UN marks World Oceans Day amid reports of ocean life killed by plastic trash

In the shadow of reports of whales and other sea life dying after eating plastic trash, including plastic garbage bags, the United Nations marked on Friday World Oceans Day. This year's theme focuses on preventing plastic pollution and encouraging solutions for a healthy ocean, said UN chief spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

Flash floods impact 500,000 in Somalia, U.N. says

 Flash floods throughout Somalia have affected as many as 500,000 people and have displaced 175,000 people from their homes, the United Nations says.

World losing biodiversity at alarming rate: UN official

Biodiversity is disappearing at a thousand times the natural rate, warned UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed on Friday.

COP 23: Syria will join Paris Climate Accord

Syrian representatives at the 23rd United Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP 23) in Bonn have announced that their country will belatedly join the Paris Climate Accord, German media dpa and Spiegel reported on Tuesday.

UN climate talks open in Bonn

The 23rd Conference of Parties (COP 23) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) kicked off in Bonn on Monday with a call to adhere to the path of Paris Climate Change Agreement.

UN says atmospheric CO2 levels have hit record high

The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has hit a new high, the UN has said, warning that drastic action is needed to achieve targets set by the Paris climate agreement.

UN Agencies: Global Hunger Rises for First Time in Decade

Global hunger levels have risen for the first time in more than a decade, now affecting 11 percent of the world’s population, as conflict, climate change and economic woes bite, UN agencies said.

Over 900,000 Sri Lankans May Face Famine Due to Drought Followed by Floods

Drought and subsequent floods in Sri Lanka threaten the food security of around 900,000 people in Sri Lanka, a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the UN World Food Programme (WFP), issued on Thursday, said.

World population to hit 9.8 bln by 2050, despite nearly universal lower fertility rates, UN says

The United Nations said here Wednesday that the world population is expected to reach 8.6 billion in 2030, and to hit 9.8 billion by 2050, despite nearly universal lower fertility rates.

Ethiopia's emergency food aid to run out next month

Ethiopia will run out of emergency food aid for 7.8 million people affected by drought at the end of this month, the UN has warned.

Renewable energy sources could be cheaper than fossil fuels within 10 years : UN-backed report

A new United Nations-backed report has revealed overwhelming consensus that renewable power will dominate in the future, with many experts saying that even large international corporations are increasingly choosing renewable energy products either from utilities or through direct investment in their own generating capacity.

World Meteorological Day celebrates importance of clouds for weather, climate and water

Clouds inspire art and thought, but few natural phenomena are as important to weather, climate or water, the United Nations meteorological agency today said, launching a digital cloud atlas to celebrate World Meteorological Day.

UN Warns of Greatest Crisis in Decades: More than 20 Million Facing Starvation

The world is facing the largest humanitarian crisis since 1945, the UN's humanitarian chief told the international body on Friday.

Americas region adopts 'historic' disaster risk reduction plan at UN-backed forum in Montreal

Around 50 countries and territories of the Americas at a United Nations-supported conference in Montreal, Canada, agreed a Regional Action Plan today to better protect their citizens from the destruction caused by natural and man-made disasters.

U.N. report estimates pesticides kill 200,000 people per year

Seeking to draft a global treaty banning the use of dangerous pesticides, a United Nations report presented Wednesday estimated 200,000 people globally die each year as a result of chronic exposure to agricultural chemicals.

New standard on aircraft CO2 emissions adopted, deputy UN spokesman says

The Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has adopted a new aircraft CO2 emissions standard which will reduce the impact of aviation greenhouse gas emissions on the global climate, Farhan Haq, the deputy UN spokesman, said here Monday.

UN climate conference adopts declaration for action

The United Nations Marrakech climate conference on Thursday adopted a proclamation calling for the highest political commitment and solidarity in the fight against climate change, amid fears that the next U.S. administration may change U.S. policy in this regard.

UN agency concerned about food security in North Korea

The World Food Programme (WFP) said that it is concerned about the food security of families affected by floods in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), especially with winter approaching, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters.

Sécheresse en Afrique australe: le pire est à venir, selon l'ONU

Les effets de la pire sécheresse de ces 35 dernières années en Afrique australe devraient s'aggraver dans les mois à venir, a alerté vendredi l'envoyé spécial des Nations unies pour El Niño et le climat, à l'issue d'un déplacement au Mozambique.

India signs Paris pact to tackle climate change

India, the world's third largest emitter of greenhouse gases, has formally joined the Paris agreement on tackling climate change, according to the UN.