Sustainable Switch:Climate Focus - Global coral bleaching event expands
By Sharon Kimathi
Energy and ESG Editor, Reuters Digital
sharon.kimathi@thomsonreuters.com
Hello!
From mass bleaching events to marine heatwaves, today’s newsletter focuses on the lifeblood of our planet – our oceans.
The mass bleaching of coral reefs around the world since February 2023 is now the most extensive on record, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) told Reuters in an exclusive story this week.
A staggering 77% of the world’s coral reef areas – from the Atlantic to the Pacific to the Indian oceans – have so far been subjected to bleaching-level heat stress, according to satellite data, as climate change fuels record and near-record ocean temperatures across the world.
Triggered by heat stress in warm oceans, coral bleaching occurs when corals expel the colorful algae living in their tissues.
Without these helpful algae, the corals become pale and are vulnerable to starvation and disease. A bleached coral is not dead, but ocean temperatures need to cool off for any hope of recovery.
This comes as a joint study by Australia's national science agency (CISRO) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences has found that heat waves deep in oceans may be "significantly under-reported", highlighting an area of marine warming that has been largely overlooked.
Marine heatwaves are prolonged temperature events that can cause severe damage to marine habitats, such as impacts to coral reefs and species displacement, the study said.
Keep scrolling for more water-watch Reuters stories from around the world.
Climate Buzz
OECD-backed group calls for global pact to solve water crisis
The topic of water continues throughout the newsletter as countries are considering a new international pact to fix a mounting water crisis that could cut economic growth by at least 8% and put half the world's food supplies at risk by 2050, said the Global Commission on the Economics of Water (GCEW).
Climate change, destructive land use and chronic mismanagement has put the global water cycle under "unprecedented stress", said the GCEW.
Greece court sentences former state officials over deadly 2020 floods
A Greek court handed a 15-month suspended prison sentence to a former regional governor Costas Agorastos in central Greece and three other former officials over the handling of deadly floods in 2020 that killed three people.
This follows a pattern of holding officials accountable for disasters related to inadequate infrastructure and mismanagement, as several officials were put to trial for their roles in the 2017 Mandra floods, which killed 25 people.
Paraguay's drying river stokes water tensions between fishers and farmers
A sharp decline in the Paraguay River, which hit a record low this month due to drought upstream in Brazil, is fueling a conflict between the country's fishers and rice farmers over water use in a southern wetland region bordering Argentina.
Sydney beaches closed due to toxic 'tar balls'
Hundreds of black balls suspected to be toxic washed up on the city's shores in Sydney including the iconic Bondi which was closed to bathers. Preliminary testing by Randwick Council suggests the mystery items were “tar balls” – lumps of oil and debris.
Canadian climate lawsuit by young people could sway global cases
A Canadian appeals court is set to rule on whether Ontario's climate target violates young people's rights, in a decision that could sway similar cases internationally.
The lawsuit, launched against Ontario by seven people aged 16 to 28 as of this summer, contends the province's greenhouse-gas-emissions target is inadequate and violates the young people's rights to life, liberty and security, along with their right to equality. Click here for more on the lawsuit.
What to Watch
Easter Island, known locally as Rapa Nui, is facing an oceanic vortex of plastic. The remote speck of land in the middle of the Pacific Ocean receives around 50 times more plastic and microplastic than the coasts of Chile. Click here to learn more.
Climate Commentary
Companies need to integrate climate reporting across functions to comply with California’s new law that compels companies to disclose and report their emissions, writes Henry Engler, North American regulatory intelligence editor at the Thomson Reuters Institute.
Ross Kerber , U.S. Sustainable Business Correspondent for Reuters,asks what nuclear power companies will do to manage thousands of tons of spent reactor fuel.
Martin Thurley, founding member and the executive director of the Seafood Task Force, shares the sustainable lessons he’s learnt from his work in the Thai seafood industry for the Ethical Corp Magazine. Click here to learn more.
Climate Lens
Hurricane Milton has caused $55 billion in property damage as it tore through Florida last week, according to the latest analyst estimates. Hitting just two weeks after Hurricane Helene, Milton was the latest in a series of major hurricanes in recent years to disrupt Florida's property insurance market.
Number of the Week - COP16
Click here for a Reuters explainer on what you need to know about nature's rapid decline - and its importance to the global economy as the United Nations two-week COP16 biodiversity summit kicks off on Monday in Cali, Colombia.
Sustainable Switch Climate Focus was edited by Elaine Hardcastle
Hurricanes push up flood insurance claims in Florida https://reut.rs/3TYrHv6
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