How are the world's biggest emitters cutting down? 5 climate change stories to read this week

Roughly a third of global electricity production capacity currently comes from low-carbon sources, with 26% from renewables and around 10% from nuclear power. But, the remainder still comes from greenhouse-gas emitting fossil fuels.

The International Energy Agency says annual investment in clean energy must triple by 2030 if the world is to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

Countries around the world are making strides to cut their use of fossil fuels and boost clean energy sources. Consider the US, where clean energy comprised 67% of new electric generating capacity during the first half of this year.

Discover how the world's biggest emitters are cutting back on greenhouse gas emissions.

In response to the rising cost of living and the nation's net-zero commitments, Germany started offering monthly public transit tickets for €9 at the start of June. Over 52 million people took advantage of the tickets and the reduction in car use has cut carbon dioxide emissions by 1.8 million tonnes, according to VDV, the leading public-transport organisation in Germany.

Additionally, researchers at the University of Potsdam found that air pollution levels fell by up to 7% in response to this shift in German transport use. The ticket scheme expired at the end of August, despite calls for an extension.

Learn more about Germany's innovative public transit scheme.

The biggest salt water lake in the western hemisphere hit a record low of 1,276.9 metres on 10 August. In 1986 the lake was at its highest recorded level with an average water height of 1,283.7 metres.

“Though water levels in the Great Salt Lake can fluctuate by year, they have generally been declining for decades,” warns NASA’s Earth Observatory.

Explore why the Great Salt Lake is shrinking and the impacts this is having.

Trees have the ability to capture carbon from the atmosphere and store it for generations. They are vital tools in tackling climate change and more and more countries are looking to use this nature-based solution in response to global warming.

The US is among those countries, aiming to plant 1 billion trees over the next 10 years.

Read more on the benefits of tree planting in tackling the climate crisis.

In the last month alone, Spain and Portugal have collectively reported 2,000 fatalities due to extreme heat. Despite the dangers of extreme heat, more global attention is consistently given to more visible disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes or floods, writes Daniel Murphy, Risk and Resilience Specialist at the World Economic Forum.

But a growing body of research is showing the effects of extreme heat. Not only does extreme heat hit cities' infrastructure, it also harms the mental and physical health of citizens, which inhibits economic growth and individual social mobility, and therefore exacerbates existing socio-economic inequities.

A multi-stakeholder approach is necessary if cities are to build heat resilience. Look at Seville, which has seen success due to its involvement of leaders in public health, finance, insurance, and academia.

Discover more about building resilience to extreme heat.