United Nations

Fossil fuel debate dominates discussions at the United Nations’ recent contentious COP28 conference

Fossil fuel debate dominates discussions at the United Nations’ recent contentious COP28 conference

As anxious citizens and activists across the globe watched the contentious 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change unfold through their phone screens, one pervading question plagued their minds: Would a fossil fuel phase-out make it into the conference’s final agreement? After a week of divisive debates and negotiations — in which a final settlement seemed almost impossible — the COP28 representatives have now concluded their talks, announcing on Wednesday, Dec. 23, a historical agreement to transition away from all fossil fuel consumption, NBC reported.

,

Frustrations abound throughout Bonn climate change conference

,
Frustrations abound throughout Bonn climate change conference

When representatives walked out of the U.N.’s Bonn Climate Change Conference on Thursday, June 15, they left a sense of ambiguity hanging in the air. With roughly 200 countries represented, the Germany conference has been met with largely lukewarm reactions, as experts in the field have criticized the lack of clarity on major action items, Reuters reported.

United Nations agrees on loss and damage fund to settle climate damages

United Nations agrees on loss and damage fund to settle climate damages

The 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Egypt, Conference of the Parties 27, was met with mixed reactions, as many experts termed the annual climate conference a “failure,” according to The Conversation. However, despite what BNN Bloomberg cites as weak commitments regarding the reduction of carbon emissions and fossil fuel phase-outs, the summit found its greatest success in a last-minute proposal of a loss and damage fund. According to Reuters, if implemented, the fund would help ensure a more equitable stabilization of the global climate. According to Climate Home News, a plan for the fund has been drafted by the Alliance of Small Island States.

World population surpasses eight billion people

World population surpasses eight billion people

On Nov. 15, 2022, as projected by The United Nations, Earth’s population reached eight billion, approximately 11 years after the global population reached seven billion. According to The New York Times, the global population growth rate is expected to slow in the next few decades. Countries like the U.S. and China are expected to have lower growth rates, while poorer countries are expected to grow faster, with India predicted to become the world’s most populous nation in 2023.

COP27 leads to new plans in climate mitigation as well as climate adaptation

COP27 leads to new plans in climate mitigation as well as climate adaptation

This year marks the 27th Conference of The Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, also called COP27. From Nov. 6 to 18, climate activists, negotiators, ministers, mayors, civil society members, heads of state and CEOs will be gathered in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt for the largest annual gathering on climate change and climate action, according to the United Nations’ official website.

Weekly Climate News

March 4, 2021

  • The U.N. has suspended climate projects in Myanmar after the military seized control of the Myanmar government in a coup executed on Feb. 1.  

  • Claude Nyamugabo, environmental minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo, has been brought to court on accusations of illegal allocation of logging claims in the Congo rainforest to a Congolese cleaning company and two Chinese firms. 

  • The U.S. said it will terminate funding for “carbon-intensive” fossil fuel projects overseas. 

  • Environmental racism has impacted the health of marginalized communities for decades. Read this article on environmental justice advocates fighting pollution in Black communities by calling for civil rights protections to be included in the National Environmental Policy Act. 

  • Arkansas, Kansas, Minnesota and Montana, among other U.S. states, have proposed stricter penalties for protests against fossil fuel and pipeline projects. 

  • The gulf stream is weakening as a result of climate change. Check out this interactive article.

  • Mexico City initiated a plastic ban, which has raised concerns for women’s access to period products. 

  • New initiatives in the travel industry suggest a future of sustainable travel for the post COVID-19 world. 

  • More than 100 Chicagoans, motivated by environmental justice concerns, are involved in a hunger strike in protest of the city’s proposed location for a scrapyard in Southeast Chicago.

  • Seville, Spain, is using oranges to generate electricity. 

Weekly Climate News

December 10, 2020

  • Malaysian bank CIMB announced a coal exit strategy that outlined complete withdrawal by 2040, the first major bank to do so. 

  • Denmark will end production of fossil fuels by 2050 and is no longer issuing oil and gas exploration licences. 

  • In Brazil, climate campaigners are taking accusations against the Bolsonaro administration to the Supreme Court, claiming that deforestation of the Amazon breaches constitutional protections and international commitments.

  • Aware of the link between dirty air and COVID-19 death rates, the Trump administration has declined to tighten industrial soot emissions. Many health experts say this decision goes against significant scientific research which proves that particulate pollution contributes to tens of thousands of premature deaths every year. 

  • The Red Cross recently announced that in 2020, American families have spent more time in emergency housing than any other year on record. Read more here. 

  • U.N. Secretary General António Guterres spoke at Columbia University on Dec. 2, where he stated that the world is nearing a “breaking point” unless leaders collaborate and begin to initiate necessary changes. “The way we are moving is a suicide in relation to the future and to all future generations,” Guterres said. 

  • The U.S. Navy is working with Hawaii to explore renewable energy technologies. 

  • As global ocean temperatures rise, falling oxygen levels in seas will leave many fish species struggling to breathe. 

  • A recent study has found that noise and light pollution from humans is affecting birds, most notably altering reproductive patterns.


Weekly Climate News

December 3, 2020

  • Outdoor heating systems have made an emergence into the outdoor dining scene as a result of the pandemic. Read this article on how they impact the environment. 

  • A compromise was reached between European and Saudi Arabian leaders on climate change at the G20 summit.

  • Bates Smart, an architecture firm in Melbourne, Australia, made plans to turn 1,200 acres of empty parking garage roofs into rooftop gardens.  

  • A joint U.S. and European satellite that will monitor the world’s oceans and the rise of global sea levels launched Nov. 21. 

  • Global warming makes Northeastern forests more susceptible to the large-scale wildfires that frequently light up the western United States. 

  • Natural disasters are increasing around the world, leaving marginalized and less advantaged communities in extremely dangerous living conditions.   

  • The United Nations will make building a global net-zero emissions coalition a priority for 2021. 

  • Canada is set to put a goal for net-zero emissions by 2050 into law. 

  • New Zealand declared a climate change emergency. 


Cart (0)