Faced with extreme weather events, the region's urban centres were affected by record temperatures. This year's list – which includes a city mayor and a chief heat officer – demonstrates the importance of local governance and leadership.

The Eco-Business Sustainability Leadership Youth A-List 2023 features young activists and innovators who are coming together locally to make a difference globally. From fighting to keep a province in the Philippines coal-free to paving more sustainable roads using plastic waste, this year’s winners are “staying with the trouble” on the frontlines of the climate crisis.

A study finds that seaweed, a crucial source of income for many impoverished coastal communities, has the remarkable ability to endure and flourish even in post-nuclear war environments.

Multinational consumer goods brands have gone cold on recycled plastic – now priced higher than virgin – and look likely to miss their 2025 recycling targets. Recyclers in Asia are suffering as a result, particularly waste pickers at the vulnerable end of the value chain.