Great Barrier Reef at ‘unprecedented’ risk of collapse after major bleaching event
The record-breaking marine heatwave in 2016 across the Great Barrier Reef has left much of the coral ecosystem at an “unprecedented” risk of collapse,...
Atlantic ‘conveyor belt’ has slowed by 15% since mid-20th century
The Atlantic Ocean current that brings warm water up to Europe from the tropics has weakened by 15% since the middle of the last...
Marine heatwaves have become ‘34% more likely’ over past century
Marine heatwaves are now lasting longer and occuring more frequently across the world than in the early 20th century, a new study finds.
The research,...
Mangrove deforestation emits as much CO2 as Myanmar each year
The world’s mangrove forests, with their archetypal twisted roots protruding from the water surface, store more than 4bn tonnes of carbon, new research shows.
But...
Climate change: 70% of king penguins could ‘abruptly relocate or disappear’ by 2100
The arduous journey that king penguins must make in order to hunt fish to bring back to their young could become even longer as...
Every five-year delay in meeting Paris goals could ‘add 20cm’ to global sea levels
Failure to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement within the next few decades could have long-lasting impacts on global sea level rise in...
Acidification could leave oceans ‘uninhabitable’ for cold-water corals
The world’s oceans could become “uninhabitable” for cold-water corals by the end of the century as a result of ocean acidification, research suggests.
Ocean acidification,...
State of the climate: how the world warmed in 2017
The climate data for 2017 is now in. In this article, Carbon Brief explains why last year proved to be so remarkable across the...
Q&A: How do climate models work?
In the first article of a week-long series focused on climate modelling, Carbon Brief explains in detail how scientists use computers to understand our...
Severe coral reef bleaching now ‘five times more frequent’ than 40 years ago
Mass coral reef bleaching events have become five times more common worldwide over the past 40 years, new research finds, with climate change playing...


















