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Green jobs can help tackle the climate crisis and the labour market challenges faced by young people. So what exactly are green jobs? And what can young people do to create a sustainable future for themselves?

To answer these questions, on , Maja Markus holds a discussion with two young people from a trade union and an employers' organization, as well as a Junior Professional Officer working at the Green Jobs unit of the International Labour Organization ().

As we approach the halfway mark of the 2030 Agenda, the science is clear: the Planet is far off track from meeting its climate goals, and immediate and unprecedented reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are needed, says the 2023. Launched ahead of the SDG Summit and Climate Ambition Summit at the United Nations General Assembly, the multi-agency report systematically assesses the impact of climate change and extreme weather events on the Agenda's goals.

El Niño is coming, warns . Early warnings and anticipatory action of extreme weather events associated with this major climate phenomenon are vital to save lives and livelihoods. 

Haiti’s hunger crisis is unseen, unheard, and unaddressed leaving more than 4.9 million Haitians struggling to eat day-to-day. Pervasive insecurity and extreme weather conditions are inhibiting access to the rich food productive areas in the region. is optimistic that despite these challenges, empowering the local community will build long-term capacities in bridging the food crisis. There needs to be a multi-sector response and investments in the local grassroot organizations to stabilize in Haiti.

Nearly two weeks after Cyclone Mocha, a grim certainty looms as the coastal areas of and enters monsoon season. The cyclone has sent food prices soaring and wiped-out people’s slender food stocks. But now Mocha’s devastation has only deepened hunger already sharpened by the country’s conflict and political and economic crises. has distributed hot meals and emergency food assistance to thousands of people in the immediate aftermath of the storm. A funding shortfall is threatening WFP's response in both countries.

After three years of drought, more than 23 million people across parts of Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia face severe hunger. When the region’s long-awaited rains arrived in March, they should have brought some relief. But instead, flash flooding inundated homes and farmland, washed away livestock, and closed schools and health facilities. Mortality and malnutrition rates remain a serious cause for concern. and partners launched a rapid scale up of life-saving assistance in drought-hit Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia, which helped to keep famine at bay in Somalia.

Muhammad Kasim, his wife, and eldest son repair fish nets damaged during the recent floods. “We come from a family of fishermen. Fishing is in our blood – it is my badge of honour. It’s also our only source of income,” said Kasim. His lifelong profession and source of income for his large family is now in jeopardy until waters recede and ecological balance is restored. Income from fishing heavily depends on the season. As the floods struck during peak fishing season, local fishermen will have to seek other options to put food on the table. In 2022, the Government of Pakistan launched the “Living Indus” initiative to restore the river’s ecosystem, so the Indus basin can become resilient to climate change.

The UN’s  (IPCC) today released a – the first such comprehensive scientific assessment since the Paris Agreement – underscoring that effective options exist and need to be put into action now to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to human-caused climate change. The UN Secretary-General called on every country and every sector to massively fast-track efforts to tackle the climate crisis, saying “our world needs climate action on all fronts – everything, everywhere, all at once.”

Our weather, climate, and water cycle know no boundaries. International cooperation is essential to contending with our changing climate.   (23 March) is a reminder of it. This year, the observance day also marks ’s 150th anniversary. Throughout this time, meteorological services have worked around the clock to collect and standardize data that underpin the weather forecasts we now take for granted. The history of WMO is a remarkable story of scientific vision, technological development, and a unique cooperation system to serve society. !

The (IPCC) is holding (13-17 March) in Switzerland. This is the last step towards the launch of its latest flagship publication, the , set to be released on 20 March. This document will provide policymakers with a high-level, up-to-date understanding of climate change, its impacts, future risks, and options for addressing it. During the session the Panel, consisting of 195 IPCC member governments, will conduct the final review and approval of this report, which is expected to confirm that inaction is no longer an option.

People everywhere are taking steps to be part of the solution to the climate crisis. More than 10 million actions have been logged through the UN’s ActNow campaign. ActNow is the United Nations campaign for individual action on climate change and sustainability. Every one of us can help limit global warming and take care of our planet. Learn more about the campaign and log in your actions through the .

The planet is experiencing a dangerous decline of nature due to human activity. One million plant and animal species are threatened with extinction. The recent adoption of the , a global blueprint to save the planet’s dwindling biodiversity, will try to reverse this nature loss through a package of ambitious targets. But why is biodiversity so crucial to combat climate change? Discover the reasons that make biodiversity our strongest natural defense against climate change.

Methane: you’ve probably heard of it, but what is it and why is it important to reduce it? Methane is a greenhouse gas mainly emitted from dumpsites, oil and gas wells, coal mines, wetlands and cow burps.

Faced with a growing energy crisis, record greenhouse gas concentrations, and increasing extreme weather events,  in Sharm el-Sheikh (6 to 18 November) see

On September 7, the UN marked the third International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies. However, the skies are far from clear of air pollution. Only a month ago, the World Health Organization () warned that practically all the air we breathe is polluted, and that it’s killing around seven million people every year.

Conor Lennon from UN News spoke to Martina Otto and Nathan Borgford-Parnell from the , which is hosted by the UN Environment Programme (). They discussed the evolving science surrounding the issue, the extent to which air pollution is improving – if at all – and why international collaboration is essential, if the number of annual deaths is to be addressed.

Music: Ketsa, Within the Earth
Audio Credit: UN News/ Conor Lennon
Photo Credit: Unsplash/Malcolm Lightbody