With over 70% of Europeans living in urban areas, cities are key to implementing the European Green Deal and fostering a sustainable, low-carbon society. Since 2010, the European Green Capital Award has recognised cities’ efforts to become greener and cleaner. On 27 November 2024, the European Commission announced Guimarães, Portugal, as the...

This image, acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite, showcases a striking phenomenon caused by the bora wind over the Adriatic Sea between Croatia's Dalmatian coast and the island of Pag.  On the day the image was acquired, the bora - a strong katabatic wind blowing from the land - reached speeds of more than 100 km/h. As it...

In just under half a century, the global population has doubled from four billion in 1975 to eight billion in 2022. This rapid growth has transformed the planet, driving the expansion of the built-up surface—houses, buildings, parking lots etc.—at an unprecedented rate. Yet, this development has been uneven, with some regions undergoing more...

The Albufera Natural Park is one of Europe’s most biodiverse coastal wetlands. Home to over 372 bird species and endangered freshwater fish, the Park’s water quality has deteriorated significantly after the disastrous floods which affected the Valencia Region, Spain, at the end of October 2024.  This is evident in the change in the water’s...

Every austral summer, oceanographic and seasonal conditions in the eastern Great Australian Bight favour the development of phytoplankton blooms. Seasonal winds and ocean currents contribute to the redistribution of nutrients in the water column, creating ideal conditions for these microscopic organisms to thrive.   As the foundation of the...