Decades ago, concerns began to be raised about the decline in honeybee populations. Although their situation has improved, the same cannot be said for other pollinating insects. Together, they enable the reproduction of nearly 90% of flowering plants and directly contribute to three out of every four crops that feed the world. We examine the causes of this decline, their current situation, and the measures being taken to protect them.
Between 2013 and 2023, global emissions of anthropogenic air pollutants decreased significantly thanks to various regulations, improving air quality and public health. However, aerosols that form part of these emissions reduce incoming solar energy. According to a study published in PNAS, this means that 52% of the acceleration in global warming can be attributed to the reduction of atmospheric aerosols over that decade, compared with the period between 1970 and 2012. The study focused on the reduction of emissions from three major sources: China, land regions outside China, and international shipping. According to the authors, air pollution mitigation policies should focus on reducing CO₂ and methane emissions, rather than solely targeting overall reductions in atmospheric pollution.
An analysis by World Weather Attribution shows that players and fans face a much higher risk of extreme heat and humidity at the 2026 FIFA World Cup—to be held from June 11 to July 19 in North America—compared to the 1994 tournament held on the same continent. The report analyzes the likelihood that each of the 104 matches to be played in Canada, the United States, and Mexico will meet the safety guidelines set by the FIFPRO players’ union. Nearly a quarter of the matches will be played when conditions exceed a wet-bulb temperature of 26°C—an index that measures the body’s ability to cool itself—which requires cooling breaks. In addition, five matches will exceed the 28°C threshold for this indicator—equivalent to 38°C in dry heat—a limit set by FIFPRO for postponing matches.
A study conducted by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), in collaboration with the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS), has analyzed short-term mortality associated with the combined effects of multiple air pollutants in 31 European countries. According to their estimates, this exposure is associated with 146,500 premature deaths per year and affects people differently depending on age, sex, and cause of death: young men are more vulnerable than young women, but the pattern reverses with age. The authors, who published the study in Nature Health, propose creating a new generation of impact-based early warning systems specifically targeting vulnerable groups.
European regions with the greatest economic inequalities face a higher risk of mortality from both cold and heat, while wealthier regions face a higher risk during heat waves and a lower risk from cold. These findings come from a study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) and published in Nature Health. According to the authors, the greater vulnerability to heat in regions with higher GDP could be due to a greater presence of heat islands and urbanization in those areas, while the lower risk from cold could be explained by better-insulated homes and lower energy poverty. The results are based on an analysis of a mortality database covering the years 2000 to 2019 and including the urban and rural populations of 32 European countries.
Rapid warming in Europe is reducing snow and ice cover, while very high air temperatures, drought, heatwaves, and record ocean temperatures are affecting regions from the Arctic to the Mediterranean. These are the main findings of the State of the Climate in Europe (ESOTC) 2025 report, prepared by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), which operates the Copernicus Climate Change Service, and by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The data show that 95% of the continent recorded above-average annual temperatures last year, and river flows were below average for 11 months.
A study claims that 98% of the environmental claims made by meat and dairy companies constitute greenwashing—statements and promises of environmental action that are not backed by scientific evidence. The analysis is based on 1,233 claims published between 2021 and 2024 in sustainability reports and on websites (for example, “producing carbon-neutral dairy products by 2050 at the latest”) by 33 major companies, including Danone and Nestlé. “The meat and dairy industry may be misleading consumers and investors about whether and to what extent they are addressing environmental impacts, including climate change,” the authors write, whose study is published in PLoS Climate..
The 2025 wildfire season was the worst the European Union has seen in the last century. According to a report by the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), managed by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), more than one million hectares were burned last year. Some 43% of that figure was burned in the major fires that occurred in Spain and Portugal during the summer. The report also covers the rest of the European continent, the Middle East, and North Africa, resulting in a total of more than two million hectares of burned area.
The economic costs of CO₂ emissions can be calculated in three ways: through the historical damages resulting from past emissions; through the expected future damages caused by those past emissions; and through the expected future damages from current or future emissions. A study published in Nature concludes that the future economic costs associated with past emissions could be at least ten times higher than the costs already incurred from those same emissions. The authors estimate that one tonne of CO₂ emitted in 1990 caused $180 (around €155) in global damages up to 2020, but will generate an additional $1,840 (nearly €1,590) by 2100. The analysis covers countries, high-net-worth individuals and major companies, as well as behavioural patterns, including taking an additional long-haul flight each year or choosing a non-vegetarian diet.
Physical inactivity driven by rising temperatures due to climate change could result in between 0.47 and 0.70 million additional premature deaths each year by 2050, according to projections from a new study published in The Lancet Global Health. The study analysed data on the relationship between temperature and physical inactivity across 156 countries between 2000 and 2022. Low- and middle-income countries, where access to air conditioning, the availability of shaded public infrastructure, and discretionary leisure time are limited, were the most affected. Spain is among the European countries expected to be most impacted.