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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. 

15 Nov 2024 13:41

UNEP executive director: moment of truth for plastic pollution is imminent

Inger Andersen
UNEP/Florian Fussstetter

The moment of truth for plastic pollution is imminent. That was the message from UNEP's Executive Director, Inger Andersen this morning at COP29. She highlighted the upcoming negotiations in Busan, Republic of Korea, which it is hoped will produce a legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution

She also highlighted the link between plastics and climate change.

"If plastic production keeps growing as predicted, it will expend 20 per cent of the carbon budget for 1.5°C by 2040. This target of the Paris Agreement is already in deep trouble. Every sector that contributes to global heating must play its part. 

"And plastic pollution makes it much harder to adapt to climate change, damaging ecosystem resilience and blocking drainage systems that are already struggling to cope with increasing floods," she added. 

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15 Nov 2024 12:48

Technology helping reduce methane emissions, but more action needed

Gas field
Pexels/Michael Pointner

Methane emissions are responsible for around 30 per cent of global warming, with the energy sector accounts for more than one third of total methane emissions attributable to human activity. Yet despite these emissions costing energy companies billions, they remain close to record levels. 

UNEP's the International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO), is helping tackle this through technology, monitoring methane leaks through a range of sources, including company reporting, peer-reviewed studies and government disclosures and satellite measurements. With the An Eye on Methane: Invisible but not unseen report released earlier today, it is hoped technological solutions such as IMEO will help slash emissions. 

Read the full article.

Last updated at
15 Nov 2024 12:07

UNEP Executive Director: NDCs 3.0 last chance for 1.5°C

Inger Andersen
UNEP/Florian Fusssetter

UNEP’s Executive Director, Inger Andersen has said that country’s climate plans – or NDCs – are "our last chance to avoid overshooting 1.5°C.” 

Speaking at the NDCs 3.0 and beyond event at COP29, she highlighted the fact that to remain aligned with a 1.5°C pathway, greenhouse gas emissions must be cut by up to 43 per cent by 2030 and 60 per cent by 2035. 

“As agreed by all Parties under the UAE Consensus at COP28, these plans should be aligned with a 1.5°C pathway and cover all greenhouse gases and sectors – including energy, agriculture, land use and forestry, transport, industry and waste,” she said. 

Andersen outlined a number of steps countries can take to ensure the world doesn't overshoot the 1.5°C goal including: ensuring their NDCs drive the transition from coal, oil and gas to clean energy; investing in methane reduction strategies; and implementing efficiency and circularity measures in energy and resource use – covering everything from cooling to construction materials such as steel and concrete.

 

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15 Nov 2024 11:23

New energy efficiency project lights the way for Kenya’s schools

Kenyan students
UNEP/Eugene Kaiga

Shelton Nyakundi, an 18-year-old student at the Menengai boarding school in Nakuru, Kenya, believes one simple thing could make the difference between the academic success and failure of many pupils: light. Nyakundi says to save money, his school switches off its inefficient incandescent lights at 10 p.m. depriving students of valuable studying time. 

“Right now, lack of light is a limiting factor, both in the evenings and in the mornings,” says Nyakundi, who wants to work in healthcare when he graduates.  The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Copenhagen Climate Centre is supporting a pilot project aiming to brighten the future of Nyakundi and his classmates. 

The effort is outfitting 100 Kenyan boarding schools with low-cost, energy-efficient light-emitting-diodes or LED lighting, which will allow school administrators to save money and keep the lights on longer. Read the full story. 

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15 Nov 2024 07:00

Eye on Methane Report highlights importance of cutting emissions

Marcin Jozwiak
Marcin Jozwiak

Tune into the launch of the 2024 Eye on Methane report and the refreshed version of IMEO’s methane data platform, both of which provide insights on the world’s methane emissions – responsible for roughly one third of current global warming. Check the live feed from 12.30 Baku time. 

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15 Nov 2024 06:57

Pace quickens in Baku as COP29 nears its first weekend

COP29 Azerbaijan

Today the focus is on energy, peace, relief and recovery, a rather broad theme which is reflected in the myriad events on across Baku Stadium. 

This event builds on the Climate Technology Progress Report 2024 by UNEP-CCC and the UNFCCC Technology Mechanism, which provides a comprehensive overview of advancements in renewable energy technologies covering critical areas such as adoption rates, feasibility, sustainable finance, and digitalization. 

This side-event features technical presentations on the key findings of the Emissions Gap Report 2024, and looks forward to what is now needed in the next round of countries' climate plans, due in February next year.

 The Global Methane Pledge Ministerial will review progress and showcase new actions on implementation, resource mobilization, and execution of projects to reduce methane in line with the goals of the pledge. 

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14 Nov 2024 17:21

How the world can finance the plastics transition

With the final round of the talks on a global plastics agreement set to take place next month in Busan, Republic of Korea, this event sees UNEP’s Executive Director, Inger Andersen take part in a conversation on the importance of mobilizing finance for the private sector projects that support the reduction of plastic pollution. You can watch the event live here. 

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14 Nov 2024 16:24

New report: US$1 trillion a year needed for developing countries

Syrian refugees
Pexels/Ahmad Achaya

The world is falling far short of the money needed to tackle the climate crisis, according to a new report published today.

The report - produced by the Independent High Level Expert Group (IHLEG) on Climate Finance – says that the world needs to mobilise US$1 trillion per year for developing countries by 2030.

The report says that "any shortfall in investment before 2030 will place added pressure on the years that follow, creating a steeper and potentially more costly path to climate stability. The less the world achieves now, the more we will need to invest later.

The report is published as countries negotiate at COP29 a new collective quantified goal (NCQG) for financial support for developing countries beyond 2025. Countries agreed that the new goal should be set before 2025 from “a floor of USD 100 billion per year."

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14 Nov 2024 15:01

Knowledge gaps around loss and damage highlighted

storm damage
Pexels/Kelly

A new UNEP policy brief launched today has highlighted the "knowledge gaps" when it comes to addressing loss and damage. 

While loss and damage from climate change are increasingly mentioned in country's national climate plans, but these documents say little about options to address loss and damage and largely miss non-economic loss and damage. 

Loss and damage is one of the multiple climate finance issues currently being negotiated in Baku.

Last updated at
14 Nov 2024 14:15

Track all the negotiating texts in (almost) real time

negotiators at COP29
COP29

Given the sheer number of texts being pored over by negotiators in Baku, we are grateful that Carbon Brief has published a very useful tracker where the status of each of the texts can be found. 

Constantly updated during the talks, it provides a window into where progress is being made (and where it’s not) as well as the sheer scale of the task facing negotiators. Readers can search for keywords using the text box or reorder the entries by date or other columns.

 

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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
+

Goal 13

Goal 13: Climate Action
+

Goal 14

Goal 14: Life Below Water
+

Goal 15

Goal 15: Life on Land
+
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