European leaders shun climate adaptation summit
6/9/2022: The Africa Adaptation Summit was recently held in Rotterdam in preparation for the COP27 climate negotiations. Presidents of Senegal, DRC and Ghana criticised the poor representation of richer countries responsible for unmet promises of climate finance for adaptation.
Source: Climate Home News
Ukraine war undermined UN nuclear weapons conference
31/8/2022: The Swiss participant of the recent conference review of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons offers an account of its failure. Of the 191 states parties, 190 were in favour of the necessary compromise, a clear sign that Russia was the stumbling block.
Source: PassBlue
Will China’s African debt cancellations make a difference?
1/9/2022: China has waived repayment of concessional loans for 17 African states, a welcome move as the continent’s average debt-to-GDP ratios continue to grow. However, the political significance of the latest developments is likely to be greater than the financial impact.
Source: African Arguments
Fossil fuel subsidies almost doubled in 2021
29/8/2022: Major economies are struggling with longstanding pledges to phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies. Support for fossil fuels in 51 countries worldwide almost doubled to $697 billion in 2021.
Source: OECD
Nigeria plans gas-led transition to full energy access
1/9/2022: Nigeria is pitching for $10 billion from international funders to kickstart an energy plan to provide electricity access to an estimated 90 million people. The plan relies on gas as a transition fuel, to the concern of some climate campaigners.
Source: Climate Home News
‘Epic’ Pakistan floods show need for climate action
29/8/2022: Pakistan is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change. It faces rates of warming considerably above the global average. Campaigners are calling on countries most historically responsible for climate change to support vulnerable countries’ adaptation efforts.
Source: Human Rights Watch
Heat renders parts of Africa ‘not suitable’ for life
31/8/2022: According to a senior European humanitarian official, parts of Somalia, northern Kenya and Ethiopia are becoming uninhabitable due to rising temperatures. Almost 3 million people in the Sahel region are surviving in pre-famine conditions.
Source: Devex
UN report finds serious human rights violations in Xinjiang
31/8/2022: Michelle Bachelet, the departing UN High Commissioner of Human Rights, has finally published her investigation into treatment of ethnic minorities by the Chinese authorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. It concludes that the extent of arbitrary detentions against Uyghur and others may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity.
Source: UN News
Omens are good for a CoP15 plan to protect nature
30/8/2022: Despite many challenges, December’s crucial biodiversity talks in Montreal may set a new path for humans to live with nature. If agreed, the Global Biodiversity Framework would reboot conservation by greatly expanding protected areas, phasing out billions of dollars of subsidies that harm nature, and reducing pollution.
Source: The Guardian
GiveDirectly taps former UK global development minister
29/8/2022: Former UK International Development Secretary Rory Stewart has been appointed to lead GiveDirectly, a US foundation that provides cash transfers direct to impoverished people around the world. This model aims to cut out inefficiencies of traditional aid.
Source: Devex