The ongoing senseless slaughter of whales

Almost four decades after the 1986 global moratorium put an end to the mass slaughter of whales, opposition to commercial whaling around the world is stronger than ever. Yet Japan, Norway and Iceland – three of the world’s wealthiest nations that otherwise generally abide by multilateral environmental agreements – persist in defying the ban. For World Whale Day 2025, Senior Ocean Adviser Clare Perry penned an impassioned blog urging them to get in step and consign commercial whaling to history.

China’s HFC gas emissions keep on growing

China's emissions of climate-harming hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants now represent more than 20 per cent of the global total – and this threat to the planet's climate could worsen as China’s requirement to cap HFC use gives room to increase emissions.