Land

Digger excavating the BR-319. Brazil government eyes Amazon Fund to pay for controversial road

Brazilian government eyes money from Amazon Fund for controversial road

Brazil’s transport ministry plans to bid for money from the Amazon Fund to pave the world’s “most sustainable highway”

Sugar rush: how farmers spurred India's G20 biofuels alliance

Sugar rush: how farmers spurred India’s G20 biofuels alliance

Nineteen countries signed up to an India-led alliance this month to boost production of biofuels, but experts raise sustainability concerns

Kenyan president William Ruto in controversy for logging plans

Kenyan president William Ruto courts logging controversy

Known internationally as one of Africa’s climate champions, President Ruto faces a legal challenge over plans to restart commercial forestry

New nature fund needs $40m by December to get going

Nature fund launched but financing questions remain

The new fund aims to be the primary tool to implement the Kunming-Montreal deal and deliver $200 billion a year to nature protection initiatives

Why Bolivia and Venezuela won't protect the Amazon

Soy, beef and gold gangsters: Why Bolivia and Venezuela won’t protect the Amazon

Bolivia wants to chop down trees to grow soy, beef and palm oil while Venezuela is unwilling or unable to restrain illegal gold mining

Devastating Beijing floods test China's 'sponge cities'

Devastating Beijing floods test China’s ‘sponge cities’

Despite Beijing’s sponge city project, the capital was overwhelmed by recent floods with dozens dying and a new “sponge airport” shut down

Dis-united States of the Amazon - Climate Weekly

Dis-united States of the Amazon – Climate Weekly

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Amazon Nations Unite in Criticism of EU Deforestation Rules

Amazon nations decry EU deforestation rules in thinly-veiled joint condemnation

The Belem Declaration echoes growing discontent with a new law prohibiting firms from importing goods linked to deforestation

A peatland forest seen from above with a river serpenting through

Indonesia falls short on peatland restoration, risking destructive fire season

Data from the Indonesian government suggests efforts to restore peatlands, a key part of the country’s climate strategy, do not match government claims.

Brazil's president Lula da Silva giving a speech at the Amazon Summit. Lula scraps Bolsonaro's cuts to Brazilian climate target ambition

Amazon nations fail to agree on deforestation goal at summit

Eight South American nations agreed on a list of joint actions to protect the Amazon rainforest, but failed to mention a long-awaited target to halt deforestation.

Land

Agriculture

Multilateral banks' investments in industrial livestock undermine their Paris climate commitments

Multilateral banks’ investments in industrial livestock undermine their Paris climate commitments

Public money should stop flowing towards the expansion of animal agriculture, which is responsible for a fifth of the world’s emissions

World Bank body delays vote on controversial loan to Brazilian dairy firm

World Bank body delays vote on controversial loan to Brazilian dairy firm

Campaigners say the $32m loan to dairy firm Alvoar Lacteos could damage forests in Brazil

Revealed: How Shell cashed in on dubious carbon offsets from Chinese rice paddies

Revealed: How Shell cashed in on dubious carbon offsets from Chinese rice paddies

Shell’s rice farming offset projects are under review. Climate Home found them riddled with accounting loopholes and questionable integrity claims.

Cost of a KitKat: Big brands leave sugar farmers at the mercy of climate extremes

Cost of a KitKat: Big brands leave sugar farmers at the mercy of climate extremes

Nestlé, Coca Cola and Pepsi are among the buyers from Nanglamal Sugar Complex, which smallholders say gives no help with climate resilience

India's female cane cutters face child marriage and hysterectomy

India’s female cane cutters face child marriage and hysterectomy

Women and girls in India’s sugar fields are exposed to sexual harassment, backbreaking work and inadequate healthcare

Migrant labourers suffer exploitation in India's sugar fields

Migrant labourers suffer exploitation in India’s sugar fields

Millions of people migrate each year to work in India’s sugar fields under extreme heat, harsh conditions and debt bondage

India's sugarcane farmers struggle to cope with droughts and floods

India’s sugarcane farmers struggle to cope with droughts and floods

In India more intense droughts and floods are destroying sugarcane crops and plunging millions of farmers and their families into debt

Maize Zambia

Africa’s broken food markets must be fixed to tackle hunger

A handful of large companies make big profits by controlling the food trade in Africa, while doing nothing to increase its climate resilience

Agriculture

Biodiversity

UN deep-sea mining talks deadlocked over agenda clash

UN deep-sea mining talks deadlocked over agenda clash

A dozen countries want to officially debate for the first time in history the possibility to halt deep-sea mining, but have faced opposition from China and the island-nation of Nauru.

Pressure grows on governments and banks to stop supporting Amazon oil and gas 

Pressure grows on governments and banks to stop supporting Amazon oil and gas 

An upcoming summit on protecting the Amazon has become the focus of a Indigenous and civil society-led campaign to set up an exclusion zone for fossil fuels

‘Historic milestone’: Ecuador nears vote to keep Amazon oil in the ground

‘Historic milestone’: Ecuador nears vote to keep Amazon oil in the ground

Experts consulted by Climate Home News suggested the vote will define Ecuador’s economic model for the future.

Truck driving timber across deforested lands in Indonesia.

“Green” funds destroy Indonesia’s forests – Climate Weekly

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Lula da Silva and Xi Jinping meeting in China to cooperate on climate change.

China and Brazil to cooperate in stopping illegal trade fueling deforestation

Brazil’s president, Lula da Silva, met with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping in China and announced new collaborations to control illegal deforestation.

A rocket launched from French Guiana in Europe's corner of the Amazon.

France seeks EU loophole for French Guiana to power space sector with biofuels

Campaigners have warned the exemption risks setting an incentive for increased logging in Europe’s corner of the Amazon forest.

During his inauguration, Lula da Silva mentioned climate action in his first speech as president

Lula revives $1 billion Amazon Fund and environmental protections

On his first day in office as Brazil’s president, Lula da Silva signed a package of seven executive orders to protect the environment

Cop15 global nature deal passes despite DR Congo's objection

Cop15 global nature deal passes despite DR Congo’s objection

The Chinese presidency gavelled through a biodiversity pact in Montreal, overriding the funding concerns of some African delegates

Biodiversity

Forests

FSC's rehab scheme for forest destroyers under fire after fresh allegations

FSC’s rehab scheme for forest destroyers under fire after fresh allegations

Indonesian pulp and paper giants are trying to rehabilitate themselves with the FSC despite continued accusations of deforestation in their supply chains

Biden promises to "work with Congress" to fund Amazon protection

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.

Brazil launches first raids against Amazon tree-cutters under Lula's new government

Brazil launches first raids against Amazon tree-cutters under Lula’s new government

Brazil’s new government is already having an impact on deforestation in the Amazon rainforest, an environmental enforcement agent claimed

Destruction of Brazil's Cerrado savanna soars for third year in a row

Destruction of Brazil’s Cerrado savanna soars for third year in a row

Brazil’s outgoing president Jair Bolsonaro has presided over four years of destruction of the Amazon rainforest and the Cerrado grasslands

UN nature pact nears its 'Copenhagen or Paris' moment

UN nature pact nears its ‘Copenhagen or Paris’ moment

Cop15 biodiversity negotiations in Montreal next month will determine how the world halts and reverses nature loss

Lula da Silva with a hand raised to greet onlookers

Lula charms UN climate summit, bringing hope for rainforests

Brazil’s president-elect got a hero’s welcome at Cop27, where he met with climate envoys from the US and China

As Glasgow forest pledge turns to action, most signatories drop out

As Glasgow forest pledge turns to action, most signatories drop out

Russia, Indonesia and DRC are among the tree-rich nations not signed up to a Cop27 partnership for delivering forest protection

Vitao looks at Amazon fires

Brazil election: Lula victory raises hope for Amazon rainforest

Lula has vowed to halt deforestation but analysts warn that a right-wing dominated Congress and political inertia will make it challenging

Forests

Cities

Cooling towers, fake snow: What the Beijing Winter Olympics says about climate change

Cooling towers, fake snow: What the Beijing Winter Olympics says about climate change

The spectacle of fake snow and an old steel mill’s cooling towers has sparked climate debate among Olympics-watchers

Covid exposes Mexico City's water access gap between rich and poor

Covid exposes Mexico City’s water access gap between rich and poor

The coronavirus pandemic lays bare the impact of Mexico City’s mounting water crisis on vulnerable households, while gated communities enjoy reliable supplies

It will take more than a few cycle lanes to make green, pandemic-proof cities

It will take more than a few cycle lanes to make green, pandemic-proof cities

The coronavirus lockdown gave a glimpse of what cleaner cities can look like, but as people turn to private cars for safety from infection, pollution could soar

Addis Ababa riverside project gives priority to development over residents

Addis Ababa riverside project gives priority to development over residents

Ethiopia wants $900 million riverside project to be a model of green development – yet one resident says shelters were demolished ‘without warning’

Car boom brings gridlock misery to 'green and happy' Bhutan

Car boom brings gridlock misery to ‘green and happy’ Bhutan

Bhutan’s growing economy brings growing gridlock – and a potential threat to the country’s vaunted carbon-negative status

Two million in Zimbabwe's capital have no water as city turns off taps

Two million in Zimbabwe’s capital have no water as city turns off taps

‘The situation is bad, period’, says spokesman for Harare council, as suburbs go weeks without water and cases of typhoid are reported

Trains deliver emergency water to drought-hit Chennai

Trains deliver emergency water to drought-hit Chennai

Millions of people are experiencing water shortages as Chennai’s reservoirs are running dry and other sources of water are dwindling

EU 'climate leaders' plans found lacking

EU ‘climate leaders’ plans found lacking

Finland, Sweden, Portugal, France and Germany praised for ambitious targets, but NGO analysis raises questions over details

Cities