At a summit on “powering past coal”, António Guterres called on rich countries to lead, putting pressure on Japan and the US to produce exit plans
Former finance minister Mathias Cormann opposed climate policies in the Australian government and now claims he would lead climate action at the OECD
Official government figures show energy, steel and cement consumption rose in 2020, pushing emissions up as Beijing is expected to reveal 2025 targets
Major developing countries oppose calls to hold preparatory climate negotiations online in June, citing connectivity and time zone concerns
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Collectively, updated national targets will only reduce emissions 0.5% by 2030 from 2010, UN analysis finds — far from the 45% scientists say is needed to hold warming to 1.5C
The rising costs of coal imports and Bangladesh’s role as chair of the Climate Vulnerable Forum contributed to the decision to axe power projects, analysts say
War-torn states struggle to attract funding for small-scale renewable projects, which leaders say are cheaper, cleaner and less vulnerable to conflict than fossil fuels
As the number of businesses setting ‘science-based’ targets surges, experts are calling for more transparency over how those numbers are calculated
Nearly eight million people are hungry in El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Guatemala, according to the World Food Programme, with many planning to leave
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Now the US is back in the Paris Agreement, it is expected to set a 2030 emissions target, with campaigners calling for at least 50% cuts
Net zero pledges from other major polluters have put spotlight on Delhi’s climate ambitions, but full decarbonisation is a big ask
Physicist Roberto Cingolani, who comes from a defense and security firm to lead a new Italian green ministry, has previously praised gas as ‘the most sustainable resource’
France and Spain are calling for the EU to quit the Energy Charter Treaty unless it is overhauled to support climate goals; eastern member states want less radical reform
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala brings an awareness of climate issues to the UN trade body, where member states are set to clash over carbon border taxes
Graduation from the UN group of least developed countries is usually seen as a win, but Angola deferred the move after oil exports plummeted during the pandemic
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Flood walls in Samoa financed by the UN’s flagship climate fund are inadequate and could put people in danger, experts warn
Environment minister Claude Nyamugabo is accused of violating a moratorium on logging in the Congo rainforest, by awarding concessions the size of Wales
Building coalitions on green finance and carbon pricing and putting climate at the heart of diplomacy will allow the big three emitters to deliver on net zero goals
A letter signed by 46 climate and green groups urges the White House to fulfill its $2bn outstanding pledge to the UN-backed fund and double its initial contribution
From Denmark’s Dan Jørgensen to Malawi’s Nancy Tembo, here are the leaders to watch ahead of UN climate talks in Glasgow, UK
Almost every country rolled out measures such as cash transfers, food and sick pay to cope with coronavirus. Victims of climate shocks need the same support
Joe Biden has pledged to work to end public funding of ‘carbon-intensive’ fossil fuel projects – a wording campaigners fear leaves the door open to methane gas
Eloise hit poor communities in central Mozambique that had barely recovered from cyclone Idai in 2019, which killed more than 1,000 people
A one-sided privatisation deal and flawed World Bank advice landed Grenada with a hefty legal bill to reform its electricity sector and cut reliance on polluting diesel
Campaigners have hailed a ‘historic victory’ after an administrative court concluded the French government could be held responsible for breaching its 2015-18 carbon budget
Around 8,000 Hondurans were dispersed before they could reach the US, highlighting a lack of support for people fleeing climate disaster zones
Owning their own land allows Kenyan women to build resilience to drought and flooding, but many are unaware of laws intended to empower them
Climate campaigners say Shell is violating human rights by continuing to invest billions in fossil fuels, calling for a much faster shift to clean energy
Heathrow still faces major obstacles to carry out its expansion plans, in light of the UK’s 2050 net zero target and uncertain future demand
Shut off from microfinance and benefits, members of the Hindu minority in coastal Bangladesh have struggled to rebuild their lives after Cyclone Amphan
Brazilian campaigners are fighting in the Supreme Court to reinstate anti-deforestation policies and resources slashed by the Bolsonaro administration
Seven EU-backed methane gas pipelines and import terminals have been shelved or cancelled in the past decade, a study by Global Witness found
Trees are worth much more to humanity alive than dead, say 500 scientists in an open letter to leaders in the EU, US and East Asia
The UK Committee on Climate Change says the use of coking coal should be curbed by 2035, but the application says the mine will not be closed until the end of 2049
In a highly critical report, officials found the National Energy Administration was promoting coal power expansion without regard for Beijing’s environmental goals
As president Cyril Ramaphosa launches an initiative to deliver net zero emissions, campaigners prepare to confront trade unions over coal
EU countries are seeking to align trade and foreign investment policies with the bloc’s climate goals, promoting a global phaseout of fossil fuels
The European Investment Bank provides limited support for gas under its current policy and intends to end all funding for fossil fuels before the end of the year
The premier of Germany’s coal mining heartland could be chosen as the country’s conservative alliance candidate for chancellor in a general election in September
Already bearing heavy costs from climate change, Indian farmers fear the government’s market reforms will drive them deeper into debt
Independent advisors said New Zealand should cut emissions “much more than 35%” from 2005 levels by 2030 to align ambition with a 1.5C global warming limit
Since the end of a 50-year civil war, Colombia has seen a spike in forest clearance, that the government now hopes to reverse with agroforestry initiatives
Campaigners welcomed commitments to ramp up funding for biodiversity but raised concerns it came at the expense of other climate and aid spending
Uruará voted for Brazil’s rightwing president hoping for a more relaxed approach to illegal logging, but enforcement agencies are cracking down
Brazil is seeking to join the net zero club, but campaigners denounced its pledge as meaningless while deforestation rises under President Bolsonaro
Imazon study finds indigenous people’s territories at greatest risk from forest clearance as a result of growing agricultural activity under the agreement
Emboldened by President Bolsonaro, landless people are settling in environmental reserves and indigenous territories
More than six months after the Wakashio spilled fuel oil into a pristine lagoon, Mauritians are still waiting for answers and compensation
Air travel is heating the climate at approximately three times the rate of the sector’s carbon dioxide emissions alone, report finds, with major policy implications
The International Maritime Organization set minimal curbs on shipping’s 1Gt carbon footprint this decade. Here’s how the EU, US and China could decarbonise the sector
Campaigners describe ban as “meaningless”, as concessions to Russia allow most ships to continue using heavy fuel oil in the sensitive polar region until 2029
A package of fuel efficiency measures agreed at the International Maritime Organization is expected to shave just 1% off shipping emissions this decade
Ship efficiency measures backed by a broad coalition of 14 countries will fail to reduce emissions in line with industry and Paris climate goals, campaigners warn
Heathrow Airport is challenging a ruling that quashed plans to build a third runway earlier this year, based on the UK commitment to the Paris Agreement
A group of 108 citizens tasked with finding fair and socially acceptable ways to decarbonise the British economy by 2050 proposed curbs on jetsetting
Levels of the banned CFC-11 in the atmosphere have fallen over east Asia after the Chinese government cracked down on illegal producers in the foam industry
More than 200 people are dead or missing after floods gushed through mountain gorges in Uttarakhand, India, in a disaster linked to climate change
Japan labelled loans for roads and bridges as “climate adaptation” finance, while the World Bank counted support for Nepal to rebuild from an earthquake
As the next blockbuster science report on cutting emissions goes to governments for review, critics say it downplays the obstructive role of fossil fuel lobbying
Five years on from the landmark talks in Paris, multilateralism and dialogue continue to be the way forward for countries to meet their climate promises
Carbon neutrality targets are often not as ambitious as they sound, relying on problematic carbon offsets and unproven technologies
At a summit of least developed countries, leaders said they needed aid to overcome climate disasters and put ambitious climate plans into action
Temperatures reached 38C in Siberia, leading to wildfires and increased melting of the sea ice and putting 2020 on course for 1.2C warming globally