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
Countries pledge $400m to set up loss and damage fund
Germany and Cop host UAE led contributions to get a fund for climate victims up and running, in an early win for the Cop28 presidency
Leaks reveal how McKinsey drives African climate agenda
Whistleblowers raise alarm over American consultancy’s growing influence in pushing carbon markets and developing energy transition plans
Meet the Italian fugitive advising Emirati start-up Blue Carbon
Samuele Landi has been convicted for bankruptcy fraud in Italy. That was no problem for the UAE firm doing forest carbon credit deals across Africa.
Fearing repression in Dubai, non-binary people stay away from Cop28
Non-binary and trans people have been detained and deported at Dubai airport and being gay is effectively criminalised in the UAE
Slow start for Indonesia’s much-hyped carbon market
Since President Widodo launched Indonesia’s exchange two months ago, there’s been barely any trading of carbon credits
Ghana’s flood victims blame government for overflowing dam destruction
Last month, a government-owned electricity company deliberately spilled water from its dam, displacing tens of thousands
OECD: Rich countries ‘likely’ to hit $100bn climate finance goal in 2022
Data shows countries provided $89.6bn in 2021, but funding for adaptation declined.
EU law pushes foreign oil and gas producers to cut methane
The EU has introduced a methane import standard, pressuring any company which exports oil and gas to the EU to cut its emissions
France, Kenya set to launch Cop28 coalition for global taxes to fund climate action
The taskforce, set to be launched at Cop28, will consider the feasibility of levies on shipping, aviation, financial transactions and fossil fuels.
US and China promise cooperation on renewables and methane
After talks in Sunnyland, California, the US and China agreed to revive a bilateral working group on climate change
Shades of green hydrogen: EU demand set to transform Namibia
Backed by the EU, Namibia has a $20 billion plan to export green hydrogen. A secretive tender process raises concerns for nature and citizens.
UK aid cuts leave Malawi vulnerable to droughts and cyclones
After the UK cut short a £52m climate adaptation scheme in Malawi, vulnerable communities saw their livelihoods destroyed by Cyclone Freddy
Australia to accept migrants from climate-hit Tuvalu in security pact
Australia has offered visas and climate finance to Tuvalu in a security pact to counter China’s influence in the Pacific region
China sets out methane plan, but no reduction target
Experts said that China didn’t want to shut down coal mines and was likely under-counting its coal mine methane emissions
Colombia’s big green plans run into headwinds
Tricky politics have hampered renewable growth and plans to stop oil and gas exploration have sparked economic fears
World Bank to initially host loss and damage fund under draft deal
Developing countries made key concession to land a draft deal on funding for climate victims, subject to political signoff at Cop28
Argentine rewilding debate descends into legal threats
A nature conservation foundation has accused Argentine scientists of slander after criticism of their rewilding methods
Indonesia delays coal closure plans after finance row with rich nations
After its pleas for grants not loans fell mostly on deaf ears, Indonesia has watered down its plans to shut coal power plants early
DRC hands gas rights to Canadian start-up that failed criteria
The technically complex contract was won by Alfajiri, which is based in a residential property in Canada and has only existed a few months