In July, the world faced record-breaking heatwaves and natural disasters. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres highlighted the urgency of addressing extreme heat, referring to it as "the new abnormal." Typhoon Gaemi caused widespread damage in Northeast China, while major consumer goods companies supported the EU's new deforestation law.

A study emphasized the need for more effective climate action, as forests could not absorb climate emissions in 2023. This highlights the need for steps to address climate change and the growing greenhouse gases. Here are significant events that made headlines this month.

UN Demands Action On Extreme Heat As World Registers Warmest Day

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for countries to address the urgency of the extreme heat epidemic fueled by climate change. "Extreme heat is the new abnormal," Guterres said. "The world must rise to the challenge of rising temperatures," he said. The world again registered its hottest day on record on July 22 (Monday), inching past the previous high recorded just 24 hours earlier on July 21 (Sunday).

Already this year, scorching conditions have killed 1,300 hajj pilgrims, closed schools for some 80 million children in Africa and Asia, and led to a spike in hospitalizations and deaths in the Sahel. Read More

Typhoon Gaemi Forces Evacuation, Factory Suspension In Northeast China

More than 27,000 people in northeast China were evacuated, and hundreds of factories were ordered to suspend production as Typhoon Gaemi brought heavy rains. Hundreds of chemical and mining companies across the province have suspended operations, and nearby residents have been relocated to avoid flood risks.

The storm, which killed dozens as it swept through Taiwan and worsened seasonal rains in the Philippines, has affected almost 630,000 people in China's Fujian province, with nearly half of them being relocated, Xinhua has reported. Read More

Nestle, Mars Wrigley, Ferrero Back EU Deforestation Law, Document Shows

Consumer goods giants including Nestle, Mars Wrigley, and Ferrero have backed the European Union's upcoming ban on imported goods linked to deforestation amid calls from some companies to delay it. The deforestation law will, from Dec. 30, require companies selling cocoa, coffee, palm oil, and other products in the 27-nation bloc to prove their supply chains don't contribute to the destruction of forests. Read More

Olympics: Mega-sports Events Caught On Horns Of Climate Change Dilemma

A leading sports ecologist believes the climate crisis has left organisers of mega-sporting events like the Olympics facing a truth uncomfortable enough to make them squirm. Golf courses are sliding into the sea, snow is vanishing from alpine resorts, football grounds have flooded and wildfire smoke is choking athletes as rising temperatures disrupt events.

Some sports at the Paris Games have enacted extreme heat protocols as temperatures climb, while unseasonal high rains have led to high pollution levels in the Seine that forced a rescheduling of triathlon. "(Climate change) is clearly having an effect," IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said on Tuesday. Read More

World's Forests Failed To Curb 2023 Climate Emissions, Study Finds

Forests and other land ecosystems failed to curb climate change in 2023 as intense drought in the Amazon rainforest and record wildfires in Canada hampered their natural ability to absorb carbon dioxide, according to a study. That means a record amount of carbon dioxide entered Earth's atmosphere last year, further feeding global warming, the researchers said. Plant life helps to slow climate change by taking in huge amounts of carbon dioxide. But in 2023, that carbon sink collapsed, according to study co-author Philippe Ciais. Read More

California Wildfire Explodes, Becomes Largest In US

Thousands of firefighters were battling a rapidly growing wildfire in northern California after the blaze more than doubled in size in a 24-hour span. The Park Fire had burned more than 350,000 acres (141,640 hectares) about 90 miles (144 km) north of the state capital city of Sacramento, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. Evacuation orders and warnings were issued. Read More

In Texas, Over 1 Million Customers Still Without Power After Hurricane Beryl

More than 1 million homes and businesses in Texas were still without power early, after Hurricane Beryl slammed through the region, according to data from PowerOutage.us. The number was down from a peak of close to 2.7 million homes and businesses without power when Beryl made landfall near the coastal town of Matagorda. Provider Centerpoint Energy said it has restored power to over 1 million customers of the 2.26 million impacted. Read More

Trillion-dollar Group Urges Government Action To Stop Nature Loss

More than 100 companies, including Unilever, L'Occitane, and Iberdrola, have called on governments to enact tougher policies to reach a U.N. goal of halting nature loss by the end of the decade. With more than 1 million species on the brink of extinction, the world agreed to a landmark deal in 2022 to protect biodiversity, including a pledge to protect 30% of the world's natural ecosystems. Read More

Britain's New Government Must Act Fast To Meet 2030 Climate Goal, Advisers Say

The new Labour government will have to act fast to get Britain back on track to meet its 2030 climate target, with just a third of the required emission reductions covered by a credible plan, the country’s climate advisers said.. As part of efforts to reach net zero emissions by 2050, Britain has a target to cut emissions by 68% by 2030 compared with 1990 levels. Read More

US To Phase Out Single-use Plastic From Federal Operations

The Biden administration announced it plans to phase out single-use plastics from all federal operations by 2035 as part of its broader strategy to tackle plastic pollution. The phase-out would aim to end federal procurement of single-use plastics from food service operations, events, and packaging by 2027. The announcement comes ahead of the last scheduled round of negotiations toward a global treaty to end plastic pollution set to start in Busan, Korea, on Nov. 25. Countries are still divided on whether the deal should include caps on plastic production. Read More

Biden Administration Announces $4.3 Billion In Climate Grants

The Biden administration announced 25 projects pitched by 30 different state, local, and tribal governments that applied for $4.3 billion in grants created by the president's signature climate law. The grants, which will be distributed to winners by early autumn, will support the deployment of clean energy technology across sectors ranging from housing to agriculture. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reviewed nearly 300 applications that requested over $30 billion. Read More

Tasmanian 'Eco-milk' Tests Shoppers' Thirst For Climate-friendly Dairy

A small dairy in Tasmania is stocking supermarket shelves with what it says is the world's first branded milk produced by cows fed with a seaweed that makes them emit lower levels of environmentally damaging methane gas. The livestock industry accounts for around 30% of global methane emissions, according to the United Nations. Seaweed and other feed additives for cattle could reduce these greenhouse gas emissions but have yet to be widely adopted due to cost. Read More

Man Started California Wildfire By Pushing Burning Car Into Gully, Prosecutor Says

A man was arrested on suspicion of starting a wildfire that forced thousands to flee their homes in a fast-moving blaze that is the largest in California so far this year. Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey said in a statement that the man, Ronnie Dean Stout II, was jailed without bond on a Butte County judge's warrant after he was identified as the person seen pushing a flaming car into a gully. Read More

The events of July clearly show the complex nature of the climate crisis. From record-breaking heatwaves and natural disasters to essential policy initiatives and corporate endorsements, people worldwide increasingly acknowledge the need for immediate and comprehensive action. Moving forward, the challenge is to turn this awareness into practical, impactful measures that can reduce the effects of climate change and build a sustainable future.