Nowadays, climate change is recognized as one of the biggest problems the world is facing, posing a potential threat to the environment and almost all aspects of human life. Since the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1992, many efforts have been made to mitigate climate change, with no considerable results. According to climate change projections, temperatures will continue to rise, and extreme weather events will become more frequent, prolonged, and intense. Reflecting these concerns, the 2015 Paris Agreement was adopted as the cornerstone for reducing the impact of climate change, aiming to limit global warming below 2 °C and even keep the temperature rise below 1.5 °C. To achieve this international goal, focused mitigation actions will be required. Climate change has a strong impact on forests, enhancing their growth but also posing risks to them. Conversely, forests can mitigate climate change, as they have a considerable impact on global surface temperatures through their influence on the land–atmosphere energy exchange and the absorption of vast amounts of CO₂ through photosynthesis. Consequently, afforestation and reforestation have become integral components of climate change mitigation strategies worldwide. This review aims to summarize the cutting-edge knowledge on the role of forests in climate change mitigation, emphasizing their carbon absorption and storage capacity. Overall, the impact of afforestation/reforestation on climate change mitigation hinges on strategic planning, implementation, and local forest conditions. Integrating afforestation and reforestation with other carbon removal technologies could enhance long-term effectiveness in carbon storage. Ultimately, effective climate change mitigation entails both restoring and establishing forests, alongside reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Recycling of electric and electronic waste products (e-waste) which amounted to more than 50 million metric tonnes per year worldwide is a massive and global operation. Unfortunately, an estimated 70-80% of this waste has not been properly managed because the waste went from developed to low-income countries to be dumped into landfills or informally recycled. Such recycling has been carried out either directly on landfill sites or in small, often family-run recycling shops without much regulations or oversights. The process traditionally involved manual dismantling, cleaning with hazardous solvents, burning and melting on open fires, etc., which would generate a variety of toxic substances and exposure/hazards to applicators, family members, proximate residents and the environment. The situation clearly calls for global responsibility to reduce the impact on human health and the environment, especially in developing countries where poor residents have been shouldering the hazardous burden. On the other hand, formal e-waste recycling has been mainly conducted in small scales in industrialised countries. Whether the latter process would impose less risk to populations and environment has not been determined yet. Therefore, the main objectives of this review are: 1. to address current trends and emerging threats of not only informal but also formal e-waste management practices, and 2. to propose adequate measures and interventions. A major recommendation is to conduct independent surveillance of compliance with e-waste trading and processing according to the Basel Ban Amendment. The recycling industry needs to be carefully evaluated by joint effort from international agencies, producing industries and other stakeholders to develop better processes. Subsequent transition to more sustainable and equitable e-waste management solutions should result in more effective use of natural resources, and in prevention of adverse effects on health and the environment.