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Environment and development AL-BIA WAL-TANMIA Leading Arabic Environment Magazine

314 - May 2024
Editorial
Forum
Najib Saab
Arab Environment Challenges in a Changing World
Najib Saab
The world has faced enormous crises in recent years, from the Corona pandemic to the devastating war in Ukraine, the ethnic genocide in Palestine
more...

Ani Dasgupta
Investing in Climate Resilience
Ani Dasgupta
From rising energy bills to children breathing polluted air and communities being hit by floods, droughts and extreme heat
more...

Antonio Guterres
World Environment Day 2026: Climate Ultimatum
Antonio Guterres
This World Environment Day, warning signals are everywhere
more...
 
 
 
Meet the
 Editor-in-Chief Najib Saab 		 
 
Selected articles News
EU rules could make fossil-free aviation fuels unnecessarily expensive and energy-intensive 14/5/2026
The effects of the Iran war on the oil market have brought renewed attention to the EU’s plans for domestic production of fossil-free aviation fuels. But EU rules for synthetic aviation fuels risk steering development towards production pathways that are both more expensive and more energy-intensive than necessary – making it harder to meet climate targets. This is shown in a recent study from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, that has analysed different methods for producing synthetic methanol. ...more
 
The food commodities driving deforestation globally 27/3/2026
Maize, rice and cassava drive more deforestation than major export-oriented crops like cocoa, coffee, and rubber. This has been shown by researchers from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, in the most comprehensive global survey of how different commodities are causing deforestation. The study confirms the major impact of meat production, but reveals several overlooked drivers of deforestation. ...more
 
Local water supply crucial to success of hydrogen initiative in Europe 26/2/2026
Green hydrogen is considered to be an important part of the global climate transition, especially as a fuel and energy carrier for heavy transport and industry. However, large-scale green hydrogen production requires sustainable ways of managing water resources to avoid giving rise to water shortages and conflicts with agriculture over access. This has been shown in a unique study from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, that connects local water supply with a range of scenarios for future hydrogen needs in Europe. ...more
 
Solar hydrogen can now be produced efficiently without the scarce metal platinum 9/1/2026
A research team led by Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have presented a new way to produce hydrogen gas without the scarce and expensive metal platinum. Using sunlight, water and tiny particles of electrically conductive plastic, the researchers show how the hydrogen can be produced efficiently, sustainably and at low cost. ...more
 
The Paris Agreement at 10: A Celebration and a Call to Action 13/12/2025
Ten years ago, we witnessed something akin to a miracle. ...more
 
Climate Action Has a Messaging Problem 14/9/2025
In the summer of 2024, Dutch citizens ranked climate change as the most serious problem facing the world. Just a few months later, they elected a national government that ran on a platform of pulling back its climate policies. ...more
 
Europe’s Soaring Heat and the Great Air Conditioning Dilemma 21/8/2025
Much of Europe sweltered in August 2025 as a heat dome spread across the continent, pushing peak afternoon temperatures to over 40 degrees C (104 degrees F) in France and Spain. Meanwhile, parts of Greece, Turkey and Albania battled historic and devastating wildfires as high temperatures scorch the land. ...more
 
Planned hydrogen refuelling stations may lead to millions of euros in yearly losses 10/7/2025
As hydrogen infrastructure is rolled out in the EU, refuelling stations must be distributed according to the same principle in all countries. But now a study from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, points to shortcomings in EU regulations. Using an advanced model, the researchers show that the distribution of refuelling stations may both be incorrectly dimensioned and lead to losses of tens of millions of euros a year in some countries. ...more
 
Ships trigger high and unexpected emissions of the greenhouse gas methane 3/7/2025
Ship traffic in shallow areas, such as ports, can trigger large methane emissions by just moving through the water. The researchers in a study, led by Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, observed twenty times higher methane emissions in the shipping lane compared to nearby undisturbed areas. Despite the fact that methane is a greenhouse gas that is 27 times as powerful as carbon dioxide, these emissions are often overlooked with today's measurement methods. ...more
 
Agricultural waste can become the clothes of the future 17/6/2025
Cellulose-based textile materials can make the clothing sector more sustainable. Currently, cellulose-based textiles are mainly made from wood, but a study headed by researchers from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden points to the possibility of using agricultural waste from wheat and oat. The method is easier and requires fewer chemicals than manufacturing forest-based cellulose, and can enhance the value of waste products from agriculture. ...more
 
Transforming waste into a public asset: Michigan State University leads next-generation anaerobic digestion innovation 10/6/2025
MSU is spearheading next-generation anaerobic digestion technologies that convert agricultural and food waste into renewable energy, recover nutrients and water, and support environmental sustainability across Michigan and the Great Lakes region. ...more
 
UAE launches Global Youth Water Envoys Programme ahead of UN Water Conference 17/7/2026
The UAE has launched the Global Youth Water Envoys Programme, opening applications for young leaders worldwide to help shape international water policy ahead of the 2026 UN Water Conference in Abu Dhabi. ...more
 
Europe's booming solar fleet has saved €20 billion in gas imports since Iran war, finds new analysis 17/7/2026
New data shows that solar installations across Europe are cushioning the continent from volatile fossil fuel price shocks. ...more
 
Drones, AI and white paint: Europe races to protect infrastructure from heat 17/7/2026
As Europe's railways buckle under record heat, roads melt and power grids strain, countries are turning to an array of fixes for ageing infrastructure, from drones inspecting tracks and AI-powered sensors to a surprisingly simple tool: white paint. ...more
 
The map predicting agricultural decline from climate change 17/7/2026
A team at the Institute for Economic Analysis (IAE), a centre under Spain’s National Research Council (CSIC), has developed a tool that can predict, with a resolution of 9.3 by 9.3 kilometres, how the planet will gradually lose its capacity to produce food as climate change advances. ...more
 
Solar met 25% of EU power needs in June thanks to quick installations 16/7/2026
For the first month ever, solar power provided a quarter of the EU’s electricity this June. ...more
 
Ten countries urge EU to rethink new carbon price on fuel 16/7/2026
Ten countries, including Italy and Poland, have urged the European ‌Union to reconsider a new carbon price on fuel, as part of a separate revision of the bloc's carbon market, according to a joint statement seen by Reuters. ...more
 
Scientists sail for Greenland to study glacier melt risk 16/7/2026
An international team of around 80 scientists and crew will set sail on polar research ship the ‌RSS David Attenborough for Greenland this week to investigate whether the island's rapidly melting glaciers could disrupt a major Atlantic Ocean current system and with it Europe's climate. ...more
 
Sharjah launches campaign to cut single-use waste 15/7/2026
The Department of Municipal Affairs has launched a campaign to encourage residents to replace single-use products with environmentally friendly alternatives as part of the emirate's wider efforts to promote sustainable living. ...more
 
EU adds some palm oil products to deforestation law, removes leather 15/7/2026
EU imports of palm oil derivatives will face the bloc's anti-deforestation rules from December 2027, while leather will be exempted from the law, the European ‌Commission said on Monday. ...more
 
New York becomes the first state to impose a data center moratorium 15/7/2026
New York became the first U.S. state on Tuesday to halt construction of large new data centers, imposing a ‌one-year moratorium as concerns grow that the facilities driving the artificial-intelligence boom are raising power costs, straining water supplies and burdening local communities. ...more
 
Development banks' climate funding hits record, but World Bank pullback looms 15/7/2026
Multilateral development banks committed a record $162.5 billion in climate financing last year, a report by the EU's lending arm showed on Monday, but ‌targets for poorer nations could be at risk after the World Bank's decision last month to abandon key goals. ...more
 
Most UK media reports on June heatwave failed to mention climate crisis 15/7/2026
Analysis of nearly 2,500 articles finds almost three-quarters made no reference to global heating. ...more
 
Europe recorded 10,000 excess deaths during late-June heatwave, data show 14/7/2026
European countries reported more than 10,000 excess deaths during the record-breaking heatwave that engulfed the west of the continent in late June, official data showed. ...more
 
‘Super’ El Niño could cause global food price shock lasting into 2028, analysts say 14/7/2026
Weather cycle threatens harvests worldwide, adding to inflation already fuelled by the Iran war. ...more
 
World Sailing measures the environmental impact of the sport’s Olympic equipment for the first time 14/7/2026
The governing body for sailing is looking at how the sport’s Olympic-class equipment is made, used and discarded, to eventually make changes that will reduce its environmental impact. ...more
 
Big bees have the most to lose as global CO₂ levels rise: new research 14/7/2026
Rising CO₂ is shrinking and weakening populations of large bees, threatening the pollination services that underpin global food crops and wild ecosystems. ...more
 
German parliament passes heating law easing renewable energy requirement 13/7/2026
The German parliament on Friday passed a contentious heating law that scraps a requirement introduced under the previous coalition for new ‌building heating systems to derive at least 65% of their energy from renewable sources. ...more
 
China and US-Mexico border experienced record dust storms in 2025, UN agency says 13/7/2026
Record-breaking sand and dust storms battered parts of China and the U.S.-Mexico border region during 2025, disrupting transport, damaging health and ‌the environment, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said in a new report on Friday. ...more
 
Deep-sea mining threatens molluscs holding promise for science, Red List shows 13/7/2026
Over half of mollusc species that cluster around underwater vents and hold promising potential for medicine and technology are at risk of going extinct due to deep-sea mining, the world's largest conservation network warned on Thursday. ...more
 
Trump administration rule weakens protections for threatened species 13/7/2026
The Trump administration finalized a major change on Friday to how threatened species are considered in agency actions, removing regulatory language aimed at ‌preventing damage to wildlife habitats and drawing a legal challenge. ...more
 
 
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