Environmental stories from around the globe this week
Verdict saying Switzerland violated rights by failing on climate action could ripple across Europe
Europe’s highest human rights court ruled Tuesday that countries must better protect their people from the consequences of climate change, siding with a group of older Swiss women against their government in a landmark ruling that could have implications across the continent.
Climate change: “Uncharted territory” fears after record hot March
Climate change could move "into uncharted territory" if temperatures don't fall by the end of the year, a leading scientist has told the BBC. The warning came as data showed last month was the world's warmest March on record. It's fueled concerns among some that the world could be tipping into a new phase of even faster climate change. Temperatures should temporarily come down after El Niño peters out in coming months, but some scientists are worried they might not.
Are glasses or contacts greener?
Every time contact lens wearers put in a new pair, they create waste: the old pair of contact lenses, the packaging from the new pair, and the bottle of saline solution. It all adds up to about a kilogram (2.2 pounds) per year, with reusable contacts generating slightly less. And with 140 million contact-wearers across the world, that means a lot of rubbish. But eyeglasses come with their own set of problems. With about half of the world's population projected to need spectacles by 2050, working out which is better for the environment could have a profound effect.
Greenwashing fear is driving investment in sustainability in Asia – but also stunting climate ambition, study finds
A fear of greenwashing is having a complex effect on the psychology of business executives in Asia Pacific, both pushing companies to improve their sustainability programs but also to retreat into their shells when setting and communicating climate goals, a phenomenon known as greenhushing. Greenwashing fear is partly being driven by tightening rules for how companies should communicate their environmental, social and governance (ESG) credentials to investors and consumers, the report’s authors say.
