Climate adaptation and sustainable development benefit, new expert report shows
13 November 2026 - The Fourth Global Report on Climate and SDGs Synergies, entitled “Harnessing Adaptation and SDG Synergies: Strengthening Resilience and Sustaining Development Progress”, was prepared by the independent Expert Group on Climate and SDG Synergies, and is being launched at COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye.
Making transformations work for all: An intergenerational dialogue on the future
12 November 2026 - Who gets to shape the future? This was the question at the center of discussions as UN DESA organized an intergenerational Global Policy Dialogue on 22 October, bringing together members of the UN High-level Advisory Board on Economic and Social Affairs (HLAB) and youth from around the world. The event took place on the heels of the release of “The World Social Report 2026: The New Economics of Social Inclusion: Making Transformations Work for All.”
Climate crisis could push 141 million more women into extreme poverty
11 November 2026 - More than one in three women and girls worldwide – roughly 1.5 billion – live in so-called “climate hotspots”, where high exposure to hazards such as cyclones and droughts combine with insecure jobs and deep gender inequality. That’s according to “Gender Equality in the Age of Climate Crisis”, a new fact sheet issued by UN Women at the COP31 climate conference in Antalya, Türkiye, on Tuesday.
COP31: Energy transition takes centre stage as countries map path beyond fossil fuels
10 November 2026 - The global energy transition took centre stage on the second day of COP31, as countries explored how to move away from fossil fuels, accelerate clean energy and overcome financial and infrastructure barriers standing in the way.
Where climate action meets the SDGs: 6 things to know about the SDG Pavilion at COP31
9 November 2026 - What do clean energy, water security and climate action have in common? Clean energy and water security are part of sustainable development. As world leaders gather in Antalya, Türkiye, from 9 to 20 November for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP31), UN DESA’s SDG Pavilion will spotlight how tackling climate change and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can go hand in hand. Here are six things you need to know.
COP31 explained: What's at stake at this year's UN climate summit
5 November 2026 - Catastrophic floods, deadly heatwaves and prolonged droughts have been a hallmark of 2026, a year in which scientists confirmed that the world is on track to exceed the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C warming threshold. Against this backdrop, and with a powerful El Niño expected to intensify climate impacts further, representatives of more than 190 countries will gather in Antalya, Türkiye, from 9 to 20 November for COP31, the latest iteration of the keynote annual UN climate conference.
Social Inclusion - a powerful lever for economic growth
5 November 2026 - Today, economic, energy and technological transformations are reshaping societies everywhere. As countries navigate these uncertain waters, how do we make sure ending exclusion stays in focus? The answer is simple: greater inclusion isn’t just the right thing to do. It’s also the smart thing to do. That is one of the central messages of the World Social Report (2026): ‘The New Economics of Social Inclusion - Making Transformations work for All’.
A new economics of social inclusion: transformations that work for all
2 November 2026 - As countries navigate profound economic, digital and energy transformations, the challenge before us is clear: how do we turn those commitments into tangible outcomes for people everywhere? This is one of the defining challenges of our age, which is at the heart of UN DESA’s World Social Report 2026.
Higher Ground: How New York is raising a park to hold back the sea
29 October 2026 - After Hurricane Sandy, New York swore never again. But as climate change threatened to bring in ever more extreme weather, and to dangerously raise sea levels around the coastal city, “never again” meant building ambitious resiliency infrastructure all along the city’s coastline. Fourteen years after Sandy, UN News visited one section of the multibillion-dollar project: the East Side Coastal Resiliency (ESCR) Project.
Ocean’s ability to absorb carbon is weakening as climate change intensifies, UN warns
29 October 2026 - The ocean absorbs around 30 per cent of human-caused carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions and 90 per cent of excess heat trapped by greenhouse gases. But climate change has already reduced its capacity to absorb carbon by approximately six per cent, a new UN report warns ahead of the COP31 climate conference in November.
Soil mapping aims to boost agricultural production in Kenya
27 October 2026 - A new Kenyan initiative is helping farmers better understand their soils in a bid to improve crop yields amid intensifying climate shocks. The Soil Mapping for Resilient Agrifood systems (SoilFER) programme supports farmers to develop reliable soil information that will inform agricultural decisions such as which fertilizer to use and how much.
UN marks 81 years of global cooperation
26 October 2026 - United Nations Day heralds the entry into force of the UN Charter in 1945. The global body officially came into being after the founding document was ratified by a majority of its signatories, including the five permanent members of the Security Council. The day has been celebrated annually on 24 October since 1948.
Global warming will breach 1.5°C - but deep, fast cuts can still bring it back
21 October 2026 - With global temperature rise set to exceed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, countries “must pull out all the stops” and urgently cut emissions to minimize the overshoot and return to the internationally agreed threshold by the end of this century. The recommendation comes in the Emissions Gap Report 2026: The Point of Return, published on Wednesday by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
Putting tax to work for development: Inside the UN Tax Committee's 33rd Session
20 October 2026 - An estimated $4 trillion a year is needed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. How to fill this gap? Tax is one answer – and the question that occupies the UN Tax Committee, an ECOSOC body of 25 tax experts from around the world. The Committee meets in Geneva from 20 to 23 October 2026 for its 33rd session.
Protecting Earth's fragile biodiversity takes spotlight at Armenia talks
20 October 2026 - Biodiversity losses continue to upend the lives of billions of people whose future prosperity depends on countries taking urgent action to protect our planet, the top UN official leading talks at the UN Biodiversity Conference in Yerevan, said on Monday. The aim of the talks in the Armenian capital is to assess progress so far and build on an agreed blueprint for biodiversity protection known as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted four years ago.