Climate

The environmental pros and cons of Christmas trees go far beyond the climate impact of "real or plastic", scientists say.

This year, Regeneration International celebrated a decade of collective action — ten years of grassroots organizing, global solidarity, and soil-deep transformation. Our partner network has now grown to more than 700 organizations.

Protesters blockaded the main entrance to the Cop30 climate conference for several hours early on Friday morning, demanding to speak to Brazil’s president about the plight of the country’s Indigenous peoples. About 50 people from the Munduruku people in the Amazon basin blocked the entrance with some assistance from international green groups, watched by a huge phalanx of riot police, soldiers and military vehicles.

From the front lines in Belém, Regeneration International’s Mercedes López takes a hard look at COP30 — tracing the UN climate summit’s history, contradictions, and limits — and dares us to rethink where genuine transformation comes from.

Protesters stormed the Cop30 summit in Belem, Brazil, clashing with UN security guards. Videos show chaotic moments at the entrance as demonstrators chanted slogans and held placards, before being restrained by security personnel. A few guards sustained minor injuries, and parts of the venue were damaged during the scuffle.

Humanity’s taste for beef comes with a massive toll, arguably larger than almost any other sector: Ranching has displaced millions of hectares of tropical forest this century, particularly in the Amazon, where a 2008 study estimates it’s responsible for 80% of deforestation. The loss of forests contributes vast amounts of CO2 to the atmosphere and huge declines in biodiversity — indeed, livestock production in general has been labeled the largest threat to biodiversity globally. And cattle themselves emit nitrous oxide and methane, greenhouse gases that are more potent trappers of heat than CO2.

Last month, I had the privilege of representing Regeneration International at the Uzbek-German Expert Dialogue on Agroecology in Uzbekistan, alongside my dear friend and colleague André Leu, Director of Regeneration International. It was an incredible experience to bring our global network’s voice to this important conversation on transitioning Uzbekistan’s agriculture toward sustainability and climate resilience. André shared powerful global insights on regenerative agriculture, drawing on decades of experience worldwide. He emphasized how practices like soil regeneration, biodiversity enhancement, and ecological balance can restore degraded lands, improve farmer livelihoods, and strengthen food security.