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Spotlight on climate action

Photo: Unsplash/Tobias Rademacher

The climate emergency is a direct consequence of carbon-heavy land-use and agriculture, transport, buildings and industrial processes and polluting energy sources. Without profound changes to these sectors and a drastic cut to carbon footprints, there is little hope of protecting the planet from the devastating effects of a warmer world.

This live feed will keep you up-to-date with all the latest news from the United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan. 

08 Nov 2023 12:12

Religious leaders launch climate action promise

Gathering of religious leaders
Photo: UNEP

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and COP28 have helped launch a declaration that unites faith leaders to drive climate action.

The Abu Dhabi Interfaith Statement for COP28 was signed earlier this week by 28 leaders from all the major religions. They committed to increased climate action and expressed “shared concern for the escalating climate impacts that imperil our cherished planet.”

UNEP will co-host a faith pavilion at COP28. The Faith Pavilion will encourage religious engagement in the climate crisis and will also showcase the Abu Dhabi Interfaith Statement for COP28.

Read full Interfaith Statement for COP28.

Last updated at
07 Nov 2023 12:39

With protective greenbelt, Mexican city hopes to fend off climate change

Xalapa, Mexico
UNEP

The city of Xalapa, Mexico is bordered by more than 5,300 hectares of mountain forest, a sprawling green sponge that soaks up rainwater and slowly, predictably, releases it to residents downstream.

At least, it used to.

A combination of climate change and deforestation is ravaging Xalapa’s protective tree cover. This is threatening water supplies for around 600,000 people and leaving Xalapa’s bare slopes vulnerable to landslides.

Enter CityAdapt, an initiative led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and funded by the Global Environment Facility. It is helping Xalapa’s residents build a protective buffer of plants and trees high in the city’s hills. This defensive shield is being paired with the construction of rainwater harvesting tanks, which are helping residents to contend with a surge in droughts, another byproduct of the climate crisis.

Read the full story here. 

Last updated at
03 Nov 2023 10:26

Embracing One Health: a path to a healthier planet

Aerial shot of Tuscany
Unsplash/Luca Micheli

Today is One Health Day, an annual day to raise global awareness about the importance of One Health collaborations.

Understanding and appreciating the connections between human health, animals, and ecosystems, is needed to create a world where humans, animals, and the environment thrive together, ensuring a healthier, more sustainable planet for generations to come.

Read more about One Health Day and why it is important here.

Last updated at
02 Nov 2023 14:24

UNEP Executive Director: world sleeping on climate adaptation

houses destroyed by extreme weather
Unsplash/Charlie Cruttenden

UNEP’s Adaptation Gap Report, released today, reveals a huge deficit in the funding needed to protect vulnerable communities against the worst effects of the climate crisis.

International adaptation funding – needed to protect communities against heatwaves, floods, droughts and other climate-related disasters – is just 5 to 10 per cent of what is needed today and fell in recent years. This equals an adaptation gap of between US$194 and US$366 billion a year.

UNEP’s Executive Director, Inger Andersen, highlighted what this shortfall means for vulnerable communities in a speech made earlier today.

“Without sufficient financing, implementation of adaptation actions is stalling. The consequences are being lived by hundreds of millions of people – homes being washed away, crops failing and livestock dying.”

Read the full speech here.

Last updated at
02 Nov 2023 11:54

What are UNEP's climate-related 'Gap' reports and why do they matter?

Adaptation Gap Report 2023

Today sees the launch of the Adaptation Gap Report, the first of the three ‘Gap’ reports due to the released in the run up to COP28. The Production Gap Report is published on 8 November and the Emissions Gap Report is published on 20 November.

The report provides an update on the global status and progress of the adaptation process across three elements: planning, financing, and implementation.

The 2023 edition will provides more in-depth finance assessment chapter and include a thematic deep-dive chapter on loss and damage. The report also highlights key case studies of adaptation projects from around the world.

So why do these reports matter?

Read the full article here.

Last updated at
31 Oct 2023 20:57

How nature can help cities fend off record-smashing heat

Aerial view of Shanghai interchange
Unsplash/Denys Nevozhai

Today is World Cities Day, under the theme Financing a sustainable urban future for all. With urban populations set to grow by 2.2 billion by 2050, it is vital cities embrace sustainability in everything from infrastructure to transport systems.

Cities are already experiencing the effects of the climate crisis: as climate change intensifies around the world, record-smashing heatwaves are expected to become more common, leaving a trail of urban disruption – and often death – in their wake.

But experts say cities, which are especially prone to warming, can fend off some of the worst effects of heatwaves by planting trees, restoring water bodies and tapping into other natural solutions.

Read the full article here.

Last updated at
31 Oct 2023 16:54

As climate crisis alters their lands, Indigenous Peoples turn to the courts

Indigenous peoples
AFP/Carl de Souza

On December 5, the spotlight at COP28 will turn to Indigenous Peoples as part of that day’s thematic focus.

A growing number of Indigenous Peoples around the world who are turning to the courts to compel countries to take concrete action to address climate change and other environmental perils. Experts have called the cases a new frontier in the global environmental movement and are hopeful they can jumpstart what is, in many places, a halting political effort to counter some of the gravest threats to the planet.

Due to their close ties to the land, Indigenous communities from the Arctic to the Kalahari Desert have been among the first to feel the effects of climate change. Floods, droughts, wildfires and the disappearance of wildlife have become an added burden for communities already struggling with joblessness, discrimination and political marginalization.

Read the full article here.

Last updated at
30 Oct 2023 16:45

African cities embrace walking and cycling as climate crisis deepens

Pedestrians in the Rwandan capital, Kigali.
Andalou Agency via AFP/Cyril Ndegeya

COP28 will feature thematic days which focus on different sectors and the climate action progress they are making. On December 6, the focus will be on transportation and the built environment, both areas crucial when it comes to reducing emissions. 

In Africa, a growing number of campaigners and government officials want to make cycling and walking safer in Africa’s cities, where roads are notoriously dangerous.

They believe that will lead more people to choose what’s known as active mobility, reducing gridlock and helping to counter a climate crisis that is already sowing chaos on the continent of 1.3 billion.

Read the full article here. 

 

Last updated at
27 Oct 2023 18:03

What to expect at the next United Nations Environment Assembly

UNEA
UNEP

While all eyes may be on the UAE for the upcoming COP28 climate conference, next year sees another crucial event taking place. 

In February 2024, world leaders, scientists, and representatives from civil society and businesses from around the world will gather in Nairobi, Kenya, for the sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6), the world’s highest environmental decision-making body.

The event comes at a critical time for the Earth, which is facing a triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste. Past assemblies have played a pivotal role in shaping global environmental policy, and UNEA-6 is set to follow suit.

So what can we expect at UNEA-6?

Read the full article here.

Last updated at
27 Oct 2023 15:22

Nature-based Solutions for urban development in coastal areas

Belize coastal village
Unsplash/Meritt Thomas

An official core event of the Latin America and the Caribbean Climate Week 2023, this session will discuss current Nature-based Solutions (NbS) approaches to adapt to and mitigate against the challenges of climate change and urbanisation.

It will focus on the perspectives of governments, civil society, practitioners, academy and businesses to promote the integration and implementation of NbS through innovative regulatory, governance and financing mechanisms, and offer insights into opportunities for future work with focus on urban coastal areas.

Find more details here. 

Last updated at
Topics

Related Sustainable Development Goals

Goal 1

Goal 1: No Poverty
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Goal 7

Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
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Goal 11

Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
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Goal 12

Goal 12: Sustainable Consumption and Production
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Goal 13

Goal 13: Climate Action
+

Goal 14

Goal 14: Life Below Water
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Goal 15

Goal 15: Life on Land
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