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Wednesday, December 13, 2023

Australia at COP28 Climate Diary

 
UN climate conference, the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) is ocurring in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates from Monday November 30 to Friday December 12, 2023 (but may also go into overtime). 

This is my digital diary of Australia at COP28 in Dubai. I have attended four previous COPs (2015-2019) in person. For COP26 Glasgow in 2021 and COP27 Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt in 2022, I kept a Digital diary of Australia at the climate conference.  I will be following whats going on at COP28 in Dubai online. Follow with me. I'll be updating this blog post regularly over November-December 2023. 

President-Designate for COP28, is Dr.Sultan Al Jaber, who is the Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology of the United Arab Emirates, managing director and group CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC Group), and chairman of Masdar, a state owned renewable energy company.

Australia will be represented at the ministerial level by Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen and Assistant Minister Jenny McAllister. See Tracking Australian Ministers and Australian pledges at COP28.

UNFCCC COP28 website for documents. UAE COP28 website. Civil Society COP28 Climate Justice Hub, DCCEEW international climate action page. Australia at COP28. Carbon Brief Negotiating Text Tracker | Fossil of the Day awards leader Board

I'll be including detail from IISD Earth Negotiating Bulletin for each day. I might pluck details from the full report, especially relevant to Australia, and will post the 'In the Corridors" section which provides a concise  'vibe' summary on the negotiations. I might include details from other sources as needed.

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18 December - Full Negotiations summary Report from IISD/ENB 

This is a detailed summary of the negotiations and outcomes. Most of the focus has been on the energy package and its loopholes in the Global Stocktake package. But there were many other decisions that were also made, but not really covered in reporting. Island states and least Developed Countries particularly highlight the lack of progress in Adaptation, adaptation finance, and general climate finance. ENB listed these other outcomes:

  • the adoption of the framework for the GGA established in the Paris Agreement, which aims to guide the implementation of the goal and, among other things, establishes impact, vulnerability, and risk assessment (by 2030), multi-hazard early warning systems (by 2027), climate information services for risk reduction and systematic observation (by 2027), and country-driven, gender-responsive, participatory, and transparent national adaptation plans (by 2030);
  • the designation of the consortium of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and the UN Office for Project Services as the host of the Santiago Network on loss and damage;
  • the launch of the implementation of the work programme on just transition pathways, with at least two hybrid dialogues to held prior to the two annual sessions of the Subsidiary Bodies;
  • the decision to continue and strengthen the dialogue to exchange views on and enhance understanding of the scope of Article 2.1(c) of the Paris Agreement (on aligning finance flows with low-GHG climate resilient development) and its complementarity with Article 9 of the Paris Agreement (on climate finance); and
  • the decision to convene an expert dialogue on mountains and climate change and an expert dialogue on the disproportionate impacts of climate change on children at the Subsidiary Bodies meetings in June 2024.

A Functional Creature or Unwieldy Beast?

In the GST process, countries had to take a hard look at the Paris Agreement. They found gaps and weaknesses on implementation, ambition, and provision of finance. The delayed action by developed countries on finance and mitigation eroded trust among parties. With little common ground on the history or the future, countries could not agree if the Paris Agreement, as reflected through the GST, was fit for purpose, or a beast unable to pivot in light of science.

While many hailed the decisions adopted in Dubai as a triumph for multilateralism, small island developing states felt left behind, unwilling to trust the promises of developed countries that “we see you and stand with you.” The way forward, as charted by the GST, is unlikely to live up to the Paris Agreement’s goals. The sources of the problem—fossil fuels—still have ample footing to fight for survival. The creature revealed is a Paris Agreement better able to deliver a climate-safe world, and with more strength to fight the monsters threatening this future. But there is a long way to go, especially on support and leaving no one behind.

As historic as the first GST was, no one meeting can save the world. A trifecta of Presidencies will undertake a “Mission for 1.5°C” to try to catalyze early action in line with science. The finance goal to be agreed on in 2024 will not only sort out the direction for the next decade, but likely also to the middle of the century, and could constitute an important step toward actually accelerating a just energy transition and adaptation action—giving meaning to the words celebrated in Dubai. In turn, 2025, which is when countries are supposed to submit their more ambitious, hopefully 1.5°C aligned, NDCs, will show whether the fundamental idea of the Paris Agreement’s ratchet up mechanism allows the creature to walk into the future with its head held high. 

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13 December - ‘The age of fossil fuels will end’: Australia’s Chris Bowen hails Cop28 agreement. Climate change minister says deal is not perfect but ‘transition away’ from oil and gas sends clear message to investors (Guardian)

13 December - Good Cop, bad Cop: what the Cop28 agreement says and what it means. Some say the deal is historic, others that it is weak. We look closely at the text for the truth of the matter (Guardian) The text also ignores that 'Transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems' excludes petrochemical and plastics uses of fossil fuels, a significant loophole, and one the industry will exploit.

13 December - Closing Plenary: Livestream video, Samoa and AOSIS concerns, Chris Bowen comments on Final COP decisions. COP28 Closing Plenary: Transition away from Fossil Fuels, but major loopholes in package (Climate Citizen)

13 December - Cop28: second draft text of climate deal calls for ‘transitioning away’ from fossil fuels. Latest draft does not include a commitment to phase out or phase down fossil fuels, as many countries, civil society groups and scientists have urged (Guardian)

13 December - My view on Draft GST Text (UNFCCC Link): This draft GST text doesn't deliver a fast, fair #FossilFuelPhaseout that a super majority of countries at #COP28 want, but it does provide a signal that Fossil fuels are on the way out.

  • Para 28a - incorporates tripling renewables and doubling energy efficiency globally by 2030 
  • Para 2b - weakened language about coal power phase down.
  • Para 28c - 'low-carbon fuels' is a loophole for Fossil gas use
  • Para 28d - spells end of fossil fuels: ' Transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems'
  • Para 28e  - opens up use of abatement technologies (a climate solution distraction)
  • 28h is a boost in language on inefficient Fossil fuel subsidies phase out adding "that do not address energy poverty or just transitions, as soon as possible"
  • 28f is about reducing non CO2 gases, primarily methane and nitrous oxide, important for short term climate impact
  • Para 28g focusses on reducing transport emissions
  • Para 29 substantial loophole for expanding #FossilGas.
  • There is little in Adaptation and climate finance for developing countries in this text, which is a hurdle to transition
  • An improvement on previous draft, but minimally so. Direction Commendable but with so many loopholes for continued coal and gas use.
  • Still a Death sentence to Pacific Nations
Para 69 acknowledges that climate finance is key for developing countries , yet the draft text fails to provide any solution. 
"69.  Notes that scaling up new and additional grant-based, highly concessional finance, and non-debt instruments remains critical to supporting developing countries, particularly as they transition in a just and equitable manner, and recognizes that there is a positive connection between having sufficient fiscal space, and climate action and advancing on a pathway towards low emissions and climate-resilient development, building on existing institutions and mechanisms such as the Common Framework;"

Draft GST text, 13 Dec 2023, Energy package Paras 28-29

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12 December - ‘We will not sign our own death certificate’: COP28 talks on the cusp of failure (Sydney Morning Herald) See also Tracking Australia's position - Chris Bowen (Climate Citizen)

12 December - Cop28: Australia, US and UK say they won’t sign agreement that would be ‘death certificate’ for small islands. Australian climate change minister, Chris Bowen, says umbrella group of countries is united in saying draft agreement is too weak (Guardian)

12 December - 15 per cent of Australia’s emissions come from sending fossil fuels overseas (Australia Institute)

12 December - Cop28 draft climate deal criticised as ‘grossly insufficient’ and ‘incoherent’. Text now being considered by governments calls for ‘reducing both consumption and production of fossil fuels’ (Guardian)

12 December  - COP28 draft agreement omits plan to phase out fossil fuels, angering Pacific leaders (ABC News)

12 December - Biggest climate deniers, blockers, and fossil fuel PR firms attend COP28 (Corporate Accountability) over 160 representatives with climate-denying track records got Cop28 access (Guardian)

12 December - Fossil Fuel Subsidies: WTO chief urges countries to prioritise subsidies that tackle climate crisis. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala says current incentives are distorting world trade and hampering fight against climate breakdown. Globally, FF subsidies are estimated at US$1.7trillion a year. Note Australia spends an estimated $11 billion per year on tax based fossil fuel subsidies, with no current plan to phase them out (Guardian) See also Dutch-led coalition moves to phase out fossil fuel subsidies on 10 December.

12 December: Strong outcome to end of the fossil fuel era backed by large majority of UNFCCC Parties. Analysis released today by the Pacific Islands Climate Action Network (PICAN) and Oil Change International confirms that: At least 127 countries have called for or endorsed a decision to phaseout fossil fuels at this year’s UN climate negotiations; These countries account for 71.7% of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and represent 46.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions and 69.7% of global GDP. "Of those countries that have not yet endorsed phasing out fossil fuels, very few have actively opposed. Almost all the remaining countries would likely agree to phaseout fossil fuels if this was tied to financial support, coupled with a successful outcome on adaptation, and differentiated developed and developing countries." (Oil Change International)

12 December - Australia improves 5 places to the low category in the 2024 Climate Change performance Index (Climate Citizen)

12 December - Australia pushes for Unabated Fossil Fuel Phaseout at COP28, while opening offshore CCS opportunities to expand Fossil gas (Climate Citizen)

12 December - Rich countries failing to show leadership to break Cop28 impasse, activists say. Many accused of being too mired in fossil fuel hypocrisy, as wrangling over possible deal continues (Guardian)

12 December - Simon Evans on what has been agreed, and where at least there are draft texts.

Watch this little protest by a 12 year old activist, and note the applause for the sentiments at the end, leaving COP28 presidency to also "applaud" the enthusiasm... except Licypriya Kangujam wanted action to phase out coal, oil and gas, not condescending platitudes.

"Here is the full text of my voice:
Governments must work together to phase out coal, oil and gas – the top cause of the climate crisis today. Your action today will decide our future tomorrow. We are already the victim of climate change. I don’t want my future generations to face the same consequences again. Sacrificing the lives of the millions of innocent children for the failures of our leaders is unacceptable at any cost.

Millions of children like me are losing their lives, losing their parents and losing their homes due to climate disasters. This is real climate emergency. Instead of spending billions of dollars in wars, Spend it on ending hunger, giving education and fighting climate change.

We want clean air to breathe, clean water to drink and clean planet to live. Asking clean air to breathe, clean water to drink and clean planet to live is our basic rights.

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Negotiations Report on 11 December.

IISD/ENB Negotiations summary 11 December  

"The new text on the Global Stocktake (GST) was met with deep concern and considered “utterly insufficient.” Many felt the text does not live up to the 1.5°C target as the “North star” of the meeting, and even goes back on ambition."

"Parties adopted a decision (FCCC/CP/2023/L.4) accepting Azerbaijan’s offer to host COP 29 from Monday, 11 November, to Friday, 22 November 2024, and Brazil’s offer to host COP 30 from Monday, 10 November, to Friday, 21 November 2025."

In the Corridors:

COP 28 has officially entered the “waiting game” stage, or as one delegate called it, the “waiting for the cows to come home” stage. As all but the discussions on Paris Agreement Article 6 went underground, many were left waiting for the release of new draft texts, with conjectures running high on possible landing zones.

Many also expressed confusion regarding the various channels through which groups and parties were reportedly being consulted. Talks were not only conducted by the Presidency and the co-facilitating ministers it appointed earlier in the week, but also UNFCCC Executive Secretary Stiell and UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who had returned to Dubai. “A lot is bubbling under the surface,” summed up a seasoned delegate, “the question is when it will surface, and whether we will like it when it does.” 

Reactions to the GST draft released late in the afternoon were fast and furious. Hopes that this text would include language calling for a phase out or down of fossil fuels were dashed. The text suggests instead a laundry list of actions parties “could” do, including: 

limitations on permitting new and unabated coal power generation;

advancing abatement and removal technologies; and 

“reducing” consumption and production of fossil fuels to achieve net zero “by, before, or around 2050.”

Observers kept up the pressure. They formed a human chain to greet ministers walking towards late evening consultations of their responsibility and the lives and livelihoods at stake.

In their reactions to the text, many ministers stood equally firm. Several emphasized “We are beyond an à la carte restaurant.” Many developed and developing country ministers underscored the document falls “short, way short” of what they can accept. “We did not come here to sign our death warrant. We will not go silently to our watery graves” said ministers from small island developing states.

As tired delegates filed out of the heads of delegation consultation, they wondered how they could move on from the “meaningless list of options” – as one minister put it – in the short time that remains for COP 28. 

The Earth Negotiations Bulletin summary and analysis of COP 28 will be available by Saturday, 16 December 2023

11 December - Nauru becomes 12th country to call for a Fossil Fuel Treaty (Fossil Treaty)

11 December - ‘Come with solutions’: Cop28 president calls for compromise in final meetings. Sultan Al Jaber urges nations to be flexible as talks reach impasse over whether to phase out or phase down fossil fuels (Guardian)

11 December - Chris Bowen says agreement on global fossil fuel phase out central to Australia’s renewable energy plans. Australia’s climate minister says Cop28 summit must aim to keep 1.5C goal alive as he names Saudi Arabia as a block to agreement (Guardian)

11 December - Australia accused of hypocrisy in calling for end to fossil fuels at COP28 (Sydney Morning Herald)

11 December - Summary of Majlis - COP28 Diary (December 10, 2023): New GGA draft weaker than previous text, countries talk about finance gaps at Majlis (Down to Earth)

11 December - New global stocktake text includes fossil fuels but avoids ‘phase-out’ language – "However, by requiring countries to reduce their fossil fuel production, it effectively achieves the same ends as a phase down, without using the contentious language that some countries would not allow....One source close to developing countries at the talks said this was a compromise that could work. Despite the lack of phase out or phase down language, the text addresses fossil fuel production directly, rather than fossil fuel emissions – seen as a get-out clause for countries that want to use carbon capture and storage."  (Guardian Cop28 live)  

11 December - AOSIS Statement on COP Presidency's Draft GST Text (AOSIS)

AOSIS CHAIR STATEMENT:

  • We are concerned that the process at this time is not in the spirit of multilateralism. As SIDS, we feel our voices are not being heard, while it appears that several other Parties have enjoyed preferential treatment,  compromising the transparency and inclusivity of the process.
  • We are greatly concerned that this lack of a platform to air our views has resulted in weak language that will obliterate our chances of maintaining the 1.5°C warming limit.
  • Our red line is a strong commitment to keeping the 1.5c warming limit. Any text that compromises 1.5 will be rejected.
  • If we do not have strong mitigation outcomes at this COP, then this will be remembered as the COP where 1.5 would have died. This should not be the legacy of this UAE COP.  
  • Paragraph 39 of the GST text draft includes weak language on fossil fuels is completely insufficient. It does not refer toa phase out at all. It presents a menu of options that states “COULD” take. Could is unacceptable.
  • States MUST take action on fossil fuel phase out.
  •  Finance and mitigation must go hand in hand. Developed countries must lead because they have the resources to do so, we call on major economies to take the lead here in finance flows.
  • We will not sign our death certificate. We cannot sign on to text that does not have strong commitments on phasing out fossil fuels.
  • We have been asked throughout this process, what is at stake if these negotiations do not return a strong outcome that Keeps 1.5 Alive. How can you not understand - it is our very survival that is at stake?
  • As big emitters continue to serve an antiquated industry which is responsible for over 90% of current CO2 emissions- and rising - AOSIS will be here. We will never stop fighting for a future where our people cannot  just survive but thrive. Because as a result of the actions of big emitters, we have no choice.
  • And we remind you yet again - our small island developing states are on the frontlines of this climate crisis, but if you continue prioritizing profit over people, you are putting your own future on the line.
  • We call on our allies to support our call and stand with us to keep 1.5 alive.

Minister Cedric Schuster, Samoa AOSIS Chair

11 December - Least Developed  Countries Chair says on X about Draft GST Text: "We cannot accept latest GST text. Need way forward that ensures we meet 1.5C-scaled up climate finance esp. for adaptation & phasing out fossil fuels with differentiation. This text doesn’t set clear pathway for either. GST meant to ratchet ambition, where is the ambition? #COP28"



11 December - CAN International reports: Outside the COP28 plenary, civil society is holding an urgent protest to voice their serious concerns about the current text on the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA). 

The Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) is a playbook for how the world is going to adapt to the climate change that is already happening and will continue to happen, even if we stopped using fossil fuels today. The less we do on #Adaptation, the more we cross the various limits of adaptation. And the more Loss And Damage is caused — most often impacting those less responsible for carbon emissions. We need a robust framework on the the Global Goal on Adaptation to support collective action and track progress. We have a very small window of opportunity from here to 2040 to do Adaptation at the level, scale and with the urgency that is needed. An ambitious framework on Adpation must have:

➡️Purpose, principles, dimensions, themes, cross-cutting considerations, sources, overarching message, targets on dimensions including means of implementation, targets on themes, robust and transparent MEL system to track progress.

We are concerned that we will leave this COP with no outcome on Adaptation or on delivering Adaptation Finance Now. This would be a failure. 

We call on parties to pull up their sleeves and deliver on Adaptation. 

A framework only focused on action — but without strong features on support with targets, including means of implementation is toothless.

The GGA text is weak and doesn't mobilise the required finance. 

11 December -  Climate advocates demand stronger COP28 language on fossil fuels (UN News)

12 December -Reaction from a climate scientist, Prof. Jean-Pascal van Ypersele (IPCC Vice-Chair for AR5, climate physicist, Prof UCLouvain)

My reaction to the latest COP28 draft Global Stocktake text:

The text is a monument of schizophrenia: It first acknowledges, recognises, or notes the numerous and gigantic gaps between what is needed and what has been delivered up to now. 

Those gaps are in every sector: emission reductions, adaptation, climate finance from developed countries, capacity building, greening of the energy system… 

And then, after such a clear diagnosis, it decides almost NOTHING.

It is striking that this draft « decision text » contains 115 occurrences of the verbs « acknowledge », « recognise », and «note », while the verb « decide » is used only five times, and in relation to minor issues. 

There seems to be a total disconnect between the diagnosis and the treatment. 

The diagnosis is that of a potentially deadly cancer, due to abuse of fossil fuels. 

The prescribed treatment is a mixture of wishful thinking and magic. 

To say that governments are called to take actions that « could include », « inter alia » « reducing both consumption and production of fossil fuels so as to achieve net zero (…) around 2050 in keeping with the science » amounts to actually neglecting the science that says that anything short of phasing out fossil fuels almost completely by 2050 will not allow respecting the 1.5°C target with a serious probability.

I invite the negotiators of all Parties to read again the letter I wrote the other day with @MichaelEMann on behalf of the climate system:

https://michaelmann.net/content/our-letter-behalf-climate-system-cop28-president-sultan-al-jaber

You cannot negotiate with the laws of nature.  @uaeclimateenvoy @COP28_UAE @simonstiell

11 December - Weak GST text fundamentally puts 1.5°C out of reach says Bill Hare, CEO of Climate Analytics, reacting to the new draft of the Global Stocktake text at COP28 (Climate Analytics)

11 December - Language and words matter for intent and legal commitment in Draft GST text:



11 December Simon Evans (Senior journalist Carbon Brief) on X summarises GST Draft Text issues (PDF):
"Fossil fuel "phase out" is GONE.
Whole energy package is loose "actions that cld inc"
➡️refs renewables, CCS for "efforts twds substitution of unabated fossil fuels"
➡️loose 2050 timeline
➡️no methane target

11 December - Fossil of the Day and Colossal Fossil awards: (CANi)(Climate Citizen - see Fossil Leader table at COP28)

🇸🇦SaudiArabia gets the FoTD
ColossalFossil: 🇺🇸USA wins , OPEC and 🇷🇺Russis get dishonourable mention
🇨🇴Colombia wins Ray Of The COP

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Negotiations Report on 10 December.

IISD/ENB Negotiations summary 10 December  In the Corridors:

From the outset, the COP 28 Presidency promised a transparent process. With time dwindling for negotiation and several key issues still up in the air, transparency was used strategically. Both the Heads of Delegation (HoD) meeting on the GGA and the Majlis—the council for all ministers to meet—were open to (some) observers and broadcasted online.

As one observer noted, this “shone the light on the key players.” Some felt the more public-facing version of the HoD helped get agreement to work on the proposed text on the GGA. Whether this was more productive than the discussions on the GST that took place undercover, remains to be seen. Ministers and negotiators alike were seen entering and leaving Meeting Room 9, where no formal meetings were scheduled. There were rumors of a GST text in the works, with one observer claiming it was “awaiting tweaks from the Majlis.”

The very staged performance of the Majlis didn’t produce concrete proposals or compromises. But seasoned observers saw “a hint that support, in one form or another, for shifts to renewables are on the table.” Many noted acknowledgements that the transition from fossil fuel is difficult and also offers of support, technology transfer, and capacity building. Rumors of a possible new or revised joint statement between the US and China had delegates intrigued in the evening. A seasoned observer held out hope for an ambitious update to the Sunnylands Statement issued a few weeks ahead of the conference, but feared the balance might “tip the other way.” Given that language in US-China bilateral agreements often end up in texts, as with language around coal in Glasgow, it could prove a decisive last-ditch move.

By the end of the day, one thing was clear: the issue of just transition pathways took hold of the climate process, maybe not in the discussions on that work programme, as a delegate noted, but it increasingly featured in discussions on the GST and on the alignment of finance flows. 

 Other insights from the Majlis:

Read this tweet thread by Romain Ioualalen about COP28 Majlis (Council), "Ministers are meeting to find a way forward on the main issues that still need to be resolved, a thread (a serious one, for once) on main interventions on energy / fossil fuels. Selected tweets In particular:

"(Germany) the only way to limit warming to 1.5°C is to peak global emissions by 2025 and reduce 60% by 2035. Fossil fuel phase out is the only way to save mankind. Fossil fuel emissions is not ok, we can't pay for the technologies that don't even exist right now."

Bolivia calls out hypocrisy of countries saying of Global North countries calling for phase out of fossil fuels and still expanding fossil fuel prodcution: US, Canada, Norway, Australia 🔥

.Saudi Arabia: raised consistent concerns about targeting specific sources of energy (fossil fuels). Usual line about Paris being about emissions, not sources. Scale up of all low emission technologies (CCS). we contribute heavily to tackling climate, we need an outcme that takes into account our specific national circumstances.

@Bowenchris  (Australia): stresses the need to phase out fossil fuel use (not production...) and that abatement should be the "goalkeeper" or the "backstop" and not an excuse to delay action. Stands in soldiarity with Pacific neighbors.

Marshall Islands: if we don't address the climate crisis, the bones of our ancestors will be swept under the waves. Let that sink in.

Iraq: repeats their complete opposition to phase out / phase down and ending fossil fuel subsidies. Calls for recognition of national circumstances, highlighting the financial resources spent on fighting ISIS.

10 December - Chris Bowen tells Cop28 to ‘end the use of fossil fuels’ in energy systems as talks try to break deadlock (Guardian)

10 December - Insight into Billionaire Andrew Forrest and his climate motivations (Politico)

10 December - China  ‘would like to see agreement to substitute renewables for fossil fuels’ But country’s climate envoy, Xie Zhenhua, would not say whether it would support phase-out wording in climate deal (Guardian) Once again we see the importance of the G2 top two emitters to determining an outcome. Read about the Sunnylands statement between the US-China (Climate Citizen)

10 December - ‘Magical’ tech innovations a distraction from real solutions, climate experts warn. This includes direct air capture, CCS, sustainable yachting for the super-rich? (Guardian)

10 December - Opposition Climate spokesperson Ted O'Brien commits LNP to support tripling nuclear energy globally and overturn nuclear energy moratorium, possibly establishing civil nuclear power in Australia, adding to massive costs of electricity and cost of living. “Today I am happy to announce that a re-elected Coalition government will, at its first COP after being returned to office, sign the nuclear pledge and return Australia to where it belongs, standing alongside its friends and allies,” O’Brien said he did not support Australia tripling its renewables capacity. (Sydney Morning Herald). See Rejecting nuclear path at COP28, Australia focusses on tripling renewables for decarbonisation on Dec 6 (Climate Citizen)

More on this: Professor Kevin Anderson on magical tech innovations on remarks by Bill Gates (6 December)(Youtube)

See also Climate Adam on Carbon Capture and Storage from 6 December (Youtube)

10 December - And farmers and conservationists are opposing Carbon Capture and Storage  in the Great Artesian Basin risking ‘greatest environmental asset’, Farmers and conservationists say they are ‘prepared to take it to the high court’ to oppose a planned carbon capture and storage facility (Guardian)

10 December - Dutch-led coalition moves to phase out fossil fuel subsidies at COP28. Australia is missing! The Netherlands plan is backed by Antigua and Barbuda, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Costa Rica, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Luxembourg and Spain. (Reuters)

10 December - Adaptation playbook is the true test of Cop28 for world’s vulnerable. While most attention is on fossil fuels, the US is blocking progress on an adaptation playbook, a matter of life or death for many Africans (Climate Home)

10 December Fossil of The Day:

🥇 Israel 🇮🇱- For the intent of genocide.  There is No Climate Justice Without Human Rights.

Dishonourable Mention:
USA 🇺🇸- for vetoing #CeasfireNow & hostage release in the Security Council

No humour today, deadly serious.

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Negotiations Report on 9 December.

IISD/ENB Negotiations summary 9 December  In the Corridors:

President Al Jaber’s deadline to complete technical work by the afternoon passed without much change of pace. Delegates continued to react to new texts and huddled throughout the afternoon and evening, rather than leave sorting out specific texts to ministers. With much of the negotiations happening undercover at this point, observers were holding their breath until the informal stocktaking plenary, which started at 9:00 pm.

Despite a seemingly endless meeting, negotiators focusing on just transition pathways were not able to table new text before the stocktaking. Nonetheless, discussions there seemed to move forward constructively. The same “cannot be said on the mitigation work programme,” a long-time delegate shared, “it seems we are at a standstill.” Another delegate concurred, adding that this holds up progress on other issues, especially the GST.

Leaving plenary with mixed progress in hand, some welcomed the topic of the first “Majlis:” the balance across the decisions. Finding that political balance among mitigation, adaptation, finance, and equity could unlock the deadlocks on many of the remaining issues.

9 December - Opec rails against fossil fuel phase-out at Cop28 in leaked letters (Guardian)

9 December - Chris Bowen backs ‘a big step forward’ on phasing out fossil fuels at Cop28. Australia’s climate minister flags difficulties around any final wording but hails ‘important symbol’ as talks intensify in Dubai (Guardian)

9 December - Bowen delivers Australia's national Statement to COP28 stressing renewables path, but it is what was not said on fossil fuels that is crucial (Climate Citizen)

9 December - Police arrest 72 climate activists in Melbourne CBD for blocking traffic outside Flinders Street Station (ABC News) Climate protests in Melbourne culminate in civil disobedience with 72 arrests - a personal statement (Climate Citizen)

9 December - former Senator Rex Patrick on the Environmental Protection (Sea Dumping) bill, carbon capture and storage, Santos, INPEX and expansion of Gas, particularly Santos lobbying on Barossa Gas field and Middle Arm petrochemical hub (Michael West Media) See 9 Nov entry regarding Santos deal with ADNOC on CCS development, which came a week after Fossil Fuel grand coalition of Labor, Liberal & Nationals pass Environment Protection (Sea Dumping) bill in the Senate for carbon capture and storage, throwing a lifeline to Fossil Gas expansion and providing a convenient fix for Australia to argue for phase out of 'unabated' fossil fuels at COP28 (Climate Citizen)

9 December - In Dubai, the COP behemoth expands, raising questions about its sustainability (The Age)

9 December - A Global Legislators’ Call Against the Proliferation of LNG Infrastructure, initiated by Lisa Badum, member of the German Parliament, Rosa Galvez, Canadian Senator for Québec, Edward J. Markey, United States Senator for Massachusetts (Lisa Badum.de PDF)

9 December - Azerbaijan chosen to host Cop29 after fraught negotiations. Also a dozen countries led by the Netherlands have announced a stronger crackdown on fossil fuel subsidies.(Guardian)

9 December - Failure to agree fossil fuel phase-out at COP28  ‘will push world into climate breakdown’  - UK’s former climate chief and Cop26 president Alok Sharma says phase-out crucial to limit global warming to 1.5C (Guardian)

9 December - Fossil of the Day awards: (CAN)
🥇the EU! 🇪🇺 - Time to step up further on climate finance
🥈Vietnam  🇻🇳 - For jailing climate activists and shutting down civil society space

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Negotiations Report on 8 December.

This is crunch time with the final few days. Ministers are taking charge to cofacilitate, and diplomatic staff to continue to work on technical details. Australia, both at ministerail level and in technical discussions, is playing an active role, consistent with more ambition.

During the stocktake plenary 

Australia, for the UMBRELLA GROUP, said the GST [Global Stock Take] must remain true to its mandate and assess collective progress for making financial flows consistent with keeping 1.5°C within reach. She called for a strong decision on the MWP [Mitigation Work Program] to send a message to investors and said an initial dialogue on just transition is important to foster understanding.

IISD/ENB Negotiations summary 8 December In the Corridors:

Returning from their “rest” day, delegates eagerly listened to how the COP Presidency proposed to facilitate talks during the final week. He provided his roadmap, with multiple Co-Facilitators for ministerial and technical consultations, all of which he said should conclude by 3:00 pm on Saturday, 9 December. Anything that remained unresolved would be passed to a proposed large, single group meeting called a “Majlis,” a sitting room where people with a common interest gather.

Some thought this could facilitate the last package, where synergies (or trade-offs) could be found across the GST, GGA, finance, and perhaps the just transition pathways work programme. Others cautioned that large gatherings rarely yield results. Some recalled the “Sejmik” in Katowice met once with ministers, then broke into smaller, more issue-specific discussions. Similarly the Comite de Paris was a daily check-in from the smaller “indabas” that worked on specific aspects of the Paris Agreement. Still others were concerned about the implications for transparent and inclusive decision making processes. The extended applause in plenary following a delegate’s plea to not have any closed rooms left many wondering how the next five days would unfold.

“For now, things are very scattered,” shared a seasoned observer, who hoped groups would be consistent in their messaging when talking to different facilitators. If not on substance, finance negotiators were united in their desire to keep working at the technical level rather than pass things over to ministers. However, many were relieved to see experienced ministers in charge of the sticky issues, hoping they would find the right balance between continued technical-level discussions and political input to broker compromise where needed.

8 December - Australia pledges $150 million in climate finance. This will go to $100m to the Pacific Resilience Facility, a trust fund to invest in small-scale climate and disaster resilience projects, and $50m for the Green Climate Fund. Australia has not pledged any funding to the new Loss and Damage Fund established on the first day of COP28 (Guardian)(DCCEEW)

8 December - Australia - Bushfire alerts and fire bans in multiple states as heatwave hits. The Country Fire Service has declared ‘catastrophic’ fire danger ratings for five districts in South Australia (Guardian) Heatwaves and catastrophic fire conditions are happening across the country. Here's who is on alert (ABC News)

8 December - More on billionaire Andrew Forrest verbal attack on fossil fuel executives and need to phase out fossil fuels: (Guardian)

“If you’re looking to put a head on a spike when lethal humidity really hits, well, start with mine. But don’t let off the other 999 who may not have acted as quickly as we have. I include myself in that because I’m not pointing the finger at everyone else, I’m saying I’m part of the problem too. But at least I’m changing.”

8 December -  ‘Unprecedented mass coral bleaching’ expected in 2024, says expert. 2023 is first year of potential pair of El Niño years and since 1997, every instance of these pairs has led to mass coral mortality. (Guardian)  See Ove Hoegh-Guldberg et al. ,Coral reefs in peril in a record-breaking year.Science0,eadk4532 DOI:10.1126/science.adk4532, (Science)

8 December - At least 475 carbon-capture lobbyists attending Cop28. Figures reveal growing push by fossil fuel sector for technologies that scientists say will not stop global heating (Guardian) Related, see 5 Dec Climate Analytics Unabated: the Carbon Capture and Storage 86 billion tonne carbon bomb aimed at derailing a fossil phase out (Climate Analytics). Also see 4 Dec paper by Smith School of Environmental Economics at Oxford Uni: Assessing the relative costs of high-CCS and low-CCS pathways to 1.5 degrees, by Andrea Bacilieri, Richard Black, Rupert Way (Oxford Uni PDF)

8 December - High Ambition Coalition fighting for Fossil Fuel Phaseout. "HAC Ministers & Envoys met over dinner at the mid-way point through #COP28. We are united and fighting for: (Tweet)

🌎1.5C = non-negotiable
🌍A guiding star on adaptation
🌏 #FossilFuelPhaseOut & an energy package that leaves no one behind
🌏Transformational finance

8 December - As COP28 enters its second week, over 800 signatories and counting from acrossbusiness, finance, philanthropy, politics, academia and civil society join forces to call on Sultan Al Jaber and all Parties to deliver a 1.5C aligned outcome in response to the Global Stocktake - because later is too late. Includes as point one: "An orderly phase out of all fossil fuels in a just & equitable way, in line with a 1.5C trajectory – whilst ensuring the tripling of global renewable energy capacity by 2030 from 2022 levels and the doubling of energy efficiency(B-Team)

Oh look Cop28 President has received the open letter:

8 December - ‘This may be our last chance’: Cop28 talks enter final phase. ‘We cannot negotiate with nature’ says Denmark’s climate minister as talks to phase out fossil fuels hang in balance. (Guardian)

8 December -  New Coalition Formed at COP 28 to Tackle Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform a Promising Sign (IISD)

8 December - Fossil of the Day awards: (See Climate Citizen)

🥇 Israel🇮🇱 No climate justice without human rights. No peace without justice #CeasfireNOW 

Dishonourable mentions:
1. Australia 🇦🇺Do #EndFossilFuels, contribute to #LossAndDamage fund
2. Russia 🇷🇺 Putin came to Dubai, made Fossil deals, a COPout

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7 December - No Blue Zone negotiations 

7 December - Andrew Forrest calls for fossil fuel bosses' 'heads on spikes' in extraordinary outburst on sidelines of UN COP28 climate conference (ABC News) See also Fortescue Unveils Ammonia-Fueled Ship Calling for Regulations to Catch-Up - Dec 3 (Maritime Executive)

7 December - IMF: Carbon pricing would raise trillions needed to tackle climate crisis. Traditionally unpopular carbon taxes could be achieved with regulatory compliance, IMF head tells Cop28 (Guardian)

7 December - Loss and Damage Pledges. $700m pledged to loss and damage fund at Cop28 covers less than 0.2% needed (Guardian) Australia has so far not pledged. Aus NGOs have written to the Climate Minister urging to pledge to the new Loss and Damage Fund (Private Sources)

7 December - Helping the Pacific financially is a great start – but Australia must act on the root cause of the climate crisis writes Wesley Morgan (The Conversation)

7 December - Moment of reflection: November warmest on record says WMO. See Copernicus summary report 

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Negotiations Report on 6 December.

IISD/ENB Negotiations summary 6 December In the Corridors:

The hustle of the negotiation building nearly matched the bustle of the other “petals” in the sprawling, flower-shaped Expo venue. But hustle and effort do not always produce results. Adaptation negotiations were, in one observer’s words, “dire.” Rule 16 befell the Adaptation Committee. After a week, the GGA talks still have not turned to substance and have no agreeable text. One negotiator worried about the further consequences if the GGA “crashes and burns,” namely, that there would be a hole in the GST text, where the GGA outcomes were supposed to fit.

The phrase “equally unhappy” again circulated, as GST, just transition, and response measures negotiators (to name a few) passed their work onto the Presidency. After what a delegate called an overnight “marathon of so-called surgical” insertions, the text will be delivered as it previously stood, with the lengthy list of insertions compiled for ministers’ consideration.

6 December - Australia ends finance for fossil fuel expansion overseas – now focus turns to local subsidies. The export credit agency, Export Finance Australia, spent $1.7bn on coal, oil and gas developments and just $20m on renewable energy between 2009 and 2020,(Guardian)

6 December - Australian EV sales have increased by 185% since 2022. Industry experts say electric cars sales figures could be higher if the government stops delaying fuel efficiency standards. (Guardian)

6 December - Gas projects to require Commonwealth approval after Labor-Greens deal expands water trigger. Note: enhanced water trigger was a Labor election promise (ABC News). likely affect proposed fracking projects in the NT's Beetaloo Basin, WA's Kimberley and south-west Queensland.(Lock the Gate) 

6 December - 5 climate tipping systems currently at risk, 3 more at risk with global warming breaching 1.5°C (Pik-potsdam) Humanity faces ‘devastating domino effects’ including mass displacement and financial ruin as planet warms (Guardian)(Nature) Report: T.M. Lenton, D.I. Armstrong McKay, S. Loriani, J.F. Abrams, S.J. Lade, J.F. Donges, M. Milkoreit, T. Powell, S.R. Smith, C. Zimm, J.E. Buxton, L. Laybourn, A. Ghadiali, J. Dyke (eds) (2023): The Global Tipping Points Report 2023. University of Exeter, Exeter, UK. (Report website)

6 December - Statement endorsed by 75 scientists on the necessity of Fossil Fuel phaseout: The science is clear: we need net zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 (Club of Rome)

6 December - Fossil of the Day Awards (CAN International)
🥇Alberta - has come to COP with one mission, to sabotage the negotiations
🥈Norway🇳🇴 - Deep sea mining as part of a ‘green shift’ is unacceptable
🥉 Sth Korea🇰🇷 - financing carbon bombs off Northern Australia near the Tiwi Islands

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Negotiations Report on 5 December.

IISD/ENB Negotiations summary 5 December In the Corridors:

It’s the day before what’s looking to be a long final day for the Subsidiary Bodies. They close on Wednesday, 6 December, meaning that negotiations across the board were scheduled and rescheduled. For discussions to select a host for the Santiago Network, an agreement seems close at hand. Gender reached an agreement, although few seemed pleased. But they are largely outliers.

In research and systematic observation and the Adaptation Committee, the specter of Rule 16 looms. It signals that no agreement could be reached at all. Negotiators on agriculture, response measures, and the Global Goal on Adaptation continued discussions to try to overcome entrenched disagreements. Article 6.4 had “merely started,” in the words of one observer. At least in finance, one Co-Facilitator observed that “everyone seems equally unhappy, as always at this stage.”

For some issues, it’s a matter of getting texts in shape for political engagement. GST negotiators expected to “be here all night” to prepare a text to be forwarded to ministers. The current version is replete with options—89 and more to come—and the crucial section on how to take the GST’s messages forward is a compilation of options and 29 bullet points. In informal informals all day, the just transition work programme talks seemed far from their goal to define, let alone refine, some options that delegates were comfortable sending to the ministers.

The mood was nervy. One negotiator blankly stated “everyone is in the dark” on the process for the second week. Another worried negotiator said once the texts are handed to the Presidency “the process becomes a little bit unclear at that point,” joined by another who “wanted to preserve the progress we’ve made.” The finance negotiators even heard one group call for “protecting the Presidency” to ensure it can focus on the many issues that will require its engagement.

The Presidency will likely convene a stocktaking session after the Subsidiary Bodies close. Several hoped this will be worth staying up late for.

5 December - Scientists call for citizens to become activists. 33 IPCC authors among 1,447 scientists and academics in signing an open letter calling on the public to take collective action to avert climate breakdown. Scientists are becoming angry that their research warning us of climate breakdown has been essentially ignored for over 30 years. (Guardian)

5 December - 2,400+ Fossil Fuel lobbyists at COP28. Kick Big Polluters Out campaign reveals there are almost four times as many fossil fuel lobbyists as registered as COP27!!!! Seven times as many as official Indigenous delegates, and more than all the people brought by the 10 most climate vulnerable countries. Australia ranks 34th with 8 Fossil Fuel lobbyists (Kick Big Polluters Out)

5 December - At least 360,000 people are estimated to die prematurely before the end of the century from one year of greenhouse gas emissions from nine major European oil and gas companies. This is due to the increasing extreme heat. This is shown by research. study analyzes the 2022 self-reported greenhouse gas emissions of Shell, TotalEnergies, BP, Equinor, Eni, Repsol, OMV, Orlen and Wintershall Dea. They emitted 2.7 billion tons of CO2 in 2022. (Greenpeace Netherlands)(CAN International)

5 December:  Reliance on carbon capture and storage (CCS) could release an extra 86 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases (GHG) into the atmosphere between 2020 and 2050, finds a new analysis published today (Climate Analytics). 

5 December - Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance announced the joining of 3 new members: Kenya (first African country), Samoa and Spain, as well as the implementation of the BOGA fund, through which Colombia and Kenya will receive 1 million dollars each of technical assistance to explore ways to manage the transition.

5 December - Carbon Capture At the high-level roundtable 'Carbon Management Challenge: Essential Pillar to Keep 1.5ºC Alive’ joining countries announced a pledge to scale the expansion of carbon capture and storage, to a gigaton CO2 by 2030 (on track for the IEA pathway) under the heading of the Carbon Management Challenge (CMC)

5 December - Initiative to support the phasing out of a coal plant in the Philippines. The Coal to Clean Credit Initiative (CCCI), which has support from The Rockefeller Foundation, announced a new collaboration with ACEN Corporation to explore a pilot project in the Philippines that would leverage carbon finance to phase out a coal-fired power plant and replace it with renewable energy, while supporting livelihoods of vulnerable people.

5 December - Report launch on An Equitable Phase Out of Fossil Fuel Extraction. Australia needs to phase out coal, oil and gas by 2031. (Civil Society Equity Review)

5 December - Dairy Methane Action Alliance. Industry leaders the Bel Group, Danone, General Mills, Kraft Heinz, Lactalis USA, and Nestlé together with the Environmental Defense Fund announced the launch of the Dairy Methane Action Alliance with the aim of reducing and accounting for methane in their dairy supply chains.(Environmental Defense Fund)

5 December - Australia rejects nuclear path to focus on renewables for decarbonisation (Climate Citizen)

5 December - Australia joins the Clean Energy Transition Partnership (CETP) - also known as the Glasgow Statement. This will help end the billion dollar pipeline of taxpayer money to fossil fuel companies coming from federal export finance and foreign aid programs. Australia is joining at least 39 countries and institutions, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Fiji, to align international investment strategies with net zero priorities. (DCCEEW)(Jubilee Australia)

5 December - Labor and Greens strike deal to establish nature repair scheme. Government also committed to supporting fast-tracked legislation to strengthen the water trigger so that it applies to all forms of unconventional gas, such as fracking for tight gas like in the Beetaloo Basin. (Guardian) See Tanya Plibersek media release (DCCEEW)

5 December - Former President of Ireland Mary Robinson comments on Al Jaber furore:

5 December -  Climate Action Tracker 2023 Update highlights that there has been no improvement to warming projections since COP26 Glasgow. The CAT’s “optimistic scenario” would result in warming of 1.8°C, still well above 1.5˚C. CAT also notes that we are “unlikely to see any movement in this pathway.” Without any major policy improvement in this critical decade, end of century warming remains at 2.7°C. The report also draws attention to the fossil fuel industry and some governments “still trying to support every unrealistic techno fix to see if one of these false solutions sticks”, with specific cautions on reliance on CCS, co-firing ammonia with coal in thermal power plants, E-fuels, the use of carbon credits to offset domestic emissions and meet NDC targets, and reliance on carbon removal to reach net zero targets.Warns on language: ""Abated" is not a phase-out. COP28 must agree to phase out fossil fuels: everything else is a distraction."(Climate Action Tracker)



5 December - Fossil of the Day awards: (CAN International)

🥇 USA 🇺🇸 - world’s largest oil & gas producer, responsible for > one-third of all planned oil & gas expansion
🥈Russia 🇷🇺 - gas is not green, it certainly isn’t a transition fuel
🥉 Japan 🇯🇵 - doubling down on coal

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Negotiations Report on 4 December.

IISD/ENB Negotiations summary 4 December In the Corridors:

With only two days left before the Subsidiary Bodies close, negotiators tried to catch up on several issues. Many seemed to progress slowly. During an agriculture consultation, an impassioned YOUNGO rep exhorted: “We are afraid. Afraid of postponing discussions another day and action by another year…With over 130 countries endorsing the Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, this group is pushing itself closer to obsolescence.”

Many of the trickiest issues, mostly under the COP and/or CMA, also struggled to find common ground among parties. Several new texts were large, unedited compilations of views. The accusatory phrase “my way or the highway” was heard across rooms, emoting frustration over compilations replete with repetition, leaving Co-Facilitators with little leeway for synthesizing ideas into compromise proposals. Negotiators asking the Co-Facilitators to add further ideas led to one Co-Facilitator lamenting, “You’re pushing us to the limit of what might be possible at this COP. We will expand the text, which will be difficult to process during the remaining time here.”

Progress on finance issues, especially the SCF, soured. Averting an agenda fight pushed the disagreements into the negotiation rooms. Talks in the SCF turned into a negotiation on the LMDC agenda item on urgently scaling up support from developed countries to developing countries. Connections were drawn between the GST, the mitigation work programme, just transition, and Article 2.1(c), hinting at the delicate balance that must be struck. As these difficult negotiations continue, one finance negotiator pointed out that they did agree to one thing–many wore pink to celebrate Gender and Finance Day.

4 December - Cop28 officials fail to clarify if protesters are safe to protest in Dubai (Guardian)

4 December - Al Gore Gore slams UAE. "They are abusing the public's trust by naming the CEO of one of the largest and least responsible oil companies in the world as head of the COP," Gore said. "Gore unveiled data showing that the UAE's greenhouse gas emissions rose by 7.5% in 2022 from the previous year, compared to a 1.5% percent rise in the entire world. He urged delegates to agree to language in the final text issued at the summit to phase out fossil fuels, without caveats or mentions of carbon capture technology. "The current state of the technology for carbon capture and direct air capture is a research project," Gore said. "There's been no cost reduction for 50 years and there is a pretense on the part of the fossil fuel companies that it is a readily available, economically viable technology." (Reuters)

4 December - COP Prez Al Jaber’s temper tantrum over Mary Robinson. Protests planned says Hunter Lovins reporting in Dispatches from the front lines of COP28: “What a shit show” (Climate and Capital media)

4 December - Northern Territory - Net zero policy for new gas projects abandoned after industry objected (Guardian) The gas industry was the only stakeholder consulted before policy proposal was ditched by the Northern Territory Labor government, FoI documents show (Guardian)

4 December - Corporate 'Net Zero' BS is all the rage. Top Net Zero Corporates for greenwashing revealed, Woodside Energy is there (Climate Citazen)

4 December. Interview with Lavetanalagi Seru from Pacific Islands Climate Action Network (PICAN) outlighning the ambition needed in COP28 negotiations to phase out fossil fuels and to ensure all COP decisions align with the 1.5C pathway of the Paris Agreement, and calling for Australia to stop approving new coal and gas projects. (ABC News)

4 December - Cryosphere in peril - Polar climate scientist Dr Ella Gilbert spoke to Dr James Kirkham, Chief Scientific Advisor for the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative, about what's at stake in the negotiations for the cryosphere. ❄️And the message is stark: 2°C is simply too high for the world's ice. Reason to phaseout #FossilFuels as rapidly as possible to limit damage. (Youtube) See also Cryosphere in peril: Calls by Scientists, President of Chile, Prime Minister of Iceland, UN Chief to phase out Fossil Fuels at COP28 (ClimateCitizen)

4 December - Australia: just over 330MW of new rooftop solar systems (0-100kW) installed in November 2023, “smashing the previous record” of 314MW set in December 2020.(Renew Economy)

4 December - French foreign minister Catherine Colonna says she is open to South Pacific resettlement requests due to rising seas, similar to Australia’s agreement with Tuvalu (ABCNews)

4 December - Climate finance takes centre stage at COP28 climate talks. "The world is not on track to realise the goals of the ParisAgreement. The reason for this failure is a lack of investment, particularly in emerging market & developing countries outside China" says Nicholas Stern, chair of Gratham LSE (Reuters)  

4 December - Your reminder for today. "No new Fossil fuel projects. Any Where in the world" Tzeporah Berman: "1.5°C means no new fossil fuel projects. None. Anywhere in the world. Countries investing in new projects while they're here at #COP28 talking about meeting our climate targets is absurd!

4 December - In the GST text on mitigation at the moment: "phasing out of unabated fossil fuels, in particular coal, as well as inefficient fossil fuel subsidies, with developed countries taking the lead." Would be good to get rid of the weazle words: 'unabated' and 'inefficient'

4 December - Samoa supports Fossil Treaty. At an evening event at #COP28 Samoa 🇦🇸 became the 11th nation state to join the growing bloc of nation states pushing for negotiation of a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty (FossilFuelTreaty)

4 December - Fossil of the Day:  🥁🥁 The official winner of today is…. Brazil 🇧🇷 For mistaking oil production with climate leadership. Brazil's dash for oil undermines the efforts of Brazilian negotiators

And a dishonourable mention goes to… South Africa. 🇿🇦 Recognised for the recent terrible decision to expand coal mining operations, violating its commitments to reduce GHG emissions. (CAN International)

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Negotiations Report on 3 December.

IISD/ENB Negotiations summary 3 December In the Corridors:

The first iterations of text are out for almost all the agenda items. Most accepted; a few rejected. The Co-Facilitators on the Global Goal on Adaptation just received the mandate to draft text during the afternoon. The just transition work programme, the TEC and CTCN report, and a few other texts did not land well. Co-Facilitators were sent back to the drawing board, with sometimes less-than-clear direction from parties.

For other issues, a second draft is near at hand, followed by worries that they may be “balloons.” The new collective quantified finance goal text has over 200 paragraphs, although many delegates quickly pointed out there is a lot of convergence and duplication. As the GST room neared the end of its read-through of the text, one negotiator dreaded the “inevitable growth” of the tool, with another adding that “it will have to set out options just to be seen as acceptable to everyone.”

Just transition emerged as the hot topic of the day. Some called for a section on just transition in the GST, citing its centrality to the future of climate action. After several delays in the convening of the relevant informal consultations, another lamented that “we risk throwing in the dust bin a once in a lifetime opportunity where we have a chance to discuss justice,” suggesting that the work programme is the central decision of COP 28.

3 December - A reminder to all COP28 negotiators, November 2023 global average temperature was 1.6C above the pre-industrial average.

3 December - Divert military spending to fund climate aid, activists urge Cop28 (Guardian)

3 December - The long awaited Australian National Climate and Health Strategy published (CAHA)(Health.Gov.au) Launch of Australia’s first National Health and Climate Strategy at COP28 (Climate Citizen)

3 December - Cop28 president says there is ‘no science’ behind demands for phase-out of fossil fuels (Guardian) Maybe he needs to have another chat with the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the IPCC. More than 100 countries already support a phase-out of fossil fuels, and the final cover text language on fossil phaseout or Fossil phasedown is fiercely contested.

3 December - Household Electrification, Energy Efficiency. Non-profit group Rewiring Australia, calls for a government-backed loan program modelled on the Higher Education Contribution Scheme (Hecs) for household electrification, unlocking energy efficiency gains, reducing emissions and cost of living pressures. They believe it could save average households up to $5,000 annually by the end of the decade. Borrowers would only repay loans while their incomes remain above pre-set levels. The low-risk debt could be scaled up to electrify 1m homes over a decade, cut energy demand and be extended to many low-income households. (Guardian)

3 December - Fossil of the Day awards: 3 winners at being the worst today: New Zealand, Japan, USA (CAN)

And the first runner up award goes to….. the United States! 🇺🇸. Recognised for being a Belligerent Burden-Shirker” Fossil — given its abysmal contribution of just $17.5m to the #LossAndDamage Fund, a pittance from the climate damage culprit-in-chief. 👎👎👎

And the second runner up award goes to… Japan! 🇯🇵. PM Kishida’s visit #COP28 with two initiatives claiming to “contribute to global decarbonization”, but reality were nothing more than plans to extend the life of coal and gas. 👎👎👎

DRUMROLL PLEASE…. 🥁🥁 The official winner of today, winning amongst a *very* crowded field of nominations goes to.... New Zealand! 🇳🇿. For overturning a world-leading ban on oil and gas exploration.  Some disastrously bad stuff from from New Zealand’s new Government, undermining years of Indigenous-led struggle and putting their Pacific neighbours at risk. 👎👎👎 (See NZ Newsroom report)

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Negotiations Report on 2 December.

IISD/ENB Negotiations summary 2 December In the Corridors:

On Saturday, it became clear that upsizing COPs has downsides. The size of the event was the only topic next to the water stations dotted around the venue. This is the biggest COP yet, with 103,000 people registered and roughly half of those already holding their badges. Several rooms were beyond capacity, prompting Co-Facilitators to ask observers and even party delegates to limit their numbers and leave, if possible.

While crowd control was excellent, the queues delayed morning coalition coordination meetings on various texts delivered overnight. Coupled with the historic G-77/China leaders’ summit, which one delegate hinted had “stretched their energy,” there were delays and postponements to several negotiation items, “the traditional aspects of a COP,” in the words of a long-time negotiator.

In these negotiations, the GST proved pervasive. Some red lines on what should be in the GST text were drawn in the finance room. Capacity-building discussions debated if some aspects are better sent to the GST. While on the GGA, one delegate said there should “be no daylight” between the GGA and GST outcomes, which is a tricky proposition since both are being developed in parallel.

2 December - Australian Medical Association calls for No new fossil fuel projects, no fossil fuel money in politics. The AMA also called for an end to donations from the fossil fuel industry to political parties and for fossil fuel subsidies to be transitioned to renewable energy. “The AMA recognises climate change is a health emergency, with clear scientific evidence indicating severe impacts for humanity right now, and worsening into the future,” Professor Robson said. (AMA)

2 December Powering past Coal Alliance reports: 10 new members, including the United States🇺🇸, the Czech Republic🇨🇿, Cyprus🇨🇾, Dominican Republic🇩🇴, Iceland🇮🇸, Kosovo🇽🇰 and Norway🇳🇴 join the PPCA at COP28 today, in an extraordinary leap forward in moving away from #coal around the world. 57 countries now members of PPCA.  (PPCA).

2 December - Norway joins the Clean Energy Transition Partnership group of countries ending international public finance for fossil fuels. This puts the group at 40 members. All Nordic countries are now CETP signatories. Norway provided between USD 0.8 billion and USD 1 billion from 2021-2023 in international public finance for fossil fuels via its export credit agency, Eksfin.(Dr Natalie Jones on X)

2 December - 22 countries call for tripling of nuclear by 2050. Masayoshi Iyoda, a Japan campaigner at 350.org, said: “There is no space for dangerous nuclear power to accelerate the decarbonization needed to achieve the Paris climate goal … it is nothing more than a dangerous distraction. The attempt of a ‘nuclear renaissance’ led by nuclear industries’ lobbyists since the 2000s has never been successful - it is simply too costly, too risky, too undemocratic, and too time-consuming. We already have cheaper, safer, democratic, and faster solutions to the climate crisis, and they are renewable energy and energy efficiency." Nuclear advocates: Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Ghana, Hungary, Japan, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Sweden, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States. (Guardian Live)

2 December: Nuclear power cannot be a climate solution - COP28. "Nuclear power is an unstable, dangerous, and economically unreasonable source of power, polluting the environment and violating human rights, from uranium mining to operation, decommissioning, and disposal of nuclear fuel. It should not be regarded as a solution to the climate crisis." (Don't Nuke the Climate)

2 December - 123 nations that have endorsed the COP28 UAE Declaration on Climate and Health (to 1 December) (PDF) Nothing too radical. The need to phase out Fossil fuels is not mentioned once. December 3 is a Health theme day at COP.

2 December - Pope Francis calls for an end to fossil fuels in a broad message delivered at COP28 by Cardinal Parolin due to the Pope's ill health..Pope Francis called for an end to coal, oil and gas as well as lifestyle changes to save the planet. He also asked for debt forgiveness for poorer countries hit by climate change. (BBC)(Vatican News)

2 December - 320 Civil Society NGOs in open letter to COP28 Presidency call for The World Needs A Transformational Outcome, Not More Voluntary Pledges; for an equitable global energy transition that phases out fossil fuels (Oil Change International) (Climate Action Merribek)

2 December - Global Decarbonization Accelerator (GDA) launched. This is the tripling of renewables, doubling of energy efficiency based on 3 key pillars:  "rapidly scaling the energy system of tomorrow; decarbonizing the energy system of today; and targeting methane and other non-CO2 greenhouse gases (GHGs)"(COP28UAE) 

  • "116 countries have signed the Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge as of today, agreeing to triple worldwide installed renewable energy generation capacity to at least 11,000 gigawatts and to double the global average annual rate of energy efficiency improvements to more than 4 percent by 2030. UAE Hydrogen Declaration of Intent, 27 countries have agreed to endorse a global certification standard and to recognize existing certification schemes"
  • "Oil and Gas Decarbonization Charter (OGDC), committing to zero methane emissions and ending routine flaring by 2030, and to total net-zero operations by 2050 at the latest.""GDA also includes the launch of the Industrial Transition Accelerator (ITA), which will accelerate decarbonization across key heavy-emitting sectors"
  • economy-wide methane-emission reduction. In support of this more than $1 billion will be mobilized for methane abatement projects
  •  Global Cooling Pledge, addressing rise in emissions from air conditioner use, target reducing emissions by 68 percent by 2050. Air conditioning Emissions account for about 7% of global emissions, but projected to triple. 52 countries have signed the Pledge.

While the 50 oil companies are listed for the OGDC, the lists for the other pledges are absent to confirm which countries had signed. Note that while tripling renewable energy, doubling energy efficiency are important many of these are band-aid solutions for oil and gas to continue with no commitment to phase out burning of fossil fuels which is 90% of emissions. 

Carbon Capture and Storage not mentioned but likely fits under 'best practices in emission reduction'. IEA CEO Fatih Birol warned oil and gas industry on direction and high carbon capture expectations: "The industry needs to commit to genuinely helping the world meet its energy needs and climate goals – which means letting go of the illusion that implausibly large amounts of carbon capture are the solution."

Australia signed on to the Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge (DCCEEW)


On lack of pledge lists...

2 December - Oil & Gas Decarbonization Charter (OGDC) launched by COP28 Presidency and Saudi Arabia. 50 oil and gas companies have joined the Oil and Gas Decarbonization Charter. The focus is on reducing operational emissions: "align around net zero by or before 2050, zero-out methane emissions, eliminate routine flaring by 2030 and to continue working towards industry best practices in emission reduction." CCS not mentioned. Signatory companies represent over 40% of global oil production, with National Oil Companies representing over 60% signatories (COP28UAE) 

2 December - Climate Action Network ECO newsletter (PDF) on Global Decarbonization Accelerator: 

ECO likes a nice balanced meal. That’s something anyone could enjoy. But ECO will NOT sign up for eating a dead rat. And yesterday’s launch of the ‘Global Decarbonisation Accelerator’ was a nasty sandwich that had ECO gagging.

There was some solid, fluffy bread, and a lot of nice words – and a delicious morsel in the shape of a pledge to triple renewable energy and double energy efficiency. Delicious! If that was where the cooks had left the sandwich, ECO would have feasted with relish.

The trouble is, there were too many cooks in the kitchen. Someone invited oil and gas industry CEOs to join in the cooking, and they served up a dead rat right in the middle of the sandwich: a greenwashing pledge from oil and gas companies, full of recycled pledges, none of which address the emissions from the oil and gas they sell being burned. An energy sandwich without SCOPE 3? Not for ECO. And on the side, they piled up a dish of cheeky carbon capture and storage.

ECO didn’t come to this restaurant for a meal like that. ECO came for a healthy negotiated agreement consisting of a comprehensive energy package, including renewable energy, finance, protections for communities and nature, and a full, fast, fair, funded phase out of all fossil fuels. Will the negotiators put that on the table at COP28?

2 Deecember - Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance (BOGA) reacts to Global Decarbonisation Accelerator: Tripling renewables is necessary – but not enough on its own. It’s past time to phase out fossil fuels. Statement by Minister John Silk , Minister of Natural Resources and Commerce, Republic of Marshall Islands, Minister Ralph Reganvanu,Minister for Climate Change Adaptation, Energy, Environment, Meteorology, Geohazards and Disaster Management, Vanuatu, Hon. Seve Paeniu,Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Tuvalu.

"Let’s pursue the goal of tripling renewables. But let’s not think that it will be enough on its own, or let it distract us from putting together a package to transition the world’s energy system that ensures renewables substitute for, oil, gas and coal, repurposing trillions of dollars of fossil fuel subsidies towards a fair energy transition that doesn’t leave the world’s most vulnerable behind. " (UN Climate Summit)

2 December: United States pledges $3 billion to the Green Climate Fund announces Vice President Kamala Harris. (Japan Times)

2 December - Colombia joins the call for a Fossil Fuel Treaty! 🇨🇴 (Fossil Treaty) President Gustavo Petro: "I have no doubt which position to take: between fossil capital and life, we choose the side of life."

2 December - Cryosphere in peril: Calls by Scientists, President of Chile, Prime Minister of Iceland, UN Chief to phase out Fossil Fuels at COP28. The International Cryosphere Climate Initiative published its latest State of the Cryosphere report 2023 on 16 November 2023, outlining in 6 detailed chapters covering the changes and impacts of Ice Sheets, Mountain Glaciers and Snow, Sea Ice, Permafrost and Polar Oceans. The report included a forward by the President of Chile and Prime Minister of Iceland calling for a phaseout of fossil fuels to limit damages to the cryosphere, and consideration of the issue in the Global Stocktake at COP28. It calls for limiting temperature rise to 1.5C, that even 2C is too high. (Climate Citizen) 

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Negotiations Report on 1 December.

IISD/ENB Negotiations summary 1 December In the Corridors:

Somehow two different worlds co-existed in the sprawling Expo 2020 venue. World leaders adopted the UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and Climate Action. Some announced additional loss and damage funding, notably Italy’s EUR 100 million pledge. They tried their best to show unity in the face of the climate crisis.

In their own world, negotiators struggled to achieve even surface-level harmony. Negotiations on long-term finance and the review of the functions of the SCF revealed little trust among parties. They still strain to find common ground on how to count and consider climate finance in terms of definitions, methodologies, and negotiation processes. Talks of the new collective quantified finance goal were more amenable. All agreed on one thing: not to replicate what one called “the mistakes” of the GST, namely, having a lengthy technical process that is largely disconnected from a short political process.

The GST delegates wouldn’t have heard their colleagues’ remarks but may have agreed. Throughout the day, ideas were proposed and rejected. A “legal and philosophical” discussion on the relationship between the Paris Agreement and the Convention circled. Some civil society delegates who had to leave the overfilled room, only to find the consultations were not available online, drew parallels between the “overcapacity room and the overcapacity text.” With further interventions by world leaders tomorrow, perhaps one world’s positivity can spill over into the next.

1 December - Agriculture and Food Systems. Some 134 countries, including Australia,  signed up to the UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and Climate Action 

Climate Action Network ECO news comments on this Food and Agriculture declaration:

The Declaration has been endorsed by 134 countries including China, Brazil, the United States and the EU. ECO commends their commitment to pursue engagements to “integrate agriculture and food systems into National Adaptation Plans and Nationally Determined Contributions” by COP30, and the recognition of the Right to Food.

What bugs ECO is that one key element to food systems transformation remains unmentioned: that it is absolutely necessary to tackle the fossil fuel intensive fertiliser industry. Could the silence have something to do with the fact that Fertiglobe, the largest nitrogen fertiliser platform in the world, is based in the UAE?

 The manufacture and use of nitrogen fertilisers generate almost 5% of global emissions. Yet different approaches are possible, such as producing food through agroecology and from more biodiverse grasslands that thrive without fertilisers. But this is just one example -  food systems are fossil fuel heavy. Recent research has shown that food systems account for 15% of all fossil fuel use.

The multilateral process of the Sharm el Sheikh joint work on implementation of climate action on agriculture and food security is currently deadlocked. ECO has yet to see governments come forward with the holistic approaches needed in order to achieve sustainable food systems through a just transition away from current polluting systems. Parties, you can do better.

1 December - Fossil Fuels Phase-out or Phase-Down? COP28 Presidency and IEA call-to-action on accelerating the energy transition and keeping 1.5 degrees within reach.

"Participants in the Dialogues have broadly converged around the target of tripling global installed renewable energy capacity to 11,000 GW by 2030 and doubling annual energy efficiency improvements in the same timeframe. “In parallel, fossil fuel demand and supply must phase-down this decade to keep 1.5°C within reach,” as outlined in the Summary, which calls on the fossil fuel industry to “decarbonize existing operations whilst increasing investment in renewable and low-carbon alternatives” - and to set and deliver on ambitious target to cut methane emissions by 2030."

 Climate Action Network ECO news comments on call to phase-down fossil fuels:

While we need to phase out fossil fuel production fully by well before 2040 in wealthy nations and well before 2050 worldwide, action this decade is crucial. That means stopping new expansion now, and cutting fossil fuel production by at least 40% by 2030.

ECO is less impressed, however, with the COP28 Presidency and IEA Executive Director’s vague call for oil and gas companies to “decarbonise existing operations”. Between 80 and 90% of these companies’ emissions come from their customers burning the oil and gas they produce. Cutting oil and gas companies’ operational emissions is like trying to solve lung cancer by getting cigarette companies to produce tobacco more efficiently.

Many countries who purport to be climate champions are simultaneously accelerating approval of new fossil fuel projects. This is especially true for the US, Canada, Norway, Australia, and the UK - five of the world’s richest countries who between them are responsible for over half of the world's planned oil and gas field developments from now until 2050.

ECO is sure these countries’ leaders have seen that reports from the UN, IEA and others this year have confirmed that there is no room for new oil and gas projects if they are to keep the promises they made in the Paris Agreement.

For a successful COP, it is essential that governments commit to stop all new fossil fuel expansion, rapidly cut fossil fuel production and use by 2030, and ultimately phase out all fossil fuels. This needs to be in the formal decision text, not in a separate voluntary agreement. And it must be underpinned by equity and finance.

1 December - Carbon Brief Negotiating Text Tracker. Currently tracking 117 documents. 

1 December - Your Fossil Fuel Phaseout reminder for today: Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary general.


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Negotiations Report on 30 November. 

In the openning plenary, Australia, as chair of the Umbrella negotiating group contributed its expectations; "Australia, for the UMBRELLA GROUP, underlined that the GST decision should catalyze ambition and set clear expectations for future action. She stressed the need to scale up investment in renewables, implement a global phase-out of unabated fossil fuels, and undertake action across other sectors, including ending deforestation."

IISD/ENB Negotiations summary 30 November In the Corridors:

Despite the bright desert sun, COP 28 threatened to open under a cloud. Many contentious agenda items were proposed across the five agendas. The President was accused of, and vehemently denied, a conflict of interest in media reports. Indeed, President Al Jaber called on oil companies to innovate and invest to accelerate decarbonization at scale.

But negotiators seemed determined, if already tired. For several days, they have already discussed the agenda and substantive issues, such as the new collective quantified finance goal. The days of talks resulted in a compromise to proceed, excluding nearly the newly proposed agenda items. This doesn’t mean the end. Issues such as CBDR and incentivizing early mitigation actions will be raised under the GST. One delegate worried that may further burden those already wide-ranging discussions.

Any remaining clouds lifted as delegates applauded the decision that operationalizes the loss and damage fund. The Transitional Committee Co-Chairs stressed the delicacy of the consensus reached during intersessional work. It was a relief to have that consensus upheld by all and a historic moment— the first time a substantive decision was adopted on the first day of COP. Several, including President Al Jaber, hoped this decision would create momentum for the GST.

This tweet by France24 covers the allegations of conflict of interest of COP28 President; and the phasing out of all fossil fuels as the meta issue at COP28 addressing the root cause of the climate crisis. It discusses the positioning of countries on fossil fuel phaseout: Saudi Arabia and Russia, But it is countries such as the US, Norway, UK or Australia "which on the surface pretend to agree to a phaseout of fossil fuels but at home they are actually increasing oil and gas production.  

1 December- Agreement on loss and damage deal reached on first day of Cop28 talks (Guardian)

1 December - Call for Australia to contribute $100 million to new Loss and Damage Fund. Oxfam Australia, The Climate Action Network Australia, ActionAid Australia, Caritas Australia and Edmund Rice Centre for Justice and Community Education have welcomed the landmark announcement of the establishment of the Loss and Damage Fund at COP28, and call on Australia to make an initial $100 million pledge to the Fund. (Oxfam)

1 December - C40 Mayors call for rapid phaseout of fossil fuel use. "That is why the world must deliver, at the minimum, the calls of the International Energy Agency to halve global fossil fuel use by 2035 and stop any further investment in new fossil fuel projects."(C40 | Guardian)

1 December - Carbon offsetting at the cost of human rights? The case of TotalEnergies’ BaCaSi project in Congo (Caritas France PDF)

1 December - More than 20bn tonnes of CO2 could be emitted if Australian fossil fuel projects up for approval go ahead (Guardian)

1 December - Australia not alone in expanding fossil fuels. U.S. oil and gas production will continue to grow despite the IRA’s support for clean energy, with oil production rising 13% by 2030 while gas production rises 7%. This occurs despite Rhodium’s model projecting a decline in domestic demand for oil and gas. Gas exports are projected to nearly *double* by 2035. Report:  Biden’s Fossil Fuel Fail (Oil Change International)

1 December - Palau announced that they have become the 9th nation-state to formally join the bloc of countries seeking a negotiating mandate for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.(Fossil Treay)

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30 November - Climate Minister Chris Bowen gives 2nd annual climate statement, but no mention of addressing fossil fuel expansion (Climate Citizen) VIDEO: The Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, speaks to 7.30 on climate statement and COP28 (ABC News - 7.30 report)

30 November - Climate change ambassador Kristin Tilley explains why Australia won't back Pacific's calls to urgently phase out fossil fuels (ABC News)

30 November - Stop climate 'virtue signalling' and move past fossil fuels now says Mining Billionaire Andrew Forrest on his way to COP28 (Climate Citizen)

30 November - NSW climate targets - Net zero by 2050 and interim target of 70% emissions reduction by 2035 passed by NSW parliament. LNP and Greens push Minns Labor for interim targets inclusion. (Guardian) Victoria legislating 75-80% 2035 climate target, net-zero by 2045, 95% reneables by 2035. (Climate Action Merribek)

30 November - "We are living through climate collapse in real time and the impact is devastating" UN Secretary General calls for phase out of Fossil Fuels at COP28 (Climate Citizen)

30 November - Carbon Capture and Storage Failure - Carbon Capture’s Publicly Funded Failure report by (Oil Change International) Includes analysis of Chevron's Gorgon Project at 40% utilisation capacity, Al Reyadah/Emirates Steel, ADNOC, UAE. Utilization rate: unknown (lack of transparency).  Summary:

  • Governments have spent over $20 billion – and have approved up to $200 billion more – of public money on carbon capture and storage (CCS), providing a lifeline for the fossil fuel industry.
  • 79% of operating carbon capture capacity globally sends captured CO2 to produce more oil (via Enhanced Oil Recovery).
  • Many of the largest CCS projects in the world overpromise and under-deliver, operating far below capacity.

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29 November - Climate Action Network (CAN) Policy Doc: COP28:Toward Systems Transformation for a Just and Equitable Future (CAN)

29 November - Meat - Plans to present meat as ‘sustainable nutrition’ at Cop28 revealed (Guardian) Note: "A shift toward plant-based diets, particularly in wealthy countries, could improve global food security and help mitigate climate change". See Ripple et al (Oct 2023) The 2023 state of the climate report: Entering uncharted territory (Bioscience)

29 November - Inequality - A Habitable Earth Can No Longer Afford The Rich – And That Could Mean Me And You, writes Prof Kevin Anderson in an article rejected by the Conversation UK (Climate UnCensored)

29 November - Most sponsors of Cop28 have not signed up to UN-backed net zero targets (Guardian)

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28 November - Former world leaders seek $25bn levy on oil states’ revenues to pay into Loss and  damage Fund (Guardian)

28 November - Beyond Abatement: securing a full phase out of fossil fuels at COP28 Briefing note by Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and Oil Change International (OCI).(CIEL)

28 November - Corporate Greenwash - New InfluenceMap research finds that corporate net zero or similar targets are rarely matched by support for government climate policy, with 58% of almost 300 companies from the Forbes 2,000 found to be at risk of “net zero greenwash” due to their policy engagement.. Chevron, Delta Air Lines, Duke Energy, ExxonMobil, Glencore International, Nippon Steel Corporation, Repsol, Stellantis, Southern Company, and Woodside Energy Group Ltd are among the 21.5% of companies assessed to be at significant risk of “net zero greenwash” due to their policy engagement. (InfluenceMap)

28 November - Roadmap for net zero Australian Public Service by 2030 released (DCCEEW)

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27 November - COP28: UAE planned to use climate talks to make oil deals (BBC) Saudi Arabia’s grand plan to ‘hook’ poor countries on oil through its oil demand sustainability programme (ODSP) (Guardian)

27 November - Burrup Hub gas project could release 13 times Australia’s annual carbon emissions, analysis suggests (Guardian)(See Greenpeace Burrup Hub page)

27 November: Pathways to Protection report on Australia's Biodiversity commitment.To meet the national 30x30 commitment requires protecting at least a further 60 million hectares of land. Securing this additional eight per cent on land by 2030 is ambitious, but achievable. (30by30)

27 November - Newcastle port: more than 100 arrested after climate protesters continue blockade past agreed deadline (Guardian)

27 November - Climate Impacts - Study: Extreme rainfall increases exponentially with global warming (Phys.org) Looks like we should expect more extreme rainfall events and flash flooding as temperatures rise.

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26 November - Cop28: Australia to bring evidence it can meet 2030 climate target but pressure builds over fossil fuels (Guardian)

 26 November - Climate impacts of fossil fuel projects under the Albanese government report (ACF) "The total carbon pollution that would result from new fossil fuel projects that have received approvals or other material support under the Albanese government is nearly 35 times larger than the total cumulative emissions reduction that will be delivered by the Albanese government’s signature climate policy, the Safeguard Mechanism, to 2030." 

26 November - Rising Tide Australia establishes 30 hour blockade of Newcastle coal port. (Rising Tide) Thousands protest at Peoples Blockade of coal at the Port of Newcastle (Climate Citizen)

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25 November - AMCS releases Reef Report Card, assessing actions for the Great Barrier Reef. It is a mixed report. (Australian Marine Conservation Society) 

24 November - New report on financing a Global Renewable Energy Target. 350.org (2023). Power Up for Climate Justice: Financing and Implementing a 1.5°C Aligned Global Renewables Target. (350.org PDF) COP28 presidency and many nations, including Australia, are pushing for a tripling of renewable energy by 2030. Financing this action to meet equity is vital. Argues support package must include: 🤝 debt cancellation at scale; 💰 $100bn in concessional finance yearly; 💵 $200bn in grants yearly.

24 November - The Lancet warns any COP28 health declaration not calling for phaseout of fossil fuels should be viewed as 'health-washing' (The Lancet)

24 November - Japan's Ammonia Co-firing Plans Threaten Paris Goals. Briefing Paper. The Japanese government and companies are promoting ammonia co-firing with coal-fired power plants, as a "decarbonization technology". Issues summarized and potential domestic and international impacts  (KikoNet)

23 November - New IEA report addresses fossil fuel industry expansion. Oil and gas industry faces moment of truth – and opportunity to adapt – as clean energy transitions advance. (IEA) Momemt of truth for Fossil Fuels: Warning form IEA that Fossil Fuel companies need to transition or die (Climate Citizen)

23 November - Climate Minister Chris Bowen announces 32GW boost to Renewables. Renewable Energy Target dumped (Renew Economy) but Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) takes over in bid to attract investment to meet Australia's 82% Renewables target by 2030 (Climate Action Merribek) Bowen has put a rocket under big renewables. Small-scale market must be next (Renew Economy)

23 November - David Spratt and Ian Dunlop on COP-out: Why the petrostate-hosted climate talkfest will fail (Pearls and Irritations) "recognition that fossil fuel expansion is a death trap, that zero emissions fast is absolutely necessary, and that unprecedented interventions to mitigate 1.5°C climate overshoot are now required."

23 November - Coalition and Greens pushing NSW Labor Government for 70% emissions reduction by 2035 target (Climate Citizen) Note: Victoria's Labor Government adopted in May 2023, 75-80% emission reductions on 2005 levels, and net zero by 2045, and new renewable energy targets of 95% renewables by 2035, 65% by 2030.

23 November: Climate Impacts. Tropical Cyclones: Hotter climate, more intense tropical cyclones, higher costs. Extreme events like tropical cyclones have immediate impacts, but also long-term implications for societies. A new study published in the journal Nature Communications now finds: Accounting for the long-term impacts of these storms raises the global Social Cost of Carbon by more than 20 percent, compared to the estimates currently used for policy evaluations. This increase is mainly driven by the projected rise of tropical-cyclone damages to the major economies of India, USA, China, Taiwan, and Japan under global warming. (Nature) Heatwave: Madagascan October heatwave ‘virtually impossible’ without human-caused global heating. Extreme temperatures affected millions of very poor people but the damage to their lives was not recorded by officials or the media. (Guardian)

22 November - Report on when global greenhouse gas emissions may peak - "found there is a 70% chance that emissions start falling in 2024 if current clean technology growth trends continue and some progress is made to cut non-CO2 emissions. This would make 2023 the year of peak emissions – meeting the IPCC deadline of peaking before 2025. (ClimateAnalytics). 70% chance that global greenhouse gas emissions start falling in 2024 if clean energy and EV trends continue. (Climate Citizen) See also China emissions may peak this year and decline in 2024 (Climate Citizen)

22 November - Global Renewable Energy Tracker released (Climate Action Network | PDF) Australia ranked 24th of 60 countries, moderate.

22 November - New report: The emerging global crisis of land use. How rising competition for land threatens international and environmental stability, and how the risks can be mitigated. (Chatham House) See also Land Gap report on 21 November.

22 November - Santos signs a deal with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ABNOC) on Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) This includes: Collaboration on the development of CCS technologies; Joint participation in global CCS projects; Provision of CCS solutions to emitting companies across Asia including the development of shipping and transport infrastructure. (Santos) This comes just a week after the Federal Parliament passes Environment Protection (Sea Dumping) legislation by a Fossil Fuel grand coalition of Labor, Liberal & Nationals in the Senate for offshore carbon capture and storage, throwing a lifeline to Fossil Gas expansion (Climate Citizen)

21 November - Kick Big Polluters out of COP report. Disclosed delegates tied to the world’s biggest polluting oil and gas firms and their trade groups have attended UN-led climate talks at least 7200 times over the last 20 years, according to a new analysis from the Kick Big Polluters Out (KBPO) coalition. The findings build on calls in recent years to protect the integrity of the UN’s climate negotiations by establishing clear conflict of interest policies and broader accountability mechanisms.  After many years of campaigning by civil society, the UNFCCC took a first small important step toward doing so last June by mandating disclosure of who participants are representing at COP. (KBPO Coalition)

21 November - European Parliament passes its COP28 demands, which included calling for nation-states to "work on developing a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty". Also calls for: "a tangible phase out of fossil fuels as soon as possible to keep 1,5°C within reach"; "halting all new investments in fossil fuel extraction"; "a global target for tripling renewable energy and doubling energy efficiency by 2030" (Fossil Fuel Treaty)

21 November - Climate Minister Chris Bowen explains Australia's priorities for COP28 (Climate Citizen) ‘Vulnerable’ Pacific countries must get maximum benefit from ‘loss and damage’ fund, Australian climate minister says (Guardian)

21 November 2023 - Land Gap update. 3 key messages as we go into COP28: 1. The 2023 Land Gap update confirms that countries continue to over-rely on the land sector to achieve net zero rather than phasing out fossil fuels. 2. It finds that just a handful of big polluting, oil producing countries are responsible for around three-quarters of the land required. In other words, those most responsible for the problem are doing the least to address it, and: 3. There is a need for the GST at COP28 to urgently address the land gap and implement measures to ensure countries enhance their NDCs by phasing out fossil fuels instead of using false solutions by relying on unrealistic amounts of land. (LandGap 2023 Update | PDF)

21 November - UNEP Emissions Gap Report . (UNEP) Emissions Gap Report 2023: Emissions dangerously increasing and heading for 2.9 degrees C global warming on current policies (Climate Citizen) World facing ‘hellish’ 3C of climate heating, UN warns before Cop28 (Guardian)

21 November - APEC and US-China Cooperation in leadup to COP28. (Climate Citizen)

20 November - Science - Climate Crisis Advisory Group (CCAG) calls for unprecedented interventions to mitigate 1.5°C climate overshoot – new report (CCAG)

20 November - Climate Inequality. The richest 1% of humanity is responsible for more carbon emissions than the poorest 66%, with dire consequences for vulnerable communities and global efforts to tackle the climate emergency (Guardian) Climate Equality: A planet for the 99% (Oxfam)

19 Novmber - Partnership for Active Travel and Health (PATH) publish report on Walking and Cycling in NDCs in lead up to COP28, pushing for greater consideration of walking and cycling to reduce transport emissions. (PATH | Report PDF)

19 November - subsidies for e-bikes and e-scooters in Australia. Research shows subsidies and discounts for two-wheeled EVs can drive active transport (ABC News)

19 November: Sea Level rise projections grossly under-estimated says major peer reviewed Cryosphere science report,  Two Degrees is Too High, by International Cryosphere Climate Initiative. The report estimates that 12 to 20 metres is likely from a 2C rise in temperature with dissolution of most of Greenland, West Antarctica and parts of East Antarctica. (Global News CA | International Cryosphere Climate Initiative)

18 November - Gas expansion justified by WA Premier and Federal Resources Minister at odds with the science. 2019 CSIRO report increasing Australian gas supply to Asia after 2020 could delay the shift to cleaner technology and lead to higher emissions. IEA World Energy Outlook (Oct 2023) said the growth era for fossil fuels had finished. "WA is the only Australian state without a 2030 emissions reduction target. According to the most recent data, its emissions have increased by about 4% since 2005 (including LULUCF estimates). Emissions from industry, not counting the land sector, have increased by about 40%." (Guardian)

17 November - School Strike 4 Climate: Hundreds of school students marched their way to Tanya Plibersek’s office in Sydney with thousands protesting in Melbourne in a march to ALP offices (Guardian)(ABC News) In depth article on Australian Student Climate Strike Movement. Ditching school to save the planet. (ABC News)

17 November: Offshore Carbon Capture and Storage. New report by Centre for International Environmental Law (CIEL) assesses the Risks of Carbon Capture and Storage. "Deep Trouble: The Risks of Offshore Carbon Capture and Storage explains the threat presented by a massive buildout of offshore CCS infrastructure and uncovers the government financing and fossil fuel interests enabling and advancing this new wave of projects. The report concludes that governments must halt the expansion of offshore CCS by ending subsidies and support for these projects, while interpreting existing laws and strengthening emerging regulations to protect the oceans from absorbing even more of humanity’s waste and safeguard communities, the environment, and the global climate."  (CIEL) See Australian context: Fossil Fuel grand coalition of Labor, Liberal & Nationals pass Sea Dumping bill in the Senate for carbon capture and storage, throwing a lifeline to Fossil Gas expansion (Climate Citizen)

17 November - Climate Finance $100bn 2020 target achieved in 2022. Annual funding promise was made in 2009 to help poor countries deal with climate crisis (Guardian)

17 November - 2023 APEC Leaders’ Golden Gate Declaration.
Para 7 on "more intensive efforts are needed for economies to accelerate their clean, sustainable, just, affordable, and inclusive energy transitions through various pathways, consistent with global net-zero greenhouse gas emissions / carbon neutrality."
Para 8 on "encourage efforts to triple renewable energy capacity globally through existing targets and policies as well as demonstrate similar ambition with respect to other zero and low emissions technologies...spur the transition to and investment in low and zero emissions transportation in the region through various pathways, we will pursue efforts to accelerate the transition towards low and zero emissions vehicles; sustainable aviation fuels; and low and zero emission maritime shipping and port decarbonization."
Para 9, "fully implement the Food Security Roadmap Towards 2030 as a pathway to make our agri-food systems more resilient, productive, innovative, and sustainable, while recognizing there is “no-one-size-fits-all” approach to agricultural sustainability." (WhiteHouse)

16 November - Proposal for global taxes to fund climate action. 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. (Climate Home)

16 November - New report on Carbon Majors, climate damages and climate finance. Looks at financial gains from the 25 biggest state-owned and private oil and gas majors from 1985-2018 and compares it to new estimates for damages over same period. It finds:

* Oil and gas majors could have paid for their share of climate loss and damage and still earned 10 trillion USD

* In 2022, for a subset of seven carbon majors including Aramco, Exxon Mobil, and Shell, financial gains were almost twice the estimated damages caused by their emissions that year – 497 billion USD compared to 260 billion USD.

* Sovereign wealth funds funded by oil and gas have massively grown in recent decades to the extent that fossil wealth is now self perpetuating. The United Arab Emirates, host of this years’ international climate negotiations, is home to the biggest combined sovereign wealth funds. Half of its funds could pay for the damages caused by the emissions associated with its oil and gas industry between 1985 and 2018, and it would still have 700 billion USD in wealth. (Climate Analytics)

15 November 2023 - US-China dialogue on climate, side event meeting at APEC of Presidents Xi and Biden: "The two leaders underscored the importance of working together to accelerate efforts to tackle the climate crisis in this critical decade.  They welcomed recent positive discussions between their respective special envoys for climate, including on national actions to reduce emissions in the 2020s, on common approaches toward a successful COP 28, and on operationalizing the Working Group on Enhancing Climate Action in the 2020s to accelerate concrete climate actions. President Biden stated that the United States stands ready to work together with the PRC to address transnational challenges, such as health security and debt and climate finance in developing countries and emerging markets." (Whitehouse gov)

15 November - WeRide Australian Cycling and e-Scooter Economy Report 2023 launch revealed that in 2022 the sector generated: More than 60,000 jobs (FTE) and $18.6 billion in economic and social contribution from cycling and e-scooter use, $954 million in health and social benefits including $313 million in savings to the Australia health system, and Cycling avoided 514,096 tonnes of CO2e in greenhouse gas emissions, through replacing 3.9 billion kilometres of motor vehicle travel.The extensive research conducted as part of the study found that a large proportion of adults would cycle more often if there was better infrastructure and programs to make cycling easier and safer. (We Ride)

15 November; Climate Impacts: Heat-related deaths could increase fivefold by middle of 21st century, WHO co-authored report says (ABC News) Australia at heightened risk of blackouts this summer with 'extreme' demand for power pushing grid to the brink (ABC News)

15 November - China and the United States have pledged to work together more closely to fight global warming, declaring the climate crisis “one of the greatest challenges of our time”, hours before a key meeting in San Francisco between Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. (Guardian) Cop28 host UAE has world’s biggest climate-busting oil plans, data indicates. Major conflict of Interest for Al Jabber as CEO and COP28 President (Guardian)

15 November: Climate Strike Nov 17: Climate Sick certificate for students who attend 17 November Global Climate Strike (Guardian) Greens MP suspended for taking a selfie of student climate protestors banner drop in state parliament advertising Climate Strike (ABC News)(Guardian)

15 November - Food Systems - At COP28 governments must agree how to transform food systems: expert comment. (Chatham House)

14 November - Study finds World behind on almost every policy required to cut carbon emissions. Coal must be phased out seven times faster, deforestation reduced four times faster, public transport around the world built out six times faster than at present, to avoid worst impacts of climate breakdown, says report (Guardian) State of Climate Action 2023 report says 41 of 42 indicators assessed are not on track to achieve their 2030 targets. Progress for more than half of these indicators remains well off track, such that recent efforts must accelerate at least twofold this decade. Worse still, another six indicators are heading in the wrong direction entirely. (Climate Action Tracker)(Climate Citizen)

14 November - National climate action plans remain insufficient to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius and meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. Even with increased efforts by some countries, the report shows much more action is needed now to bend the world’s emissions trajectory further downward and avoid the worst impacts of climate change. “Today’s report shows that governments combined are taking baby steps to avert the climate crisis. And it shows why governments must make bold strides forward at COP28 in Dubai, to get on track,” said the Executive-Secretary of UN Climate Change, Simon Stiell. “This means COP28 must be a clear turning point. Governments must not only agree what stronger climate actions will be taken but also start showing exactly how to deliver them.” (UNFCCC)

14 November - Climate Impacts: USA warming faster than the global average and its people are suffering “far-reaching and worsening” consequences from the climate crisis, with worse to come, according to an authoritative report issued by the US government. (Guardian) Italy: Extreme drought in northern Italy has doubled over the past two decades, creating a climate that increasingly mirrors that of Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa, research shows. (Guardian) Let Forests Grow: Forest conservation and restoration could make a major contribution to tackling the climate crisis as long as greenhouse gas emissions are slashed, according to a study. (Guardian)

13 November - University of Copenhagen study says Greenland's glaciers melting at five times previous rates over the last 20 years (ABC News)

12 November - Kiribati President reluctant for same agreement with Australia as climate change resettlement deal struck with Tuvalu (ABC News)

12 November - At Paris summit France's President Macron pledges €1bn to fund research into melting ice caps (Guardian) Macron: “We are not talking about a threat for tomorrow, but one that is already present and accelerating. We are talking about a transformation of the cryosphere [the Earth’s ice] that already threatens millions and will threaten billions of the planet’s inhabitants with multiple direct and indirect consequences.”

Pam Pearson, founder and director of the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative, a thinktank, warned of the urgency: “Politicians think that the ice is far away. The ice does not care. It will continue melting until carbon dioxide levels stop rising and come down. But they are still rising just as fast as they were 20 years ago. Scientists are screaming that this is insanity.”

Macron, seated opposite her, looked grave, as Pearson, who spent 20 years as a US diplomat working on conflict and geopolitical concerns, continued: “I know that climate change is seen as a soft issue [compared with wars and national security]… but we can’t negotiate with the melting point of ice.”

12 November - Production Gap 2023 Report: Australia's disconnect on net zero emissions while expanding fossil fuel production (Climate Citizen)

12 November - Earth's hottest 12 month period with most of the temperature increase due to burning fossil fuels (Climate Citizen)

11 November - Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for a Global Plastics Treaty 3rd meeting to start in Nairobi, Kenya 13-19 November 2023 (Climate Citizen)

11 November - 33 million hectares of land burnt by bushfires in Northern Territory so far this season, more than in the 2019/20 Black Summer season. Bushfire season is typically April to November, but this year it may last to February 2024. Fire has now burnt through nearly a quarter of the Northern Territory. (ABC News)

11 November - UN’s ‘global stocktake’ on climate is offering a sober emissions reckoning − but there are also signs of progress (The Conversation)

10 November - Settlement agreement for Tuvalu residents facing existential threat from rising seas. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signs agreement with Tuvalu PM Kausea Natano at the Pacific Islands Forum offering Tuvalu residents the right to resettle in Australia, as climate change 'threatens its existence' due to Sea Level Rise. New visa cartegory wil be created for 280 residents per year. (Tuvalu has a population around 11,000)  In return, Australia will have effective veto power over Tuvalu's security arrangements with any other country. (ABC News | Guardian)) Australia - Tuvalu sign resettlement treaty over existential rising seas climate threat: Australia –Tuvalu Falepili Union (Climate Citizen)

10 November - Queensland gas and coal expansion: announcements of cash grants for new gas exploration, new coal mine extension, to ramp up ocean warming destruction of Great Barrier Reef (Climate Citizen)

10 November: Warning on Safeguard mechanism, Carbon credits and carbon offsets. Expert warning on Australia cooking the books through the Safeguard mechanism high reliance on offsets via The Conversation. "Like Robodebt, the scheme is badly designed, unethical, and destined to fail, albeit for different reasons. We can only hope that when it unravels, it doesn’t do Australia’s decarbonisation efforts permanent harm."(Climate Citizen)

9 November - First commercial Direct Air Capture plant opens in California. Capacity: a maximum of 1,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year, equal to the exhaust from about 200 cars. The CO2 will be stored in mineralized form in concrete. Direct air capture currently costs around $600 to $1,000 per ton of carbon dioxide, but Heirloom aims to reduce this cost to $100 per ton (New York Times)

9 November - Drought: Fast-hitting drought slams Australia’s south-east (The Age) Also, Human-caused heating behind extreme droughts in Syria, Iraq and Iran, study finds (Guardian)

9 November - Small Modular Nuclear power - "The only company to have a small modular nuclear power plant approved in the US – cited by the Australian opposition as evidence of a “burgeoning” global nuclear industry – has cancelled its first project due to rising costs. (Guardian)

8 November - 2 Torres Strait Island first nation people take Australian Government to court in landmark case. The first Australian climate court case brought on behalf of First Nations people has heard climate “tipping points” could be reached that would rapidly lead to irreversible changes, such as sea-level rise. (The Age)

8 November - 2023 on track to be the hottest year on record, say scientists. "Last month was hottest October since records began, with average global temperature thought to be 1.7C above late-1800s levels" (Guardian)

8 November - China releases methane plan as hopes rise for new climate China-US climate agreement. President Biden and President Xi will meet at the APEC conference in San fransisco ahead of COP28. (Guardian)

8 November - UNEP Production Gap Report  (UNEP) ‘Insanity’: petrostates planning huge expansion of fossil fuels, says UN report (Guardian) Fossil fuel industry to expand for decades despite global carbon pledges, UN report finds (ABC News) UN Secretary General Speech on Production Gap, "Countries must phase out coal – by 2030 in OECD countries and 2040 elsewhere. And the G20 must take the lead in ending licensing and funding for new oil and gas." (UN) See Australia's assessment (Climate Citizen)

Climate Reanalyzer: Global Daily SST
8 November - Climate Council releases Code Blue: Oceans in Crisis report which reveals the immense amount of climate-change induced heat currently being absorbed by the world’s oceans is equivalent to boiling the Sydney Harbour every eight minutes. (Climate Council Media Release | Report)

7 November - Pacific Islands Forum: China and Australia's climate targets on the agenda as Pacific Islands Forum meeting kicks off in Cook Islands. PM Albanese is likely to commit  about $50 million for the Green Climate Fund and a substantially larger sum for the Pacific Resilience Facility, and will continue to seek support for hosting COP31 in 2026. Australia will likely come under pressure for expanding coal and gas as Pacific nations stress the Port Vila Call to Action for a Just Transition to a Fossil Fuel Free Pacific.(ABC News) The 52nd Pacific Islands Forum Meeting is in Rarotonga, Cook Islands from 6-10 November 2023 (Factsheet)

7 November - German climate envoy says Step it Up Australia: “We have to not only phase out fossil fuels … we need to stop building new infrastructure for fossil fuels. Because they will be stranded assets. We need to be working on a just transition for workers and building up new industries". (ABC RN Breakfast audio)

6 November - Westpac first Australian bank to set a zero-deforestation target! (ACF) (Westpacr Climate position statement PDF) See 5 June ACF report on major banks role in deforrestation

6 November - ‘Loss and damage’ deal struck to help countries worst hit by climate crisis. Developing Countries conceeded World Bank as interim fund administrator for first 4 years. Developed countries agreed language that implied they should be the key donors to the fund, as they would be “urged” to contribute while others would be “encouraged” to do so. (Guardian)(Renew Economy) Climate Justice side-stepped argues Julie-Anne Richards. "It, rather reverts to “business as usual” —or is that “avoidance as usual” in the case of rich countries." (Loss and Damage Collaboration) 

5 November - Over 50 climate/ environment NGOs send an open letter to the Prime Minister calling for more ambition, in the lead up to the 2nd Annual Climate statement. (Climate Action Merribek)

5 November - Critical minerals processing, battery technologies, Green hydrogen, and green metals key priorities for Australia says Australian Treasurer (Climate Citizen)

4 November - Vanuatu Minister calls attention to Australia's gas expansion: "The climate minister of Pacific Island Vanuatu says those choosing the Cop31 host should examine Australia’s gas expansion plans" (ClimateChangeNews)

4 November - Loss and Damage talks. Countries have reconvened in Abu Dhabi for a final two-day meeting, ending on Saturday night, to try to resolve the outstanding problems ahead of the UN Cop28 climate summit. Main areas of contention are over how the fund should be governed, who should contribute to the fund, and who should be allowed to access the cash. (Guardian)

3 November - Pre-COP concludes. COP28 President Dr Al Jaber calls for fast tracking the energy transition: "It is no longer a question of if the energy transition will happen, but when, how fast and how can we do it in a way that leaves no one behind” and noted that “as we set global targets, nations must be free to set their own pathway to getting there”. Noting that there continue to be “strong views about including language on fossil fuels and renewables in the negotiated text”, Dr. Al Jaber told delegates “I invite you to take this conversation forward. We must jointly figure out the next steps.  And we must come to COP28 ready with solutions.”  (Zawya)

3 November - China built as much clean energy capacity over four years as it had promised to build in 10 years, but continues to add coal-fired power plants. US-China climate talks in California as Prime Minister Albanese jets to Beijing to meet President Xi (NYT Gift Link)

3 November - King Charles will deliver an opening address at COP28 climate summit (Guardian) Pope Francis will also attend and address COP28 (Cathnews) See also Apostolic Exhortation: Laudate Deum on the Climate Crisis (Vatican 4 October)

2 November - Oxfam releases report on Climate Finance and Australia. ‘If you break it, fix it’: Australia urged to rectify climate finance discrepancy ahead of Pacific Islands Forum. "The report finds that Australia spends six times as much on domestic action as it does on assisting developing countries with climate change. Further, this international climate spending is not new and additional to general aid spending, but rather represents aid double counted as climate finance for projects which have climate objectives." (Oxfam)

2 November - WMO releases State of Climate Services for Health Report (WMO) Warning of health crisis if we don't address Fossil Fuels and Climate Crisis: WMO report (Climate Citizen)

2 November - 2023 UNEP Adaptation Gap Report released. (UNEP) "Despite the clear signs of accelerating climate risks and impacts worldwide, the adaptation finance gap is widening and now stands at between US$194 billion and US$366 billion per year. Adaptation finance needs are 10–18 times as great as current international public adaptation finance flows – at least 50 per cent higher than previously estimated." (Guardian)

Climate Finance in context
2 November - Global Landscape of Climate Finance 2023 report - "Global climate finance approached USD 1.3 trillion on annual average in 2021/2022 compared to USD 653 billion in 2019/2020. Most of this growth is due to an increase in mitigation finance, with the largest growth in the renewable energy and transport sectors. In the average scenario, the annual climate finance needed through 2030 increases steadily from $8.1 to $9 trillion. Despite the growth in 2021/2022, current flows represent about only 1% of global GDP. Then, estimated needs jump to over $10 trillion each year from 2031 to 2050.  This means that climate finance must increase by at least five-fold annually, as quickly as possible, to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Although annual climate investment needs are large, the amount required is a fraction of the estimated losses likely to be incurred if we continue with business-as-usual (BAU) investments that cause global temperature increases well above 1.5°C." (Climate Policy Initiative)

2 November - Rail freight down. Only 2% of freight between Melbourne and Sydney goes by rail – putting Australia’s emissions targets at risk. (Guardian) "for each 1% of freight shifted from truck to rail nationally, an average of $71.9m would be saved annually in terms of environmental damage, road conditions and pollution-related health outcomes. It would also reduce CO2 by an average of 330,000 tonnes."

2 November - Treasurer Jim Chalmers concedes Australia risks missing its climate targets (ABC News)(Full Treasurer speech) Acting Opposition Leader Sussan Ley says the answer is more gas (SMH)

2 November - Australian Extreme weather Injuries and Deaths report.
"National data indicates that 9,119 hospitalisations (from July 2012 to June 2022) and 677 deaths (from July 2011 to June 2021) from injuries were directly related to extreme heat, extreme cold, bushfires and rain or storms. Heatwaves are historically Australia’s most dangerous natural hazard in terms of directly attributable loss of life (Coates et al. 2022; DAWE 2015) and create increased demand on the healthcare system (DEA 2016, Mason et al. 2022). Extreme heat accounted for 7,104 injury hospitalisations and 293 deaths in the 10-year period analysed in this report." (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare)(The Age)

2 November - Legal opinion on company risk management and nature risk. Australian company directors and nature-related risk: A new legal opinion (Pollination). Failure to identify commercial risks could constitute a breach of duty of care and diligence. (Guardian)

2 November - Indonesia delays coal plant closure after its pleas for grants not loans fell mostly on deaf ears with a $20 billion finance deal for clean energy transition negotiated with developed countries (Climate Home)

1 November - More than 80 bushfires burning in Northern NSW and Qld. More housing destroyed in Qld than in 2019 fires. Queensland’s fires are not easing at night. That’s a bad sign for the summer ahead. (The Conversation)

1 November - Phase Out Fossil Fuels for Healthy World: 46 Million Healthcare Professionals Write to COP28 Presidency (The Wire India)

1 November - Alan Kohler on Australia, USA, China, Loss and Damage Fund and COP28. "On climate change, Australia will do the minimum required to get us into the COP meetings and to let the ALP assert that it’s doing more than the Coalition would be (not a high bar), celebrate the great opportunity of the energy transition while quietly supporting the United States in sabotaging global agreement.." (New Daily)

30 October - New study: Without rapid carbon dioxide emission reductions, the world has a 50% chance of locking in 1.5°C of warming before 2030 according to a new study.(Imperial College, Assessing the size and uncertainty of remaining carbon budgets, Nature Climate) 

26 October - Global Forests Action Failing, increase in deforestation in 2022 puting at risk 2030 target. Some hope from Australia featured in a case study (Climate Citizen)

25 October - Victoria doubled its renewables generation in five years, reaching 37.8% in 2022/23, set to overachieve 40% renewables by 2025 target, on track for 95% renewables by 2035. (Climate Citizen)

25 October - Senate Estimates 23 Oct - DCCEEW Executive says no change in emission reduction plans in response to accelerating global warming indicators (Climate Citizen)

24 October - Scientists warn we are in uncharted territory. The 2023 state of the climate report: Entering uncharted territory (BioScience) (The Age)
See also study on West Antarctic Ice Sheet and sea level rise implications: Unavoidable future increase in West Antarctic ice-shelf melting over the twenty-first century (Nature Climate Change)

24 October - International Energy Agency (IEA) releases World Energy Outlook 2023 (IEA report)
Just based on current policy settings, by 2030 clean technologies play a significantly greater role including almost 10 times as many electric cars on the road worldwide; solar PV generating more electricity than the entire US power system does currently; renewables’ share of the global electricity mix nearing 50%, up from around 30% today; heat pumps and other electric heating systems outselling fossil fuel boilers globally; and three times as much investment going into new offshore wind projects than into new coal- and gas-fired power plants. But stronger measures would still be needed to keep alive the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 °C. Projects the share of fossil fuels in global energy supply, declines from around 80% to 73% by 2030, with global energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions peaking by 2025. Without an acceleration in action, Global emissions would still push up global average temperatures by around 2.4 °C this century, well above the key threshold set out in the Paris Agreement. (Blog: Turning a corner on fossil fuels, but energy transition needs still to ramp up further to keep 1.5C alive says IEA)

24 October - Global tensions 

Geopolitical tensions are increasing:

  • the Russian war on Ukraine, 
  • the Middle East instability with Hamas attack on Israel causing atrocities and Israel's collective punishment of civilians in Gaza, while violence due to Israeli settlement in the West Bank increases
  • China competing for influence in the Pacific, tensions over Taiwan.

The New York Times highlighted How the Israel-Hamas War Imperils Action Against Global Warming. (Gift Link) Through increasing oil and gas prices adding inflationary effects to western countries adding to cost of level pressures on citizens, If money fails to flow to developing and underdeveloped nations, it could undermine negotiations. Western nations are already diverting money into armaments for there own Defence forces and to support Ukraine. This is an opportunity cost of not putting this money into greater emissions reduction and climate adaptation, and loss and Damage.

“Any increase in geopolitical tensions, any fracturing of multilateralism, will potentially make significant cooperative progress more difficult,” said Tim Benton, director of the Environment and Society Center at London's Chatham House, according to the NYT article.

20 October - Global Health Alliance rates Australia's NDCs 2/15 ahead of COP28: Australia is a TOP10 per capita global GHG emitter, receiving a 2/15 rating in a scorecard released by the Global Climate and Health Alliance (GCHA), for not referencing health impacts of air pollution in its national climate action plan.

Shamefully, poorer countries in Africa are ahead of most rich nations in recognising clean air and its health benefits in their national climate plans - only 51 of the 170 countries that submitted their plans to the UN referred to the health impacts of air pollution. (Climate and Health Alliance)

19 October - ClimateWorks releases report on Freight Decarbonisation in Australia: Delivering freight decarbonisation: Strategies for reducing Australia’s transport emissions (ClimateWorks) See Freight Decarbonisation for Australia addresses transport emissions says new ClimateWorks report (Climate Citizen)

5 October - Australia commits to Rejoining Green Climate Fund, with a 'modest' contribution. (Blog)

27 September - Event Launch for the Report: The Ocean as a Solution to Climate Change: Updated Opportunities for Action. Analysis finds that full implementation of ocean-based climate solutions that are ready for action now could reduce the “emissions gap” by up to 35 percent on a 1.5°C pathway in 2050. (OceanPanel)

15 September - Key Focus areas at COP28

Key focus areas at COP28 include:

  • The first Global Stock Take as mandated by the 2015 Paris Agreement has been completed and will be considered to adjust country Nationally Determined Contributions policies and targets (NDC)
  • Establishment of a Loss and Damage Fund was agreed to in 2022 at COP27 with details to be considered at COP28.
  • Adaptation: agreeing on a framework for the Paris Agreement’s global goal on adaptation (GGA). 
  • Energy transition 
  • Food systems transformation. 
  • Climate finance.

See What is COP28 and why is it important?  (Chatham House)

First Global Stocktake (GST), a moment of reckoning and centerpiece of COP28, provides a reality-check on governments' and non-state actors’ mixed progress towards meeting the Paris goals. The GST response (negotiated decision and political declaration) that governments will agree at COP28 is the chance to send clear systems transformation signals to guide all actors to shift from current incremental progress to transformational levels of ambition and implementation. Important the response sets up enhanced international cooperation and ensure a clear implementation process in 2024 and link to the 2025 NDC renewal. 

Vision: An ambitious, balanced COP28 package would include:
  • ambitious energy transition and investment goals in line with keeping the 1.5ºC limit, composed of global goals of tripling renewable energy and doubling energy efficiency while phasing out all fossil fuels, backed by  adequate financing and investments;
  • setting up for a more ambitious, inclusive next round of NDCs informed by non-party stakeholder consultations and the GST;
  • operationalising the loss and damage fund;
  • agreeing the framework for the global goal on adaptation;
  • advancing progress on reform of the international financial architecture to improve climate implementation; and
  • committing to the goals and targets needed to protect and restore the natural world and recognising the central role of food systems in meeting climate goals.

15 September - Key Adaptation role for Australia at COP28
Sen Jenny McAllister, Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy,  will co-facilitate with Chile’s Minister for the Environment, Maisa Rojas, outcomes on adaptation (DCCEEW media release).  


24 August - International Monetary Fund (IMF) - Fossil Fuel Subsidies Surged to Record $7 Trillion. Subsidies for oil, coal and natural gas are costing the equivalent of 7.1 percent of global gross domestic product. IMF says fossil-fuel subsidies rose by $2 trillion over the past two years as explicit subsidies  more than doubled to $1.3 trillion. (IMF)

Fossil Fuel subsidies in Australia: In May 2023 the Australia Institute identified Australian fossil fuel subsidies over the forward estimates have increased to a record breaking $57.1b, up from the $55.3b forecast in 2022. Fossil fuel subsidies cost $11.1 billion in 2022-23 across all state, territory and federal governments, equivalent to $21,143 per minute. It includes $1.5 billion of Commonwealth moneyfor Darwin Middlearm hub for fracked gas in the Beetaloo Basin in the NT. (Australia Institute)

The Fuel Tax Credit Scheme is forecast to cost $7.8 billion in 2022-23. The Fuel Tax Credit is Australia’s biggest fossil fuel subsidy, and indeed one of the largest expenditure items in the Federal Budget. Weighing in at $9.6 billion in 2023-24 it is expected to cost $41.1 billion over the next four years. (Australia Institute) The Federal Labor Government has done nothing to phase out these subsidies since the May 2022 election. See Fossil Fuel Subsidies 2023 Report PDF (Australia Institute)

5 June -  The banks behind Queensland’s nature destruction. Banking on Nature Destruction report reveals the role of Banks in  deforestation: they are some of our biggest banks—NAB, Rabobank and CommBank.(ACF)

May 2023: NationalAdaptation Plan In the 2023 budget  $28.0 million was allocated over two years from 2023–24 to develop Australia’s first National Climate Risk Assessment and a National Adaptation Plan to understand the risks to Australia from climate change, invest in a plan to adapt to those risks, and commission an independent review of the Australian Climate Service. (Climate Action Merribek)

Previous Climate Diary reports from UNFCCC

Australia at COP27

Australia at COP26

COP25 Madrid reporting

COP24 articles

COP23 Bonn reporting

COP22 Marrakech reporting

COP21 Paris reporting

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