Climate calling

This year's UN climate summit, COP28, is underway in the United Arab Emirates. For low-lying Pacific Island nations, the stakes couldn't be higher.

Representatives at the COP28 climate summit have announced a decision to launch a so-called loss and damage fund to support countries affected by global warming. It comes on the first day of the summit, with the new fund to launch by next year.

The Emirati oil tycoon leading COP28 - has denied allegations the host nation sought to strike fossil fuel deals with foreign governments as part of his official COP duties. Sultan Al Jaber says the allegations were an attempt to undermine the work of the COP28 presidency. The annual Conference of the Parties – otherwise known as COP kicks off this week – the gathering of world leaders will decide how to tackle global warming.

Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen has warned 'hostile actors' could target Australia's energy networks during extreme weather events, caused by global warming. Mr Bowen delivered the government's annual climate change statement, which showed emissions increased in the 12 months to June this year, conceding more work needs to be done.

Dozens of young people have planted a green corridor that will be a future safe passageway for Rio de Janeiro’s most emblematic and endangered species, the golden lion tamarin. It's all part of a project called Darwin200, that's retracing the sailboat expedition taken by Charles Darwin nearly 200 years ago that led to his theory of evolution.

Antarctica is often referred to as Earth's last great wilderness, but there's growing concern for one of the key species in the Southern Ocean's ecosystem. Antarctic krill are critical to maintaining the health of our planet, acting as a billion dollar carbon sink. But ocean warming and reports of over-concentrated krill fishing are threatening their populations.

As world leaders head to the United Nations Climate Change Conference next week, climate targets will be put under the microscope. But some scientists say greater attention should be placed on the role of animals in controlling the carbon cycle - suggesting the introduction of even a targeted group of species to some ecosystems could be enough to keep global temperatures below the 1.5 degree Celsius tipping point. It's a conservation process called 'Rewilding' - which involves re-patriating wildlife to damaged ecosystems - and allowing nature to 'bounce back.'

Later this month world leaders, climate experts and environmental activists are meeting in the United Arab Emirates for the COP-28 summit. If they need more proof the world has reached a warming tipping point, they could head to the Italian Alps, where glaciers are vanishing at a record rate.

A new state-of-the-art plastic sorting facility, the largest of its kind in the world, has been launched in Sweden. It's big enough to receive almost all plastic waste from Swedish households. The technology could have implications for Australian governments and companies, who have been increasingly embracing the push to go green.

Climate change has dominated the first day of the APEC leaders' summit in San Francisco. The Prime Minister has high hopes for Australia to become a clean energy superpower. But with summer fast approaching, students across the country have expressed dissatisfaction with the government's handling of the climate crisis thus far.