UNFCCC
Here’s how we take back control of COP from the world’s biggest polluters
From scrutinising delegates at UN climate summits to tightening rules on which countries host them and the deals they do, COPs can be cleaned up
Legal experts say Trump could quit Paris pact – but leaving UNFCCC much harder
As the US Senate approved the US joining the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, it’s unclear if a president could easily pull the country out
UN climate chief warns of “two-speed” global energy transition
Simon Stiell tells investors in NYC that rich countries are benefiting most from clean energy growth while poorer nations are deprived of finance for cheaper renewables
Slow progress in Baku risks derailing talks on new climate finance goal at COP29
Azerbaijan’s COP29 president calls for determination and leadership from all countries to bridge the gaps on finance
Green Climate Fund restructures, aiming to become donors’ “partner of choice”
GCF chief Mafalda Duarte tells Climate Home how she plans to boost the fund’s impact and position it to secure more resources
Bigger share of COP29 badges for Global South NGOs upsets rich-country groups
The UNFCCC has changed quota allocations for observers in a bid to address imbalance in regional representation
UN action on gender and climate faces uphill climb as warming hurts women
At June’s Bonn talks, governments made little progress on gender equality while evidence shows women bear a heavy climate burden
Cancellation of UN climate weeks removes platform for worst-hit communities
The UNFCCC has said it will not hold regional climate weeks in 2024 due to a funding shortfall – which means less inclusion for developing-country voices
UN’s climate body faces “severe financial challenges” which put work at risk
UNFCCC chief Simon Stiell has made an urgent plea to plug the body’s funding gap with government donations
UN’s climate work at risk, after EU limits budget increase
The UN didn’t get all the money it wanted for its climate programmes, leaving it reliant on the whims of wealthy donor nations
UN advises against offsets for carbon removal technologies
Billions of dollars are pouring into tech-based solutions to suck carbon dioxide from the atmosphere but the UNFCCC says they are unproven and pose unknown risks.
Grenada’s Simon Stiell appointed to lead the UN climate change body
Stiell is a veteran advocate for climate ambition from a small vulnerable, Caribbean island, with a background in engineering and business
Ibrahim Thiaw appointed interim UN Climate Change head
The head of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification will head UN Climate Change from 17 July and until a permanent replacement to Patrica Espinosa is found
Who will replace Patricia Espinosa as the UN climate chief?
The Mexican diplomat is stepping down in July after six years in the top climate job. Female candidates from Africa and Asia are tipped to be best placed to succeed her
Environmentalists urge UN to condemn Brazil’s spying at climate talks
Brazilian campaigners said tolerating the Bolsonaro administration’s spying at climate talks would set “a grisly precedent” and called on the UN to prevent future incidents
Extra UN climate talks mooted for 2021 to help negotiators catch up
After losing a year to the coronavirus pandemic, UN Climate Change is considering an extra meeting in 2021 to resolve sticking points in the negotiations
Cop26 climate talks postponed to 2021 amid coronavirus pandemic
Postponement will help clarify US climate policy – Trump is pulling out of the Paris Agreement but Biden or Sanders would rejoin if elected in November
Coronavirus delays global efforts for climate and biodiversity action
UN Climate Change said it won’t hold any physical meetings until the end of April amid efforts to contain Covid-19
World faces ‘decisive decade’ to fix global warming, former UN climate chief says
Christiana Figueres issues blueprint for a peaceful global revolution to tackle ‘dire emergency’ of climate change, guided by the Paris Agreement she helped craft
US senate committee votes to reinstate funding to UN climate treaty
The committee passed an amendment to give $10m to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, an organisation Donald Trump wants to cut off