Wildfires threaten global climate goals, and other nature and climate stories you need to read this week

Wildfires are accelerating carbon loss from ecosystems and making the planet less able to store carbon, according to new research from the UK Met Office published in Nature Geoscience.

These fires are already impacting land carbon sinks, which makes it more challenging to slow the climate crisis as carbon is released into the atmosphere, accelerating our progress towards 1.5°C of warming.

Through advanced global land and climate models, the researchers were able to simulate how plants respond to environmental changes, while factoring in the nutrients they need and how the climate crisis drives wildfires.

The team identified a critical temperature threshold of 1.34°C where fires will cause significant shifts in tree cover and carbon storage – a threshold we are nearing.

This didn't apply to every region however, as the authors added that “while some regions may be closer to a threshold than we previously thought, our results suggest that some parts of the world won't see large-scale losses to fire until 2.0°C of warming; so we can still limit the worst impacts by reducing emissions".

As many as 33 dark spots have been identified around the world, where thousands of plant species are yet to be discovered, according to new research.

These undiscovered species could aid future drug discoveries, fuels or other such benefits, The Guardian reports.

Priority regions have been outlined in the study, where searches should be carried out first, with the majority being in Asia.

The study focused on providing a framework to help accelerate the documentation of global plant diversity so conversation can be carried out, in line with current UN targets for protecting 30% of the planet by the end of 2030.

Dr Samuel Pironon, a lead author of the paper, told The Guardian that "all countries have agreed to preserve and restore biodiversity, including plant biodiversity. How do we do this if we don’t know what species we are talking about or what the biodiversity is and where we can restore it?"

Most soft plastic collected for recycling in the UK is burned, according to an investigation by Everyday Plastic.

Switzerland and Italy have redrawn part of their border due to melting glaciers beneath the Matterhorn. “Significant sections of the border are defined by the watershed or ridge lines of glaciers, firn or perpetual snow,” the Swiss government said in a statement cited by Bloomberg.

Direct ocean carbon capture could be the next big thing in carbon removal, according to estimates from Brineworks, a company specializing in seawater electrolysis technology, which says its method is cheaper than the industry standard.

The International Ski and Snowboard Federation and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) are joining forces to raise awareness about the impact of the climate crisis on the winter sport and tourism industries. “Ruined winter vacations and cancelled sports fixtures are – literally – the tip of the iceberg of climate change," said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.

Hurricane Helene has dumped over 40 trillion gallons of rain east of the Mississippi river, according to estimates made by a meteorologist, Ryan Maue, on social media platform X. The death toll has surpassed 200 people, making it the deadliest mainland US hurricane since Katrina, the BBC reports.

Great Britain has promised funding of up to $28.5 billion over 25 years to develop carbon capture and storage projects to curb emissions from industry, according to a recent government statement.

New York Climate Week 2024 took place between 22 and 29 September 2024, starting with the Summit of the Future. One of the key messages was a need for Indigenous peoples to be more directly involved in shaping policy action, writes Gill Einhorn, Head, Innovation and Transformation, Centre for Nature and Climate, World Economic Forum. Explore her seven key takeaways from the week here.

Despite global discussions and agreements, biodiversity loss continues on an unprecedented scale. As the 16th UN Biodiversity Conference (COP16) in Colombia approaches, governments are revising their national biodiversity strategies and action plans. Andreas Obrecht and Akanksha Khatri from the Forum explore why we need policy coherence on nature-based solutions.

Healthy soil means healthy people, according to a new Forum report that looks at the connection between soil and human health, but also how technology can turn the tide on poor soil health. Here are six surprising ways soil and human health are linked.