Emissions

Soil plays a major role in protecting the environment. It serves as carbon reservoirs, the plots into which trees are planted, and a steward for producing climate-neutral fuels. But land-intensive climate action can give rise to conflicts and erode people’s rights. Even so, there is yet to be a resolution for this mounting global challenge in sight.

The world’s soils store more carbon than its forests, and this storage capacity is increasingly discussed as a contributor to climate protection. Tradable carbon credits were designed to incentivise the build-up or retention of carbon in the soil. However, they may in fact undermine efforts to reduce emissions.

Vertical indoor farming enables crops to grow all year round. It requires less space and promises to reduce water, fertiliser, and pesticide use, thus protecting both climate and soil. But this must be part of a larger transformation of food systems.

Hungary's ambitious plan to reindustrialise hinges on bringing in hundreds of thousands of migrant workers. However, this strategy faces a significant hurdle: a society already grappling with deep-seated distrust, both among its citizens and towards the influx of foreign labour.

Explore the untold environmental and health risks of Hungary's rapidly growing battery industry. Our 2024 Climate Disinformation Fellow Péter Vigh uncovers government data that reveals the widespread presence of hazardous waste, raising serious concerns about the sustainability of an industry vital to the green transition. With battery production set to shape Hungary’s future, why are the dangers being kept in the dark?