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Newsletter 15 Sep 2025

Environment: What’s Up in GENeva | 15 – 21 September 2025

The Geneva Environment Network’s weekly newsletter includes the latest information on the global environmental agenda, main events, job vacancies, as well as other useful resources and updates. Stay tuned and follow us on X (Twitter), Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Bluesky, and Youtube, or visit our website regularly for additional updates.

Image of the week | Leading experts joining the side event to the 60th session of the Human Rights Council (HRC60), “States’ duty to regulate corporations in the face of triple planetary crisis“, where they examined ways in which corporate power undermines human rights and the environment across different fora and mechanisms, highlighting the “need to go further than due diligence”. Stressing that states must not only regulate corporate activities but address corporate capture, including in existing mechanisms such as investment-state dispute settlements (ISDS), speakers cited the example of Honduras getting sued for US$10.775 billion claim for damages, amounting to about two-thirds of Honduras’s annual budget.

Packed week in Geneva, marked by the entry into force of the WTO Fisheries Agreement, a timely visit from the COP30 President on the occasion of the WTO Public Forum, the Geneva Trade Week held in parallel, the ongoing session of the Human Rights Council, and a cascade of other events shaping global dialogue to move forward the global environmental agenda.

Environment @ 60th Session of the Human Rights Council

The 60th session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC60) moves into its second week in Geneva, with the human rights and environment further highlighted in the Council’s agenda.

→ Consult regular updates on key environmental issues at HRC60, side events, and further resources available on our dedicated HRC60 and the environment update.

Toxics and Human Rights @ HRC60

The implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes is the usual main environmental theme of the Council’s September sessions. The UN Special Rapporteur on toxics and human rights, Marcos Orellana, will present his final report to the HRC on “Guidelines on access to justice and effective remedies in the context of toxics” (A/HRC/60/34). In his report, he examines human rights standards on access to justice and effective remedies in the context of toxics, and assesses the obstacles that victims face in accessing justice and remedies, identifies innovative strategies and good practices, and puts forward a set of 24 guidelines for overcoming those obstacles. Events not to be missed this week include:

  • Interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on 16 September 2025.
  • Side event, “SR toxics and human rights: access to justice and effective remedies in the context of toxics” organized by the UN Special Rapporteur on toxics and human rights, Côte d’Ivoire and the Geneva Environment Network on 16 September, from 13:00 – 14:00 CEST at Palais des Nations, Room VIII to provide an opportunity to reflect on the report, and discuss the ways in which countries applying guidelines can guarantee and strengthen access to justice in the context of toxics and next steps.
  • Side event, “Protecting Human Rights in the Face of Ocean Pollution: Access to Justice and a Toxic-Free Future”, convened by Chile, Costa Rica, France and Samoa, with the support of the UN Special Rapporteur on toxics and human rights, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Center for International Environmental Law, Earthjustice and the Geneva Environment Network on 17 September, from 13:00 – 14:00 CEST at Palais des Nations, Room VII. The event will highlight the human rights impacts of toxic marine pollution, including plastics and hazardous substances, and the role of the Human Rights Council in addressing toxic exposures and marine degradation.
  • 2025 edition of the Geneva Toxic Free Talks on 17 September at Palais des Nations. Taking place on the sidelines of HRC60, the talks, co-organized with the UN Special Rapporteur on toxics and human rights, Earthjustice, and the Geneva Environment Network, will highlight the work of the UN Special Rapporteur and of organizations in the struggle for the right to live in a toxic-free environment, with three sessions:

Water-Energy Nexus and Right to Water @ HRC60

The UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, Pedro Arrojo Agudo, also reports to the September session of the Council, where he will be presenting his new report focusing on the water-energy nexus (A/HRC/60/30), which highlights the energy systems’ impact on the human right to water and underscores how energy-intensive industries can deplete and contaminate water sources, infringing on communities’ rights to safe water and sanitation. Events not to miss this week include:

  • Interactive dialogue with the Council is scheduled to take place on 15 and 16 September.
  • Side event, “The Water-Energy Nexus and the Human Right to Water”, convened by the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to water and sanitation, Germany, Spain and the Geneva Environment Network on 16 September, 9:00 – 10:00 CEST at Palais des Nations, Room VIII.
    An invitation to rethink governance models, advocate for transparency, the side event will explore how energy transitions can be leveraged to strengthen the human right to water.

Climate Change and Human Rights @ HRC60

This week is also set to deepen the global conversation on climate-related human rights challenges with the presentation of the UN Secretary-General’s synthesis report (A/HRC/60/52). The report focuses on opportunities, best practices, actionable solutions, challenges and barriers relevant to a just transition and the full realization of human rights for all people. Events to not miss this week include:

  • Interactive dialogue on Secretary-General’s synthesis report on climate change (A/HRC/60/52) on 17 September 2025, at 15:00 CEST.
  • Side event, “Just Transition and Human Rights: Key Issues for COP30“, organized by Franciscans International, the Lutheran World Federation, Earthjustice, Friedrich-Ebert Stiftung, the Geneva Environment Network and Geneva Climate Change Consultation Group (GeCCco), on 18 September 2025, from 13:00 – 14:00 CEST at Palais des Nations, Room Concordia 1. The event will reflect on the report and identify key takeaways from the UN Human Rights Council processes to Climate Change COP30 negotiations, in particular on the intersectionality between just transition and human rights.
  • Event, “COP30 and Human Rights: Call from Global South Catholic” held in the framework of the Geneva Rights and Climate Talks, in the margins of the council, on 18 September 2025, from 11:00 – 12:00 CEST at Palais des Nations, Room H-307.1. The event will share messages from Catholic Bishops from the Global South calling for climate justice and ecological conversion ahead of COP30, urging for bold action, including phasing out fossil fuels, fulfilling the Paris Agreement, and addressing the “ecological debt” owed by wealthy nations. Their message, titled “A Call for Climate Justice and the Common Home,” emphasizes the need for a radical transformation of the global economic system to prioritize people and the planet. → Register to attend the event in-person at Palais des Nations, Room H-307.1 or online.
  • Informal consultations on the draft resolution on rising sea levels and the impact on human rights by Dominican Republic, Malta, Cabo Verde and Cyprus are also set to begin this week. Driven by melting ice and warming oceans, the rising sea levels is one of the most severe consequences of climate change as it threatens ecosystems, fuels flooding and displacement, and endangers freshwater supplies, with severe human rights impacts. Learn more about how International Geneva, with its unique cross-disciplinary expertise, addresses sea-level rise in the fight against climate change.

Other Environment-Related Activities @HRC60

Other notable events taking place this week include:

Countdown to UN Climate Change Conference COP30 | President-Designate in Geneva

Preparations for the 2025 UN Climate Change Conference in Belém are high on the agenda this week in Geneva, as the Brazilian President-Designate of COP30, H.E. Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago, is in town on 17 September 2025 for a series of important meetings, and will speak at public events, including a Briefing on COP30 jointly organized with WMO and a session of the WTO Public Forum.

Events taking place this week include:

  • Global Launch: “Cradle to Grave: The Health Toll of Fossil Fuels and the Imperative for a Just Transition” | Global Climate and Health Alliance | 16 September, 15:00 CEST | Online
    Climate leaders, mayors, health professionals, and the UN Special Rapporteur on Climate Change will join an online event launching a report from the Global Climate and Health Alliance, offering the first comprehensive global overview of the health consequences of fossil fuel use—tracking its impacts from extraction to waste, and across every stage of life, from pre-birth to old age. → Register to join on Zoom
  • Trade and the Transition to Net Zero: Scenarios and Pathways for Climate Resilient Development in Key Sectors | Geneva Trade Week Event | 6 September 2025, 16:30 – 18:00 CEST
    Oorganized by the Forum on Trade, Environment & the SDGs (TESS) will feature a roundtable to discuss the role of trade and trade policy in supporting developing countries achieve climate resilient development in line with their climate objectives.→ Register to join
  • Stakeholder Roundtable Breakfast on Trade, Climate, and Sustainable Development | Geneva Trade Week | 17 September 2025, 08:30 – 10:00 CEST | Restaurant Terrasse de la Paix (By invitation only)
    The annual stakeholder roundtable breakfast hosted by Forum on Trade, Environment & the SDGs (TESS) will bring together a broad range of experts and stakeholders working to exchange views on priorities and ways forward for inclusive international cooperation on the nexus of climate, trade, and sustainable development.
  • Briefing “COP30 in Belém: Joining Forces for a Common Purpose” | Jointly organized by Brazil & WMO | 17 September 2025, 10:00 – 11:00 | WMO, Salle Obasi
    Briefing by H.E. Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago, President-Designate of COP30.
  • COP30: an Integrated Vision for Climate Change and Trade | WTO Public Forum | 17 September 2025, 15:15 – 16:30 CEST | WTO, Room CR
    The COP30 President-Designate, H.E. Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago, will announce Belém’s flagship initiative on climate change and trade. Trade is a lever for raising ambition and turning it into action, for mutually empowering partnerships that respond to the climate urgency by making our economies stronger and fairer.
  • COP30 and Human Rights: Call from Global South Catholic | Geneva Rights and Climate Talks | 18 September 2025, 11:00 – 12:00 CEST | Palais des Nations, Room H 307.1 & on Webex 
    This event, organized in the margins of HRC60, in the framework of the Geneva Rights and Climate Talks, will share messages from Catholic Bishops from the Global South calling for climate justice and ecological conversion ahead of COP30. They are urging for bold action, including phasing out fossil fuels, fulfilling the Paris Agreement, and addressing the “ecological debt” owed by wealthy nations. Their message, titled “A Call for Climate Justice and the Common Home,” emphasizes the need for a radical transformation of the global economic system to prioritize people and the planet. → Register on Indico to attend in person
  • Just Transition and Human Rights: Key Issues for COP30 | HRC60 Side Event | 18 September 2025 from 13:00 – 14:00 CEST | Palais des Nations, Room Concordia 1
    This side event to HRC60, organized by Franciscans International, the Lutheran World Federation, Earthjustice, Friedrich-Ebert Stiftung, the Geneva Environment Network and Geneva Climate Change Consultation Group (GeCCco), aims to identify the key takeaways from the UN Human Rights Council processes to COP30 negotiations, in particular on the intersectionality between Just Transition and Human Rights. In-person attendance is open to those accredited to HRC60.
  • Africa, Climate & Multilateralism: A Path to Resilient Trade | WTO Public Forum | 18 September 2025, 13:30 – 14:45 CEST | WTO Room S1
    This session, organized by Business 20 South Africa (B20), South African Mission to the WTO will explore recommendations from the Trade and Investment Taskforce of Business20 (B20) to stabilize trade through multilateralism & WTO reform, unlock African trade through integration, and build a climate responsive trade system through standardization.
  • How Africa Eats: Trade, Food Security, and Climate Risks | WTO Public Forum | 18 September 2025, 13:30 – 14:45 CEST | WTO Room Library
    This session, organized by the London School of Economics (LSE), will present the book of the same name, addressing the question: why do images of starving and malnourished Africans appear so often in the media? What are the actual dimensions of the problem? What has trade and climate got to do with it?
  • Trade Agendas for Nature, Climate & Sustainable Development | WTO Public Forum | 18 September 2025, 15:15 – 16:30 CEST | WTO Room Library
    Launching a joint publication of the WWF International and TESS “Accelerating Progress on Nature, Climate Change, and Sustainable Development in a Shifting International Trading System”, the session will spur forward-looking strategic dialogue on narratives and policy agendas that would move forward an international trading system that places nature and people at its heart.

Additional news include:

Entry into Force of the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies

Monday, 15 September 2025 marks a landmark moment for global trade and environmental governance as the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies enters into force. This first multilateral agreement negotiated under the World Trade Organization (WTO) to place environmental sustainability at its core, was concluded at the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC12) in Geneva in June 2022 after more than twenty years of negotiations. Under this new treaty, subsidies for vessels and operators engaged in illegal, unreported, or unregulated (IUU) fishing are prohibited. The agreement further bans support for fishing in overfished stocks and for fishing in unregulated high seas. Provisions on special and differential treatment are provided to allow flexibility for developing countries. As highlighted by the International Institute for Sustainable Development’s reacting to the milestone, “the focus must now shift to full implementation, robust transparency”, notably as the conclusion of the additional rules (Fish 2) are still needed to tackle subsidies that drive unsustainable fishing more broadly.

The WTO Fish Fund, a voluntary funding mechanism, provides developing and least developed country members with targeted technical assistance and capacity building to implement the disciplines under the Agreement. It opened a Call for Proposals on 6 June, inviting submissions of requests for project grants aimed at supporting the implementation of the Agreement. The deadline for submission of proposals was initially established for 9 October 2025, however, due to the entry into force, the deadline will be extended by one month.

Trade and Environment @ Geneva Trade Week and WTO Public Forum

This week, the interlinkages between trade and sustainability will be explored in depth in various fora in Geneva, presenting the latest developments in the achievement of environmental goals through trade, as well as challenges and opportunities in the current state of affairs.

  • The World Trade Organization Public Forum 2025 — WTO’s largest outreach event — is taking place at WTO Headquarters on 17 and 18 September 2025. Held under the theme “Enhance, create, and preserve“, WTO Public Forum 2025 will explore how digital advancements are redefining standards within the international trading system and enhancing global connectivity, innovation, and cooperation, and offer a moment to reflect on the digital transformations shaping our interconnected global economy and to explore the future. Participants will evaluate both the risks and opportunities presented by an evolving set of digital tools, aiming to empower small businesses, widen market access, and preserve a more robust digital trading environment. → Consult the official program and our dedicated webpage for an outlook on how the environment will be addressed.
  • Geneva Trade Week 2025, organized by the Geneva Trade Platform and supported by the Geneva Graduate Institute, takes place on the sidelines of the 2025 WTO Public Forum, from 15 to 18 September 2025. Sustainability will be at the center of Geneva Trade Week 2025, with a dedicated day on 15 September 2025. Many sessions of GTW2025 will be dedicated to its intersections between trade, green economy, and the transition to net zero. → Consult the official program and our dedicated webpage for an outlook on how the environment will be addressed.
  • During the Public Forum and Geneva Trade Week, TESS will launch two new publications:
    • Trade, Climate, and Net Zero Pathways: Scenarios and Implications for Developing Countries and Climate-Resilient Development | This series of sectoral briefing notes commissioned by TESS aims to provide an overview of current and anticipated transformations in trade in the context of the unfolding climate crisis and the international community’s climate action agenda, focusing on potential scenarios for particular sectors and implications for developing countries and climate-resilient development. A compilation of the entire series will be launched at the Geneva Trade Week expert roundtable Trade and the Transition to Net Zero: Scenarios and Pathways for Climate Resilient Development in Key Sectors on 16 September 2025, from 16:30 – 18:00 CEST at the Graduate Institute, Room C1.
    • Accelerating Progress on Nature, Climate Change, and Sustainable Development in a Shifting International Trading System | This discussion paper, published in partnership with WWF, aims to spur reflection on the potential building blocks of a new narrative and policy agenda on international trade that places nature and people at its heart. The paper will be launched on 18 September on the occasion of the Public Forum session Trade Agendas for Nature, Climate, and Sustainable Development to be held on 18 September 2025 from 15:15 – 16:30 CEST at the WTO Library.

World Flora Online Association Launched in Geneva

Last week, representatives from numerous botanical institutions worldwide gathered at the Geneva Botanical Garden for the launch and inaugural assembly of the World Flora Online (WFO) Association. As stated by Stéphane Brussard in the Swiss newspaper “Le Temps” and in Geneva Solutions, the famous Genevan botanist Augustin-Pyramus de Candolle (1778–1841), would undoubtedly be delighted. The WFO is indeed a freely accessible portal that is the result of an international initiative to catalogue all the plant species in the world, to achieve Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation. It is an essential tool for conservation planners, policymakers and practitioners, listing to date more than 380,000 species.

Nicola Schoenenberger, director of the Geneva Botanical Garden, highlighted in the article: “Four-fifths of the world’s flora has been identified. One-fifth remains to be identified. These remaining 20% may well include species that are highly endangered or already in the process of disappearing.” The nature conservation organizations based in the region look forward to engaging with this successful initiative to achieve internationally agreed goals and targets.

Call for Submissions and Contests | Upcoming Deadlines

With the environment high on the agenda of International Geneva and beyond, international processes, negotiations, and fora regularly call for inputs in preparation for future reports and guidelines or for people to support their process. A dedicated update lists calls for submissions related to the environment. Additional updates also list those related to Human Rights Mechanisms and ongoing contests launched by our partners. Deadlines not to be missed during the coming weeks include:

  • Call for Contributions for the upcoming Geneva Forum | Held annually in December in Geneva, the Geneva Forum is an ethical business forum dedicated to impact projects and sustainable development. Calls for contributions cover a wide range of fields: participatory science, peace and diplomacy, civic innovation, education, rights of nature, responsible entrepreneurship, impact projects, resilient and regenerative tourism, international cooperation, etc. The deadline to submit call for contributions is 20 September 2025.
  • Financial Support for Civil Society Advocacy during World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (WAAW) 2025 | The South Centre invites applications from civil society organizations and research institutions from developing countries for limited financial funding to design and launch or extend impactful advocacy campaigns that engage local government, communities, stakeholders and media to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The campaigns should take place during the World AMR Awareness Week 2025, from 18–24 November 2025. To apply for funding, complete the application form and send it to Ms. Caroline Ngome Eneme at ngomeeneme@southcentre.int by 20 September 2025.
  • CITES50 Photo Contest | CITES50 Photo Contest celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), a milestone reflecting partnerships between governments, rangers, customs and enforcement officers, NGOs, industry, academia, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities – united in the cause to conserve our planet’s precious wildlife. A jury of wildlife and communication experts from the CITES permanent committees, the CITES Global Youth Network, and the CITES Secretariat will evaluate submissions based on their impact, storytelling, and alignment with the contest categories. Learn more about the categories for submission and submit your entries online by 21 September 2025.
  • Call for Nominations for Reviewers for the Seventh Edition of the Global Environment Outlook (GEO-7) Summary for Policy Makers (SPM) | The Ad Hoc Open-ended Seventh Edition of the Global Environment Outlook (GEO-7) Summary for Policy Makers (SPM) Review and Approval Meeting will take place in person at UNEP’s headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, from 27 October to 31 October 2025. Member States are requested to submit nomination letters with the name(s), title(s) and contact details of nominated participants to the GEO Secretariat (unep-ewad-geohead@un.org) and register online no later than 25 September 2025 through Indico.
  • Call for nominations of members of the Multidisciplinary Experts Panel of IPBES | IPBES members are invited to submit to the secretariat nominations of candidates for the Multidisciplinary Experts Panel of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). In accordance with Rule 26 of the rules of procedure, candidates for the MEP are to be proposed by members of the Platform for nomination by the regions and elected by the Plenary. National focal points are invited to submit their proposals for candidate by completing the nomination form, including the submission of a curriculum vitae of the nominee by 30 September 2025.
  • UNEA-7 Draft Resolution Submission | The seventh session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) will take place from 8 to 12 December 2025 at the UNEP headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, on the theme “Advancing sustainable solutions for a resilient planet”. All draft resolutions and decisions should be submitted by the main proponent via the “e-Proposals” module on the e-deleGATE platform by 29 September 2025, ten weeks in advance of UNEA-7.

Academic institutions and research centers in Geneva offer a vast array of short courses to learn about key environmental topics and discover international Geneva. Courses with approaching deadlines include:

  • Durabilité | From September 2025 to June 2025 | UNIGE | Registration deadline: 15 September 2025
    This microcertification offers an interdisciplinary introduction to the major contemporary issues of sustainability. It provides conceptual and practical tools for understanding and responding to current environmental and social challenges.
  • Localizing International Human Rights | Geneva Human Rights Platform and Global Cities Hub | 8 – 10 October 2025 | Registration deadline: 21 September 2025
    Beginning with the localization of the SDGs, the course will highlight their intrinsic connection to human rights and demonstrate how UN human rights mechanisms can offer concrete tools and entry points for realizing the SDGs at the local level, along with effective monitoring and reporting procedures. The training aims to empower representatives of city and regional governments with the tools to fulfil their governmental mandates and ensure the realization of SDGs and human rights at the local level.
  • The Legal Protection of Water in Armed Conflicts | 3 November – 19 December 2025 | UNIGE & Geneva Water Hub | Registration deadline: 20 October 2025
    This course will illustrate how to define the key principles and norms of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) related to the protection of water in armed conflicts and understand how human rights law and mechanisms may complement the protection of water under IHL.

Happening Abroad

The 80th ordinary session of the UN General Assembly continues this week in New York and will be followed next week by the General Assembly High-level Week 2025. From this Sunday, the Climate Week NYC, an annual climate-focused event, convening global leaders, policymakers, businesses, and civil society, organized since 2009 in collaboration with the UN General Assembly, starts convening in New York City. The program features over 900 events, ranging from high-level policy dialogues and industry forums to community-led initiatives and cultural exhibitions. Key thematic areas include energy transition, sustainable mobility, climate finance, food systems, and environmental justice.

Enjoying the Last Week of the Summer 2025

The summer season comes to an end this week, leaving space to autumn’s colors and traditions. Suggestions to enjoy the last week of a Green Summer in Geneva include:

  • Interactions between Plants and Insects – The Olfactory Language of Plants in Sustainable Crop Protection | 15 September 2025 | Aula du Collège de Saussure, Lancy
    In nature, many organisms communicate through scents. For plants, these chemical signals play an essential role in warning neighbors of danger, attracting allies, or repelling enemies. In this lecture, Kathrin Altermatt (University of Neuchâtel), in collaboration with the Société Botanique de Genève, will introduce us to this fascinating olfactory language far more sophisticated than one might imagine. She will explain how her research seeks to harness it to develop innovative and ecological methods of detection and pest control for sustainable agriculture.
  • Wednesdays in the Forest Garden | 17 September 2025 | Centre nature de la libellule
    Are you interested in permaculture and edible wild plants? Join us for a visit to our forest garden, where you can take part in its upkeep and taste a plant-based preparation made together during the activity.
  • Explore CERN’s Biodiversity | 18 September 2025 | CERN
    2050Today, in collaboration with CERN, is organizing a special visit to discover the remarkable biodiversity of the CERN site. Spanning more than 600 hectares across Switzerland and France, CERN’s grounds include 116 hectares of green spaces, 136 hectares of woods and forests, and 258 hectares of agricultural land leased to local farmers. The area is home to 18 species of orchids and a wide range of flora, including several threatened species.
  • Autumn Seedling Sale | 19 September 2025 | Geneva–Chêne-Bourg
    At the greenhouses of Belle-Idée and the Beaulieu park, you will find a wide selection of locally produced and certified organic seedlings to enrich your winter and spring garden.
  • An Evening Tracking the Badger | 19 September 2025 | Centre Nature du Vallon de l’Allondon
    Will you be lucky enough to spot a badger emerging from its sett? Before setting out, guests will learn more about this singular animal that inhabits our forests. Both as an individual and through its customs, the badger is truly fascinating. Once prepared, guests will head into the woods in search of it. A wildlife watch is always mysterious and uncertain… but always magical!
  • Fête des Vendanges | 20 – 21 September 2025 | Russin
    The 62nd edition of the Russin Wine Harvest Festival, an annual event in the bucolic setting of the village of Russin, in the heart of the Mandement vineyards, is the traditional moment and true tribute to the Geneva vineyards, their producers and the quality of their products.
  • Agriculture and Biodiversity | 20 September 2025 | La Libellule
    Let’s uncover the secrets of how our food is produced by visiting behind the scenes at La Touvière, an organic farm that practices agriculture designed to maintain and enhance regional biodiversity.
  • Walking and Philosophizing | 21 September 2025 | Centre nature de la libellule
    A naturalist excursion combined with a philosophical dialogue led by the association proPhilo. During the excursion, participants will reflect on our relationships with plants, fungi, and non-human animals. all while walking in nature.
  • Le feu de la Terre, une aventure humaine | Until 28 September 2025 | Exhibition Hall, UNIGE
    Since the dawn of time, volcanoes have fascinated people with their majestic silhouettes and the power of their eruptions. They hold an ambivalent place in human history — feared for their dangers yet revered for the riches they offer. Across the ages, men and women have sought to observe, understand, and tell the stories of these giants of fire, even attempting to decipher the warning signs of their fury.
  • Galerie à ciel ouvert | Until 24 October 2025 | Jardin des Nations
    An open-air gallery featuring over 40 works by Mark Henley and Carole Desheulles. This visual dialogue explores the intersection of geopolitical tensions and the resilience of the natural world.
  • BORN IN … PPM au pont de la Machine | Until 26 October 2025 | Quartier Libre SIG
    An artistic photography project by Mary-Lou Mauricio demonstrating the increase in atmospheric CO₂ concentration since the industrial revolution. Participants pose with the atmospheric CO₂ concentration (in ppm) from their year of birth, creating a powerful statement against fossil fuels and climate change.
  • Notre Biodiversité | Until 30 November 2025 | Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques
    In line with the new Municipal Biodiversity Strategy of the City of Geneva an itinerary through the heart of our garden invites us, through short texts printed on sails, to question ourselves on this burning subject and to reflect on our roles as citizens, public authorities, scientific institutions such as ours and civil society.

What (Else) to Read Next?

  • Across eight Amazon countries, forests on Indigenous lands reduce spread of 27 diseases – Peer-reviewed study | IUCN | 11 September 2025
    The first study of its kind, led by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), gathered data from 1,733 municipalities representing more than 74% of the Amazon to find that forests on Indigenous lands are a prophylactic for diseases threatening the region’s 33 million people. Findings add to mounting evidence that recognising and enforcing Indigenous Peoples’ land rights has widespread benefits – for the climate, nature and, now, health.
  • ‘Corporate capture’ strategies are harming efforts to save our planet, warn scientists | University of Portsmouth | 10 September 2025
    A new study has investigated how corporate industries influence individuals, organisations or governments to not act in the best interest of the environment and human health.
  • Finance Solutions for Nature: Pathways to Returns and Outcomes | World Economic Forum | 10 September 2025
    Nature is rapidly emerging as a strategic investment frontier and more institutional capital is flowing into new business models. This report provides a practical framework to help institutional investors, banks, asset managers and development actors identify the right finance solutions to unlock investment in nature.
  • The true cost of peace. Rebalancing world military spending for a sustainable and peaceful future | UN | 9 September 2025
    The unprecedented military spending surge is occurring as global security deteriorates and progress on the SDGs —the world’s blueprint for a more equitable future—is falling short. In response, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has released a new report, The Security We Need: Rebalancing Military Spending for a Sustainable and Peaceful Future. The report offers a stark warning: if current trends persist, global military spending could reach $4.7 to $6.6 trillion by 2035. A $6.6 trillion annual military budget would be nearly five times the level at the end of the Cold War and more than twice of what was spent in 2024. This trajectory of accelerated militarization poses a serious threat to humanity’s future by diverting critical resources from sustainable development and peace-building initiatives.
  • Safeguarding the polar regions from dangerous geoengineering: a critical assessment of proposed concepts and future prospects | Martin Siegert, Martin Siegert, Heïdi Sevestre et al. | Frontiers in Science | 9 September 2025
     Several geoengineering concepts exist for polar regions, but they have not been fully examined by the polar science community, nor integrated with an understanding of polar dynamics and responses. This paper evaluates five of those polar geoengineering concepts and highlights the significant issues and risks relating to technological availability, logistical feasibility, cost, predictable adverse consequences, environmental damage, scalability, governance, and ethics.
  • An integrative approach towards Earth-Humanity reconciliation | Club of Rome | 9 September 2025
    This is the first discussion paper of a new series by The Fifth Element, the Club of Rome’s programme dedicated to deep learning and mutual transformation. It argues that transformation begins with asking better questions, not rushing to solutions. Some questions are not meant to be “solved” but lived. The paper explores questions too often overlooked.
  • Designing Out Plastics: A Blueprint for Healthier Building Materials | Habitable | September 2025
    A growing number of building professionals, policymakers, real estate developers, and philanthropic funders have awoken to the shocking volume of plastic building materials in use today and the devastating harm they cause to human and environmental health. These leaders now see healthier alternatives to plastic building materials as the next frontier in the building and construction sector.

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