News timeline

Rising defence budgets confront governments with competing demands for security, climate resilience and public services

Demand for concrete, roads, glass and reclaimed land is putting rivers, coastlines and communities under pressure

Cash transfers offer choice and potential savings, while disrupted markets and digital exclusion can limit their reach

Vienna and Mari Carmen’s case in Madrid raise questions about reconciling affordable homes, investment and property protection

Field trials show crop benefits, but mining demands and uncertain carbon accounting complicate climate assessments

Migrant money supports education, healthcare and enterprise, while transfer costs and financial exclusion reduce its reach

Hydrogen and recycled scrap can cut steel emissions, but clean electricity, investment and buyers determine the pace of change

Carbon removal is attracting investment, but costs, storage risks and limited capacity complicate its role alongside emissions cuts

Solar arrays on artificial water bodies can spare land and limit evaporation, but ecological effects remain site-specific

A 125-year-old bulb exposes genuine durability questions, while repair barriers offer stronger evidence of modern product limits

Soil-focused farming can improve measurable outcomes, although costs, yields and benefits vary sharply by place and practice

Heat plans combine public warnings and emergency relief with long-term changes to streets, homes and workplaces

Wind- and solar-rich grids are testing storage that can shift electricity across hours, nights and calm weather.

Reusing mines and power sites can unlock grids and land, but jobs, pollution and local consent remain decisive

The legal charity targets governments and companies, while court outcomes reveal the reach and limits of climate litigation

Trade and travel move organisms into new ecosystems, while a warming climate can help them establish and spread

Designing buildings for repair, adaptation and disassembly could keep materials in use and reduce demand for new construction

Illegal extraction and dumping converge through corruption, financial secrecy and international commodity chains

Shipping, construction, sonar and seismic surveys are crowding the ocean soundscape, but quieter methods are available

Debt relief can fund forests and oceans, but durable results depend on transparent finance and public consent

Rising debt costs narrow budgets for flood protection, health systems, clean energy and disaster readiness

Around 200 million animals may contribute to the livelihoods of between 300 million and 600 million people worldwide

New drilling techniques may unlock deep heat almost anywhere, but costs, seismic risk and water use remain decisive

Faster computing is intensifying pressure on electricity grids, cooling water and environmental accountability