Australia’s offer of climate migration to Tuvalu is groundbreaking
11/11/2023: ~The Australia–Tuvalu Falepili Union Treaty will provide migration pathways for people from Tuvalu facing the existential threat of climate change. It will allow up to 280 Tuvaluans to migrate to Australia each year and is the world’s first bilateral agreement on climate mobility.
Source: The Conversation
Countries clinch loss and damage fund agreement
6/11/2023: Recommendations on how to operate a new fund to help vulnerable nations recover from climate disasters are now ready for approval at COP 28 next month, despite US opposition. The committee has recommended that the fund be hosted by the World Bank — a previous red line for developing countries.
Source: Devex
Wars are closing down the window for climate action
1/11/2023: There are increasingly explicit examples of how military aid to Ukraine and Israel is sourced from funds earmarked for climate finance to low income countries. Research suggests that NATO commitments to military spending are enough to pay for the rich world’s promised $100 billion a year of climate finance several times over.
Source: Climate Home News
Saleemul Huq: ensuring climate-vulnerable nations are heard
2/11/2023: There has been a flood of tributes celebrating the life’s work of climate scientist Saleemul Huq who has died. The Bangladeshi-British scientist attended every one of the 27 annual UN COP climate summits, establishing his role as a leading advocate for the rights of climate-vulnerable countries.
Source: Devex
Loss and Damage Committee fails to reach consensus
20/10/2023: Negotiators preparing for COP28 in December have failed to reach consensus on recommendations for addressing loss and damage from climate impacts. The Committee will reassemble for an extra-ordinary session in early November to try to reach agreement prior to the COP28 summit.
Source: World Resources Institute
Africa and India push rich nations to phase out fossil fuels
16/10/2023: Noting the key principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities” in UN climate conferences, the African Group of negotiators wants rich countries to stop greenlighting new fossil fuel production projects by 2030. Major nations like the US, UK, Australia and Norway have continued to approve oil and gas pumping and have not set end dates for fossil fuel production.
Source: Climate Home News
Ignoring water crisis could cost global economy
16/10/2023: Research by WWF suggests that governments would take more action on water scarcity if they were more aware of the economic value of freshwater systems. Already, half the global population experiences water scarcity on a monthly basis and 55 million people are affected by droughts each year.
Source: Devex
Staggering cost of invasive species worldwide revealed
30/9/2023: Scientists estimate that each year sees another 200 invasive species become established worldwide, rising in their cost by 400% each decade. A new report has advised a shift in focus to prevention of the establishment of alien species, avoiding expensive eradication programmes.
Source: BirdGuides
Ministers fail to progress loss and damage talks
28/9/2023: The creation of a loss and damage fund to help countries rebuild after climate disasters was agreed by world leaders at COP 27 last year. A high level meeting was held at the UN on Sept. 22, designed to encourage compromise on key differences around the fund’s design, resulted only in governments repeating their established positions.
Source: Devex
Ratification of high seas treaty receives boost at UNGA
22/9/23: Seventy-six countries and the European Union have now signed the high seas treaty, a significant step forward to protect marine biodiversity in international waters. Once 60 nations have ratified it, the treaty will finally come into force.
Source: Mongabay