Global Alliance of Universities on Climate

🧊Imagine hiking in the Alps, only to find that the border between Italy and Switzerland has shifted beneath your feet. This isn't a cartographer's error but a real consequence of melting glaciers due to #climatechange. As these icy giants recede, natural boundaries blur, compelling nations to reconsider their territorial lines. ⚔️Countries tackle these shifts in contrasting ways. Italy and Switzerland model cooperation, diplomatically adjusting their borders to reflect environmental realities. Meanwhile, regions like the Himalayas and Andes see mounting tensions. In Kashmir, the retreat of the Siachen Glacier intensifies disputes between India and Pakistan, already locked in decades-long conflict. Similarly, the Andes' melting glaciers stoke competition between Chile and Argentina over critical water resources, with both nations grappling for control in this increasingly scarce landscape. 🔍 These evolving scenarios underscore the intricate link between environmental changes and geopolitical dynamics. As climate change continues to reshape our world, it challenges traditional notions of sovereignty and necessitates innovative, cooperative solutions to address the complexities of redrawn borders, which means, nations must integrate climate science into border governance, embrace flexible legal frameworks, and strengthen international cooperation to mitigate conflict and adapt to a rapidly changing world. Read more Columbia University: https://cutt.ly/KeCmVlQo   Reporter: yihang HE   #GAUC #Columbia #ClimateChange #ClimateAction #GlacierMelt

🌆 Imagine walking through a city park on a warm summer night, expecting a cool respite, only to find it warmer than the surrounding urban landscape. Surprising? A recent study from University of Cambridge reveals how planting the wrong trees in the wrong places can unintentionally make cities hotter at night. 🌡️ Trees, often hailed as a natural solution to urban heat, can sometimes have the opposite effect. The study highlights that non-native species and poorly planned tree planting in certain urban environments can trap #heat, exacerbating the urban heat island effect. This unintended consequence calls for a more nuanced approach to urban greening, particularly in regions already grappling with rising temperatures due to climate change. 🔍 These findings emphasize the importance of data-driven and context-specific strategies in urban planning. It’s not just about planting more trees; it’s about planting the right trees in the right places. Local biodiversity, soil composition, and long-term sustainability must guide greening efforts to maximize cooling benefits and support climate adaptation. Read more: https://cutt.ly/EeM6Nk1u   Reporter: yihang HE #GAUC #Cambridge #ClimateChange #UrbanHeatIsland #SustainableCities

🌡️🔥Forget the stereotype that #heatwaves only threaten the elderly. New research joined by researchers from Columbia Climate School reveals a startling truth: young people in their working years are bearing the brunt of extreme heat’s deadly impact. Focusing on heat-related deaths in Mexico between 1998 and 2019. While extreme heat claimed around 3,300 lives annually, nearly a third of these deaths occurred in young adults aged 18 to 35—a staggering figure compared to their proportion in the population. Also deeply vulnerable: children under 5, especially infants👶🧑💼. Meanwhile, those aged 50 to 70—often considered at high risk—experienced the lowest heat-related mortality. What’s behind this unexpected trend? ⚠️ Long hours in the sun, labor-intensive jobs, and economic challenges leave younger populations dangerously exposed. For infants, it’s their fragile health and dependence on caregivers during heatwaves. 🌍 As climate change intensifies, this research challenges us to rethink heat resilience and ensure no one is left behind. Learn more at Columbia University: https://cutt.ly/OeCilxXK Reporter: Yu Han Soo #GAUC #Columbia #ClimateChange #ExtremeWeather #Heat

🏜Imagine investing in green restoration, only to discover it's more desert than rainforest. That’s the challenge some human-induced forest regeneration (HIR) projects in Australia face: while aim at restoring native forests across large parts of Australia, many selected areas have never supported forests, are unsuitable for forest regeneration, and are not producing the increase in tree canopy cover for which these projects are credited. 💴Alarmingly, statistical analysis of tree cover changes indicated that while there is a minor positive impact from the projects, it is vastly disproportionate to the carbon credits issued, which are equivalent to approximately $1 billion in government funding. This finding comes from a comprehensive study by researchers from The Australian National University (ANU), University of New South Wales UNSW, and Haizea Analytics. 🚨 As Australia grapples with the imperatives of climate action, this research underscores the pressing need to reassess HIR initiatives to ensure they effectively contribute to reducing atmospheric carbon levels. Read more: https://cutt.ly/BeDUm9hi Reporter: yihang HE #GAUC #ANU #ClimateChange #ClimateAction #CarbonOffsets

A new study joined by University of Cambridge reveals that the personal carbon footprints of wealthy individuals are vastly underestimated, not only by the wealthy themselves but also by society as a whole. Meanwhile, emissions from low-income individuals are often overestimated. 🔬 To reach these findings, researchers surveyed 4,000 people across Denmark, India, Nigeria and the United States. Participants were asked to estimate their own emissions and those of others. This disparity highlights the need for accurate, transparent data on emissions to foster accountability and awareness among higher emitters. Learn more at https://cutt.ly/HeFJCG7S  Reporter: Fanghong Yao #GAUC #ClimateJustice #CarbonFootprint #ClimateInequality #ClimateChange #ClimateAction

✈️ Research from Imperial College London reveals how even fuel-efficient modern aircraft can present unexpected #climate challenges. By flying at higher altitudes to reduce fuel consumption, these planes create contrails—thin streaks of ice crystals resembling clouds—that linger longer and trap more heat in the atmosphere than older aircraft. These contrails could potentially warm the planet even more than the carbon emissions from jet fuel. Private jets, which often fly even higher, were also found to contribute disproportionately to this warming effect, raising concerns as extreme weather events intensify worldwide. This study underscores a key dilemma for the aviation industry: balancing lower carbon emissions per passenger with the unintended warming caused by persistent contrails. It also suggests reducing soot emissions from engines to shorten contrail lifetimes. Addressing these challenges is crucial for creating more climate-resilient air travel and supporting global climate action. 🔥 🌍Read more: https://cutt.ly/oeDKpLai Reporter: Bernard Lee #GAUC #Imperial #Aviation #Contrails #GlobalWarming #Climatechange 

❓The world’s biggest climate talks have just wrapped up—did they deliver the breakthrough we urgently need? ⏳In a commentary by Professor Howard Bamsey from The Australian National University (ANU), a veteran of 25 COPs in various roles, he reflects on COP29 Azerbaijan. While there was progress in #climatefinance and carbon market rules, critical issues were once again deferred. With climate change getting worse by the day, can #COP finally turn talk into real action? COP talks are often bogged down by their structure. Each year, a new country hosts, leading to a packed agenda that’s hard to manage. Key issues often get pushed to the next summit, while smaller meetings sometimes overturn COP decisions. For many delegates, it’s become more about the process than delivering real progress. 🌍COP is flawed but necessary. The author proposes five ideas to make it more effective: ·       Break up the negotiating process ·       Make regional meetings more important ·       Revise COP presidency arrangements ·       Gather more ambitious countries ·       Direct action from the largest emitters As climate impacts worsen, the urgency for a stronger, more effective COP will only grow. Read more: https://cutt.ly/HeLQNcfy Reporter: yihang HE #GAUC #ANU #ClimateChange #ClimateAction #COP29 #COP29Azerbaijan

Inspiration for your Sunday 💭 Wild animals have an essential, and often overlooked, role in reconciling efforts to mitigate climate change and to restore biodiversity. (Re-) Animating the Carbon Cycle is the natural mechanism by which wild animal species enhance the capture of CO2 through food webs. However, over the last 50 years the world has lost 73% of its wildlife populations and, right now, only 4% of the mammal biomass of the entire world is wild animals. This is what we want to change. We can turn the tide! We as humans can have an active role in re-activating the mechanism: we call it rewilding. #Rewilding #AnimatingCarbon

🌍 Reflecting on #COP29: Breakthrough or Falling Short? Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL)’s Systems Change Officer, Eliot Whittington, breaks down the highs and lows of this year’s UN climate talks. A new financial goal was set to support developing countries, but it falls short of what’s needed. Article 6 of the Paris Agreement was finalized, opening doors for global #carbonmarkets — but concerns remain about its fairness and effectiveness. 🌱Despite global tensions and leadership absences, COP29 Azerbaijan still delivered an agreement. Record private sector engagement highlighted the momentum of the green economy, showing that business and finance are stepping up — even as emissions continue to rise. 🗒️The takeaway? Progress is happening, but it’s not enough. The clock is ticking, and the world must urgently scale up efforts to address the climate crisis. Read more: https://cutt.ly/JeZpJvz5 Reporter: Angelina Sim #GAUC #Cambridge #ClimateChange #ClimateAction #COP29 #Sustainability #ParisAgreement #GreenEconomy #GreenFinance #NetZero #ClimateCrisis

As global temperatures rise, air conditioning (AC) has become a lifeline for health, especially for vulnerable groups like the elderly, children, and outdoor workers. AC also safeguards critical systems like food storage and medical facilities. However, the surge in demand—expected to triple by 2050—poses a significant #climate challenge. Solutions like greener energy sources, energy-efficient units, and equitable cooling policies are crucial to meet this growing demand sustainably. According to a commentary published by Columbia Climate School, access to AC remains deeply unequal, with wealthier areas benefiting more than poorer regions. This disparity leaves millions at greater risk of heat-related health issues, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable.   To tackle this, we need innovative and inclusive solutions. Expanding urban tree coverage, adopting energy-efficient units, and developing policies to make cooling both accessible and eco-friendly are key. These measures are not just about reducing emissions but also about advancing climate justice—providing life-saving cooling solutions to those who need them most.   Read more at Columbia University: https://cutt.ly/yeGsAciJ   Reporter: Fanghong Yao   #GAUC #Columbia #ClimateImpact #GreenEnergy #SustainableFuture #ClimateJustice #UrbanResilience