Momentum grows towards 2050 zero carbon shipping target
Nigeria, Chile and Vietnam are among countries now backing a stronger climate goal for international shipping, but cost concerns remain
‘Kunming-Montreal’ deal sets up new fund for biodiversity by 2023
Countries committed to mobilise $200 billion “from all sources” to protect 30% of the world’s land and water ecosystems by 2030
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
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
Mexico’s new climate plan is worse than its old one, analysts say
Mexico, a country of 130 million, is one of only two G20 countries not to have set net zero emission targets
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
In India more intense droughts and floods are destroying sugarcane crops and plunging millions of farmers and their families into debt
After developing country walkout, ministers arrive to rescue nature talks
Tensions are running high at the Cop15 biodiversity summit over a finance gap estimated at $700 billion per year
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
Rich nations mobilise $15.5bn for Vietnam’s coal-to-clean transition
The deal will help Vietnam to peak its greenhouse gas emissions five years earlier than planned and scale up renewable energy generation
EU strikes internal deal to tax carbon at its borders
The world-first scheme will protect European industries from being undercut by polluting competitors, but angers emerging economies
Governments split on ditching nature-harming subsidies in Montreal
Negotiators at the Cop15 biodiversity summit in Montreal have until Friday to agree a “nature pact” that can get rid of harmful subsidies
AIIB finds gas plant in Bangladesh compatible with Paris goals
AIIB’s fast-tracking of a 600MW LNG plant could set a precedent for more development finance to fossil gas projects, campaigners warn
Germany considers €1 billion in support for 10 fossil fuel projects overseas
German support for any of the projects would breach a pledge made last year to stop funding coal, oil and gas projects overseas from 1 January
UK coal mine approval sparks global fury and hypocrisy claims
The decision to allow a new coking coal mine goes against official climate advice and the UK’s international rhetoric on fossil fuels
EU agrees law to crack down on deforestation in supply chains
The EU deforestation law aims to stop imports of products if their producers have cut down trees to grow them
UAE plans to have it both ways as Cop28 climate summit host
The Gulf oil and gas exporter is going big on renewable energy investment and food security, while expanding hydrocarbon production
EU chief flags concerns about Biden’s ‘buy American’ climate plans
Ursula von der Leyen is mooting increased public support for EU cleantech industries, in response to the US’ Inflation Reduction Act
Brazil’s incoming government set to scrap gas pipelines and power plants
Marina Silva, tipped as the next environment minister, tweeted that the planned infrastructure would cost the country $22bn over four years
Battle lines drawn in talks on new plastics treaty
US and Saudi Arabia want a bottom-up deal focused on recycling, while a “high ambition coalition” wants top-down curbs on plastic production