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.
Below are climate-related news and events from the United Nations and partners.
For Ahumwire Justine, a banana farmer from Shuku, in Uganda’s southwest, a day last October brought home just how vulnerable her plantation was to extreme weather.
That day, a devastating rain and hailstorm destroyed 300 of her banana trees and killed two of her cows. The damage was so bad, she and her family considered leaving their two-hectare plot, which was not insured.
“We had no food, no money for school fees for my children and no food for my animals,” the mother of four says.
The frequency and intensity of storms like the one that destroyed Justine’s crops is increasing due to climate change, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Read the full story.
Last week Nasa scientists revealed that freshwater levels have dropped dramatically since 2014. From 2015 through 2023, satellite measurements showed that the average amount of freshwater stored on land – that includes liquid surface water like lakes and rivers, plus water in aquifers underground – was 1,200 cubic km lower than the average levels from 2002 to 2014.
The reduction in available water can lead to poverty, famine and conflict, as well as an increased risk of disease when people turn to contaminated water sources, according to a UN report on water stress published earlier this year.
At COP29, there are a number of events that focus on this crucial issue including this event tomorrow on accelerating climate action through regional cooperation on water, energy, food and ecosystems. On Thursday there are two water-focused events: this event on how countries can integrate water into their climate plans; and this event which will see the Water Declaration endorsed, which is a call for integrated approaches when combating the causes and impacts of climate change on water basins and water-related ecosystems.
New data compiled by Carbon Brief has revealed that 74 per cent of extreme weather events were made more likely or severe because of climate change. This includes multiple cases where scientists found that an extreme was virtually impossible without human influence on global temperatures.
The most clearly linked events were “heat events” such as wildfires, followed by rain and flooding, followed by drought.
The data highlights the importance of country’s new NDCs – or climate plans – showing reduced CO2 emissions and developing countries getting the finance needed to adapt to climate change and increasingly common extreme weather events.
COP28 saw more than 70 countries and 60 non-state actors pledge to reduce cooling related emissions across all sectors by at least 68 per cent globally by 2050. This meeting will share the collective progress on the implementation of the Global Cooling Pledge, and spotlight how cooling emissions reductions can be featured in countries NDCs or climate plans, due in February.
Read more about how air conditioning is fueling the climate crisis.
Delegates are expected to sign off on a beefed-up funding target to replace the existing $100 billion per year commitment in Baku. The final figure the negotiators arrive at remains to be seen and it could be anywhere from a few hundred billion, to over a trillion dollars per year.
This episode of the UN podcast, The Lid Is On explains what has been achieved so far, and why the deal gaveled through on carbon markets is important. We also find out what the UN is doing to prevent the rush for the minerals needed for the climate transition turning into a “stampede for greed.’
UNEP Executive Secretary Inger Andersen has highlighted the importance of transparency in countries NDCs - their climate plans - which are due in February next year.
While pointing out that current climate plans will result in a global temperature rise of 2.6 to 2.8°C, she emphasised the need for transparency in the new plans during an event in Baku earlier today.
"The Paris Agreement’s Enhanced Transparency Framework is key to building trust and providing accurate data sets that underpin the preparation of ambitious NDCs," she said.
She highlighted the role of Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs) in this process. BTRs are where countries submit updates of their progress in meeting their climate commitments.
"When BTRs give high-quality, consistent climate data, they offer predictability for investment, which supports green finance and investment flows," Andrsen said. "When data is measured regularly and shared openly, countries are more likely to meet and even exceed their commitments."
With negotiations over climate finance still fraught in Baku, UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell, has underscored what getting money into the hands of developing countries means.
"This year, we saw how every bit of preparation – every policy, every plan – is the difference between life and death for millions of people around the world," he said earlier today. "People, communities, nations want to act, to protect themselves and their loved ones, to strengthen their businesses and economies – but they do not have the means."
As UNEP's Adaptation Gap Report 2024 highlights, countries need US$187-359 billion per year in climate finance to adapt to the effects of the climate crisis.
"We can no longer rely on small streams of finance," Stiell said. "We need torrents of funding. The funding exists. We need to unlock and unblock it."
Countries most affected by climate change – as well as citizens and non-profit groups – are increasingly turning to courts to compel governments and fossil fuel producers to address the climate crisis.
One Caribbean nation, Antigua and Barbuda, is at the forefront of this push. It has backed a UN General Assembly resolution requesting the International Court of Justice to weigh in on the obligations of states in respect of climate change.
Read about how this Caribbean nation put itself at the forefront of the climate litigation push.
Young people have been leading the charge when it comes to calling attention to the climate crisis and in driving innovative solutions that speak to local and global realities.
In the latest episode of UNEP’s adaptation podcast, the CEO of the Global Environment Facility, Carlos Manuel Rodriguez discusses the importance of engaging the youth in climate action at COP29 and beyond. Also hear from South African student Zanele Luthuli on how a new youth movement called EPIC-Network is training the next generation of adaptation experts.
