US
US tees up Congress battle with $3bn Green Climate Fund pledge
Vice-president Kamala Harris pledged $3 billion to the Green Climate Fund at Cop28, which Congressional Republicans will likely try to block
The US and China’s resurgent climate cooperation is a big deal
Even though we now have the Paris agreement, cooperation between the world’s two biggest emitters, US and China, is still crucial
Rich countries sink billions into oil and gas despite Cop26 pledge
The US, Germany and Italy have been accused of backsliding on a Glasgow promise to end public subsidies to fossil fuel projects overseas
US aims to limit loss and damage fund
The US, which long opposed a fund, wants it to focus on a narrow set of disasters in a small number of countries
US sparks controversy by backing oil company’s carbon-sucking plans
The CEO of Occidental Petroleum has said that direct air capture is a way of prolonging the life of the oil industry
US-China talks thaw in heatwave – Climate Weekly
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Biden’s union-friendly green jobs pitch meets sceptical response
Workers in Philadelphia questioned whether green jobs could permanently replace dirty ones and pay the same high rates
Under record heatwave, US and China “unstick” climate talks
US climate envoy John Kerry visited Beijing, re-starting talks on coal, methane and other climate issues
US ‘still on the fence’ as nations debate global shipping emission tax
The US’s treasury secretary would not commit to backing a shipping tax and the US was not on a list of 22 countries who support the measure.
Republicans’ anti-ESG attack may be silencing insurers, but it isn’t changing their pro-climate business decisions
Republicans are pressuring insurers out of climate coalitions but won’t change their pro-climate business decisions
US backs Indonesian oil refinery despite pledge to end fossil fuel finance
The US has been accused of “breaking” a key climate financing commitment by approving almost $100m in support for an overseas fossil fuel project
After court blocks renewables push, US promotes carbon capture & hydrogen
The Environmental Protection Agency will set limits on power plants’ emissions, forcing them to clean up or shut down
Climate Weekly – US-China talks stall but survive
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Despite Taiwan and spy balloon tensions, China invites US for climate talks
China’s climate envoy Xie Zhenhua invited his US counterpart to China to discuss cooperation on tackling climate change
US solar boom on hold as industry awaits subsidy rules
Solar installers are waiting to find out which solar panels are considered US-made and qualify for subsidies
US bets big on carbon-sucking machines
The US has offered $3.5 billion in grants towards direct air capture, hoping to bring down the costs of removing carbon from the atmosphere
Moves to crystallise right to a healthy environment spark tension at UN
Incremental resolutions at the UN are starting to make the right to healthy environment tangible, but are running into pushback from states like the US.
US offers $550m to tackle pollution in poor neighbourhoods
The money is part of a $3 billion environmental justice pot finally authorised by Congress after a long battle against Republicans and conservative Democrats
World Bank chief to step down early after climate controversy
Last year, the World Bank’s president David Malpass refused to accept the scientific consensus on global warming, leading to calls for the US government to push him out
Biden promises to “work with Congress” to fund Amazon protection
With Jair Bolsonaro out of power, one obstacle to US funding for Amazon rainforest protection has gone – but Republicans in Congress could still block funding.