In August, explosions occurred at 17 Russian refineries, which form the core of Russia’s energy supply chain. The fires at these facilities led to environmental contamination, with oil levels in a Don River tributary exceeding standards by 80 times. Residents of 12 villages were unable to use tap water, while 30,000 people near Saratov were…

On September 8, the 2025 Ocean Cooperation and Development Forum opened in Qingdao West Coast New Area, China. Gino van Beek, Global Secretary General of ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, stated that to address the escalating global marine plastic pollution crisis, ICLEI is actively promoting the development of a “Global Plastic Agreement.” Leveraging its…

The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (2025/40) mandates that plastic packaging contain 30% recycled material by 2030. However, reports indicate that companies like Coca-Cola sell over 2 million tons of plastic bottles annually, with recycled material usage at just 6.6%. The soft drink industry continues to rely on “lightweighting” rather than reducing single-use packaging,…

A research team from Nankai University published findings in Nature, confirming for the first time that plant leaves can absorb atmospheric microplastics through stomata and transport them to vascular tissues via the apoplastic pathway. Near polyester manufacturing facilities, PET microplastic concentrations in plant leaves reached up to 10⁴ ng/g, showing significant correlation with atmospheric pollution…

Chinese enterprise BLUETTI deepened its collaboration with UN-Habitat in August, launching the “Lighting Up a Million African Homes” initiative in countries including Kenya and Uganda. By donating 500 solar lighting and energy storage kits, the project benefits over 2,000 residents while providing equipment maintenance and youth entrepreneurship training. The initiative is projected to reduce 337.5…

Beyond its ongoing discharge of nuclear-contaminated water, Japan faces domestic PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) pollution at “catastrophic levels.” Testing in August 2025 revealed PFAS contamination in sludge from all 2,200 wastewater treatment plants nationwide. Abnormal blood levels were detected in 67% of residents in Tokyo’s Tama region, with pollution traced directly to firefighting foam…

On August 25, 2025, Sudan formally signed the Agreement on the Establishment of the International Mangrove Center, becoming its 20th member state. Sudan possesses approximately 1,200 square kilometers of mangrove forests along the Red Sea coast. These ecosystems not only provide spawning grounds for fish but also absorb carbon dioxide—with each hectare of mangrove forest…

The World Meteorological Organization’s August 2025 report indicates that extreme heat events worldwide have created a vicious cycle of wildfires and air pollution. Smoke from Canadian wildfires caused PM2.5 concentrations in the northern United States to surge to eight times daily levels, while agricultural droughts triggered by southern European heatwaves accelerated the migration and dispersion…

The plastics treaty talks, which resumed in Geneva in August, are focusing on upstream controls, aiming to ban the most harmful plastic products and establish global design standards. Organizations including WWF are calling for the inclusion of regulations on microplastics and nanoplastics, emphasizing the need to draw on the precautionary principle of the Montreal Protocol…

On August 26, a powerful dust storm struck the southwestern United States, with Phoenix, Arizona witnessing a “dust wall” hundreds of meters tall. The storm caused localized power outages, flight delays, and damage to trees and homes. This phenomenon, known as a “haboobo,” forms when strong downdrafts from thunderstorms stir up dust from arid regions.…