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The atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases hit a record last year, according to the World Meteorological Organization. The concentration of carbon dioxide climbed to 397.7 parts per million, and the warming effect of greenhouse gases rose 36% between 1990 and 2014, the group said

Cutting costs is paramount for the offshore wind industry - as well as for the climate. The cheaper it becomes, the more green offshore wind capacity will see the light of day. A record-low price on the Dutch wind farm Borssele 1+2 marks a breakthrough for offshore wind costs....

Drone boats will soon hit the famous, rusty bike-filled canals of Amsterdam. The ambitious "ROBOAT" project, a collaboration between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions (AMS), will start a five-year trial of the vessels from 2017 to give the multi-purpose boats all sorts of interesting tasks for the busy waterways. The boats will support an array of sensors that can measure water pollution and quality, making assessments about how best to improve the environment. "Water is the bearer of life," says Arjan van Timmeren, professor and scientific director at AMS. "By focusing on the water system of the city, ROBOAT can create opportunities for new environmental sensing methods and climate adaptation."

Coral reefs around the globe already are facing unprecedented damage due to warmer and more acidic oceans. If carbon dioxide emissions continue to fuel the rise in temperature, the widespread loss of coral reefs by 2050 could have devastating consequences, according to new research published in the scientific journal PLOS. "Some of the places that have the most to lose... are also among the biggest carbon emitters," Dr Pendleton said. "They really have it in their power to bring down the levels of carbon" they emit into the atmosphere. The researchers acknowledged that further study is needed to more fully understand what is happening to coral reefs around the globe and how that will affect humans.

The amount of carbon in the atmosphere will hit 400 parts per million this year and will remain above that level for many decades to come, scientists say. The milestone is being reached sooner than expected, raising questions about the planet's ability to avert catastrophic climate change.

Last month, an aerial survey of the northern section of Australia's Great Barrier Reef returned some pretty grim results, revealing that the World Heritage Site had been hit with the worst coral bleaching event in its history. The researchers have now continued their work along this magnificent stretch of coastline and the news isn't getting any better. The results of their end-to-end study now reveal that 93 percent of the reef has been affected by bleaching as a result of warmer sea temperatures in the area.

The citizens of four major European countries think the impacts of climate change such as severe floods and storms are already affecting them, according to a major new polling study. The research dispels the idea that global warming is widely seen as a future problem, and also shows strong support for action to tackle global warming, including subsidies for clean energy and big financial penalties for nations that refuse to be part of the international climate deal signed in Paris in 2015 - as US president Donald Trump has threatened.

According to a study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the levels of carbon dioxide in the air increased by 3 parts per million during 2016, and levels have continued to increase during the first few months of 2017. NOAA scientist Pieter Tans said carbon dioxide levels have risen 100 times faster during the last decade than the during the transition from the last Ice Age.

Outdoor retailer REI is saving 1.8 million KW-h per year after installing energy-efficient cooling systems at its Seattle datacenter. The project reduced energy consumption tied to cooling by 93% and had a payback period of less than 1 year.

Consumer demand, advances in material technology and legislation will push sustainable packaging to a $244 billion market by 2018, according to report by Smithers Para. The "Future of Sustainable Packaging to 2018" report found awareness among consumers is driving demand for sustainability, particularly packaging that has a smaller environmental footprint.

According to Green Biz, 14 environmental and social resolutions earned at least 40 percent shareholder support, with requests for sustainability reporting tha tincludes greenhouse gas emissions and energy efficiency targts gaining over 40%

The eco-friendly fashion company Dirtball will be made entirely in the USA. The blue jean has a green twist, as well. Dirtball CEO Joe Fox brags that the jeans are eco-friendly since they're made out of recycled water bottles (and cotton). The Green Jean just hit its $40,000 funding target on Kickstarter.

H&M's sustainable fashion collection, Conscious Exclusive, hits stores this week. The eco-fashion line is the brainchild of the Swedish retailer and eco-design think tank EVER Manifesto, whose founders, Elizabeth von Guttman and Alexia Niedzielski, model the collection alongside supermodel Amber Valletta. 

The $1.35 billion Quest carbon capture and storage project in Canada being developed by Shell Canada is now half finished. There are 600 workers on the project, scheduled to become operational late next year. When completed, the facility will reduce direct carbon dioxide emissions by 1 million tons per year, "equivalent to taking 175,000 cars off the road," the article notes

Climate change is already hitting America hard, according to a new study, leading to water shortages in dry regions, heavy rains in wet regions, more frequent and severe heat waves, worse wildfires, and forests die-offs. "Climate change, once considered an issue for a distant future, has moved firmly into the present," the National Climate Assessment warns

ESA's Clean Space initiative is looking at developing a satellite that can rendezvous with space debris and render it harmless by netting it like fish. According to ESA, there are 17,000 trackable objects larger than a coffee cup orbiting the Earth and many more down to the size of paint chips. This may not seem like anything very dangerous, but at orbital velocity, even a paint chip can hit like a bullet and a steel nut has the impact of a hand grenade.

Industry recycling of aluminum beverage containers in the US continued its decade-long upward trend in 2012 with a rate of 67 percent, according to data released by the Aluminum Association, Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) and Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI).

The cost of electricity from wind farms in the U.S. dropped in 2014 to the lowest point yet, according to the Energy Department. Prices for utilities with power purchase agreements have declined two-thirds since 2009. Falling costs and continued advancements are ensuring that wind remains a reliable source of renewable energy, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said. The Hill (8/10), ReNews.biz (U.K.) (8/11) 

Google, Apple, Bank of America, Best Buy, HP and Microsoft are among those giving financial incentives based on sustainability metrics a shot, according to a round up of corporate disclosure documents released this week by the environmental nonprofit CDP.

The company has hit the ground running with a new set of initiatives seeking sustainable innovations in textiles and materials.