Climate politics
China-US announce deal at Cop26 to accelerate climate action this decade
In a surprise joint statement, the world’s two top emitters agreed to work together in a range of areas to keep the goals of the Paris Agreement “within reach”
As Cop26 car pledge underwhelms, delegates ask: where are the bikes?
At transport day in Glasgow EVs were given centre stage, in what campaigners said was a missed opportunity to promote public transport and active travel
Draft Glasgow agreement calls for accelerated coal exit, in UN climate first
Language on phasing out coal and fossil fuel subsidies is likely to meet pushback from countries like Australia and Saudi Arabia
Donors pledge $400 million to the Least Developed Countries Fund
Sponsored content: Germany, France and the US were among countries announcing new contributions to help vulnerable countries cope with the impacts of the climate crisis
Cop26 deal brings support for victims of climate disaster a step closer
The Santiago Network could be up and running in a year, but thorny issues of how to fund it and channel aid to frontline communities have yet to be decided
Laurence Tubiana leads call for crackdown on climate misinformation in Glasgow pact
In an open letter, 250 signatories warn that false claims on social media threaten to derail global climate action
Developing countries put a number on post-2025 climate finance ask: $1.3trn a year
African nations and a group of 24 “like-minded” countries that includes China and India accuse donor countries of ducking substantive talks on finance
A Swiss pianist, a Rwandan chemist… meet 15 ministers brokering a deal in Glasgow
The UK presidency has appointed two ministers to steer each strand of Cop26 negotiations towards an agreement
Support for vulnerable nations could ‘make or break’ Cop26 talks
As ministers arrive in Glasgow to broker a political deal, a lack of aid for those on the front lines of climate impacts is a sore point
From Chile and Taiwan via Glasgow, youth call for climate justice
Tens of thousands of demonstrators marched through Glasgow past the Cop26 climate conference venue on Friday, chanting and waving homemade placards
To keep 1.5C alive, the super rich must change their high carbon lifestyles
The richest 1% are using way more than their fair share of the 1.5C carbon budget. Tackling inequality and emissions must go together
Canada, US, Italy among 20 countries to stop financing fossil fuels internationally
Major backers of coal, oil and gas projects will stop supporting them from 2023, instead backing clean energy in other countries
Big business must not be allowed to set the carbon trading agenda at Cop26
Delicate negotiations on carbon market rules in Glasgow could be thrown off course by the big banks’ push to “scale up” voluntary carbon trading
South Africa $8.5bn finance package offers a model for ending reliance on coal
The package was hailed as “groundbreaking” for being country-led and addressing a need to reskill and support coal miners
Thunberg v Carney: tensions flare over net zero and carbon offsets at Cop26
Activists escalated protests against “greenwash” and the carbon market “scam” as UN envoy Mark Carney touted a private finance climate pledge
Scotland breaks loss and damage “taboo”, raising hopes others will follow
Vulnerable countries welcomed Scotland’s leadership in helping victims of climate disaster, saying rich countries need to institutionalise support at Cop26
Donor nations commit $1.7bn to help indigenous people protect forests
The funding from US, UK, Germany, Norway and the Netherlands confronts the weakening of indigenous land rights in countries like Brazil
Over 100 countries join methane pledge but China, India, Australia and Russia stay out
The US and EU got more than a hundred countries on board with a commitment to cut methane emissions 30% by 2030, putting oil and gas sector leakage in the spotlight
Frustrations mount at Covid barriers to participation in Cop26 negotiations
After expensive and difficult journeys to Glasgow, many delegates are excluded from negotiating rooms and can only watch an unreliable webcast
Ending energy poverty need not come at the expense of a safe climate future
The Rockefeller Foundation, IKEA Foundation and the Bezos Earth Fund are launching an alliance to empower a billion people with renewable energy