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☆ EU Commission unveils a plan to slash emissions by 90%. Can it deliver?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Angela Dewan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The announcement will kick off months of talks that could take up to a year before the European Parliament rubber stamps the target. The European Greens — a faction of environmentally conscious lawmakers from several countries — are expecting big losses in the vote, after making sweeping gains in the 2019 election. “We’re looking at a European Parliament that is more in favor of regulatory freedom for member states,” Dufour said. The Greens had been successful in achieving a strong climate agenda through the EU parliament, he added. She said new conservative or even far-right lawmakers may also back some ambitious climate policies because so many make sense in terms of economics and security, as well.

Persons: —, Wopke Hoekstra, Andreas Solaro, Manon Dufour, ” Dufour, Dufour, Bas Eickhout, ”, Eickhout, Olivier Chassignole, ” Eickhout, I’m, Linda Kalcher, Kalcher Organizations: CNN, European Commission, EU, Parliament, European Greens —, Getty, Conservative, European People’s Party, EPP, Deal, European Greens, Greens, European Greens Party, ”, Green Locations: Lugo , Italy, AFP, Brussels, Bas, Dutch, Lyon, France, Brussel, Ukraine

☆ Drax project for controversial ‘carbon negative’ power plant gets UK government green light
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The UK government approved a £2 billion (around $2.5 billion) project on Tuesday to create a “carbon negative” wood-burning power plant. Energy secretary Claire Coutinho’s decision greenlights a plan to bolt carbon capture units onto two generators at a power station in Yorkshire, northern England, run by Drax. Once the most polluting power station in western Europe, Drax switched from burning coal to burning biomass — mostly wood pellets — in 2019. The power station in Yorkshire, which produces around 4% of the UK’s power, mostly burns wood imported from North America. Some scientists have cast doubt on the climate credentials of burning biomass.

Persons: Claire Coutinho’s, Drax, “, ”, Tomos Harrison, Ofgem, ” Drax, Laith Whitwham, Ember, BECCS “, ” Will Gardiner, Gardiner Organizations: CNN, Energy, European Academies Science Advisory, Drax Group Locations: Yorkshire, England, Europe, North America, Canada

At least 118 countries at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai have backed a pledge to improve energy efficiency rates by 4% each year until 2030. In its simplest form, energy efficiency can simply mean using appliances, technology, or electronics that are designed to consume less energy, such as heat pumps or LED lighting. Industries worldwide could save $437 billion per year by 2030 with improved energy efficiency, according to an October 2023 industry collective report by the Energy Efficiency Movement. As a result, energy efficiency improved globally this year by about 1.3% compared with last year, slower than the 2% improvement posted in 2022 due largely to rising energy demand, the IEA's annual Energy Efficiency report said. In the U.S., energy efficiency is beating the global average efficiency improvement rate this year at 4%, with $86 billion allocated for the goal under the Inflation Reduction Act.

Persons: Andrew Boyers, Larissa Gross, Sofie Irgens, Nick Eyre, Gloria Dickie, Katy Daigle, Jan Harvey Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, International Energy Agency, BE, European Union, Industries, Energy, U.S . Department of Energy, IEA, Oxford University, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Watchfield, Swindon, Britain, Dubai, leakages, India, Africa, U.S, Germany, Sweden, Netherlands

But industry experts say governments need to offer incentives for companies to bring sustainable AC technologies to market and scale up. Removing humidity requires cooling air to the point at which water vapour becomes a liquid to be drained. This inability to get rid of humidity without first cooling the air makes conventional ACs less efficient. The company's AC prototype uses these materials to dry out air, aiming to produce fewer emissions than traditional ACs. More than 1 billion people living in warm climates still lack access to cooling, according to nonprofit Sustainable Energy for All.

Persons: Pedro Rodriguez, Susana Vera, We've, Lily Riahi, Riahi, Sorin Grama, Grama, Gree, Daikin, Miki Yamanaka, Larissa Gross, UNEP's Riahi, Baolong Wang, Wang, Xavier Moya, Gloria Dickie, Katy Daigle, Simon Jessop, Josie Kao Organizations: Puerta del, REUTERS, Rights, International Energy Agency, United Nations Environment Programme's, Cool Coalition, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Daikin's Global Environment Center, Sustainable Energy, Tsinghua University, University of Cambridge, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Puerta del Sol, Madrid, Spain, Seville, Europe, Spanish, Beijing, Indonesia, Britain, U.S

In this year's gleaming host city of Dubai, billboards advertise the benefits of wind energy, climate ambition and Exxon Mobil's (XOM.N) carbon capture projects. This is seen by some as a sign of success and by others as a dangerous distraction from the business of combating climate change as over nearly three decades global oil demand, carbon emissions and temperatures have marched steadily upward. "It's a lobby fest where polluters can schmooze with politicians, all under the guise of tackling climate change," Pascoe Sabido, a researcher at the Corporate Europe Observatory, which scrutinizes corporate influence on policy-making, said. Delegates walk at the Dubai's Expo City during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 4, 2023. For daily comprehensive coverage on COP28 in your inbox, sign up for the Reuters Sustainable Switch newsletter here.

Persons: Exxon Mobil's, Pascoe Sabido, Alden Meyer, Meyer, Lisa Jacobson, Jacobson, Thaier, We're, –, Daniel Lund, Joko Widodo, COP28, Jake Schmidt, Darren Woods, General Antonio Guterres, Al Gore, Valerie Volcovici, Katy Daigle, Kate Abnett, Sarah McFarlane, Bernadette Christina, Richard Valdmanis, Alexander Smith Organizations: Exxon, Corporate, Observatory, United Nations, Business Council, Sustainable Energy, Global Strategic Communications Council, Change, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, Natural Resources Defense, Exxon Mobil, Drillers, U.S, Reuters, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, Dubai, Berlin, The Hague, COP28, United Arab, Fiji, Indonesia, China, UAE

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United States committed Saturday to the idea of phasing out coal power plants, joining 56 other nations in kicking the coal habit that's a huge factor in global warming. U.S. Special Envoy John Kerry announced that America was joining the Powering Past Coal Alliance, which means the Biden Administration commits to building no new coal plants and phasing out existing plants. The amount of coal burned in the United States last year is less than half what it was in 2008. The Powering Past Coal Alliance started six years ago and had 50 country members until Saturday when the United States and six others joined, said alliance spokeswoman Anna Drazkiewicz. "Joining the Powering Past Coal Alliance reiterates Kosovo’s clear commitment and ongoing efforts towards a socially just and clean energy sector.”___Read more of AP’s climate coverage at http://www.apnews.com/climate-and-environment.

Persons: John Kerry, Biden, “, ” Kerry, ”, Alden Meyer, mell, ” Meyer, Anna Drazkiewicz, Artane Rizvanolli, ___ Read, Seth Borenstein Organizations: United Arab Emirates, Special, America, Past Coal Alliance, Biden Administration, U.S . Department of Energy, U.S . Energy Information Administration, The U.S, Past, Alliance, Twitter, AP Locations: DUBAI, United Arab, United States, U.S, China, India, pell, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Kosovo

☆ COP28: No-shows and walkouts as Israel-Hamas war looms over crucial climate talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Angela Dewan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Israeli President Isaac Herzog spent his day on Friday meeting with high-profile leaders at the COP28 climate talks in Dubai. Herzog was supposed to give an address that day calling for action on the climate crisis. The Israel-Hamas war is casting a shadow over the COP28 climate talks. The UK's King Charles III shakes hands with Israeli President Isaac Herzog at the COP28 climate talks in Dubai on December 1, 2023. The Middle East has long been wracked with conflict, but the climate crisis was one area that was helping repair old rifts.

Persons: Isaac Herzog, Herzog, King Charles III, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Cyril Ramaphosa, Israel, Rishi Sunak, Israel “, ” Sunak, Iran doesn’t, It’s, Jordanian King Abdullah II, “, ”, Ulrich Eberle, Biden, ” Eberle, Joe Biden, —, Jordan, Ayman Safadi, Al, haven’t, Alden Meyer, ” Alden, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, United Arab, European Union, United Nations, Hamas, Presidential Press, Reuters, South, Israel, UN, Crisis, Gaza, “, UAE Locations: Dubai, Gaza, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, United Kingdom, India, Israel, Iran, China, Jordanian, SeanGallup, UAE, Palestinian, Al Jazeera, Ukraine

☆ Biden and Xi are glaringly absent from the UN's climate summit. That doesn't bode well for the world.
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

World leaders are gathering in the UAE for the COP28 climate change summit. But President Joe Biden and Xi Jinping of China will be absent. But the leaders of the world's biggest polluting nations — President Joe Biden and China's leader Xi Jinping — will be conspicuous by their absence. AdvertisementA man walks past a COP28 sign during the United Nations climate summit in Dubai on December 1, 2023. Xi and Biden are doing little to signal their commitment to sharing the burden of reducing the climate crisis equally by not attending the summit, say critics.

Persons: Joe Biden, Xi, King Charles, Pope Francis, Xi Jinping, LUDOVIC MARIN, Biden, Kamala Harris, John Kerry, Xie Zhenhua, Tom Evans, Evans, Sultan Al Jaber, Kerry Organizations: Service, United Arab Emirates, White, Sunday, US, Democratic, APEC, BBC, Climate, Business, Sierra Club Locations: UAE, China, United Nations, Dubai, Biden's, Xi, San Francisco

CNN —The United States is receiving criticism for contributing an “embarrassing” amount of money to a new climate fund adopted Thursday at the COP28 talks in Dubai, offering a pledge more than five times lower than the United Arab Emirates . Some countries pledged money to the fund right after it was agreed. Money from rich nations must now begin flowing into the fund, they said. Several wealthy nations, including the United States, have been reluctant to tie countries’ obligations to their historic emissions. It’s also been contentious because wealthy nations have expressed concern that paying for such a fund could be seen as admission of climate liability.

Persons: Sultan Al Jaber, ”, Ani Dasgupta, Dasgupta, ” “, ” Dasgupta, Mohamed Adow, ” Adow, “, Biden, John Kerry, ” Tom Evans, ” Evans, “ they’re, It’s, Al Jaber —, ADNOC —, Al Jaber Organizations: CNN, United, United Arab Emirates, World Bank, Japan, World Resources Institute, Republican, Republicans, US Locations: United States, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, United Arab, Germany, UAE, COP28, Egypt

☆ ‘Backtracking:’ A year of climate failures ahead of a crucial summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

And yet, even as the climate crisis inserts itself viscerally into people’s lives, experts say the year has seen alarming backsliding on climate action. Green policies have been watered down, huge new oil and gas projects have been greenlit and coal has had something of a resurgence. As countries gather in Dubai for the UN’s COP28 climate summit, there are “high expectations,” said Harjeet Singh, the head of global political strategy at nonprofit Climate Action Network International. It sent worrying signals about climate backtracking, said Elisa Giannelli, a senior policy advisor at climate think tank E3G. Around 50% of its total capital spending needs to go toward clean energy projects by 2030, according to the report.

Persons: ”, Harjeet Singh, Kaveh Guilanpour, Singh, Biden, “, Erik Grafe, Joe Biden, Countess, Norway —, Elisa Giannelli, “ It’s, Rishi Sunak, Joeri Rogelj, Flora Champenois, It’s, Bernd Lauter, ” Rogelj, Darren Woods, Bernard Looney, Fatih Birol, Guilanpour, Claire Fyson, ” Fyson, “ we’re, ” CNN’s Ella Nilsen, Ivana Kottasová, Gan Organizations: CNN, United Nations, Action, “, Climate, Energy Solutions, US Department of Interior, Imperial College London, Global Energy Monitor, GEM, Getty, BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell, Exxon, IEA, Climate Analytics Locations: Canada, Libyan, Dubai, Alaska, Washington ,, Australia, Norway, Europe, Germany, China, Asia, Ukraine, Eschweiler, COP28

☆ A showdown is brewing over money, oil and carbon. Here's what's at stake at the COP28 climate summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Global temperatures and greenhouse gas emissions continue to break records, with no continent left untouched by more frequent and intense extreme weather events. MoneyClimate finance is always a hotly debated talking point at the U.N. summit and COP28 promises to be no different. She anticipated three main debates around the use of oil, gas and coal — the burning of which is the chief driver of the climate crisis. "So, one is this 'phase out' or 'phase down' [of fossil fuels]. There is no credible scenario where CCS will allow continued use of fossil fuels, let alone expanding oil and gas.

Persons: Sean Gallup, HENRY NICHOLLS, Henry Nicholls, COP28, Alex Scott, Rich, Sultan al, Jaber, LUIS TATO, Luis Tato, Melanie Robinson, Robinson, Sultan Al Jaber, Francois Walschaerts Organizations: AG, Getty, United Arab Emirates, InterContinental, Fossil, Energy Intelligence, Afp, Organization for Economic Cooperation, Development, Getty Images, Abu, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, Climate, World Resources Institute, CNBC, CCS Locations: Salzgitter, Germany, Dubai, Bonn, COP28, London, AFP, E3G, Egypt, COP27, UAE, Garissa, Africa, El Nino, Abu Dhabi, WRI, Brussels

Washington CNN —President Joe Biden is not expected to attend the opening of the global climate summit in Dubai this week, according to a White House schedule of the president’s events. Since taking office, Biden has attended the annual UN climate summit in person in 2021 and 2022. The move has the potential to frustrate climate advocates both at home and abroad, though some activists and small island nations have called into question the effectiveness of the annual international climate summit process. O’Hanlon said Sunrise Movement also has critiques of the international climate summit itself – which is itself embroiled in controversy as it is being hosted by the oil-rich United Arab Emirates this year. A July Washington Post-University of Maryland poll found that 57% of Americans disapprove of the way Biden has handled climate policy, including 59% of voters 18-29 years old.

Persons: Joe Biden, John Kerry, Ali Zaidi, Biden, John Kirby, haven’t, Tom Evans, “ It’s, he’s, ” Evans, ”, Greta Thunberg, greenwashing ”, “ Biden, Stevie O’Hanlon, O’Hanlon, ” O’Hanlon, –, Donald Trump, John Podesta, Xi Jinping Organizations: Washington CNN, White, National Security, CNN, Sunrise Movement, Sunrise, United, Washington Post, University of Maryland, Republican, U.S, National Locations: Dubai, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Washington, China

☆ How climate change got sucked into the culture wars
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Laura Paddison | Ella Nilsen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

For an example of how climate change is increasingly becoming a flashpoint in the culture wars, Germany is a good place to start. Meanwhile, Spain’s far-right Vox party vowed to defend the country against “the new climate religion.”But to understand why climate change and the culture wars have become so enmeshed globally, experts say the United States probably holds the key. It’s effective, it does scare people.”The origins of the climate culture war in the US lie in the early 1990s, when a new push for global climate action collided with big geopolitical change, McCright said. Lightning rod for right wing mediaConservative media has played an outsized role in fueling culture war narratives, according to experts. Fox has “been laying the groundwork necessary for positioning climate policies as a culture war issue for a long time,” she said.

Persons: —, stoked, ”, Miranda Schreurs, Anger, Green, Kristin Brinker, Jörg, Stephan Lewandowsky, Rishi Sunak, “, ” Sunak, Vox, Ron DeSantis, ” DeSantis, Aaron McCright, McCright, ” McCright, ’, Brandon Bell, Lewandowsky, “ you’d, ” Alec Tyson, Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, Sen, Ed Markey, Allison Fisher, Fisher, Fox, didn’t, Ed Matthew, Matthew said, Jennie King, ” King, Germany —, Matthew of E3G, ” Schreurs, “ it’s Organizations: CNN, Green Party, Technical University of Munich, University of Bristol, British, Justice, Florida Gov, Republican, Michigan State University, Oil, Republicans, Pew Research, Pew, Conservative, Massachusetts, Green, Deal, Fox, Media, Institute for Strategic Locations: Germany, Charlottenburg, Berlin, Europe, United States, West Texas, Florida, American, Kyoto, Soviet Union, Federal, Midland , Texas, Alexandria, Cortez of New York

"Coal in North Macedonia represents 40% of the energy source, so it's very big, it's very important," EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso told Reuters. Both of its coal-fired plants are ageing, outdated and run on lignite, the most polluting type of coal. An IFC spokesperson said the green transition, including in North Macedonia, was one of its key priorities, but that it was not in a position to confirm any plan details. "The world's richest countries need to work with the multilateral development banks to find effective, structural ways to channel significantly scaled up energy transition finance," he said. North Macedonia joined the Powering Past Coal Alliance, a group of countries committed to phasing out coal-fired power, in 2021.

Persons: Odile Renaud, Basso, COP27, REK, Renaud, Leo Roberts, E3G, Kate Abnett, Kirsten Donovan, Louise Heavens Organizations: European Bank for Reconstruction, World Bank, Reuters, Investment, United Nations, Climate Investment Funds, International Finance Corporation, IFC, Bank, Past Coal Alliance, Union, Thomson Locations: Dubai, wean, Macedonia, North Macedonia, South Africa, Indonesia, Vietnam, Senegal, North, Skopje, Europe, Macedonian, Pakistan, Colombia, Ukraine

☆ The world is planning to blow the fossil fuels production limit that would keep a lid on global heating, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Global fossil fuel production in 2030 is set to be more than double the levels that are deemed consistent with meeting climate goals set under the 2015 Paris climate agreement, the United Nations and researchers said on Wednesday. The United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) report, assessing the gap in fossil fuel production cuts and what’s needed to meet climate goals, comes ahead of the global COP 28 climate meeting, which starts on November 30 in the oil-rich United Arab Emirates. “We need countries to commit to a phase out of all fossil fuels to keep the 1.5C goal alive,” she said. It said 17 of the countries have pledged to reach net zero emissions but most continue to promote, subsidise, support and plan the expansion of fossil fuel production. The 20 countries analysed account for 82% of global fossil fuel production and 73% of consumption, the report said and include Australia, China, Norway, Qatar, Britain, the UAE and the United States.

Persons: Achakulwisut, ” Organizations: CNN, Global, United Nations, United Nations Environment Programme’s, United, United Arab Emirates, Stockholm Environment Institute, SEI, UNEP, International Institute for Sustainable Development Locations: Paris, United Arab, Stockholm, Australia, China, Norway, Qatar, Britain, UAE, United States

☆ Climate Week can make me feel cynical but there are signs that change might be underway
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Yet global emissions have continued to climb since 2015 when countries agreed to curb warming. Yet global emissions have kept growing since 2015, when nearly 200 countries struck the Paris Agreement aimed at averting the most catastrophic effects of a warming planet. There's also more willingness to name the main driver of climate change: fossil fuels. President Joe Biden didn't attend the Climate Ambition Summit and instead sent the nation's climate envoy, John Kerry. Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo have headlined events.

Persons: execs, I've, General António Guterres, Alden Meyer, —, Meyer, There's, Gavin Newsom, Sultan Al Jaber, Al Jaber, Al Jaber's, Joe Biden didn't, John Kerry, Biden would've, Erin Mendenhall, Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, Yvonne Aki Organizations: Service, United Nations, Ambition, California Gov, United Arab Emirates, Associated Press, UN, Montreal Mayor, Paris Mayor Locations: Wall, Silicon, New York City, Paris, China, India, Russia, Japan, Colombia, Panama, Brazil, California, Dubai, UAE's, UAE, Alaska, Salt Lake, COP28, Africa

☆ Rishi Sunak’s plans to delay climate targets attacked, as UK government pushes anti-green drive
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

In an attack on his own Conservative predecessors as prime minister, Sunak said: “You don’t reach net zero simply by wishing it. The Climate Change Committee, the government’s independent adviser on climate change, published a report in June that criticized the UK’s net zero plans and said there was not enough urgency to reach the country’s goals. Britain is legally required to have reached net zero – meaning the country would remove from the atmosphere at least as much planet-warming pollution as it emits – by 2050. Johnson’s comments led a chorus of concerns from within Sunak’s Conservative party at the plans, which were apparently hurriedly brought forward after Tuesday’s leaks to the media. British businesses also criticized Sunak’s plans on Wednesday.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, ” Boris Johnson, ” Johnson, ”, Dan Kitwood, pushback Sunak, “ We’ve, ” Sunak, “, … I’ve, Alok Sharma, ” Sharma, Chris Skidmore, Rob Picheta, Mike Childs, Sunak’s, Lisa Brankin, Ed Matthew, ” “ Organizations: London CNN, United, Conservative, Labour, “, Sunak’s Conservative, BBC, PA Media, London's Labour, CNN, Ambition, UN, Ford, European Union Locations: Britain, United Kingdom, Glasgow, Sunak’s, London, Uxbridge, South Ruislip, New York, United States, China

NEW DELHI (AP) — G20 leaders agreed Saturday to triple renewable energy and try to increase the funds for climate change-related disasters but maintained the status quo with regards to phasing out carbon spewing coal. Even at the last meeting of the G20 climate ministers before the summit, disagreements had remained. Global leaders and climate experts say the declaration had largely taken the conversation forward, setting the stage for an ambitious climate agreement when they meet at the global climate conference, COP28, in Dubai later this year. For the first time, the G20 countries agreed on the amounts required to shift to clean energy. “However, it’s disappointing that the G20 could not agree on phasing down fossil fuels.”"Increasing renewables and reducing fossil fuels need to necessarily happen together – we need stronger bolder action from leaders on both.

Persons: Amitabh Kant, al, Jaber, ”, Harjeet Singh, Singh, Madhura Joshi Organizations: DELHI, Indian, Global, Climate Action, Global Energy Monitor, AP Locations: Dubai, Mumbai

NEW DELHI (AP) — U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday urged the Group of 20 top economic powers, which are responsible for more than 80% of the emissions that cause global warming, to use their weekend summit to send a strong message on climate change. Climate ministers of the G20 nations ended their last meeting for the year in July without resolving major disagreements on climate policies. Guterres called on big emitters to make additional efforts to cut emissions and rich countries to meet the climate finance commitments made already. Energy analysts say its crucial that G20 leaders act on the U.N. chief's suggestions. And have it now,” said Madhura Joshi, energy analyst at the climate think tank E3G.

Persons: — U.N, António Guterres, Guterres, ” Guterres, ”, Madhura Joshi, Joshi Organizations: DELHI, Group, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, United Nations, Organization for Economic Cooperation, Development, Energy, AP Locations: Paris, New Delhi, Ukraine, ”

☆ World isn’t moving fast enough to cut pollution and keep warming below 2 degrees Celsius, UN scorecard says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Ella Nilsen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —In the eight years since the landmark Paris Climate Agreement, the world’s nations have not done enough to cut pollution and avert catastrophic levels of warming, according to the first United Nations scorecard since Paris, released on Friday. The planet has already warmed about 1.2 degrees above preindustrial levels; during this year’s summer of record heat, it hit 1.5 degrees above preindustrial levels. June to August was the planet’s warmest such period since records began in 1940, according to data from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. While the UN report finds the Paris Agreement “has driven near-universal climate action” from each country and put a major focus on lowering emissions, the actions themselves from countries aren’t matching up to the crisis. “Against forecasts made prior to its adoption, the Paris Agreement has led to contributions that significantly reduce forecasts of future warming, yet the world is not on track to meet the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement,” the UN authors wrote.

Persons: “, Dr, Sultan Al Jaber, ” Al Jaber, COP28, ” Tom Evans, ” Evans Organizations: CNN, United Nations, Paris, COP28, UN, United Locations: Paris, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

With the world far off track on its 2015 pledge to curb global warming, a new United Nations report central to upcoming climate negotiations details how quickly and deeply energy and financial systems must change to get back on a safer path. “The window of opportunity to secure a livable and sustainable for future for all is rapidly closing,” Friday's report warned. To get there, the report said, “the phase-out of unabated fossil fuels is required,” using a phrase international climate negotiators have shied away from before. “Halting and reversing deforestation” and adopting better crop-growing practices are critical to fighting climate change, the report said. Limiting warming to 1.5 degrees is another window of opportunity that is rapidly closing, the report said.

Persons: ”, Sultan Al Jaber, David Waskow, “, Antonio Guterres, there's, Bill Hare, —, Al Jaber, Tom Evans, ” Evans, Seth Borenstein Organizations: United, World Resources Institute, United Nations, World Meteorological Organization, Twitter, AP Locations: United Nations, India, Paris, Dubai

The report, culminating a two-year evaluation of the 2015 Paris climate agreement goals, distils thousands of submissions from experts, governments and campaigners. "The Paris Agreement has driven near-universal climate action by setting goals and sending signals to the world regarding the urgency of responding to the climate crisis," it said. "While action is proceeding, much more is needed now on all fronts." More than 20 gigatonnes of further CO2 reductions were needed this decade - and global net zero by 2050 - in order to meet the goals, the U.N. assessment said. Commitment was needed to phase out fossil fuels, set 2030 targets for renewable energy expansion, ensure the financial system funds climate action, and raise funds for adaptation and damage, he said.

Persons: Tom Evans, Sultan Al Jaber, U.N, Antonio Guterres, David Stanway, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: United Nations, United Arab Emirates, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Dubai, Paris, UAE, Singapore, Berlin

In climate negotiations, "loss and damage" refers to existing costs incurred from climate-fueled weather impacts, such last year's devastating Pakistan flooding. The U.S. is part of a 24-country committee deciding how the fund will work before the COP28 climate summit in Dubai can officially adopt it this year. Both voted to approve new funding arrangements under the condition that the fund not be about liability for rich countries and compensation. Instead, both Washington and Brussels say the fund should be filled from myriad sources including industry taxes, philanthropic donations or other schemes. The world’s least developed nations want the fund to be limited to the neediest nations.

Persons: Akhtar Soomro, that's, ”, Sue Biniaz, Biniaz, Christina Chan, “, “ That’s, Avinash Persaud, Mia Mottley, Persaud, Dileimy Orzoco, Valerie Volcovici, Katy Daigle, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, . State Department, Reuters, The, State Department, EU, Nonprofit, Thomson Locations: Sehwan, Pakistan, U.S, Washington, The U.S, Dubai, Dominican Republic, Paris, Brussels, China, Barbados, Philippines

☆ Standards body proposes rules for auditing company climate disclosures
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Aug 2 (Reuters) - A global body on Wednesday proposed its first set of comprehensive rules for auditing climate-related company disclosures in an anticipated move regulators have said is crucial for giving investors information free of greenwashing. Stricter European Union, U.S. and global rules are being introduced over coming months to replace a patchwork of voluntary private sector practices for listed companies to disclose the impact of climate change on their bottom line. The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) said its first comprehensive, standalone standard for auditing sustainability disclosures would play a key role in enhancing trust and confidence in reporting. The proposed standard, put out to public consultation, can be used for disclosures under the various regimes being rolled out to aid global consistency, the IAASB said. Nigel Sleigh-Johnson, director for audit and corporate reporting at the ICAEW, a London-based professional accounting body, said the proposed standards were a much-needed underpinning for high quality disclosures.

Persons: Nigel Sleigh, Johnson, Huw Jones, Mark Potter Organizations: Union, KPMG, Deloitte, PwC, Auditing, Assurance, Board, EU, Thomson Locations: London

REUTERS/Stringer/File PhotoSummary Countries at odds over which should pay climate financeEU wants China to contribute to climate fundsChina among countries not currently obliged to payBRUSSELS/BEIJING, July 21 (Reuters) - Record-breaking heat in China. The EU, today the biggest contributor of climate finance, has lobbied to expand the pool of donor countries that provide it. Climate finance refers to money that wealthy countries pay toward helping poorer nations reduce CO2 emissions and adapt to a hotter, harsher world. Advocates for the change argue that an expansion needs to happen before a new - and, likely, far bigger - U.N. target for climate finance kicks in after 2025. "It would earn China diplomatic clout, and pressure Western donors to raise their stakes on climate finance," he said.

Persons: Stringer, John Kerry, Janet Yellen, Kerry, Li Qiang, Pa'olelei Luteru, Luteru, Byford Tsang, Kate Abnett, Valerie Volcovici, Katy Daigle, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, BRUSSELS, U.S, Union, Reuters, EU, United Arab Emirates, of Small, WHO, United, Climate Cooperation, Initiative, Bridgetown Initiative, Thomson Locations: Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China, EU, BEIJING, COP28, Dubai, Beijing, U.S, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Singapore, States, United States, South Korea, U.N, Barbados, Bridgetown, Brussels

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