Now that the EU parliament has voted to ban combustion engines starting in 2035, scientists are asking whether this measure is ambitious enough for reaching climate targets – and where problems for future negotiations might be.

The US weather agency NOAA has just released an alarming outlook for the 2022 hurricane season. According to the report, this year could be an especially intense hurricane year. NOAA cites climate change as the cause.

After the devastating aftermath of heavy rain in July 2021 in several German states, cities and communities across the country are asking how to better protect themselves and adapt to weather extremes.

In order to meet Germany’s greenhouse gas reduction targets, we need to change our mobility habits radically. But that doesn’t mean we have to completely do without cars. Why so many people still find that difficult – and how alternatives can become more attractive.

Countless species of microorganisms, plants, and animals create a unique biodiversity on our planet. They also play a key role in ensuring a stable climate and the functioning of vital natural cycles. Increasing levels of greenhouse gas emissions are causing major changes in ecosystems and biodiversity. How can climate protection and nature conservation be thought of as two sides of the same coin?

Peatlands store large amounts of carbon and thus keep greenhouse gases out of the air – if they aren’t drained as they have been in Germany. But the draining can be reversed by rewetting the peatlands and using them differently. It’s as big a challenge as phasing out coal, experts say. But it’s worth the effort, as our new fact sheet shows.

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In 2021, record temperatures of nearly 50 degrees were reached in Canada. Asia and Europe saw extraordinary rainfall and deadly floods. Parts of Africa and South America experienced droughts. In light of climate change, the question is: How extreme will such extreme weather events be in the future?

Climate change is a problem both for the environment and for human health. In a warmer world, heat, extreme weather events, allergies, and germs threaten to wreak havoc on our physical and mental well-being. The more we protect our climate and prepare for those consequences of climate change that are already unavoidable, the more we protect ourselves as well.