Jeff Bezos at one of the conservatories in Amazon headquarters in Seattle. (Keystone/Ted S. Warren)

Amazon’s climate pledge has some powerful new recruits. Thirteen more companies, including Microsoft, Brooks Running and Unilever, are joining the initiative and committing to carbon neutrality by 2040, 10 years ahead of the Paris deal. This brings the club to 31 members. While CEO Jeff Bezos has said that this is ‘an important signal to the market’, some critics remain skeptical of Amazon’s commitments.

Bridging the existential emissions gap. With 126 countries now committing to net zero carbon neutrality by 2050, the planetary ship may be able to change its course “just before midnight”. Because until now, political declarations have hardly had any impact on the cruise direction towards the big iceberg.

Climate targets, borders, and the link between the two. An IPCC lead author and specialist of environmental policy and population movements, explains why we need more open borders to face the climate crisis.

Building mountain resilience is key, experts say. Mountains host more than half of the world’s freshwater resources. But as temperatures rise, these reservoirs could disappear by the end of the century, with severe consequences for the planet.

‘Switzerland’s new climate plan lacks sufficient ambition’. Switzerland is “relegating itself to the sidelines” in the fight against climate change, argues Graduate Institute student Sarah Schoch, who says revised climate targets submitted this week do not go far enough.

Extinction Rebellion protest outside the health deparment in Melbourne. (Keystone/Erik Anderson)

‘Covid today, climate tomorrow’. White sheet covered bodies blocked the entrance of the department of health in Melbourne, Australia on Thursday as Extinction Rebellion and health professionals staged a morgue-style ‘die-in’ to bring awareness to the climate emergency. Several members glued their hands to the building as part of the protest and were later arrested. The activist group, which promotes non-violent civil disobedience to push for climate action, is known for its theatrical methods.

12 December | Global Climate Ambition Summit. Five years into the Paris deal, leaders across government, business and civil society gather online to set out new bold commitments to tackle climate change.

14 December | Ecoféminisme de subsistance. After working on issues related to violence against women, researcher Geneviève Pruvost looks at ecological alternatives and ecofeminism in rural areas.

16 December | Environment and emergencies in the face of Covid-19. A key element of emergency response is the rapid identification and mitigation of environmental risks. This webinar draws lessons from past emergencies.