To effectively combat climate change, the world needs to ditch fossil fuels - starting with coal - fast.

But coal-fired power plants, which have a lifespan of decades and need to keep operating to pay back investors, are still being planned and built around the world, particularly in power-hungry Asia.

There are a few signs of a turnaround, though.

Bangladesh says it may rethink half of the 29 coal power plants it plans to build and focus more on natural gas - still a fossil fuel, but cleaner. Pakistan's ambitious new renewable energy policy aims to push the country toward solar and wind power - but seven coal plants are in the works too.

Meanwhile, as planet-heating emissions continue to rise, we're seeing the impacts, including potentially deadly heatwaves from Britain to Iran. Is it time to give heatwaves names and strength ratings, as we do with hurricanes?

"People do not understand this risk and we need to change that," says Kathy Baughman McLeod, director of the Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center.

"Extreme heat is or will be felt by everyone, everywhere, at some point. We have to build awareness."

Those who are vulnerable to weather extremes need good information to cope - which is being jeopardised in Kenya as a coronavirus-driven economic slowdown dries up advertising at community radio stations and threatens to shutter them.

Many farmers around the world rely on radio broadcasts to give them locally tailored weather and climate forecasts to help them make right growing decisions. Without them, the risk of lost harvests - and hunger - increases.

Meanwhile, if you're headed to the beach this summer, you might want to wait before buying new sandals. Next year, biodegradable foam flip-flops made from algae oil are set to hit the market.

"There are over one billion flip-flops made in the world every year" - and they are a major source of plastic pollution in oceans, says Stephen Mayfield, one of those behind the new footwear.

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