Climate politics

Swiss propose expanding climate finance donors, academics urge new thinking

Switzerland and Canada propose ways to expand climate finance donors

Detailed criteria would include China and Gulf States in the donor base. But experts recommend incentives not coercion

Climate Home News is hiring! Apply to be our new energy transition reporter (Africa-based)

Climate Home News is looking for a journalist to cover climate and energy policy developments across Africa, with a global view

IPCC's input into key UN climate review at risk as countries clash

IPCC’s input into key UN climate review at risk as countries clash over timeline

Most governments want reports ready before the next global stocktake, but a dozen developing nations are opposed over inclusivity concerns

It’s time for Azerbaijan to shift gears on diplomacy ahead of COP29

Amid record-breaking climate impacts, the COP29 host nation needs to ramp up action for an ambitious outcome in Baku

UN chief appeals for global action to tackle deadly extreme heat

UN chief appeals for global action to tackle deadly extreme heat

António Guterres calls extreme heat “the new abnormal” as he urges countries to step up protection of vulnerable populations

UAE’s ALTÉRRA invests in fund backing fossil gas despite “climate solutions” pledge

Four months after partnering with the new “landmark” climate vehicle at COP28, a BlackRock fund put money into a US gas pipeline

A global wealth tax is needed to help fund a just green transition

Brazil and France have proposed a tax on the super-rich to fight against poverty and climate change – G20 finance ministers should get behind it this week

We need a new global deal on climate and development finance

The world needs a new global deal on climate and development finance

A more effective framework led by the UN could involve a binding financial target, a role for emerging economies and consolidation of funds

Hurricane Beryl shows why the new UK government must ramp up climate finance 

In the wake of yet another Caribbean climate disaster, Labour should raise its ambition in offering international support

In Hurricane Beryl’s shadow, loss and damage fund makes progress on set-up

The board of the fund has agreed on a name and a host country at a meeting in South Korea, but trickier issues remain

Latest climate politics

Brexit

UK government appoints Alok Sharma as Cop26 president

Prime Minister Boris Johnson appointed the former secretary of state for international development to lead the critical UN climate talks in November

Don’t shop till you drop: advice to UK citizens on net zero climate goals

UK holds ‘citizens’ assembly’ to seek ideas for cutting emissions to net-0 by 2050. But some participants doubt the government will listen

‘Miles off track’ – Climate Weekly

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UK walks diplomatic tightrope for 2020 climate summit after shaky start

Boris Johnson officially launched Cop26 on Tuesday but gave little indication as to how the government is going to leverage the world into taking bolder climate action

UK leaders debate climate, with Boris Johnson replaced by ice sculpture

Leaders of most major parties presented their ideas for meeting tough climate goals, but the Conservative prime minister declined

Brexit must not distract from UK’s biggest job in 2020: the Glasgow climate summit

Next year’s climate talks are absolutely vital and as hosts the UK could determine whether the talks fail or succeed. The government must start preparing now

London bids to host 2020 UN climate talks to show UK remains ‘open’

Mayor Sadiq Khan writes to UK prime minster urging every effort to win the presidency of Cop26 in the face of a competing bid from Italy

UK and Italy bid for 2020 climate talks, amid political uncertainty for both

Both countries face potential general elections and economic problems before the crucial Cop26 meeting and the UK may still be in a Brexit imbroglio

Brexit

UN Climate Talks

IRENA: Global goal of tripling renewables by 2030 still out of reach

Global goal of tripling renewables by 2030 still out of reach, says IRENA 

The renewable energy agency calls for more concrete policy action and finance, with Africa especially lagging on clean energy

India coal mining coal india

EU “green” funds invest millions in expanding coal giants in China, India

Climate Home found leading asset managers hold shares in coal firms within funds touting sustainable credentials

UN gender-climate action faces uphill climb as warming hits women hard

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

IEA calls for next national climate plans to target coal phase-down

Countries have agreed to reduce power generated from coal, but shutting down plants is an economic and social challenge, especially in emerging economies

Despite dilution, nature law should restore EU's carbon sinks

Despite dilution, officials say new nature law can restore EU carbon sinks

To meet climate goals, the European Union needs to reverse the decline of its carbon-storing ecosystems like forests and peatlands

Lessons from China's cleantech industry "overcapacity" tensions

Lessons from trade tensions targeting “overcapacity” in China’s cleantech industry

Clean technology is turning into the next global climate spat. The debate over China’s dominance is highly politicized, but there are ways forward

New finance goal needed to sustain climate momentum if Trump wins

New finance goal needed to protect climate momentum from a Trump win 

The victims of the climate crisis will need support, and the energy transition will need to be funded, whoever is elected as the next US president

Visa chaos for developing-country delegates at Bonn climate talks

Visa chaos for developing-country delegates mars Bonn climate talks

Campaigners have accused the German foreign office of discrimination, after some African delegates were denied visas for Bonn climate talks

UN climate talks

Paris Agreement

UN climate chief warns of "steep mountain to climb" after Bonn

UN climate chief warns of “steep mountain to climb” for COP29 after Bonn blame-game

Countries expressed disappointment as key negotiations on climate finance and emissions-cutting measures made scant progress at mid-year talks

Cop28 boss' appeal to raise climate targets met with indifference

Cop28 boss’ appeal to raise climate targets met with total indifference

Sultan Al Jaber urged governments to update their national climate targets by September. Not one heeded the call

Public banks agree to check investments against countries’ climate plans

Ten multilateral development banks have agreed on how to make sure their investments meet climate goals. But experts told Climate Home the rules do not go far enough.

Paris agreement’s police force begins with rebuke to Vatican

The Pope’s home state has not yet issued a climate plan, which is against the rules of the Paris Agreement it ratified last year

What is the global stocktake of climate action and why does it matter?

The first Global Stocktake will tell us collective efforts need to be stepped up to reach the Paris Agreement goals. The question is how countries will respond to it.

Industrial complex on the Meghna river, Bangladesh

AIIB finds gas plant in Bangladesh compatible with Paris goals

AIIB’s fast-tracking of a 600MW LNG plant could set a precedent for more development finance to fossil gas projects, campaigners warn

Brazil accused of backsliding in updated climate pledge to UN

While the Bolsonaro administration has nominally increased its 2030 target, a baseline shift allows Brazil to emit more than under its first Paris pledge

To close 1.5C gap, countries face call for another round of climate pledges by 2023

The Cop26 presidency is considering a proposal to strengthen ambition beyond the Glasgow summit, but it faces resistance from emerging economies

Paris Agreement