United Nations Foundation

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1657267.].

Ocean acidification (OA) generally receives far less consideration than other climate stressors and related hazards, such as global warming and extreme weather events. Canada is uniquely vulnerable to OA given its extensive coastal oceans, the oceanographic processes in its three basins, accelerated warming and sea-ice melt, and extensive coastal communities and maritime economic sectors. Canada’s coastline is also home to extensive and diverse First Nations peoples with distinct histories, rights, title, laws, governance and whose traditions and cultures are extrinsically linked to the sea. However, there are currently very limited pathways to support OA action, mitigation, and/or adaptation in Canada, particularly at the policy level. Here, we present a first synthesis of the current state of OA knowledge across Canada's Pacific, Arctic, and Atlantic regions, including monitoring, modelling, biological responses, socioeconomic and policy perspectives, and examples of existing OA actions and efforts at local and provincial levels. We also suggest a step-wise pathway for actions to enhance the coordinated filling of OA knowledge gaps and integration of OA knowledge into decision-making frameworks. The goals of these recommendations are to improve our ability to respond to OA in Canada, and minimize risks to coastal marine environments and ecosystems, vulnerable sectors, and communities.

Abstract In recent global climatic and environmental reports, Indigenous Knowledges (IK) are recognised as essential to comprehending social-ecological systems and multi-scalar climate-society relationships. However, IK and Indigenous Peoples (IP) continue to be mostly excluded from important and powerful processes such as the UNFCCC and the IPCC reports. In the current (AR7) cycle of the IPCC, it is important to understand whether the last cycle (AR6) meaningfully engaged with IK and IP. Here, we present a multi-tiered bibliometric analysis of the literature cited in the AR6 report (n=46,145 citations), through which we identified citations with abstracts mentioning IK (n=482). Additionally, through exploring this cluster of IK citations, we address enduring questions around disciplinary bias, geographical bias, and academic journal bias. Finally, we categorise IK citations using two indexes of equitable knowledge production. This highlights the different types of relationships (from extractive to co-productive) that guided the cited papers’ research process. Our findings highlight that despite advocacy, promises, and assurances, IK is mostly excluded from the IPCC AR6 report (1.04% of scholarly literature cited). We also call attention to the fact that biophysical sciences, elite journals, and authors from the Global North are dominant in the IK that is included. Finally, we identify some key points of intervention for AR7, which include strategic choices for chapter authors, a focus on Working Group I (climate science), and the inclusion of chapter-scale knowledge justice audits.

Governments worldwide have pledged to reduce antimicrobial use in the agri-food system. This study projects global livestock antibiotic use quantities through 2040 under various scenarios. This work indicates that under a business-as-usual scenario, global antibiotic use could reach ~143,481 tons by 2040, representing a 29.5% increase from the 2019 baseline of ~110,777 tons. However, alternative scenarios suggest that these projections could vary by +14.2% to -56.8%, depending on changes in livestock biomass and antibiotic use intensity. A key contribution of this research is the development of the Livestock Biomass Conversion method, a novel indicator offering improved accuracy in estimating livestock biomass. The findings have important policy implications, highlighting that meaningful reductions in antibiotic use quantity can only be achieved through coordinated efforts targeting both antibiotic use intensity and livestock biomass.

The FAO estimates that 1660 million hectares globally are degraded due to human activities, with over 60% of this degradation affecting agricultural lands, including croplands and pastures. Given that 95% of global food production depends on land, this widespread degradation presents significant challenges to agrifood systems. This study compares patterns of human-induced land degradation in Arab countries with global and regional averages, examining drivers, impacts on agrifood systems, current yield gaps, and restoration opportunities. The results indicate that in the Arab region, two-thirds of the 70 million hectares affected by human-induced degradation—over 46 million hectares—are agricultural land, with croplands particularly impacted. However, with less than 4% of land in the Arab region designated for restoration, the region lags behind global targets. Restoring 26 million hectares of degraded cropland could reduce the yield gap by up to 50% for oil crops and help cereal, root, and tuber crops approach their potential yields. These findings underscore the pressing need for a regional initiative specifically targeting agricultural land degradation to enhance food security, reduce poverty, and support sustainable and resilient agrifood systems.