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Neonicotinoid insecticides blamed for the loss of bee colonies are also a key factor in the decline in farmland birds, possibly by killing the insects they feed upon, according to new research published this Wednesday in the peer-reviewed journal “Nature”. Biologists at Radboud University Nijmegen and the Sovon Centre for Field Ornithology in the Netherlands […]

More global effort is needed to achieve key targets of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), according to a UN report published on Monday. The “Millennium Development Goals Report 2014” presents the latest updates of global and regional progress towards the eight MDGs, which were agreed on by all UN member countries in 2000 and will

A new UN-backed report sheds light on the causes of food waste and recommends solutions and actions that could help reduce the 1.3 billion tonnes of food that is lost or wasted along the food chain each year. The report was presented on Thursday by the High Level Panel of Experts (HLPE) of the UN

The UK is threatening its long-term food security by depending heavily on imports given future challenges to food production arising from climate change and changing global demands, a report warned on Tuesday. According to the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, the UK is currently 68% self-sufficient in foods which can be

A vegetarian diet results in a more sustainable environment, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and increases longevity, according to new research from Loma Linda University School of Public Health. The study, which will be published in the July issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, focused on the dietary patterns of vegetarians, semi-vegetarians and meat

The White House has created a new task force to tackle the rapid decline in honey bees and other pollinators. On Friday, US President Barack Obama announced plans for a “Pollinator Health Task Force” which will be lead by the Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Within the next six months,

The UN Open Working Group (OWG) on Sustainable Development Goals is holding its 12th and penultimate meeting in New York this week. Representatives from UN member states are discussing changes to the “zero draft”, a document released by the OWG on June 2, which currently contains 17 proposed sustainable development goals (SDGs) and 212 targets.

The chemical pollution of European water bodies is greater than previously believed, according to a new study by the University of Koblenz-Landau and the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Germany, published in the latest edition of the scientific journal Proceedings. Together with fellow scientists from Switzerland and France, the researchers analysed data on 223

EU environment ministers have voted in favour of a new law that would theoretically allow member states to ban the cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops on their territory. At today’s Environment Council, a majority supported the compromise, with only Luxembourg and Belgium abstaining. Several environment groups opposed the deal. Under the ministerial accord, a

The UN Open Working Group (OWG) on Sustainable Development Goals has released a list of goals and targets to succeed the Millennium Development Goals in 2015. After several rounds of consultation, the Co-Chairs issued the “zero draft”, which contains 17 proposed sustainable development goals (SDGs) to be attained by 2030, as well as associated targets.