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The article explains that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), which helps keep the UK and north-west Europe relatively warm, may be weakening due to climate change and freshwater input from melting ice. Some evidence suggests it has already slowed, though measurements are limited.

Scientists disagree on how close the system is to a tipping point, but some studies suggest there is a meaningful risk of collapse within decades. A weaker AMOC would reduce warming in Europe and increase storminess, while a full collapse could lead to rapid cooling in parts of Europe and major disruptions to global rainfall systems, including monsoons.

Source: BBC

According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service, 2024 was the hottest year ever recorded globally and the first calendar year with an average temperature more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. December 2024 was the second-warmest December on record, capping a year of exceptional heat, unusually warm oceans, and record-low Arctic sea ice for December. The report highlights that global temperatures continue to rise due to human-caused climate change, underscoring the urgency of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Source: Copernicus

A Reuters analysis says a new U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement under Donald Trump would likely have greater impact than the 2017 exit. The article argues that global climate efforts are now more dependent on coordinated policy, investment, and emissions targets, so a second withdrawal could weaken international momentum, reduce pressure on other countries to strengthen climate commitments, and complicate climate finance and clean energy cooperation.

Source: Reuters

A 2024 analysis found that climate change caused by fossil fuel emissions exposed the average person to about six extra weeks (41 days) of dangerous heat during the year. The worst impacts were felt in Caribbean and Pacific island nations, where some people experienced up to 150 additional days of extreme heat. Researchers warn that heatwaves are the deadliest climate related hazard, yet their death toll is often under reported. The study also links climate change to stronger hurricanes, floods, droughts, and other extreme weather events, emphasizing the need to reduce fossil fuel use and improve climate adaptation measures.

Source: Daily Mail

A BBC investigation reports that COP29’s chief executive, Elnur Soltanov, appeared to discuss potential fossil fuel investment opportunities with undercover reporters posing as investors. In secretly recorded footage, he promoted Azerbaijan’s oil and gas assets while also describing the COP process as focused on transitioning away from hydrocarbons. Critics, including senior climate figures, called his behavior a serious conflict of interest and a “betrayal” of the COP process.

The report highlights concerns about credibility and integrity at climate negotiations, especially as COP summits are meant to accelerate the phase out of fossil fuels. The UN said officials must follow strict impartiality rules, while the case adds to wider scrutiny over fossil fuel influence in global climate diplomacy.

Source: BBC

This study provides the first daily projections of when the Arctic Ocean could experience its first ice-free day, revealing that this could happen as early as 2030 or as late as 2100. Using daily data from multiple CMIP6 models, researchers found a wide range of outcomes, but in several simulations, the first ice free day occurs within 3–6 years from a 2023 equivalent state. These early projections are linked to rapid sea ice loss and unusually strong winter and spring warming, indicating a potentially abrupt and high-impact climate transition.

Source: Nature, Daily Mail

Shell won its appeal against a 2021 Dutch court ruling that had ordered it to cut global carbon emissions by 45% by 2030. The appeals court recognized Shell’s responsibility as a major polluter but decided that legally binding emission cuts on a single company aren’t the right way to achieve climate goals.

Environmental group Milieudefensie, which brought the case, expressed disappointment but noted the case’s role in increasing corporate accountability. The court upheld NGOs’ right to sue and urged oil companies to consider climate impacts, but ruled Shell can’t be legally required to cut customer and supplier emissions.

Shell welcomed the decision and reaffirmed its voluntary goal to halve its operational emissions by 2030. The case may still go to the Dutch supreme court, but only on legal grounds.

Source: The Guardian

An Oxfam report reveals that up to $41 billion—nearly 40% of the World Bank’s climate finance over the past seven years is unaccounted for due to poor record keeping. With no clear public record of how the funds were used, it’s impossible to assess their impact or confirm they supported climate related initiatives. As the largest multilateral provider of climate finance, the Bank’s lack of transparency raises serious concerns. Oxfam also found that accessing even basic information on the Bank’s climate spending was extremely difficult.

Source: Oxfam, Investopedia

Scientists from Newcastle University have successfully used selective breeding to produce corals with greater resistance to ocean warming—a promising step in the fight against climate driven coral bleaching. Bleaching, triggered by heat stress, occurs when corals expel the algae that provide them with energy and color, often leading to sickness or death if prolonged.

The five-year study, published in Nature Communications, showed that even within a single generation, selectively bred corals exhibited improved heat tolerance. The team tested coral responses to both short, intense heat spikes and longer-term temperature increases, finding that about 25% of heat resilience was inherited from parent corals.

While the research demonstrates that selective breeding can enhance coral resilience, scientists stress it is not a standalone solution. Ongoing ocean warming driven by climate change requires urgent global action, and breeding methods must be part of a broader strategy. The team now plans large-scale field trials to test these lab-grown corals directly on reefs.

Source: VOA News

Since February 2023, the world has experienced its most extensive coral reef bleaching event on record, with 77% of global reef areas exposed to heat stress driven by climate change and record ocean temperatures. Declared in April 2024 as the fourth global bleaching event since 1998, it has already surpassed the previous 2014–2017 record in scale, affecting reefs in 74 countries and territories.

This unprecedented event has prompted an emergency session on coral reefs at the upcoming UN COP16 summit, with scientists warning that reefs may have already passed a critical tipping point at just 1.3°C of global warming. The bleaching is exacerbated by the recent El Niño, though hopes for recovery hinge on a potential La Niña and cooler seas. Still, experts fear that ongoing warming could push the planet into a state of chronic global bleaching, threatening biodiversity, food security, and a $2.7 trillion reef economy.

Source: CNN