As shown in a report published by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the first of a series of continent-by-continent assessments. According to the report, Africa has gradually been warming since the start of the last century, and over the next five years northern and southern Africa are set to get drier and hotter, while the Sahel region of Western Africa will get wetter. 

The Environment Council of the European Union has endorsed a proposal by the president of the European Union to create protected areas covering 30 percent of the continent’s land and water by 2030, together with legally binding measures to strengthen forest protections. However, Europe’s governing body was also criticized by environmental and climate activists for failing to curb subsidies supporting agricultural practices that cause pollution.

The country could become the world’s biggest corn importer. The government is in fact discussing permits for millions of tons of additional imports. The decision could affect global supply chains that have already been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

A study conducted by researchers at Harvard University in the US in September showed that an increase of just one microgram per cubic meter in PM 2.5 is associated with an 8 per cent increase in the COVID-19 mortality rate. 

With borders closed to combat the pandemic, the New Zealand economy has contracted by 12 percent and hundreds of workers are missing throughout the dairy sector. Farmers are offering free accommodation, free meat, milk, honey and firewood, but very few are responding to job advertisements.