Climate change

Analysis of the science, politics and economics of the climate

Latest stories

Wind turbines operate at a wind farm in Palm Springs with a sign in the foreground reading 'Warning - Gas pipeline' in California, USA.

“Energy transition” has been profoundly misunderstood

At COP29 there will be plenty of discussion about it. But the idea is more complex than many believe

winter sunrise

Justin Trudeau is paying for solar panels in the cold, dark Arctic

They can save diesel, but at a cost


A satellite image shows the formation of Hurricane Milton over the Gulf of Mexico on October 9th 2024

How Florida should respond to Hurricane Milton

Storms like it raise uncomfortable questions about the state’s future


On energy and climate, Trump and Harris are different by degrees

Green subsidies will probably survive Mr Trump’s re-election, and Big Oil will probably do just fine under Ms Harris

Can markets reduce pollution in India?

An experiment in Gujarat yields impressive results

Europe’s green trade restrictions are infuriating poor countries

Only the poorest can expect help to cushion the blow

Why it’s so hard to tell which climate policies actually work



Politics

Sport is getting hotter, harder and deadlier

As players vomit and boil, even John McEnroe reckons “it is not humane”

Woman with fresh vedetables outside a Cold Hub.

How Africans can stay cool as the climate warms

Air-conditioning is only part of the answer


A child collects water from a station pipe that supplies water in Bangladesh

The poisonous global politics of water

Polarisation makes it harder to adapt to climate change


China is itching to mine the ocean floor 

It wants to dominate critical-mineral supply chains


Simple steps to stop people dying from heatwaves

As much of the world roasts, don’t despair


Business and finance

 A view of a vineyard in Manisa, turkey

The obstacles faced by Turkey’s winemakers

Climate and politicians can hurt the vineyards

Workers collect pieces of coal in Cartagena, Colombia, on June 13th 2024

Is coal the new gold?

The world’s dirtiest fuel is a disturbingly safe investment



Why any estimate of the cost of climate change will be flawed

Temperature fluctuations are unpredictable. Humans are even more so


Climate change casts a shadow over Britain’s biggest food export

Scottish salmon farms endure a rising mortality rate


Science and data

A worker from the Mosquito Authority treats the grounds of a home in Sargent, Texas.

America’s endless summers are good for mosquitoes, too

Outbreaks of EEE and West Nile virus have health officials on the alert


Muslim pilgrims take shade from the sun underneath an umbrella during the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia

The rise of the truly cruel summer

Deadly heat is increasingly the norm, not an exception to it


Climate change is making the monsoon more dangerous

People in South Asia and India can expect more extreme weather

Why 2024 could become the hottest year on record

Global temperatures reach record highs twice in less than a week

A new age of sail begins

By harnessing wind power, high-tech sails can help cut marine pollution



Latest coverage

International

King coal is dirty, dangerous—and far from dead

Rumours of its rapid demise have been greatly exaggerated

Culture

“Energy transition” has been profoundly misunderstood

At COP29 there will be plenty of discussion about it. But the idea is more complex than many believe

Europe

Spain’s flood poses far-reaching political questions

Over 200 died. Who is being blamed?

Business

Oil bosses have big hopes for the AI boom

Data centres are fuelling demand for natural gas—for now

The Americas

Justin Trudeau is paying for solar panels in the cold, dark Arctic

They can save diesel, but at a cost

The Americas

The flesh-eating worms devouring cows

The Darién Gap used to protect Central America. Not any more

Middle East & Africa

Africa’s EV revolution has two wheels not four

E-bikes are cheaper and less likely to choke you

United States

Hurricane Milton inundates Florida

Three factors laid the ground for its destructiveness

Finance & economics

Europe’s green trade restrictions are infuriating poor countries

Only the poorest can expect help to cushion the blow

United States

On energy and climate, Trump and Harris are different by degrees

Green subsidies will probably survive Mr Trump’s re-election, and Big Oil will probably do just fine under Ms Harris

Leaders

How Florida should respond to Hurricane Milton

Storms like it raise uncomfortable questions about the state’s future

United States

Hurricane Helene was America’s deadliest storm in nearly two decades

It wiped out North Carolina’s mountain towns

Science & technology

Why it’s so hard to tell which climate policies actually work

Better tools are needed to analyse their effects

1843 magazine | The storm chasers trying to save the world from drought

Everyone agrees the planet needs more water. So why is cloud-seeding so controversial?

By Invitation

COP29 is greenwashing a dictatorship, writes Azerbaijan’s main opposition leader

Ali Karimli on the hypocrisy of holding the climate conference in a petrostate where dissent is silenced

Finance & economics

The world’s poorest countries have experienced a brutal decade

Why has development ground to a halt?

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