Climate News

UN puts climate ‘course correction’ on Cop28 negotiating table

In response to a global stocktake report, ministers will debate collective goals such as phasing out fossil fuels by 2040

EU’s nominated climate lead wants a global tax on jet fuel

Wopke Hoekstra argues a tax on jet fuel could raise revenue for a planned loss and damage fund, but experts warn that won’t be easy

Cop28 boss’ appeal to raise climate targets met with total indifference

Sultan Al Jaber urged governments to update their national climate targets by September. Not one heeded the call

ADB set to launch first coal early retirement scheme in Indonesia

A finance tool to shut down Asian coal plants up to a decade early will swing into action “soon”, says Asian Development Bank climate envoy

Vietnamese climate activist jailed in ‘unjust’ government crackdown

Five environmentalists have been jailed in the last two years, while the government works on a clean energy partnership with rich nations

New IEA net zero report leaves big polluters less room to hide

The International Energy Agency calls on countries to bring forward net zero targets and rely less on fossil fuel technofixes

The cruise industry says LNG is a climate solution. It’s not

Some of the world’s biggest cruise companies are claiming to be green, while continuing to use weakly regulated fossil fuels

Brazilian government eyes money from Amazon Fund for controversial road

Brazil’s transport ministry plans to bid for money from the Amazon Fund to pave the world’s “most sustainable highway”

Ministerial shows fault lines on climate loss and damage fund

On the sidelines of the UN general assembly, rich and poor countries were divided on how to deliver funds to victims of the climate crisis

Why Portuguese youth are suing European countries over wildfires

The case, to be heard in the European Court of Human Rights on Wednesday, could change the way states are held accountable for climate harms

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Politics

At UN climate summit big polluters’ absence speaks volumes

While “ambitious” countries made few new announcements, the US, China, India and the UK had not offered enough to even sit in the room

Five climate announcements from UNGA & Climate Week NYC

In a relatively low powered year for climate leadership, a handful of government, climate finance and corporate initiatives are worth noting

‘First movers’ only: US, China, UK left off UN climate guestlist

Only five of the G20 major economies made the cut for Antonio Guterres’ Climate Ambition Summit in New York, despite pressure from big powers

Lula scraps Bolsonaro’s cuts to Brazilian climate target ambition

Brazil will go back to the climate targets it drew up in 2015 while it works on new and improved ones

Small islands slam ‘endless’ climate talks at landmark maritime court hearing

Small island states have asked the world’s maritime tribunal to clarify state obligations on climate change, which could be influential for other courts.

UN says more needed ‘on all fronts’ to meet climate goals

The UN Global Stocktake report calls on governments to scale up renewable energy and phase out all “unabated” fossil fuels.

Nearly all world’s population hit by global heating last quarter – study

Peer-reviewed research by Climate Central found 98% of people worldwide experienced temperatures heightened by climate pollution June-August

Rich countries sink billions into oil and gas despite Cop26 pledge

The US, Germany and Italy have been accused of backsliding on a Glasgow promise to end public subsidies to fossil fuel projects overseas

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Finance

Green Climate Fund may have to curb ambition as funding stagnates

The UN’s flagship global climate fund looks likely to have to rein in its ambition, after France announced just a 4% boost in its contribution.

Rich countries ‘confident’ $100bn climate finance delivered in 2023

Data won’t be confirmed until 2025 and developing countries say the rich world must make up for earlier shortfalls from the target

EU uses pollution tax funds to back Romanian gas pipeline

The European Union is using taxes on pollution to fund a gas pipeline in Romania, claiming it will reduce emissions compared to coal

A wolf in sheep’s clothing: why Africa should shun carbon markets

Turning Africa into a source of carbon credits will benefit polluters and middlemen, not most Africans and not the planet

African leaders skirt over fossil fuels in climate summit declaration

A joint statement forming the basis of Africa’s negotiating position for Cop28 is silent on the role of oil and gas

UAE pitches itself as Africa’s carbon credits leader

An Emirati coalition has announced a $450 million commitment to buy carbon credits generated in Africa but critics called offsets a “risky diversion”

Green debt swaps, explained

Debt-for-nature and debt-for-climate swaps are becoming more common, with Ecuador’s recent $1.6bn deal the biggest yet. How do they work?

US denies rigging loss and damage fund’s board in rich nations’ favour

The US wants extra seats for major donors to the fund on top of developed country representation, sparking accusations of “double counting”

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Justice

‘Carbon bomb’ in Argentina gets push from local government

Argentina’s southern city of Sierra Grande started public hearings for a shipping terminal to export from Vaca Muerta, the world’s second largest shale gas reserve

Ecuadorians reject Amazon oil drilling in historic referendum

Around 60% of voters said oil reserves in the Yasuní National Park should be left in the ground in binding vote

Court says renewable firms can seize Spain’s property after subsidy cuts

The Energy Charter Treaty, which Spain is trying to leave, protects investments in fossil fuels and in renewables

UN climate fund suspends project in Nicaragua over human rights concerns

The Green Climate Fund suspended a $117 million forest conservation project in Nicaragua over escalating violence against indigenous people.

Pressure grows on governments and banks to stop supporting Amazon oil and gas 

An upcoming summit on protecting the Amazon has become the focus of a Indigenous and civil society-led campaign to set up an exclusion zone for fossil fuels

Morocco’s centuries-old irrigation system under threat from climate change

As Morocco faces increasingly extreme temperatures, indigenous communities in the country’s southeast suffer the brunt of the climate crisis

As Moscow labels WWF “undesirable”, WWF Russia cuts ties with group

The Russian government has clamped down on environmental organisations who they say are a threat to their economic security

“Green” funds destroy Indonesia’s forests – Climate Weekly

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Energy

Sugar rush: how farmers spurred India’s G20 biofuels alliance

Nineteen countries signed up to an India-led alliance this month to boost production of biofuels, but experts raise sustainability concerns

Leaders must listen to the people and end fossil fuels

Masses of people will take to the streets in 650 events around the world this weekend, to call for a phaseout of coal, oil and gas

Debt relief must break dependence on fossil fuel exports

There is a vicious cycle between fossil fuel reliance and debt, which helps explain why so many oil exporters are heavily indebted

Why India is rebuffing a coal-to-clean deal with rich nations

The country is not moving away from coal yet, doesn’t want to hand rich nations a win and thinks the JETP terms aren’t good enough

G20 leaders strike renewables deal, stall on fossil fuels

The world’s largest economies agreed to push for a tripling of renewable energy capacity by 2030, but made no progress on oil and gas phaseout

Cooking the books: cookstove offsets produce millions of fake emission cuts

Projects in India linked to Enking, the self-proclaimed world’s largest carbon credits producer, have vastly overestimated climate benefits

EU puts Maroš Šefčovič in charge of climate policy

The Slovakian will replace Frans Timmermans as the EU’s lead on climate, at home and abroad

Climate Home News seeks pitches on renewable energy supply chain

Send us you pitches for powerful accountability journalism stories on the trends and actors shaping the renewable energy supply chain

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Land

Kenyan president William Ruto courts logging controversy

Known internationally as one of Africa’s climate champions, President Ruto faces a legal challenge over plans to restart commercial forestry

Nature fund launched but financing questions remain

The new fund aims to be the primary tool to implement the Kunming-Montreal deal and deliver $200 billion a year to nature protection initiatives

Soy, beef and gold gangsters: Why Bolivia and Venezuela won’t protect the Amazon

Bolivia wants to chop down trees to grow soy, beef and palm oil while Venezuela is unwilling or unable to restrain illegal gold mining

Devastating Beijing floods test China’s ‘sponge cities’

Despite Beijing’s sponge city project, the capital was overwhelmed by recent floods with dozens dying and a new “sponge airport” shut down

Dis-united States of the Amazon – Climate Weekly

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Amazon nations decry EU deforestation rules in thinly-veiled joint condemnation

The Belem Declaration echoes growing discontent with a new law prohibiting firms from importing goods linked to deforestation

Indonesia falls short on peatland restoration, risking destructive fire season

Data from the Indonesian government suggests efforts to restore peatlands, a key part of the country’s climate strategy, do not match government claims.

Amazon nations fail to agree on deforestation goal at summit

Eight South American nations agreed on a list of joint actions to protect the Amazon rainforest, but failed to mention a long-awaited target to halt deforestation.

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Transport

Dozens of oil & industry lobbyists attended secretive shipping emissions talks

Oil and gas companies like Shell, BP and Equinor were represented at shipping climate talks

The EU lacks ambition on Cop28 renewable targets

The EU’s interpretation of a global renewables target is less ambitious than the Cop28 presidency’s and incompatible with the Paris agreement

Shipping catches up – Climate Weekly

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Pacific “mixed feelings” after compromise on shipping’s climate goals

Climate vulnerable Pacific islands struck a deal with emerging economies worried about the targets’ impact on economic development

Governments set to fail to plot shipping industry course for 1.5C

Despite a strong push from Pacific islands, the latest draft does not improve on targets criticised as not ambitious enough

Shipping set to boost climate targets

A draft agreement, which is subject to change, would target net zero near 2050 and set goals for 2030 and 2040

Latin America leads resistance to global shipping emission tax

Brazil, Argentina and others have opposed a levy on global shipping emissions at behind-closed-door talks in London

US ‘still on the fence’ as nations debate global shipping emission tax

The US’s treasury secretary would not commit to backing a shipping tax and the US was not on a list of 22 countries who support the measure.

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Science

Overshoot Commission calls for research into solar geoengineering

Dimming the sun could “complement” emissions cuts, says panel of leaders, while acknowledging concerns about the risks

Mainstream economists accused of playing down climate threat

Economic models have ignored tipping points, rainfall changes and indoor work, leading them to under-estimate climate change’s economic damage

UN deep-sea mining talks deadlocked over agenda clash

A dozen countries want to officially debate for the first time in history the possibility to halt deep-sea mining, but have faced opposition from China and the island-nation of Nauru.

Last-minute compromise avoids break down on adaptation goals

In fraught nations, developing countries wanted to focus on specific targets, while developed nations only wanted to talk about structure

Bonn talks offer opportunity to bridge the adaptation gap

With climate devastation growing, we can’t keep sidelining climate adaptation at governments’ climate talks

Reporting on climate adaptation is a mess – here’s how to fix it

Information about projects to help adapt to climate change is scattered, hard-to-find and incomplete, making keeping track of them impossible

US pledges $1 billion to Green Climate Fund amid call to keep 1.5C in reach

Joe Biden urged leaders of major emitting economies to step up efforts to roll out zero-emission vehicles, cut methane emissions and deploy carbon capture technologies

“Life or death”: Weather-watchers warn against Elon Musk’s Twitter changes

Elon Musk is charging for automated tweets, making it harder for authorities to warn of extreme weather events

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