Underground, intricate networks of soil fungi underpin the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. Yet despite their global importance, only 30% of global ecosystems have been sampled for these fungal partners.

Countries with stronger and better-targeted climate policies are cutting carbon emissions significantly faster, a major new study finds. Analysing more than 3,900 policies across 43 economies, researchers show that climate policies have already avoided over 3 billion tonnes of CO₂ in a single year, with the biggest gains coming from policies focused on high-emitting sectors such as energy, industry and transport.

Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar and the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (Leipzig) have shown how natural ocean cycles and rainfall patterns prevent a synchronised, planet‑wide drought and global-scale agricultural collapse. Based on over 100 years of climate data, the study finds that though warming increases drought severity, synchronised droughts are rarer than expected, affecting only 1.8–6.5% of land at any time. By treating droughts as a connected global system, the research team has identified key “drought hubs” and early‑warning regions that can help stabilise food markets.