The 29th United Nations Climate Conference (COP 29) in Baku failed to build on the notable progress made on food systems at COP 28. However, it wasn't all doom and gloom.
With the weeks ticking down before he leaves the White House, U.S. President Joe Biden's administration is picking up the pace on clean energy financing, while getting serious about blocking tens of billions of dollars in export financing for oil and gas that could instead be diverted to the energy transition.
For a year now, Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OECD) governments have been negotiating an agreement that could put an end to oil and gas export finance. Following the acrimony in Baku, this would be a very real way for the OECD to show policy coherence, respond to calls from the poorest countries to stop subsidizing fossil fuels, and shift public finance to solutions.
A group of emerging economies chaired by China has proposed that what they regard as protectionism by developed countries should be discussed formally at the COP 29 climate summit, setting up an "agenda fight" that could disrupt the talks.
The updated treaty includes slightly more climate-friendly provisions but extends support for fossil fuel-adjacent activities such as carbon capture, hydrogen, and biomass.
As a landmark climate change case reached its halfway mark Friday at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, clear divisions have emerged over whether nation states can be held legally liable for global warming under international human rights laws.
As countries adopt ambitious climate policies, this toolkit examines strategies to prevent carbon leakage—when production and emissions shift to nations with weaker climate policies—and explores the trade-offs of each approach.
This policy brief provides an analysis of the critical benchmarks and recommendations necessary for aligning nationally determined contributions (NDCs) with the 1.5 °C target.
This policy report addresses the critical issue of soil acidity in the East African Community (EAC) and provides actionable recommendations for EAC partner states, the EAC Secretariat, and other relevant stakeholders.