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Why Greenland is indispensable to global climate science
With no Antarctica-style treaty to protect Greenland, a US takeover could mean scientists lose access.
Ocean Warming Breaks Record for Ninth Straight Year
Every second of last year, the Earth’s oceans absorbed the equivalent in energy to 12 Hiroshima-sized atomic bombs. Global ocean heat content (OHC) increased for the ninth consecutive year in 2025, according to a report released Friday in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences. The study—a collaboration involving more than 50 scientists from 31 international institutions—measured temperature […]
What Top Climate Scientists Think of Trump’s Treaty Withdrawals
Though the abandonment of international agreements is “a damn shame,” they say science will prevail.
Hidden tree bark microbes munch on important climate gases
Trees are known for absorbing CO2. But microbes in their bark also absorb other climate-active gases, methane, hydrogen, and carbon monoxide.
Trump pulls US out of key climate treaty, science body
President Donald Trump is withdrawing the United States from a foundational climate treaty as part of a sweeping exit from the UN system.
World Economic Forum survey shows doing business got tougher in 2025
Companies found it harder to do business in 2025 due to a deterioration in global cooperation on issues including trade, climate, technology and security, a survey published by the World Economic Forum showed on Thursday.
UN delegate explains impact of Trump’s plan to withdraw US from key UN climate agreement
Superconductors, an opportunity for science and society
Superconductive technologies have long been central to particle physics, but they have also repeatedly moved beyond the laboratory, most notably with the emergence of magnetic resonance imaging scanners (MRI), demonstrating how breakthroughs in fundamental research can benefit society. Today, as global energy, climate and healthcare pressures grow, the conversation is shifting from “What can science give to society?” to “How can science and industry jointly develop technologies that benefit society while advancing research?” The event “Catalysing Impact – Superconductivity for Global Challenges” held at CERN in December was aimed precisely at answering this question. The workshop brought together leading researchers, industry representatives, investors and policymakers to explore how collaboration on superconducting technologies can advance particle physics while addressing some of the world’s most pressing societal challenges. The event sought to bridge fundamental research with real-world deployment and to accelerate collaborative pathways. Across keynotes, panels and round tables, participants examined both the current technological landscape and the opportunities ahead. Introducing the discussions, Frédérick Bordry, Chief Technology Officer of the Gauss Fusion company and former CERN Director for Accelerator and Technology, noted that “Superconductivity has become the silent engine of discovery science.” While the research community needs more capable and more resilient superconductors for the next generation of experiments, they also have significant potential for societal applications. Beyond their role in collider magnets, high-temperature superconductors (HTS) now promise lossless power transmission, compact fusion magnets, efficient renewable systems and new capabilities in healthcare, transport, computing and quantum technologies - all aligned with SDG-17’s emphasis on partnership-driven innovation. Participants also stressed that major hurdles remain. Global competition is accelerating, and Europe must act quickly to secure technological and economic leadership. Doing so will require coordinated investment and supportive policies, including stronger risk capital investment and mechanisms to bridge the gap between laboratory innovation and industrial deployment. The summit set in motion several concrete follow-up priorities, including aligning R&D roadmaps with societal goals and the UN Sustainable Development Goals; making it easier for public–private consortia to build demonstrators that serve both industry and research needs; and advancing investment pathways that better connect research institutions, governments and the private sector. A series of interviews of key participants is available here: Frédérick Bordry & Milena Roveda Mike Lamont Francesca Ferrazza Peter Schroth Ziad Melhem Pietro Corsaro
Top business professor
Poets&Quants names UD's Julia Bayuk a 2025 Best Undergraduate Business Professor
Scientists push back on climate myths
A global network of experts at Science Feedback is correcting false claims about climate change and clean energy.
US will exit 66 international organizations
Most of the targets are U.N.-related agencies, commissions and advisory panels that focus on climate, labor, migration and other issues.
Omnicom’s top media executive on post-IPG acquisition strategy and the 2026 new business climate
CEO Florian Adamski details how Omnicom Media is pitching its Omni platform and addresses potential mergers of media agency brands.
Climate change doesn’t care about our politics, but we all care about our children (Guest Opinion)
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With 100+ Signatories, NJ Business Coalition Urges Lawmakers to Oppose Climate Superfund Act
The New Jersey Business Coalition, with more than 100 signatories, have urged lawmakers to oppose the Climate Superfund Act, a bill that seeks to retroactively penalize New Jersey companies tens of billions of dollars for legally providing fossil fuels that are essential to residents’ survival and prosperity. Bill S-3545 (Smith, D-17; McKeon, D-27) is slated for a vote[...]
Texas clears the way for petrochemical expansion as experts warn of health risks
Public Health Watch chronicles, in 13 scenes, a fossil-fuel infrastructure boom that could worsen air pollution in some areas and exacerbate climate change.
Texas clears the way for petrochemical expansion as experts warn of health risks
Public Health Watch chronicles, in 13 scenes, a fossil-fuel infrastructure boom that could worsen air pollution in some areas and exacerbate climate change.
2023 Ames Earth Science Nuggets
Earth Science (SG) Nuggets – Menu BarHomeNuggets Home2025202420232022 2023 Ames Earth Science Nuggets Earth Science Nuggets are bite-sized, single-page summaries of recent science results, mission highlights, and outreach activities. Back to Earth Science Nuggets Overview about 2023 Ames Earth Science Nuggets march 2023 Portable, Scalable, and Re-usable Science Data Processing Software for NASA Satellite Missions march 2023 Portable, Scalable, and Re-usable Science Data Processing Software for NASA Satellite Missions May 2023 ARC manages field campaign Sub-MesoscaleOcean Dynamics Experiment May 2023 ARC manages field campaign Sub-MesoscaleOcean Dynamics Experiment June 2023 Alpha Jet Atmospheric eXperiment (AJAX) produces database on trace gas and meteorological observations June 2023 Alpha Jet Atmospheric eXperiment (AJAX) produces database on trace gas and meteorological observations july 2023 Earth’s protective stratosphere affected by clouds from below july 2023 Earth’s protective stratosphere affected by clouds from below August 2023 What does global land climate look like at 2 degrees warming? August 2023 What does global land climate look like at 2 degrees warming? Downloads Portable, Scalable, and Re-usable Science Data Processing Software for NASA Satellite Missions Dec 18, 2025 PDF (279.60 KB) ARC manages field campaign Sub-Mesoscale Ocean Dynamics Experiment Dec 18, 2025 PDF (333.27 KB) Alpha Jet Atmospheric eXperiment (AJAX) produces database on trace gas and meteorological observations Dec 18, 2025 PDF (332.86 KB) Earth’s protective stratosphere affected by clouds from below Dec 18, 2025 PDF (464.51 KB) What does global land climate look like at 2 degrees warming? Dec 18, 2025 PDF (246.82 KB)
The Washington Post - Breaking news and latest headlines, U.S. news, world news, and video
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Health Care Providers Are Dropping a Common Anesthesia Drug That’s Also a Climate Super Pollutant
Limiting use of desflurane helps hospitals reduce their greenhouse gas emissions; the European Union now prohibits its use during most procedures.
Bringing marine microbiome research into the classroom is an essential step toward a climate literate society
npj Climate Action - Recognizing the ecological roles of microorganisms as drivers of marine biogeochemical cycles and how they are influenced by seawater pollution, warming, and acidification is...
BOOK REVIEW: Science Under Siege by Michael E. Mann and Peter J. Hotez
By Jim Heffernan Michael E. Mann, a distinguished climate scientist professor, and Peter J Hotez, a noted scientist and pediatrician, got together to produce a very good book about anti-science, which threatens…
Beyond the Super Bowl and the semiquincentennial: Your big sneak peek at 2026 entertainment events to come
You made it through a harrowing 2025 and a half-decade of challenge. Now, put aside your fears of catastrophic climate change, the collapse of American democracy, and AI data centers stretching from sea to shining sea — for just a moment — and plan some fun in the year ahead.
Fossilized bones are revealing secrets from a lost world
Researchers have uncovered thousands of preserved metabolic molecules inside fossilized bones millions of years old, offering a surprising new window into prehistoric life. The findings reveal animals’ diets, diseases, and even their surrounding climate, including evidence of warmer, wetter environments. One fossil even showed signs of a parasite still known today. This approach could transform how scientists reconstruct ancient ecosystems.
Blog: Bridging science and humanitarian action – an internship at the Climate Centre
By Annalena Bacher (The Climate Centre is happy on New Year’s Day to open its coverage for 2026 with a young voice – that of its latest intern, Annalena Bacher, who worked with us from September to December 2025.) I have long been fascinated by climate change and extreme-weather events: their impacts on people, how […]
Trees in Panama's tropical forests are growing longer roots in the face of drought
A long-term experiment reveals tropical forests in Panama are able to adapt to droughts, but scientists warn this short-term "rescue strategy" is unlikely to save them from the impacts of climate change.
From rent to utility bills: the politicians and advocates making climate policy part of the affordability agenda
As the Trump administration derides climate policy as a ‘scam’, emissions-cutting measures are gaining popularity
Top Five Climate Science Scandals 2025
Bad science, Trump vengeance, USNCA, "climate risk," and the top holds steady
2025 was one of three hottest years on record, scientists say
Climate change worsened by human behavior made 2025 one of the hottest years ever recorded
Trump's Crusade Against 'Woke' Climate Research Threatens Solar Science
The National Center for Atmospheric Research not only investigates weather on Earth, but also in space.
The Year in Climate: Attacks on Science, the Start of Trump’s Second Term and Surging Electricity Demand Foreshadow a Future Filled with Uncertainty
Global inaction on fossil fuel and plastic treaties, the dismantling of federal agencies and regulations and the rapid rise of data centers were just a few of the consequential stories that Inside Climate News tracked in 2025.
Zombie worms are missing and scientists are alarmed
When researchers lowered whale bones into the deep ocean, they expected zombie worms to quickly move in. Instead, after 10 years, none appeared — an unsettling result tied to low-oxygen waters in the region. These worms play a key role in breaking down whale remains and supporting deep-sea life. Their absence hints that climate-driven oxygen loss could unravel entire whale-fall ecosystems.
White House pushes to dismantle leading climate and weather research center
The Guardian view on adapting to the climate crisis: it demands political honesty about extreme weather
Editorial: Over the holiday period, the Guardian leader column is looking ahead at the themes of 2026. Today we look at how the struggle to adapt to a dangerously warming world has become a test of global justice
POLITICS: Michigan sees decline in green investment
POLITICS: Michigan sees sharp decline in climate investment; lawmakers demand probe after detainee dies in ICE custody.
Reflecting on a year of attacks on climate science (and three other stories)
One of the defining themes of the past 11 months, and certainly one most pertinent to the climate beat, was “attacks on science and expertise,” which seem likely to continue into 2026.
How 2025 became one of the hottest and most divisive climate years
Record warming met weak political resolve as climate pressures mounted this year.
Year in review: Trump’s environmental policy : The NPR Politics Podcast
As we approach 2026, the NPR Politics Podcast is taking a look back at the year that was in different political areas. Today, we look at how America’s stance on environmental policy has shifted under the second Trump administration and what the potential impacts could be.This episode: voting correspondent Ashley Lopez, senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, climate correspondent Michael Copley, and automotive and energy correspondent Camila Domonoske.This podcast was produced by Casey Morell and Bria Suggs, and edited by Rachel Baye.Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.Listen to every episode of the NPR Politics Podcast sponsor-free, unlock access to bonus episodes with more from the NPR Politics team, and support public media when you sign up for The NPR Politics Podcast+ at plus.npr.org/politics.
Racing against time: Inside a Nahant genome bank’s bid to save marine diversity before it’s lost
The Ocean Genome Legacy Center and other biorepositories like it are increasingly crucial to climate change research as global warming threatens marine species.
Houston hailed as one of America's 10 best cities for startups
Houston's favorable economic climate is enticing entrepreneurs.
Oceans are supercharging hurricanes past Category 5
Deep ocean hot spots packed with heat are making the strongest hurricanes and typhoons more likely—and more dangerous. These regions, especially near the Philippines and the Caribbean, are expanding as climate change warms ocean waters far below the surface. As a result, storms powerful enough to exceed Category 5 are appearing more often, with over half occurring in just the past decade. Researchers say recognizing a new “Category 6” could improve public awareness and disaster planning.
As tetanus vaccination rates decline, doctors worry about rising case numbers
The harrowing, deadly infection could make a comeback, especially in states vulnerable to climate-linked natural disasters, like Florida and Texas, an NBC News investigation finds.
How Trump’s attacks on ‘climate alarmism’ have already transformed U.S. science
Experts say the cuts to the federal workforce and climate science funding could cause decades of loss in human knowledge and discovery.
NJBIA Business Outlook Survey Spotlight: NJ's Economic Climate
NJBIA released its 67th annual Business Outlook Survey on Dec. 2. While much of the attention of the survey focused on 2055 energy cost increases and
The Science (and Pseudoscience) of Everyday Life
Everyday life is full of small behaviors we treat as moral choices, scientific truths, or acts of civic virtue—often without much reflection. From abandoned shopping carts to climate guilt over pet ownership, from misplaced faith in statistical “significance” to misunderstandings of animal behavior, these examples reveal how intuition, habit, and oversimplified science shape what we believe.
Scientists warn: We are witnessing multiple irreversible changes in Antarctica
Antarctica faces abrupt, irreversible climate changes as warming nears 1.5 °C, threatening ice, oceans, ecosystems, and coasts worldwide.
What voters say they want for Christmas
Political opposites are closing 2025 as they did 2024: on each side of America’s Donald Trump divide. But CNN’s “All Over the Map” survey did provide several interesting takeaways. Some may be instructive about the midterm election climate, at least at this beginning stage.
Scientists Extract Metabolic Molecules From Million-Year-Old Fossils for the First Time
Fossils can reveal far more than the shapes of ancient creatures. Molecules preserved inside old animal bones provide clues about past diseases, what those animals ate, and the climates they lived in. For the first time, researchers have examined metabolism-related molecules preserved in fossiliz
How Climate Instability and Extreme Heat Could Upend High School Sports | Nonprofit Quarterly | Civic News. Empowering Nonprofits. Advancing Justice.
Coaches, scientists, and advocates are sounding the alarm about heat stroke—the leading cause of heat-related deaths in high school athletes.
2025’s Scientific Landscape Upended as Federal Overhauls, Public Health Setbacks, Climate Rollbacks and Cosmic Surprises Collide
A look back at 2025’s biggest science stories—from federal upheaval and public health setbacks to climate policy reversals and groundbreaking discoveries in space.
2025’s Scientific Landscape Upended as Federal Overhauls, Public Health Setbacks, Climate Rollbacks and Cosmic Surprises Collide
A look back at 2025’s biggest science stories—from federal upheaval and public health setbacks to climate policy reversals and groundbreaking discoveries in space.
Top science stories of 2025
In a year of funding chaos, ongoing climate change and pollution perils, we also saw the most powerful telescope yet, personalized gene therapy, and the next-best-thing to an HIV vaccine — not to mention a brand-new color
This AI finds simple rules where humans see only chaos
A new AI developed at Duke University can uncover simple, readable rules behind extremely complex systems. It studies how systems evolve over time and reduces thousands of variables into compact equations that still capture real behavior. The method works across physics, engineering, climate science, and biology. Researchers say it could help scientists understand systems where traditional equations are missing or too complicated to write down.
Colorado’s business competitiveness shows cracks as investment drifts out of state
Business experts say 2025 was a mixed bag for Colorado's business climate.
Global warming could trigger the next ice age
Scientists have uncovered a missing feedback in Earth’s carbon cycle that could cause global warming to overshoot into an ice age. As the planet warms, nutrient-rich runoff fuels plankton blooms that bury huge amounts of carbon in the ocean. In low-oxygen conditions, this process can spiral out of control, cooling Earth far beyond its original state. While this won’t save us from modern climate change, it may explain Earth’s most extreme ancient ice ages.
One word sums up climate politics in 2025: Greenlash
In a year shaped by Trump's return to the White House, the new administration touted "energy dominance" and protesters threw eggs at "swasticars."
Scientists found climate change hidden in old military air samples
Old military air samples turned out to be a treasure trove of biological DNA, allowing scientists to track moss spores over 35 years. The results show mosses now release spores up to a month earlier than in the 1990s. Even more surprising, the timing depends more on last year’s climate than current spring conditions. It’s a striking example of how fast ecosystems are adjusting to a warming world.
Colorado’s business competitiveness shows cracks as investment drifts out of state
Business experts say 2025 was a mixed bag for Colorado’s business climate. Rankings from business leader surveys, state and federal organizations and news sites paint a murky picture for the region’s competitiveness as economic factors...
Is winter warmer in Sacramento than it was 50 years ago? What the science says
Climate change has warmed Sacramento’s winters, shrinking Sierra snowpack and threatening water supplies statewide.
Scientists push back on Trump plan to break up a critical climate and weather center
The White House plans to break up a key weather and climate research center in Colorado, a move experts say could jeopardize the accuracy of forecasting and prediction systems.
Five Takeaways From the World’s Biggest Earth Science Meeting
The world’s biggest Earth science conference had a shocking backdrop this year, with the Trump administration announcing that it plans to close an iconic climate research lab. Suffice to say, that changed the tone of the gathering.
Climate Science’s ‘Global Mothership’ Is Crashing
And somehow the Trump administration plans to keep its weather forecasting powers intact.
Trump aims to take down ‘global mothership’ of climate science
By moving to dismantle Colorado’s National Center for Atmospheric Research, the White House says it is targeting ‘climate alarmism’
Mamdani appoints veteran city official as budget director
Sherif Soliman will be director of the Office of Management and Budget.
The top global health and healthcare stories from 2025
From climate change health impacts to transformative discoveries for brain health, here are the top health stories of the year.
One of Trump’s grudges now threatens America’s weather forecasts
What happens when you kill the country’s climate science “mothership”?
US Plans to Dismantle Climate Science ‘Cornerstone’
It’s been labeled “scientific vandalism” and “a national security risk.” The Trump administration’s plan to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research has outraged scientists and policymakers.
How climate goals create business value
Atlassian, Cox, Workday and 6 other companies reflect on how sustainability strategy drives new revenue, attracts talent and closes deals.
‘Today’ Show’s Al Roker Rebukes Trump Goon for Blowing Up Science
The climate change-denying White House says it’s moving to dismantle a “woke” climate center.
Who Has the Best Idea to Improve Denver? CU Denver Business School Launches Sustainability Competition to Find Out.
The new challenge, funded by Dr. Blair Gifford, calls on students and local partners to deliver real-world solutions for climate, housing, and urban
Trump administration plans to break up largest federal climate research center
Russ Vought, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, said the National Science Foundation "will be breaking up" the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado.
Scientists Denounce Trump's Plan to Kill Crucial Atmospheric Science Center
The U.S. government is dismantling the National Center for Atmospheric Research, jettisoning key climate science projects in the process
Vought says National Science Foundation to break up federal climate, weather research center
The National Science Foundation will “break up” a climate and weather research lab in Colorado, according to White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought. The Foundation, an …
Rebuking a Trump climate report, study shows U.S. sea-level rise is accelerating
“It’s not politics. That’s what the data say,” said the study’s author, who examined 70 tide gauges around the country.
Trump moves to dismantle major US climate research center in Colorado
The Trump administration is breaking up the National Center for Atmospheric Research, taking aim at one of the world's leading climate research labs.
Roundtable: Did COP30 do enough for health?
As the world heats up, human health needs to be much more firmly on the climate negotiations agenda, say four experts
A Subtle Return of La Niña
A weak La Niña emerged in the equatorial Pacific in late 2025, and scientists are watching how it may help shape weather and climate in the months ahead.
WHO highlights health risks and opportunities in the global waste crisis
A new World Health Organization (WHO) report, Throwing away our health: the impacts of solid waste on human health – evidence, knowledge gaps and health sector responses, warns that poorly managed solid waste is driving a public health crisis and calls for urgent action to protect people and the environments they live in.Globally, the volume of municipal solid waste is growing at an unprecedented rate. Yet, many countries still lack the systems and resources to manage this waste safely. “Solid waste reflects how our societies produce and consume, and how we treat people and the environment in the process,” said Dr Ruediger Krech, Director a.i., Department of Environment, Climate Change, One Health & Migration at the World Health Organization. “If we continue to treat waste as an afterthought, we will lock in avoidable disease, climate pollution and deep social inequities. This report is a clear call to put health and equity at the centre of how we design, manage and ultimately reduce waste.”The report summarizes evidence on how solid waste – especially municipal solid waste – affects health through polluted air, water, soil and food. When waste is not collected, or is dumped, burned or not poorly treated, it can release hazardous chemicals, contaminate drinking-water sources and create breeding grounds for insects and rodents.Communities underserved by waste management services, those living near dumpsites and poorly managed landfills and incinerators, children and pregnant women, as well as waste workers – particularly those working informally – face the greatest risks. For the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) community, the report underlines that safe management of municipal and health care waste is integral to safely managed, climate-resilient systems.A large share of municipal solid waste is still not collected or is disposed of in uncontrolled conditions, including open dumpsites and open burning. These practices damage ecosystems, contribute to climate change and undermine efforts to build healthy cities. When waste is properly managed, however, it can become a resource – generating energy and creating green jobs. The report calls for a coordinated, multisectoral response grounded in the waste hierarchy: preventing waste where possible, then reducing, reusing and recycling, with safe recovery and disposal.Key actions for governments and partners include reducing waste generation at source; expanding affordable and reliable waste collection services, especially in underserved communities; improving control at recovery and disposal facilities; and eliminating open dumping and burning, including hazardous waste. The new report identifies a central role for the health sector in addressing solid waste as a public health threat. The health sector can prevent and minimize health-care waste at source, improve segregation and safe treatment, invest in cleaner climate-resilient technologies, and advocate for health-protective policies and standards. The report also encourages more surveillance, research and biomonitoring to strengthen the evidence base, and promotes social protection and inclusion of informal waste workers.“This report gives countries and health authorities a very practical agenda,” said Mr Bruce Gordon, Head, Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Health Unit, WHO. “Health ministries can start now by ensuring safe management of health-care waste, developing strong occupational health programmes for waste workers, and working with municipalities to reduce health risks from solid waste by closing open dumps and burn sites and gradually improving towards safe services. These concrete steps save lives today and will make cities cleaner and healthier in the future.
What does losing Harris Democratic Party endorsement mean for John Whitmire?
Harris County Democratic Party officials argue that today’s political climate will force them to be more outspoken in future races — even the nonpartisan ones.
The father and son who built an Irish entertainment empire
The Ellimans once owned 34 cinemas and three theatres, including the Theatre Royal and the Gaiety
COP 30: entrenching the crisis of climate politics
As the dust settles after COP30 in Belém, the scale of the failure becomes impossible to ignore. The world is on a path toward catastrophic warming, ecological systems are collapsing, and millions…
Scientists warn federal funding cuts could undermine walleye recovery in Minnesota
The Trump administration froze grant money awarded to the Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center in August and wants to cut its budget next year.
'Hamnet' seemed 'completely lost.' How four days saved the year's most emotional film
Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Chloé Zhao and more of the artists behind 'Hamnet' detail the making of the climactic sequence inside the Globe Theatre.
The Trump Effect: How One Man’s Politics Rewired Europe
From defense to trade to climate policy, Trump’s second term has shaken Europe’s foundations and forced leaders across the continent to adapt to a new transatlantic reality.
St. Johns County wants your feedback on the area’s business climate
All local businesses are encouraged to participate.
Scientists find a massive hidden CO2 sponge beneath the ocean floor
Researchers found that eroded lava rubble beneath the South Atlantic can trap enormous amounts of CO2 for tens of millions of years. These porous breccia deposits store far more carbon than previously sampled ocean crust. The discovery reshapes how scientists view the long-term balance of carbon between the ocean, rocks, and atmosphere. It also reveals a hidden mechanism that helps stabilize Earth’s climate over geological timescales.
The EPA website got the basics of climate science right. Until last week.
The Trump administration purged 80 pages of facts about climate change — including that it's caused by humans.
The New WHO Pandemic Treaty and Global Health Governance: Incorporating Common but Differentiated Responsibilities into PABS - Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
On May 20, 2025, the World Health Assembly unanimously adopted the World Health Organization (WHO) Pandemic Agreement, an international treaty designed to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. The product of three years of arduous negotiations, the treaty marks a new era of global cooperation in public health. However, core aspects of the agreement remain unresolved—notably the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) System, which is intended to ensure equitable access to pandemic-related materials and benefits. To support the successful implementation of the WHO Pandemic Agreement, the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities” should be formally incorporated into the negotiating agenda of the PABS annex. Introduction For the first time, an international treaty has enshrined the principle of “One Health,” the compelling idea that the health of animals, humans, and the environment all contribute to pandemic risks. SARS (2003), H1N1 (2009–10), Ebola (2014–16), and COVID-19 all emerged through zoonotic spillover from animal hosts—respectively, civets, hogs, and bats. Together, they underscore the need for a coordinated, cross-sectoral approach. The Pandemic Agreement responds to this call, requiring state parties to acknowledge the ecological interplay and commit to a comprehensive “One Health” strategy. Specifically, Article 5 charges governments to address “the drivers of pandemics and the emergence and re-emergence of infectious disease at the human-animal-environment interface,” including wild animal markets, deforestation, and antibiotic overuse. Yet the effectiveness of this “One Health” vision depends equally on the free flow of scientific information and data among countries and institutions. Just as environmental and animal health factors have been neglected in past global frameworks, so too has data sharing been marginalized, despite its centrality to timely detection and response. The Pandemic Agreement takes an important step by requiring governments to enhance data collection and cooperate with the World Health Organization (WHO). However, these provisions will remain aspirational without a robust Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) annex. The PABS system will determine whether countries and researchers can rapidly exchange pathogen samples and genetic data while ensuring equitable access to resulting research and development, including diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines. Without such mechanisms, the treaty’s promise to operationalize “One Health” and strengthen global preparedness will risk becoming largely symbolic, echoing earlier failures to translate shared principles into coordinated action. Equity Concerns When the 2025 Health Assembly adopted the Pandemic Agreement, it left the difficult question of access to pathogens and the sharing of resulting benefits to be addressed in a separate agreement. Negotiations on this separate agreement, PABS, are now underway in Geneva. Yet governments remain divided over fundamental questions of equity between the countries that primarily contribute to the system and those that primarily draw from it—and consequently benefit. For example, wildlife in countries bordering the equator is likely to produce PABS materials, but companies in Europe are likely to use them to develop lucrative products. The most likely contributor countries are likely to be those biodiverse countries around the equator, such as Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Indonesia, where the number of human-mammalian viral host interactions is large. Conversely, countries most likely to benefit from this material are those with the technology, investors, and infrastructure to capitalize on genomic data, such as the United States, EU member states, and Japan. This imbalance reflects a broader pattern seen in prior international frameworks. Now, as in the past, the wealthiest countries in the world (a useful heuristic is membership of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)) disproportionately benefit from systems in which pathogens and genomic sequencing data are contributed to a common source. Under the International Agreement on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (the “Plant Treaty” or “Seed Treaty”) and the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework, companies from Europe and North America disproportionately withdraw biological samples and data for development into lucrative medical products. Their governments and companies have both statutory and contractual claims to the products that those companies correspondingly produce. PABS appears poised to follow the same pattern. The text calls for strong language on access to pathogens and associated data, but the corresponding benefits that should flow to poorer countries are couched in equivocal or non-binding language. Common but Differentiated Responsibilities To address these inequities, the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities” should be formally incorporated into the negotiating agenda of the PABS annex. Common but differentiated responsibilities are often a feature of climate change negotiations. The basic principle is that, even though all countries should reduce carbon emissions, governments that became rich and powerful through massive carbon emissions (e.g., France, the United Kingdom, the United States) should have a greater obligation to address the resulting crises. Applied to PABS, it would require that governments hosting and supporting companies developing lucrative products carry greater obligations toward the cost of running the PABS system; share benefits or final medical products; and transfer technology to help countries worldwide develop their own capacities to innovate and manufacture vaccines during an emergency. For example, an annex could mandate that any company based in an OECD country that withdraws PABS material would be obligated to donate the resulting diagnostics, therapeutics, or vaccines to the WHO during a public health emergency or pandemic. Questions remain about how robust those donations would be, but the principle is that they should deliver highly significant lifesaving benefits to be equitably shared. Theoretically, this approach mirrors the PIP Framework, in which companies withdrawing influenza samples are required to pay half of the operating costs. In practice, however, the framework has fallen short. The PIP Framework Secretariat has struggled to secure payments from companies, with companies often disagreeing over how much is owed. Additionally, without another pandemic influenza to test the strength of the agreement during a public health emergency, corporate compliance with sharing mechanisms remains unknown. Even if these limitations did not characterize the PIP Framework, partially paying for operating expenses does not address the inequity in access to genetic data and pathogen samples that left less developed countries last in line for COVID-19 vaccines (and, before them, H1N1). Common but differentiated responsibilities would go further, addressing governments’ legitimate grievances regarding information sharing. It would make withdrawals of PABS material and resulting products more transparent, building trust across the board. Enforcement and Enduring Success A key implication of this approach is that the governing mechanism of the PABS must have real enforcement authority. The WHO Pandemic Agreement delegates its core governance responsibilities to a Conference of the Parties (COP)—a governing body composed of one representative from each participating government, similar to those established under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The proposed WHO Pandemic Agreement COP is charged with oversight functions but ultimately possesses no real authority to compel a government to take any action it does not wish to take. The text does not give the COP the ability to, for example, sanction a party that does not comply with either textual obligations or PABS provisions. In other words, there are no effective mechanisms in place to ensure compliance. Perhaps just as significant, establishing a meaningful enforcement mechanism within the PABS system would strengthen the WHO’s credibility and its ability to ensure compliance across global health governance. By setting a precedent for accountability, such a mechanism could enhance the organization’s authority not only within the Pandemic Agreement but also in enforcing the revised International Health Regulations and other frameworks for public health emergencies. Conclusion The PABS annex can—and should—be different. It should establish clear responsibilities for funding as well as for sharing the diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines that result from contributions to the system. The system, in turn, must include a dedicated body empowered to hold governments and the corporations they sponsor accountable for their responsibilities before, during, and after pandemics. Doing so would restore trust in the broader agreement, which was eroded as commitments were repeatedly diluted while parties scrambled to meet their own self-imposed deadlines during the Pandemic Agreement negotiations. A robust PABS Annex would cement a grand social bargain. Wealthier countries and their corporations would gain unimpeded access to scientific information essential for developing and manufacturing lifesaving medical products. As such, they would stand to gain considerable economic benefit. Yet that privilege must be matched with responsibility. The grand bargain must include not only the right to innovate, but also the duty to ensure that innovation serves all. As medical products are developed and produced through collective contributions, every person must have equal access. All human beings deserve an equitable chance to survive—to save their own life, the lives of their families, and the well-being of their communities. … Sam Halabi, JD, MPhil, is the Bette Jacobs Endowed Professor at Georgetown University’s School of Health and the Director of the Center for Transformational Health Law at Georgetown Law. He serves as the co-lead for the WHO’s Working Group on Regulatory Consideration on AI and Health’s training workstream. He earned his JD from Harvard, his MPhil from Oxford, and undergraduate degrees from Kansas State University. Lawrence Gostin, LLD (Hon.), JD, BA, is University Distinguished Professor and Founding Director and Timothy and Linda O’Neill Professor of the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law. He is the author of Global Health Security: A Blueprint for the Future (Harvard University Press, 2021); Global Health Law (Harvard University Press, 2014); Public Health Law: Power, Duty, Restraint (University of California Press, 3rd ed., 2016); Public Health Law and Ethics: A Reader (University of California Press, 3rd ed., 2018); Law and the Health System (Foundation Press, 2014); Principles of Mental Health Law & Practice (Oxford University Press, 2010). He also directs the WHO Collaborating Center at Georgetown University. Image Credit: United States Mission Geneva, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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