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    Brazil sets pace in climate sprint – but wants the West to pay
    14 Nov 2024

    Brazil announced plans on Wednesday to cut its carbon footprint “far beyond what could be expected” to set the pace at UN climate talks, but told The National it will not join rich countries in financing the world’s green efforts. The home of the Amazon rainforest hopes to to slash emissions by two-thirds compared to 2005 levels within a decade, […]

    Climate early-warning systems are not a luxury, says UN chief Antonio Guterres
    14 Nov 2024

    A deadly storm approaches a low-lying coast – exposing vulnerable communities in its path to devastation. But a simple text message pinged on to their phones helps them escape to higher ground. It sounds simple, but early warning systems save lives, yet half the countries in the world are still not covered. The issue took centre stage […]

    Saudi Arabia launches voluntary carbon market exchange to fund climate projects
    13 Nov 2024

    Saudi Arabia has launched a voluntary carbon market exchange platform as the kingdom transitions to a low-carbon economy. The Regional Voluntary Carbon Market Company (RVCMC), backed by the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund, Public Investment Fund (PIF), will auction more than 2.5 million tonnes of “high-quality” carbon credits on the exchange platform on Tuesday, it said in a statement. The basket […]

    Key leaders skip Cop29 as they navigate net-zero backlash
    12 Nov 2024

    The opening days of a UN climate change summit are when royals, presidents and prime ministers take the podium and proclaim the green ideals that set the tone for two weeks of talks. But big names will be missing from the stage at the Cop29 talks in Baku, Azerbaijan, with even environmentally minded leaders in the West distracted by […]

    ‘It has been an honour’: UAE hands Cop presidency to Azerbaijan as crunch summit begins
    11 Nov 2024

    Cop29 has kicked off in Azerbaijan with the UAE handing over the presidency. It came during the opening plenary of the crucial talks in the country’s capital Baku. The baton passed to new Cop29 president Mukhtar Babayev, the country’s ecology and natural resources minister and who previously worked for the state oil company, Socar. Over the next two […]

    Indian climate guru calls for action at Cop29 to help world’s small farmers
    10 Nov 2024

    An Indian climate guru will urge leaders at Cop29 to allocate billions in climate finance for small farmers, so they can learn vital techniques to protect the soil and regenerate farm land to help tackle the climate crisis. Thousands of people representing governments around the world, companies, and environmental and human rights groups will gather in Azerbaijan […]

    What is Cop29 and why is it important?
    09 Nov 2024

    Tens of thousands of people representing governments around the world, companies, and environmental and human rights groups are gathering in Azerbaijan to discuss ways to address the threat of climate change. The UN’s annual climate summit, called the 29th Conference of the Parties, or Cop29, will be held in the capital Baku from November 11 to 22. The […]

    Planting trees in the Arctic could make global warming worse, not better, say scientists
    08 Nov 2024

    Tree planting has been widely touted as a cost-effective way of reducing global warming, due to trees’ ability to store large quantities of carbon from the atmosphere. But, writing in the journal Nature Geoscience, an international group of scientists argue that tree planting at high latitudes will accelerate, rather than decelerate, global warming. As the climate […]

    2024 ‘virtually certain’ to be hottest on record as temperature streak continues
    07 Nov 2024

    This year is “virtually certain” to be the warmest year on record, as the world continues its unprecedented temperature streak, the European Union’s climate change monitoring service has said. Last month was the second-hottest October on record after October 2023, with an average surface air temperature for the month of 15.25°C, 0.80°C above the 1991-2020 average. The figure also represented […]

    Bio-based fibers could pose greater threat to the environment than conventional plastics
    06 Nov 2024

    Bio-based materials may pose a greater health risk to some of the planet’s most important species than the conventional plastics they are designed to replace, a new study has shown. Such materials are increasingly being advocated as environmentally friendly alternatives to plastics, and used in textiles and products including clothing, wet wipes and period products. […]