UN News Today 27 October 2026 |

Record greenhouse gas concentrations raise climate alarm

Levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other major greenhouse gases that accumulate in the atmosphere reached record highs in 2025, locking in more long-term temperature increase for the planet.

The warning comes from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) which issued its latest Greenhouse Gas Bulletin on Tuesday.

The report indicates an average global concentration of CO₂ at nearly 427 million parts per million (ppm) last year, or 153 per cent more than the 1750 pre-industrial baseline. 

Here’s WMO Deputy Secretary-General, Ko Barrett, speaking to journalists in Geneva:

“Every additional part per million matters because it traps additional heat. In effect, we are supercharging the ocean and the atmosphere. That means that heat waves, tropical cyclones, and rainstorms are intensifying faster than our historical baselines prepared us for.”

Carbon dioxide is among what WMO calls the “big three” long-lived greenhouse gases caused by human activity. The others – methane and nitrous oxide – also reached a new record in 2025.

WMO releases the Greenhouse Gas Bulletin annually to provide authoritative scientific information for negotiators at the UN Climate conference. The latest – to be held next month in Antalya, Türkiye – aims to turn climate commitments into concrete actions. 

Ebola vaccine trial giving ‘hope’ in the DR Congo

As Ebola cases continue to increase in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a clinical trial is underway to determine if vaccines can provide protection against the Bundibugyo virus, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Tuesday.

The Tumaini trial platform is designed so that several vaccine candidates can be evaluated within one research framework. 

It uses a strategy called the ring vaccination approach involving contacts of people with a confirmed case of the disease. 

Here’s Dr. Meg Doherty, WHO technical lead for vaccine trials, speaking from the city of Bunia.

“The ‘Tumaini’ means ‘hope’ in Swahili, and it’s giving us some hope. (…). I am helping the research teams put in place the scientific and operational foundations needed to conduct this trial rigorously and ethically, building on WHO’s previous experience running these trials in other countries.”

The first vaccine being evaluated is Ervebo which is known to be safe and effective against Ebola disease caused by the Zaire virus. 

Last week, WHO convened technical advisory groups that evaluated the evidence on two other vaccines designed specifically against Bundibugyo virus; their recommendations will be published this week. 

It has been nearly six months since the DRC declared the Ebola outbreak, which has spread to eight provinces, with the caseload now approaching the 10,000 mark.

UNHCR urges continued support as Ukraine braces for winter

Moving to Ukraine, where the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, is calling for continued international support for the population as intensified Russian airstrikes and the approach of winter increase humanitarian needs across the country.

The “relentless” attacks are targeting critical energy infrastructure, leaving millions without heat and electricity, and limited access to water and other essentials.

“The increase in long-range missile and drone strikes means there is no safe place in Ukraine,” UNHCR said, adding that humanitarian operations have also come under attack.  

Between September and mid-October, several security incidents affected agency personnel and partners, aid facilities or clearly marked vehicles involved in relief efforts. 

UNHCR said that displacement within Ukraine is expected to continue as evacuations from frontline areas increase, while nearly 5.2 million Ukrainian refugees remain across Europe. 

Dianne Penn, UN News