Climate politics

Preparing for the unprecedented - Climate Weekly

Preparing for the unprecedented – Climate Weekly

Sign up to get our weekly newsletter straight to your inbox, plus breaking news, investigations and extra bulletins from key events

Fit for the climate crisis? - Climate Weekly

Fit for the climate crisis? – Climate Weekly

Sign up to get our weekly newsletter straight to your inbox, plus breaking news, investigations and extra bulletins from key events

Developing nations put numbers on the table for the next climate finance goal

Developing nations put numbers on the table for the next climate finance goal

Nearly 100 developing countries have come together to define what success means at Cop26, raising the stakes for donor countries to step up their finance pledges

G20 backs carbon pricing, 'raising stakes' among emerging economies

G20 backs carbon pricing, ‘raising stakes’ among emerging economies

The EU’s threatened carbon tariff on imports has spurred trading partners like Indonesia and Turkey to consider making polluters pay at home

Beyond firefighting the ocean - Climate Weekly

Beyond firefighting the ocean – Climate Weekly

Sign up to get our weekly newsletter straight to your inbox, plus breaking news, investigations and extra bulletins from key events

South Africa's climate advisers urge faster shift away from fossil fuels

South Africa’s climate advisers urge faster shift away from fossil fuels

The climate commission has called on the government to step up its 2030 climate goal – which some advisers say will require ending new coal and gas projects

Delivering an inclusive Cop26 in the age of Covid-19 requires more than vaccines

Delivering an inclusive Cop26 in the age of Covid-19 requires more than vaccines

Even vaccinated, negotiators from vulnerable nations face logistical and financial barriers to travel to Glasgow amid border closures and quarantine measures

Flawed forest protection - Climate Weekly

Flawed forest protection – Climate Weekly

Sign up to get our weekly newsletter straight to your inbox, plus breaking news, investigations and extra bulletins from key events

Canadian minister Catherine McKenna to quit politics and focus on climate change

Canadian minister Catherine McKenna to quit politics and focus on climate change

Catherine McKenna introduced climate legislation as Canada’s environment minister and will step down at the next election before October 2023

UK government opens registration for Cop26 participants to apply for vaccines

UK government opens registration for Cop26 participants to apply for vaccines

The race is on for delegates to the next UN climate summit to register for a Covid vaccine by 23 July, offered by the UK hosts to enable more people to participate

Latest climate politics

Brexit

UK government appoints Alok Sharma as Cop26 president

UK government appoints Alok Sharma as Cop26 president

Prime Minister Boris Johnson appointed the former secretary of state for international development to lead the critical UN climate talks in November

Don’t shop till you drop: advice to UK citizens on net zero climate goals

Don’t shop till you drop: advice to UK citizens on net zero climate goals

UK holds ‘citizens’ assembly’ to seek ideas for cutting emissions to net-0 by 2050. But some participants doubt the government will listen

‘Miles off track’ – Climate Weekly

‘Miles off track’ – Climate Weekly

Sign up to get our weekly newsletter straight to your inbox, plus breaking news, investigations and extra bulletins from key events

UK walks diplomatic tightrope for 2020 climate summit after shaky start

UK walks diplomatic tightrope for 2020 climate summit after shaky start

Boris Johnson officially launched Cop26 on Tuesday but gave little indication as to how the government is going to leverage the world into taking bolder climate action

UK leaders debate climate, with Boris Johnson replaced by ice sculpture

UK leaders debate climate, with Boris Johnson replaced by ice sculpture

Leaders of most major parties presented their ideas for meeting tough climate goals, but the Conservative prime minister declined

Brexit must not distract from UK's biggest job in 2020: the Glasgow climate summit

Brexit must not distract from UK’s biggest job in 2020: the Glasgow climate summit

Next year’s climate talks are absolutely vital and as hosts the UK could determine whether the talks fail or succeed. The government must start preparing now

London bids to host 2020 UN climate talks to show UK remains ‘open’

London bids to host 2020 UN climate talks to show UK remains ‘open’

Mayor Sadiq Khan writes to UK prime minster urging every effort to win the presidency of Cop26 in the face of a competing bid from Italy

UK and Italy bid for 2020 climate talks, amid political uncertainty for both

UK and Italy bid for 2020 climate talks, amid political uncertainty for both

Both countries face potential general elections and economic problems before the crucial Cop26 meeting and the UK may still be in a Brexit imbroglio

Brexit

UN Climate Talks

Norway pays Gabon $17m for forest protection despite deforestation spike

Norway pays Gabon $17m for forest protection despite deforestation spike

While proponents say results-based payments can support forest protection in the long term, critics say the Gabonese government has done little to earn the money

Mega oil project in Russia's far north threatens Arctic indigenous communities

Mega oil project in Russia’s far north threatens Arctic indigenous communities

Rosneft is developing a massive oil project on the Taymyr peninsula with 15 towns, a port, two airports and 800km of pipeline

UK has done 'surprisingly little' to deliver on climate targets, say official advisers

UK has done ‘surprisingly little’ to deliver on climate targets, say official advisers

The Climate Change Committee called on the UK government to up its game and show leadership before hosting Cop26 in November

Biden scales down climate spending in search of bipartisan deal

Biden scales down climate spending in search of bipartisan deal

Clean energy and electric vehicle incentives are being cut from the US president’s flagship $2 trillion American jobs plan to win conservative support

Ministers called in to break deadlock after unproductive climate talks

Ministers called in to break deadlock after unproductive climate talks

Diplomats say a lot more work is needed over the next five months to overcome divergent views on finalising the Paris Agreement rulebook

Joe Biden's trip to Europe offers a chance for a new transatlantic climate alliance

Joe Biden’s trip to Europe offers a chance for a new transatlantic climate alliance

With a US-EU summit scheduled following the G7 meeting, Biden and EU leaders have an opportunity to usher in a new era of collaboration on climate action

Vaccines for climate negotiators - Climate Weekly

Vaccines for climate negotiators – Climate Weekly

Sign up to get our weekly newsletter straight to your inbox, plus breaking news, investigations and extra bulletins from key events

UK calls on Indonesia to set out roadmap to net zero emissions

UK calls on Indonesia to set out roadmap to net zero emissions

During a three-day visit to southeast Asia’s largest economy, Alok Sharma met with a host of ministers to discuss how to transition the nation from coal to renewables

UN climate talks

Paris Agreement

US pledges to double international climate finance at Earth Day summit

US pledges to double international climate finance at Earth Day summit

Joe Biden made a start on restoring US climate credibility after four lost years, with finance and emissions pledges, but campaigners say more is needed

Climate watchers pay tribute to Nicaraguan envoy Paul Oquist, who died on Monday

Climate watchers pay tribute to Nicaraguan envoy Paul Oquist, who died on Monday

The outspoken diplomat, who famously described the Paris Agreement as a “path to failure”, will be remembered as a complex figure who fought for justice

South Sudan plans to raise climate ambition amid 'dire' humanitarian crisis

South Sudan plans to raise climate ambition amid ‘dire’ humanitarian crisis

The world’s newest country is seeking to expand renewable energy, tree planting and climate smart agriculture, but UK aid cuts threaten progress

The stakes for Cop26 couldn't be higher - Climate Weekly

The stakes for Cop26 couldn’t be higher – Climate Weekly

Sign up to get our weekly newsletter straight to your inbox, plus breaking news, investigations and extra bulletins from key events

China, US urged to step up as UN warns world 'very far' from meeting climate goals

China, US urged to step up as UN warns world ‘very far’ from meeting climate goals

Collectively, updated national targets will only reduce emissions 0.5% by 2030 from 2010, UN analysis finds — far from the 45% scientists say is needed to hold warming to 1.5C

"Science-based" corporate climate targets are no such thing, says former advisor

“Science-based” corporate climate targets are no such thing, says former advisor

As the number of businesses setting ‘science-based’ targets surges, experts are calling for more transparency over how those numbers are calculated

Majority of countries miss Paris Agreement deadline to increase climate ambition

Majority of countries miss Paris Agreement deadline to increase climate ambition

The EU, the UK and Argentina were the only large emitters to present tougher climate targets by the UN’s 2020 deadline, with China and the US lagging

Countries signal greater climate ambition but 'step change' needed on road to Glasgow

Countries signal greater climate ambition but ‘step change’ needed on road to Glasgow

More than 70 heads of state showed stronger climate action at a virtual summit, but heavy lifting remains in 2021 to meet the ambition of Paris

Paris Agreement