Despite scientific consensus on human-induced global warming, former US President Donald Trump has consistently denied its human origins. In 2012, he famously claimed climate change was "a hoax invented by the Chinese to make US manufacturing less competitive."

This political stance, compounded by the pandemic, has significantly hindered environmental progress. SustainabilityX magazine summarizes Trump's impact and offers a "what not to do" list to inspire action for the new year.

Carbon pricing is rapidly advancing worldwide, with significant developments like the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and new initiatives in Canada and Mexico. CCL Policy Fellow Dr. Danny Richter will provide a global overview, highlighting how America’s trading partners are using carbon pricing to cut pollution, level the playing field, and drive clean innovation.

Understanding these international trends is crucial for U.S. policy, especially as border adjustments and carbon efficiency become central. This session equips policy advocates with the global context and talking points needed to champion smart, fair carbon policy at home.

Independent analyses by NASA and NOAA confirm that Earth's global surface temperatures in 2019 ranked as the second-warmest since 1880. Temperatures were 2°F (1.1°C) warmer than the late 19th century, second only to 2016.

This data continues the planet's long-term warming trend, with the five warmest years on instrumental record all occurring in the last five years. More information is available at NASA's press release.

Join us live on March 19, 2025, with New York Times bestselling author Paul Hawken to explore carbon, the planet's most versatile element. Often maligned as a climate change driver, carbon is, in fact, essential for all life.

In his new book, "Carbon: The Book of Life," Hawken offers a panoramic view, exploring carbon's omnipresence, its life-giving power, and future possibilities. He illuminates the subtle, inseparable connections between nature, carbon, and ourselves.

Speakers include Paul Hawken (Environmentalist; Author; X @PaulHawken) and Lesley McClurg (Science Reporter, KQED).

Artisanal fishing communities in Abandze, Ghana, face declining living standards and revenues due to sea pollution, climate change, and resource competition.

The Africa Center of Excellence on Coastal Resilience (ACECoR) at the University of Cape Coast addresses this by training scientists to educate communities, shape policies, and manage coastal resources. This initiative aims to spur economic growth, reduce poverty, and adapt to climate change. Learn more.

The World Bank Group, a key source of funding and knowledge for low-income countries, is committed to reducing poverty and promoting sustainable development. Learn more about the World Bank Group.

Stark global temperature rise predictions and the urgent need for climate action are taking an immense emotional and psychological toll on scientists. Inspired by The Guardian's "Hopeless and Broken: Climate Scientists Despair," climate attorney Raya Salter and IPCC Lead Author Dr. Ruth Cerezo Mota discuss their personal experiences with this despair.

Dr. Cerezo Mota, a climatologist with over 15 years in climate modeling, shares her work's real-world impacts and the challenges of political resistance, funding, and public apathy. Despite these hurdles, her motivation fuels vital research.

For more, visit Dr. Cerezo Mota's bio, Raya Salter's bio, or the FacingFuture Library.

To mark the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, Professor Gabrielle Wong-Parodi shared her reflections on April 17, 2020.

She discussed the successful implementation of resource-saving default settings on appliances, emphasizing their positive environmental impact.

Nature-based solutions (NbS) offer multiple benefits for business, nature, and people, yet their adoption by companies to meet climate goals and mitigate risks remains limited. Increased corporate engagement across value chains is crucial for achieving a net-zero, nature-positive world.

CISL acknowledges the challenges companies face in adopting NbS, particularly in quantifying benefits for initial projects like regenerative agriculture. To address this, CISL, with support from the We Mean Business Coalition, launched a diagnostic tool in March 2022 to help unlock NbS investments within value chains.

An upcoming webinar, part of CISL’s project to support business to #GetNBSready, will explore progress on nature-positive ambitions, discuss implementation challenges, and demonstrate how this tool can assist companies.