwide, some of the most widespread and damaging drought events in recorded history have occurred in recent years due to climate change and resource depletion. 

BBC News went inside -23C freezers to see the ice that could "revolutionise" our knowledge of climate change.

Spacious paddocks, green pastures, and a devoted all-female staff: on Long Island, a strip of land surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean near New York City, horses once destined for slaughter are given a second chance – to live, and to help people heal. The farm, founded in 2010 by Marisa Striano, is named after her beloved horse, Spirit. It offers healing – for both horses and humans in need.