This is my digital diary of Australia at COP29 in Baku. CIEL used a metaphor to describe this COP outcome: “COP29 was a dumpster fire. Except it’s not trash that’s burning— it’s our planet. And developed countries are holding both the matches and the firehose."
President-Designate for COP 29 is Mukhtar Babayev, Azerbaijan's Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources. Azerbaijan is a repressive state with a poor human rights record according to Human Rights Watch in leadup to a meeting in Bonn in June.
Australia is represented at the ministerial level by Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen. See Tracking Australian Ministers and Australian pledges at COP29. Australia is lobbying to hold COP31 in 2026, and an announcement of host is likely in Baku. The city of Belem in Brazil is holding COP30 in 2025.
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.
Links: UNFCCC COP29 website for documents | Azerbaijan COP29 website | COP29 Climate Justice Coalition | DCCEEW: COP29 Australia Pavillion | Carbon Brief: Who Wants What, Negotiating Text Tracker | Fossil of the Day awards |
24 November 2024 - COP29 closed at 5.31am Sunday morning with a climate finance deal that many say is not nearly enough, pushback by Saudi Arabia to undermine transition away from Fossil Fuels and ramping up renewables energy transition.
Climate Finance: The NCQG. The US$300 billion funding deal by 2035 is a floor, but from multiple sources. No Distinct allocation for Loss and Damage. Includes a stretch target with private investment capital of $1.3 Trillion. Many developing countries were not happy with the deal, and some were outright furious.
Biodiversity deleted. The ink is barely dry on the texts from biodiversity COP16, where governments agreed to bring climate and nature conventions together. Yet at COP29, all mention of biodiversity deleted from nearly every text. Almost all mention of ecosystems and food systems has been stripped from latest texts, despite it being the cheapest form of mitigation, adaptation and resilience.
COP31 2026 decision: between Turkey and Australia pushed to the SBTI meeting in Bonn in June 2025
International Carbon credit trading: On Saturday evening, rules were agreed on how countries can create, trade and register emission reductions and removals as carbon credits after years of deadlock on article 6 of the Paris agreement. It paves the way for top emitters such as Germany and Japan to buy cheap removals and reductions from decarbonisation schemes in developing countries such as renewable energy schemes, rainforest protection or tree-planting, counting them towards their own targets. Trading could begin as soon as 2025 once technical bodies have agreed on the finer details. (Guardian) But there are many dangers in carbon trading in terms of credit integrity, additionality, double counting, transparency issues, and outright fraud.
If countries break UN carbon market rules when trading emissions with one another, the consequences, according to the new texts, are getting called naughty and being allowed to carry on regardless. Carbon Market Watch described the poor accountability and limited transparencyas a cowboy carbon market: “disappointing set of rules for a disappointingly open framework,” (Carbon Market Watch)
See also
- Climate Land Ambition and Rights Alliance (CLARA) response on approval of Article 6 Market Mechanisms (CLARA Media Release PDF)
- Kate Dooley from Melbourne University: Guest Post: After nearly 10 years of debate, COP29’s carbon trading deal is seriously flawed (Climate Citizen)
Isa Mulder, Policy Expert, Carbon Market Watch:
"The outcome of Baku leaves the framework for Article 6.2 dangerously loose and opaque, tailor-made for those pushing to turn it into a free-for-all. Instead of strong measures to ensure accountability, we're left with minimal guidance that puts all the chips on name-and-shame rather than meaningful oversight. Meanwhile, the adoption of Article 6.4 rules on removals risk repeating the inadequate measures of the voluntary carbon market that guarantee permanence in name only. And thus, the question emerges whether Article 6 carbon markets will help to achieve our climate goals at all."
Erika Lennon, Senior Attorney, Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL):
“With the adoption of lax rules for transparency and accountability, governments now face the real possibility of having created a Paris-sanctioned carbon market that could be worse for people and the planet than the scandal-ridden voluntary carbon markets. With the gaveling of standards on methodologies and removals on the opening day of the COP, the Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism has flung open its doors to removal activities that are nothing more than a dangerous distraction and then failed to ensure additional controls are put in place to keep it from causing harm. Going forward it will be essential to ensure this mechanism enforces its standards and, as the text says, considers other relevant environmental agreements that place a moratorium on geoengineering. Paying to pollute will never be a climate solution, and carbon markets will never be climate finance, but rather a climate disaster.”
Here is an explainer on Article 6.2 and 6.4 by Down To Earth from India:
IISD / Earth Negotiations Bulletin summarised the outcome:
Update: Plenary reconvened after midnight for parties to elect Adonia Ayebare (Uganda) as new Chair of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice and Julia Gardiner (Australia) as new SBI Chair. After another long suspension, parties reconvened to consider the issues that remained outstanding up to that point. Eventually they:
- set a goal of at least USD 300 billion per year by 2035 for developing countries, from a wide variety of sources, public and private, bilateral and multilateral, including alternative sources, with developed countries taking the lead, and developing countries encouraged to make contributions on a voluntary basis;
- provided further guidance on the definition of indicators for assessing progress towards the Global Goal on Adaptation;
- extended the enhanced Lima work programme on gender for 10 years; and
- provided guidance on future global dialogues and investment-focused events under the Mitigation Work Programme.
They could not reach agreement on, among others, the dialogue on the implementation of the outcomes of the Global Stocktake and on the just transition work programme, with discussions to continue at the Subsidiary Bodies’ sessions in June 2025.
With regard to the new finance goal, India, Bolivia, and Nigeria registered their concerns and characterized the goal as an “insult that did not represent developed countries taking the lead.” The LDCs lamented the lack of ambition in light of developing countries’ needs, exclusion of loss and damage, and missing minimum allocation floors for the LDCs and SIDS. Pakistan identified critical gaps in the overall package and, pointing to the next session of the Subsidiary Bodies, called for a return to the negotiation table with renewed commitment.
The European Union, Environmental Integrity Group, AOSIS, the Independent Alliance of Latin America and the Caribbean (AILAC), and the Umbrella Group lamented the lack of progress on taking forward the outcomes of the Global Stocktake and urged rapid progress on energy transition.
The Baku Climate Change Conference closed at 5:31 am, on Sunday, 24 November.
Adam Morton at Guardian Live said that Australia was not happy with parts of the decision and the way Saudi Arabia acted:
Some developed countries have made barely veiled swipes at Saudi Arabia over its obstruction of the text including an explicit restatement of some of what was agreed in Dubai last year – particularly, goals of transitioning away from fossil fuels, tripling renewable energy by 2030 and doubling energy efficiency by the same year.
Instead, the text just refers to paragraph 28, in which the transition commitment was made, calling on countries “to contribute to the global efforts referred to in paragraph 28”.
Speaking on behalf of the umbrella group of developed countries, Australia said it was disappointed that some countries had “stalled or stymied discussion” on those issues. But they said that countries were accelerating towards the global goal of net zero emissions and moving to capture the economic opportunities of renewable energy to create jobs for their communities.
Read about the collusion between the Presidency and Saudi Arabia: Revealed: Saudi Arabia accused of modifying official Cop29 negotiating text. Exclusive: News of changes to usually non-editable document ‘risks placing climate summit in jeopardy' (Guardian)
India was furious when the decision was gavelled, accusing the process of being stage managed. Adam Morton at Guardian Live reports:
India has responded furiously to the climate finance goal being quickly gavelled through by the president, saying it is a “paltry sum” and it was not given the opportunity to express its strong opposition to it.
In a fiery address, Chandni Raina, the Indian representative said: “India opposes the adoption of this document and please take note of what we have just said from the floor of this room. We seek a much higher ambition from the developed countries.”
“We had informed the president we had informed the secretariat that we wanted to make a statement prior to any decision on the adoption but however - and it’s for everyone to see – this has been stage managed and we are extremely disappointed with this incident.
“We’ve seen what you have done … gavelling and trying to ignore parties from speaking does not behove the UN system and we would want you to hear us … we absolutely object to this unfair means of adoption.”
She was scathing of developed countries for failing to act to address the climate crisis, and said they should agree to advance their net zero targets and become net negative soon after. She said there was a lack of trust in the system.
“Unfortunately, the paper on the NCQG does not inspire trust that we will come out of this grave problem of climate change.”
The president said India’s position would be noted, but the acceptance of the climate goal stands.
AOSIS Chair (Small Island States) told the Plenary:
We had more hope that the process would protect the interests of the most vulnerable and those with the least capacity. Nevertheless, we once again have shown how the global community can come together to find solutions that serve humanity.
Make no mistake. The urgency for taking climate action to address the ever-worsening impacts of climate change remains. The level of ambition for taking climate action needs to be much, much higher. And it is our great hope that the additional finance administered as a result of the new goal will help get us there.
Climate Action Network Issued the following statement on the COP29 result: Betrayal in Baku: developed countries fail people and planet
Climate Action Network wholeheartedly rejects the outcome of COP29 in Baku. The linchpin of the climate talks was public finance, and developed countries did not deliver despite their historic responsibilities. The figure for the climate finance goal is wholly inadequate, the quality of finance is missing with no equity or justice reflected in the text, and the direction of finance from developed to developing countries did not come through. The goal completely missed the mark in responding to the needs of developing countries.
Developed countries are to blame – they have used the US election result as an excuse to push through this weak outcome. The US has been trying to dismantle the Convention and the Paris Agreement for years, Trump or no Trump.
Two years of progress on Just Transition, where Parties were starting to shape a common vision, were trashed due to bad process, showing dismay for the millions of people concerned about their lives, jobs, livelihoods. In COP29, justice was not served on any front.
Erin Ryan, Senior International Campaigner, Climate Action Network Australia said,
“We travelled across oceans but high-income countries and the COP presidency barely moved an inch. An annual finance goal of USD $300b by 2035 leaves us where we started: with low-income countries struggling to shoulder the rising costs of a climate crisis they never caused. Countries like Australia need to realise that you can’t draft an ambitious text on fossil fuels with one hand while tightening the world’s purse strings with the other.”
Lisa Cliff from Better Futures Australia said on BlueSky:
"On COP29: Baku was a win for Fossil Fuel lobbyists—more watered-down compromises, with climate finance commitments & the mitigation agenda failing to align with science & justice. A few steps back from COP28's acknowledgement of the need to Phase Out Fossil Fuels"
Union of Concerned Scientists issued a statement: Wealthy Nations Imperil Global Climate Goals with Grossly Insufficient COP29 Finance Agreement. Dr. Rachel Cleetus, the policy director and a lead economist for the Climate and Energy Program at UCS, attending the U.N.’s international climate talks in Baku, Azerbaijan.
“The Azerbaijani COP29 Presidency’s ineptitude in brokering an agreement at this consequential climate finance COP will go down in ignominy. The last ditch, highly insufficient agreement barely came together deep into overtime and its low amount, quality, and unambitious timeline raises significant concerns that future financial flows will fail to measure up to what’s needed.
“Rich nations, including the United States and E.U. countries, have exercised brute power here at COP29 to force a deeply unfair and inadequate climate finance outcome that imperils the science-based goals of the Paris climate agreement. Despite their starring role in causing the climate crisis, this wealthy coalition of the unwilling collectively offered a grossly insufficient $300 billion annually by 2035, with a weak provision to review in five years and numerous loopholes to evade responsibility for ensuring the majority is grant-based public finance. This is nowhere near what lower income nations need to quickly transition away from fossil fuels to clean energy and protect people from the ravages of the climate crisis they’re already enduring. By reneging on their climate finance responsibility and continuing to boost fossil fuel interests, richer countries are stymying the world’s ability to cut heat-trapping emissions quickly and unjustly foisting the costs of deadly climate extremes onto those who have contributed the least to the problem...."
Former US vice-president Al Gore, a prominent voice on climate matters for decades, highlighted the deep flaws in the UN Climate Change Conference process:
While the agreement reached at Cop29 avoids immediate failure, it is far from a success. On the key issues like climate finance and the transition away from fossil fuels, this is — yet again — the bare minimum.
We cannot continue to rely on last-minute half measures. Leaders today shirk their responsibility by focusing on long-term, aspirational goals that extend far beyond their own terms in office. To meet the challenge of our time, we need real action at the scale of months and years, not decades and quarter-centuries.
This experience in Baku illuminates deeper flaws in the Cop process, including the outsized influence of fossil fuel interests that has hobbled this process since its inception. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been particularly obstructive. Putting the future of humanity at severe risk in order to make more money is truly disgraceful behaviour. Reforming this process so that the polluters are not in effective control must be a priority.
24 November 2024 - Centre for International Environment Law (CIEL) described the result in a metaphor: “COP29 was a dumpster fire. Except it’s not trash that’s burning— it’s our planet. And developed countries are holding both the matches and the firehose." (CIEL)
24 November 2024 - Revealed: Saudi Arabia accused of modifying official Cop29 negotiating text (Guardian)
22 November 2024 - Friday, 22 Nov: Bill Hare, CEO and Senior Scientist at Climate Analytics, reacts to the latest round of text from the COP29 Presidency:
“There are still massive issues with this new text and I think the Presidency will have to iterate more than once now to try and find something workable.”
On the NCQG:
“The NCQG text sets a new goal of 250bn from a wide variety of sources, rather than from public finances. It’s incredibly weak, as any kind of finance can count towards it, and it only needs to be achieved by 2035, which means it’s essentially a ceiling, not a floor. It also expands the contributor base to include anything that multilateral development banks fund. It means developed countries are not accepting the responsibility they have.
Small islands and the least developed countries have been sidelined by the Azeri Presidency text. There is no mention of minimum allocations from them - a key ask - no explicit acknowledgement even of their special circumstances, which is already in the Paris Agreement and the convention, so a step back to not include here. And perhaps most cruelly is the exclusion of any mention of loss and damage.
The “call” for a broader mobilisation of climate finance from public and private sources including investment is quite weak, being just a call when there needs to be strong direction. The 1.3 trillion per year put forward to go to developing countries by 2035 needs to be now and not ten years time and would need to be much higher by 2035.”
On the GST:
“The GST is becoming a balancing act, with important elements from mitigation and adaptation discussions featuring here rather than in their own decision text. Some items not even included in these talks feature as options, such as unilateral trade measures - pushed by LMDCs - which are snuck into this text through climate and trade talks ready for trade offs with the EU and US.
There is also a lot of ducking and weaving. With many of the better outcomes for mitigation ambition at this COP now sitting uncomfortably in a text that is masquerading as a cover decision, but is not being referred to as such.”
On the MWP:
“The mitigation work programme text is an empty suit. This track was set up in Glasgow to push ambition in this critical decade for climate action. It’s been torpedoed at every COP since. There’s no reference to 1.5°C and no linkage at all to the delivery of the energy package from the first Global Stocktake.”
See also Climate Action Network labelling this draft text as a bad joke: Too low, too long – CAN response to latest climate finance goal text. See also Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) Comments on Appalling COP29 Climate Finance. See also independent high level expert group co-chairs statement saying 250 is too low and not in line with Paris.
23 November 2024 - Developing countries urged to reject ‘bad deal’ as Cop29 climate talks falter. Talk grows of a walkout from poor countries in response to ‘unacceptable’ and ‘insulting’ finance proposal (Guardian)
22 November 2024 - Early career Polar scientists issue emergency warning on sea level rise from Antarctica (Statement) "Runaway ice loss causing rapid and catastrophic sea level rise is possible within our lifetime," (ABC News)
22 November 2024 - Former UN Envoy Mary Robinson says Poor nations may have to downgrade climate cash demands, arguing that Rich country budgets are stretched amid inflation, Covid and Ukraine war. Developing nations are asking for $1 trillion target. Robinson said $300bn should be “a minimum” and developed countries must also take steps to ensure that poor countries can access private sector finance and loans much more cheaply than at present, by “de-risking” finance for them. (Guardian)
22 November 2024: Coal-rich Indonesia to phase out all fossil-fuel power plants by 2040, says President Subianto. “We plan to phase out coal-fired and all fossil-fueled power plants within the next 15 years. Our plan includes building over 75GW of renewable energy capacity during this time. This issue will exacerbate poverty and hunger. Therefore, for Indonesia, there is no alternative. We are fully committed to taking decisive actions to reduce global temperatures, protect the environment, and address the crisis.” (Guardian Live)(Indonesia Gov on G20)
Indonesia is the world's biggest coal exporter, surpassing Australia in recent years. Matt Webb from E3G commented “Indonesia is the fifth or sixth biggest global emitter and it’s been growing its coal pipeline rapidly for the last 10 years. So this is a country with huge coal reserves and which had a huge new coal plant pipeline. Until the Cop26 summit in 2021, it hadn’t really indicated that it would change that approach. So what’s happened in the last two years is really dramatic – it’s a significant turnaround for a major exporter and a major user of coal power,”
There is a lesson for Australia in this. Stop approving new coal and gas, start planning to phase out export coal and gas.
21 November 2024: a new draft text published this morning on new climate finance target states Developed and Developing views, but gives no quantum amount for the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) or way to bridge the gap in those views. (Guardian Live | CANi)
Li Shuo, the director of the China Climate Hub at the Asia Society Policy Institute, summed up:
“We are far from the finish line. The new finance text presents two extreme ends of the aisle without much in between. Crucially, the text misses a number that defines the scale of future climate finance, a prerequisite for negotiation in good faith. Other than capturing the ground standing of both sides, this text hardly does anything more.”
Erin Ryan, Senior International Campaigner, Climate Action Network Australia, said:
“This isn’t a game. The Global South are here in good faith, plainly telling us what’s needed to action the agreed transition away from fossil fuels, adapt to the climate crisis and recover from loss and damage in their communities. By failing to put a figure on the table and assuring us that the private sector will fill in the chasmic gaps, high income and high polluting countries like Australia are first and foremost failing the people. But they’re also failing the process by treating it like a win-lose game. There are no winners in a climate crisis, and the only way to end the stalemate is to pay up to action the urgent transition away from deadly coal, oil and gas.”
On the role of Australia’s minister as co-chair specifically, Erin Ryan, Senior International Campaigner, Climate Action Network Australia, said:
“As co-chair of the COP climate finance negotiations, Chris Bowen has guided the world to a crossroads. One path upholds the obligations of the Paris Agreement, the other leaves them in the dirt. His mandate now is to listen to those who have come to COP29 to talk earnestly about the finance needed for their communities to action the agreed transition away from fossil fuels, adapt to the climate crisis and recover from loss and damage. Without a dollar figure on the table he’s navigating without a north star, but we still have options in front of us. Only by listening to those here in good faith can he guide the world to the ambitious finance outcome it urgently needs.”
Finance is not the only issue. Saudi Arabia and the Like Minded countries group have been trying to unpick the "Transition Away from Fossil Fuels" decision from COP28. Host nation Azerbaijan is not taking control, so we will likely to see no Cover decision from this COP. (Guardian Live)
See COP29 Bulletin Day 10: Draft finance text missing numbers, more effort sought on emissions-cutting (Climate Home News)
21 November 2024 - NGOs urge Australia to act in final days of COP29 to lead on landing a climate finance agreement that ensures a needs-based new global climate finance goal of over $1 trillion. (Action Aid)
21 November 2024 - New investment mandate for Australia’s Future Fund to invest in housing, infrastructure and energy transition. It is the first time in 15 years the mandate for the Sovereign wealth fund’s statement of expectations has been updated (Guardian)
20 November 2024 - Australia has joined with 24 other countries and the European Union in a Call to Action for No new Coal in National Climate Plans (Powering Past Coal Alliance) Meanwhile Australia is happy approving new coal mines for the export market (Renew Economy)
20 November 2024 - NCQG Climate Finance target: $1.3tn, $900bn, $600bn, $440bn, $100bn - all are numbers proposed by countries for the climate finance goal that COP29 must agree, reports Australian climate minister Chris Bowen (Guardian Live)
The Guardian's Live blog summation of COP29 main events for the day:
- Argentina’s foreign minister said the country will stay in the Paris agreement, after negotiators representing the government of climate science denier Javier Milei were ordered to withdraw last week.
- The head of OPEC echoed the Azerbaijani President’s comments in praise of oil and gas – “They are indeed a gift of God.”
- The Maldives urged countries to keep pushing for 1.5C even as some experts dismissed the target – “We must, must try.”
- Money is the key question at this Cop, but no country has so far put any on the table, my colleague Fiona Harvey explained in a breakdown of what’s at stake.
- Developing countries responded with ridicule to a climate finance target in the $200-300bn range that had reportedly been proposed by the EU – “Is that a joke?”
- “We’re reaching a point of real emotion here,” campaigners warned.
20 November 2024 - New report argues dramatically reducing Australia’s use of gas would secure the future of industrial manufacturing and the jobs of hundreds of thousands of workers. (Lock the Gate) Turning Down the Gas report finds at least 90% of industrial gas use can already be electrified or regassed with green hydrogen, and technology solutions are rapidly being developed for the remaining 10%. Key findings:
- The three LNG terminals on Curtis Island near Gladstone make up 30 percent of East Coast industrial gas demand. Restricting the sale of uncontracted gas for export would address short term shortage concerns, while the electrification or phase down of two of the three East Coast LNG facilities by 2035 would reduce domestic gas demand by 79 PJ.
- Replacing gas use in manufacturing with electricity using technology that is commercially available today would reduce demand by 112 PJ by 2035.
- Doing the same in commercial buildings would reduce gas demand by 25 PJ by 2035.
- “Regassing” and substituting metals smelting and refining, iron and steel manufacturing, and chemical manufacturing with green hydrogen would cut gas use by 62 PJ by 2035.
- Targeted government support including more research could help truly “hard to abate” sectors like cement and glass manufacturing wean themselves off fossil gas by 8 PJ by 2035.
20 November 2024 - Chris Bowen delivers Australia's national climate statement at COP29 in Baku. This includes an announcement of $50 million to the Loss and Damage Fund. (Climate Citizen)
19 November 2024 - UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell urges COP29 to agree on new climate finance target in response to the G20 Rio de Janeiro Leaders’ Declaration on Tuesday 19 November 2024. "G20 Leaders have sent a clear message to their negotiators at COP29: do not leave Baku without a successful new finance goal. This is in every country’s clear interests." (UNFCCC News)
19 November 2024 - Australia declines to join UK and US-led nuclear energy development pact (ABC News | Guardian) See more at Tracking Australian Ministers and Australian pledges at COP29.
19 November 2024 - Countries could use nature to ‘cheat’ on net zero targets, scientists warn (Guardian) By relying on natural carbon sinks such as forests and peatlands to offset emissions, governments can appear closer to goals than they actually are. (Study) Australia is a fine example of doing this, relying on LULUCF and carbon offsets with querstionable integrity.
19 November 2024 - 2nd India-Australia Annual Summit. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had a bilateral with Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi on the side of the G20 in Brasil. Most notable was Point 7 on India-Australia Renewable Energy Partnership (REP), but critical minerals and Make in India’ and ‘Future Made in Australia’ have complementarity and collaborative potential (PM media release)
7. Australia and India have shared ambition to move faster, work together and deploy our complementary capabilities to drive climate action. The Prime Ministers welcomed the launch of the India-Australia Renewable Energy Partnership (REP) which would provide the framework for practical cooperation in priority areas such as solar PV, green hydrogen, energy storage, two-way investment in renewable energy projects and allied areas; and upgraded skills training for the renewables workforce of the future.
18 November 2024 - Study: Quantifying international public finance provision needs for the new UN climate finance goal (Nature Climate Action) estimates $1-15tn are needed in grant equivalent funding.
18 November 2024 - Vanuatu and Tuvalu call on Australia to stop approving new fossil fuel developments at COP29, Australia accused of ‘exporting climate destruction’ on tiny Pacific neighbours with massive gas expansion plans. Labor government ‘not acting in good faith’ when it stands on global stage and promotes its climate credentials, special envoy at Cop29 says (Guardian)
18 November 2024 - Greens drop climate trigger demand in attempt to restart Nature Positive talks with Labor (Guardian)
18 November 2024 - Climate crisis to blame for dozens of ‘impossible’ heatwaves, studies reveal. (Guardian) Stark evidence of how global heating is already supercharging deadly weather beyond anything ever experienced by humanity
17 November 2024 - UN warns of ‘economic carnage’ if G20 leaders cannot agree on climate finance for poor countries (Guardian)
16 November 2024 - Almost 500 carbon capture lobbyists granted access to Cop29 climate summit (Guardian) (CIEL) Also Over 1,700 coal, oil and gas lobbyists granted access to Cop29, says report (Guardian)
16 November 2024 - Fossil fuel bosses get ‘red carpet’ at Cop29 despite concerns over influence (Guardian)
16 November 2024 - Argentina: Fears grow that Milei will withdraw Argentina from Paris climate accord (Guardian) This follows a report 14 Nov that Argentina withdraws negotiators from Cop29 summit (Guardian)
16 November 2024 - China faces crucial decisions on climate policy during second Trump term (Guardian)
15 November 2024 - Civil Society Organizations at COP29 call on Australia, Japan, and South Korea to Stop Their Fossil Fuel Cooperation (Fossil Free Japan)
"South Korea and Japan are the second and third largest providers of public finance for fossil fuels, having spent approximately USD 10 billion and 7 billion respectively on new oil, gas, and coal projects each year on average from 2020 to 2022. The countries continue to channel billions into fossil fuel projects abroad, supporting fossil gas extraction projects in Australia, such as the Barossa and Scarborough gas carbon bombs, and Mozambique, such as the Mozambique LNG project.
"Despite an expected LNG glut and projections from the International Energy Agency that demand for LNG will drastically drop in the following decades as countries uphold their climate commitments, both Japan and South Korea have been justifying their dirty investment activities under the guise of energy security. Yet recent explosive research has found that Japan, already facing declining domestic demand, has been on-selling imported fossil gas to other countries, particularly in Southeast Asia.
"To sustain its reselling activities, Japan has invested heavily in manufacturing demand for fossil gas in South and Southeast Asia by sinking investments into import infrastructure; providing ‘technical support’ to the drafting of energy policies; and pushing technologies that prolong the lifespan of these gas projects."
Erin Ryan, Senior International Campaigner, Solutions for Climate Australia said:
“First Nations Australians have been custodians of their country for millennia, and have been defending it from destructive fossil gas extraction for decades. Yet, fuelled by finance and faux demand from Japan and South Korea, Australia continues to expand and export polluting fossil gas to Asia. This trilateral cooperation serves corporations over communities, and is derailing the energy transition in our region. It’s well past time for these players to shift from gas to green exports, and say sayonara to fossil fuels.”
13 November 2024 - This year has been masterclass in human destruction, UN chief tells Cop29 (Guardian) COP29 UN Secretary-General António Guterres Calls for emergency emmissions reduction, climate adaptation and more climate finance (Climate Citizen)
13 November 2024 - Soaring grocery prices helped Trump to victory. The climate crisis is only going to make this worse. From olive oil to butter, extreme weather is pushing up the cost of living and having a dramatic political impact. Economists need a solution (Guardian Opinion)
12 November 2024 Guardian Live Blog Day 1; Carbon credit trade rules approved, breaking lengthy deadlock. Critics say approval of ‘climate credits’ rules on day one of Cop29 was rushed (Guardian) "This has resulted in risky rules that will lead to human rights violations and environmental harm" (CIEL). Also UK announces a 2035 pledge of 81% emissions cut compared with 1990, (Guardian) Greta Thunberg on COP29: Greenwashing Azerbaijan's Extreme Human Rights Abuses and Ethnic Cleansing (Youtube)
11 November 2024 - WMO State of the Climate 2024 Update for COP29 (WMO) WMO issues "Red Alert at the sheer pace of climate change in a single generation, turbo-charged by ever-increasing greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere. 2015-2024 will be the warmest ten years on record; the loss of ice from glaciers, sea-level rise and ocean heating are accelerating; and extreme weather is wreaking havoc on communities and economies across the world. The January – September 2024 global mean surface air temperature was 1.54 °C (with a margin of uncertainty of ±0.13°C) above the pre-industrial average, boosted by a warming El Niño event, according to an analysis of six international datasets used by WMO."
11 November 2024 - Fifty-year extension for one of Australia’s biggest CO2 emitters likely after WA ditches emissions-reduction rules. Extending life of Woodside’s North West Shelf gas processing plant on Burrup Peninsula could result in billions of tonnes of climate pollution, critics say (Guardian) Australia still digging a deeper hole exacerbating the Climate Crisis.
11 November 2024 - Darwin's planned Middle Arm industrial hub could face lengthy delays after Infrastructure Australia rejects business case (ABC News) Middle Arm enables Beetaloo gas fracking with an LNG export terminal. This is a $1.5 billion Federal subsidy for Fossil gas rather than expand renewables, jobs, Tafe skills, and facilities in remote communities as put forward in an ECNT report Recharging the Territory.
11 November 2024 - Talk about cost of living driven by global heating: Extreme weather cost $2tn globally over past decade, report finds. US suffered greatest economic losses, report commissioned by International Chamber of Commerce finds, followed by China and India. (Guardian)
11 November 2024 - After the extreme rainfall and devastating floods killing 223 people in Valencia Spain, Mass protests erupt over official inaction in failure to warn alerts and flood mitigation (WSWS)
11 November 2024 - Auspol: Move in LNP to drop net zero by 2050 target rejected. Nationals leader David Littleproud, shadow transport minister Bridget McKenzie and Senate Liberal leader Simon Birmingham have all rejected a backbench push by Matt Canavan and Keith Pitt to use Donald Trump’s election in the US to abandon support for net zero by 2050. (Guardian)
10 November 2024 - After Trump re-election, UK will lead efforts to save Cop29, says Miliband (Guardian) Energy secretary says Britain must work on vital alliances with other countries following victory of climate-denier Trump. mmm Australia should step up and support UK.
10 November 2024 - The Australians who sounded the climate alarm 55 years ago: ‘I’m surprised others didn’t take it as seriously’ (Guardian)
9 November 2024 - COP29 chief exec filmed promoting fossil fuel deals (BBC)
8 November 2024 - 3 leaders make the case for climate finanmce solidarity levies (Project Syndicate) Such levies include: "A global levy of 0.1% on stock and bond trades could raise up to $418 billion per year. A levy on shipping of $100 per ton of carbon dioxide could raise $80 billion per year. A levy on fossil-fuel extraction of $5 per ton of CO2 could raise $210 billion per year."
7 November 2024 - UNEP Adaptation Gap report released (UNEP) As climate impacts intensify and hit the world’s poorest, The Adaptation Gap Report 2024: Come hell and high water finds that nations must dramatically increase climate adaptation efforts, starting with a commitment to act on finance.
7 November 2024 - UN climate talks could undermine precaution on geoengineering called for by the biodiversity convention. (Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung)
7 November 2024 - ‘Ecosystems are collapsing’: one of Australia’s longest rivers has lost more than half its water in one section, research shows (Guardian)
7 November 2024 - 2024 ‘virtually certain’ to be hottest on record, finds Copernicus Climate Change Service. Global temperatures for the past 12 months were 1.62C greater than the 1850-1900 average, when humanity started to burn vast volumes of coal, oil and gas. (Guardian)
6 November 2024 - Trump wins US presidency, plus Republican Senate and Likely the House of Reps. Carbon Brief did analysis in March what a Trump win would mean for US emissions: an extra 4bn tonnes by 2030 (Carbon Brief) This win comes after the devestation of North Carolina by Hurricane Helene, and with Nearly all of US states in drought conditions after summer of record heat. American Democratic Decay: Australia Must Find New Friends (Lyrebird Dreaming) Bill Hare from Climate Analytics did an Op-Ed: Donald Trump can’t stop global climate action. If we stick together, it’s the US that will lose out. How damaging this presidency is to the planet depends very much on how other countries react. There’s no time to waste (Guardian) Second Trump Presidency of climate denial will challenge global climate action response (Climate Citizen)
6 November 2024 - Japanese Government and banks resisting move away from coal. No Clear Exit: Japan’s resistance to a real coal phaseout. Japanese banks provided US$23.5 billion in coal finance between 2021 and 2023. (Reclaim Finance/Kiko Network)
4 November 2024 - Montreal Protocol continues to deliver on ozone reduction and climate (Climate Citizen)
4 November 2024 - Why did so many die in Spain? Because Europe still hasn’t accepted the realities of extreme weather. By climatologist Friederike Otto who founded World Weather Attribution (Guardian) Much of his argument could be directed to Australia and experience of floods, heatwaves and bushfires.
4 November 2024 - Legal experts say Trump could quit Paris pact – but leaving UNFCCC much harder (Climate Home News) Meanwhile, China urges US to hold the line on climate policy, regardless of election outcome (SCMP)
4 November 2024 - New Australian report on climate icreasing Insurance costs (Australia Institute)
3 November - Cop16 ends in disarray and indecision despite biodiversity breakthroughs (Guardian) Conservation summit agrees global levy on drugs from nature’s genetics and stronger indigenous representation, but developing nations furious at unmet funding promises. See also: Climate Citizen: Australia at Biological Diversity COP16 in Columbia
1 November 2024 - A second US exit could ‘cripple’ the Paris climate agreement, warns UN chief (Guardian) António Guterres says treaty will endure but urges US to remain amid reports that Trump plans to withdraw from the climate negotiating framework entirely. This election is America’s climate and energy fork in the road (Carbon Tracker)
1 November 2024 - NSW police take legal action to prevent climate activists blockading Port of Newcastle (Guardian) 91 civil society organisations have now signed a statement supporting the right to peaceful protest.
1 November 2024 - Gas companies export $36 billion of gas from Queensland, pay zero tax … again (Australia Institute)
1 November 2024 - Challenging the Systemic Under-pricing of Climate Damages Within the Global Financial System (Carbon Tracker) a report for Financial consultatnts, Super and Pension Funds to closely consider.
31 October 2024 - EU emissions fall by 8% in steep reduction reminiscent of Covid shutdown (Guardian) Decline over 2023, helped by switch to renewable power, means greenhouse gas pollution is now 37% below 1990 levels
31 October 2024 - The Victorian government will cut more than 130 positions from its bushfire forest service and close six regional locations, acknowledging budget restraints.(Guardian)
31 October 2024 - While Ocean acidification has been raised as a biodiversity threat, a new report by Climate Extremes ARC and Minderoo Foundation raises the under-reported issue of ocean deoxygenation driven by ocean warming. Report: Ocean Oxygen Loss: If Fish Could Talk (Climate Extremes)
Ocean oxygen loss is widespread and accelerating in both coastal waters and the open ocean due to climate change and nutrient runoff, with profound consequences for ocean life and humanity.
31 October 2024 - Lancet Countdown report on health and climate change is out. It clearly indicates that we are facing record-breaking threats from delayed action. Key Messages: (Lancet CountDown)
- People all around the world are facing record-breaking threats to their wellbeing, health and survival from the rapidly changing climate.
- Despite years of scientific evidence exposing the imminent health threats of climate inaction and numerous global commitments and pledges, countries and companies continue fuelling the fire, reversing the limited progress made so far and exacerbating inequities. Years of delays in adaptation alongside persistent fossil fuels investment are reducing the chances of survival of people around the globe.
- There are opportunities to build an equitable and healthy future, but it requires resources to be urgently redirected away from activities that hinder a just transition to zero-GHG emission systems, towards those that benefit people’s health and wellbeing
"Papua New Guinea is making this stand for the benefit of all small island nations. We will no longer tolerate empty promises and inaction, while our people suffer the devastating consequences of climate change," he said. "Yet, despite contributing little to the global climate crisis, countries like PNG are left grappling with its severe impacts."
30 October 2024 - Doctors for the Environment (DEA) member, Dr Carolyn Orr, discusses how Fossil fuel pollution kills more people globally than smoking. Transitioning to renewable energy would make the world cleaner, healthier and safer for us all, but how can we get there? Watch her powerful keynote speech, 'Fast Forward from Fossil Fuels'. “Fossil Fuel companies want fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions to come down like a feather, but we need them to drop like a stone.” Recorded at the Clean Air Conference, Hobart, 26-28 August 2024 (Youtube)
"Our research signals that climate breakdown cannot be avoided without reducing excessive wealth concentration among an elite few. We must take urgent action to dramatically change the consumption and investment habits of the richest people."
The richest 10% in Australia emitted 31% of national consumption emissions between 1990 and 2019. The emissions of the wealthiest 1% of Australians during that time are enough to cause $243bn in economic damage globally between 1990 and 2050. While Australia is experiencing some climate impacts, the loss of Gross Domestic Product(GDP) will be 5 times higher in the Pacific than in Australia.
28 October 2024 - Corporations using ‘ineffectual’ carbon offsets are slowing path to ‘real zero’, more than 60 climate scientists say. Pledge signed by experts from nine countries reflects concerns that offsets generated from forest-related projects may not have cut emissions. (The Guardian | Lethal Humidity Global Council) Note: the fallback for corporate emission reduction under Australia's Safeguard Mechanism is companies can 100% use carbon offsets (with questionable integrity) to meet targets.
28 October 2024 - Greenhouse gas levels surged to a new record in 2023, committing the planet to rising temperatures for many years to come. (World Meteorological Organization). Carbon dioxide (CO2) is accumulating in the atmosphere faster than any time experienced during human existence, rising by more than 10% in just two decades. (Guardian) "The last time the Earth experienced a comparable concentration of CO2 was 3-5 million years ago, when the temperature was 2-3°C warmer and sea level was 10-20 meters higher than now."
28 October 2024 - Pollutants from gas stoves kill 40,000 Europeans each year. Study says harmful gases linked to heart and lung disease shave nearly two years off a person’s life. Estimate is conservative as study only looked at impact of NO2 emissions. (Guardian | Universitat Jaume I) New paper proposes policy solutions to address critical health impacts of gas cooking (EPHA)
28 October 2024 - Miscarriages due to climate crisis a ‘blind spot’ in action plans. (Guardian) This comes from a report on 10 New Insights in Climate Science 2024/2025 (10insightsclimate.science):
- Methane levels are surging. Enforceable policies for emission reductions are essential. Methane levels have surged since 2006, driven primarily by human activities. We have enough information about our methane emissions to take action, but more enforceable policies to drive reductions are vital. While reductions in the fossil fuel and waste sectors are most feasible, addressing agricultural emissions is also critical.
- Reductions in air pollution have implications for mitigation and adaptation given complex aerosol-climate interactions. me events. Mitigation and adaptation strategies cannot afford to ignore aerosol climate interactions.
- Increasing heat is making more of the planet uninhabitable. Rising heat and humidity are pushing more people outside of habitable climatic conditions, with over 600 million already affected and many more at risk as warming continues. Heat action plans, early warning systems, and targeted measures for vulnerable groups are a priority for adaptation in the most affected regions.
- Climate extremes are harming maternal and reproductive well-being. Climate change is increasing risks for pregnant women, unborn children and infants, threatening decades of progress in maternal and reproductive health (MRH). These impacts are exacerbated in contexts with high levels of poverty and entrenched gender norms. Effective interventions should be integrated with broader efforts to advance gender equity and climate justice.
- Concerns about El Niño-Southern Oscillation and the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation with an increasingly warm ocean.
- Biocultural diversity can bolster the Amazon’s resilience against climate change.
- Critical infrastructure is increasingly exposed to climate hazards, with risk of cascading disruption across interconnected networks.
- New frameworks for climate-resilient development in cities provide decision-makers with ideas for unlocking co-benefits. Few cities have effectively integrated mitigation and adaptation strategies in their climate action plans.
- Closing governance gaps in the energy transition minerals global value chain is crucial for a just and equitable energy transition.
- Public’s acceptance of (or resistance to) climate policies crucially depends on perceptions of fairness.
28 October 2024 - SANTOS being sued in a groundbreaking case for greenwashing its climate targets. (Guardian) Case began in federal court today, brought by one of its own shareholders, the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility (ACCR). The organisation claims Santos did not have a proper basis for saying it had a clear pathway to reduce emissions by 26% to 30% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2040, which constituted misleading or deceptive conduct in breach of Australian corporate and consumer laws. Focus will also be on description of natural gas as a “clean fuel” and representations of blue hydrogen (produced using natural gas with carbon capture and storage) as “clean” and “zero emissions”.
28 October 2024 - Thirty-eight per cent of the world’s trees are at risk of extinction according to the first Global Tree Assessment, published in an update of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™(IUCN) "For the first time, the majority of the world’s trees have been listed on the IUCN Red List, revealing that at least 16,425 of the 47,282 species assessed are at risk of extinction. Trees now account for over one quarter of species on the IUCN Red List, and the number of threatened trees is more than double the number of all threatened birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians combined. Tree species are at risk of extinction in 192 countries around the world."
26 October - At CHOGM the Apia Commonwealth Ocean Declaration for "One Resilient Common Future" adopted, calling on all 56 Commonwealth nations to protect and restore the ocean in the face of severe climate change, pollution and impacts related to over-exploitation. (The Commonwealth | Climate Citizen)
26 October 2024 - King Selling Australian Gas expansion in Japan while Prime Minister pacifies Island Nations facing Sea Level Rise existential threat (Climate Citizen)
25 October - UK-Australia Bilateral on sidelines of CHOGM: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met in person for the first time the UK Prime M inister Keir Starmer and agreed to step up cooperation on climate and energy. (PM Gov AU)
25 October 2024 - UNEP Emissions Gap report calls for immediate action (UNEP | Climate Citizen - Emissions Gap Report 2024: we are out of time, teetering on the edge of climate disaster)
25 October 2024 - Over 17,000 community members, including Traditional Owners, scientists, and healthcare professionals have called on APA at its AGM not to light the fuse on the Beetaloo carbon bomb. Will UniSuper do the same? Petition to UniSuper (Market Forces | MSN)
24 October 2024 - New report launched at Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa reveals the stark imbalance in fossil fuel extraction across the Commonwealth and highlights the dominance of three wealthy nations—Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom—in driving fossil fuel expansion and emissions. The Prime Minister of Tuvalu, Hon Feleti Teo, did not mince his words when he called these fossil fuel expansion plans a "death sentence." (Fossil Fuel Treaty | The Conversation | Climate Citizen - CHOGM meeting in Samoa: new report highlights Australia, Canada, UK role in fossil fuel emissions)
24 October 2024 - Michelle Grattan on timing for announcing Australian 2035 climate target, its level of ambition, and hosting COP31 in 2026, in light of possible Trump election in the US (The Conversation)
A bold target would make the government more vulnerable, just when Labor would want the attention on the Coalition’s problematic nuclear policy. On the other hand, if the target were modest, that would be exploited by the Greens.
Next month, Bowen will attend COP29 in Azerbaijan, where the central issue will be a financial goal, replacing the 2015 goal, for developed and major economies to help fund developing countries’ emission reduction efforts. Bowen, with Egyptian Environment Minister Yasmine Fouad, is leading the consultations on this, and so has a significant role at the conference.
23 October - International Court of Justice schedules hearings on States’ legal obligations concerning climate change. A record-breaking 100 oral statements are expected to be presented to the International Court of Justice in the upcoming, highly-anticipated public hearings. Vanuatu is up first on December 12 (Climate in the Courts)
23 October 2024 - Over-reliance on land for carbon dioxide removal in net-zero climate pledges, new global science study asserts. (Nature Communications) On Australia it says:
- Of the 10 largest country pledges, only Saudi Arabia and Australia explicitly mention that they intend to use internationally traded credits or tree planting in other countries to help meet their pledges.
- Australia’s land area pledge is inflated by a large reliance on BECCS to meet its 2050 targets, despite no policy discussion to date on this approach, and includes internationally traded forest carbon credits
22 October 2024 - From laggards to leaders: An assessment of Australian banks’ climate commitments 2024 progress report, with email action (ACF)
22 October 2024 - Where there’s smoke: the rising death toll from climate-charged fire in the landscape (The Converrsation)
22 October 2024 - New report reveals Global targets to save 30% of the ocean by 2030 aren’t being met. (The Conversation) Australia cririticised: while adding recent sub-Antarctic Heard and MacDonald Islands MPA brings total protection up to 52%, only about 15% of mainland coastal areas are protected. Much of it is still open to industrial fishing and oil and gas production.
21 October 2024 APA Group under pressure for Beetaloo gas pipeline at AGM. Major questions also to major APA investor UniSuper (Investment Magazine) Sign the Open Letter: APA Group: don’t light the fuse on the Beetaloo carbon bomb (Market Forces) or the ACF email to APA (ACF)
21 October 2024 - Adani Carmicheal Coal mine - Adani launches attack on scientists who revealed new evidence of mining risks to the protected Doongmabulla Springs in peer-reviewed study (ABC News)
21 October 2024 - Alan Kohler: Australia’s bulls–t climate policies (New Daily) See Also Video by Alan Kohler on Carbon Offsets (Youtube ABC News)
18 October 2024 Australia at Biological Diversity COP16 in Columbia 18-27 October (Live Climate Citizen Page) See also Inaugural Global Nature Positive Summit more financial greenwash than tackling decline in nature and biodiversity (Climate Citizen)
18 October 2024 - Malaysia will introduce a carbon tax for iron, steel & energy industries by 2026 (The Edge)
17 October 2024 - New report on the feasability and need for a Frequent Flyer Levy for Europe (Stay Grounded) Australia's 2023 Aviation Green Paper failed to even assess any demand management measures to reduce aviation emissions, such as a Frequent Flyer Levy for Australian aviation. Climate Action Merribek detailed failures in consideration of demand management in their Net-zero Transport Roadmap Submission in August 2024
17 October 2024 - New report on how Japan is fuelling gas expansion. Faces of Impact: JBIC and Japan’s LNG Financing Harms Communities and the Planet. Discusses communities in several countries. For Australia it discusses Scarborough Gas, Burrup Hub and the Browse gas project, and NT Middlearm hub. "A recent memorandum of understanding between JBIC and the Northern Territory Government of Australia suggests JBIC is considering financing the Northern Territory Government’s proposed gas export and petrochemical facility at Middle Arm in Darwin Harbour." (Fossil Free Japan)
17 October 2024 - New comprehensive report on growing global water crisis which will leave half of world food production at risk in next 25 years (Guardian) "The growth in consumption and changes in land use and pollution globally are impacting the quantity and quality of freshwater resources locally. Climate change, deforestation, and loss of biodiversity are mutually reinforcing drivers of shifts that are causing imbalances in the water systems, and changing rainfall patterns— the source of all freshwater."
16 October 2024 - Review of geo-engineering risks: The Risks of Geoengineering: Accelerating Biodiversity Loss and Compounding Planetary Crises (October 2024) Briefing note released ahead of Biodiversity COP16 and Climate COP29 (CIEL)
15 October 2024 - WA Environmental Protection Authority has been stripped of power to assess greenhouse emissions and set reduction targets by the WA Labor Government. An Extraordinary, regressive development in Western Australia, one of the world’s largest exporters of liquefied natural gas. (WA Today | ABC News)
15 October 2024 - Oposition leader Peter Dutton pledges Coalition to fund more gas and gas power plants using the Capacity Investment scheme that is funding renewables. (SMH) Coalition’s energy policy includes abandoning Australia’s target to slash emissions by 43% by 2030 and commits to building up to seven nuclear power stations to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
14 October 2024 - Trees and land absorbed almost no CO2 in 2023. Is nature’s carbon sink failing? Decline in global carbon sink uptake of emissions for both land and oceans. The sudden collapse of carbon sinks was not factored into climate models – and could rapidly accelerate global heating (Guardian) "In Australia, huge soil carbon losses from extreme heat and drought in the vast interior – known as rangelands – are likely to push its climate target out of reach if emissions continue to rise, a study this year found."
13 October 2024 - Carbon Pollution from Australian cremations set to double. Michael Robertson, chief executive of Adelaide Cemeteries, said if Australia mandated low-emissions cremators like those used in Europe, an additional 6000 tonnes of carbon and other particulates could be diverted from the atmosphere every year by 2050. (The Age)
12 October 2024 - Australia facing one of the hottest summers on record, according to BOM prediction (ABC News) due to exceptional heat in our surrounding oceans. It suggests more rain than average, warmer days than average. Look out for hotter nights in particular. (BOM: Climate outlook for November to February) More immediatley... Dome of sweltering NT heat set to spread across vast swathes of Australia (Guardian) Hot wet summers becoming the norm (SMH)
12 October 2024 - Rooftop solar causing more Minimum System Load events in Australian NEM grid (a good problem to have) (Guardian) Clean Energy Council says subsidising household batteries provides a solution to bring down their cost. (Clean Energy Council) Another option is cutailment.
12 October 2024 - USA - Impact of Hurricane Helene and Milton. Scientists say Climate Change Made Hurricane Milton Stronger, With Heavier Rain (Inside Climate News) Milton’s rainfall was made 20-30% more intense by Climate Change, the intensity of rain made 2X more likely. The storm made 10% more intense and storms of a similar intensity now have a 40% greater likelihood of occurring according to a rapid attribution study (World Weather Attribution). Climate change behind almost half cost of Milton and Helene damage in Florida (Imperial College) Grist estimated the damage costs of Hurricane Helene may be $US200 billion, largely not covered by insurance. (Grist) Milton could cost insurers alone up to $US100 billion. (SMH) The Guardian view on Hurricane Milton and other disasters: extreme politics is worsening extreme weather (Guardian) Straining resources with competing climate disasters (Guardian)
11 October 2024 - Victoria. Golden Plans wind farm switched on. It is so far the largest wind farm in the Southern Hemisphere, and the biggest onshore wind farm in the world. (The Age) 40 local landholders, 52 turbines. Another 163 turbines due by the end of 2026. When complete, its 215 turbines will produce more than 4000 GWh of energy each year – enough for 765,000 homes and 9 per cent of Victoria’s energy requirements. Payments to landholders will provide drought-proof income, plus local community fund and payments to the local Council.
11 October 2024 - Glencore withdraws massive HVO Hunter coal mine expansion with 1.2 billion tonnes of lifecycle emissions from Federal approvals process (Australia Institute | Lock the Gate)
11 October 2024 - new research questions integrity of Australian carbon offsets scheme. ‘It’s almost beyond belief’: Findings blast Australia’s biggest carbon offset scheme (The Age) Major administrative failings in Australia’s carbon credit scheme. “The Clean Energy Regulator’s administration of Australia’s carbon credit scheme has let us all down terribly,” Professor Butler said. “They’ve used hundreds of millions of dollars of public money to build a house of cards that is enabling climate inaction and will render the Safeguard Mechanism, ineffective. The failure of this scheme will only become more obvious as time goes on.”(UNSW)
10 October 2024 - Global wildlife populations have plunged by an average of 73% in 50 years, a new scientific assessment by WWF UK has found, as humans continue to push ecosystems to the brink of collapse. (Guardian)
8 October 2024 - Latest science assessment says World is in deep peril with the Climate Crisis. "We are on the brink of an irreversible climate disaster. This is a global emergency beyond any doubt. Much of the very fabric of life on Earth is imperiled. We are stepping into a critical and unpredictable new phase of the climate crisis." William J Ripple, Christopher Wolf, Jillian W Gregg, Johan Rockström, Michael E Mann, Naomi Oreskes, Timothy M Lenton, Stefan Rahmstorf, Thomas M Newsome, Chi Xu, Jens-Christian Svenning, Cássio Cardoso Pereira, Beverly E Law, Thomas W Crowther, The 2024 state of the climate report: Perilous times on planet Earth, BioScience, 2024;, biae087, https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biae087 Summary at (The Conversation)
8 October 2024 - Environment Minister announces ‘Huge environmental win’: Australia to protect 52% of its oceans, more than any other country, Plibersek says. Sub-Antarctic marine park expansion welcomed but scientists say some areas important to penguins and seals missed out on sanctuary-level protection (Guardian), and under the Biodiversity convention definition only about 25% is now adequately protected according to Dr Ian Cresswell.(Guardian) Meanwhile 400km from the Nature Positive Summit The NSW Forestry Corporation has started logging in Bulga state forest, inland from Port Macquarie,in habitat of threatened species including endangered koalas and the endangered greater glider. (Guardian)
7 October 2024 - Australian Government spends around 50 times more on subsidising activities that harm the environment than it spends on helping biodiversity each year argues the Biodiversity Council. The assessment found that around 4% of the federal budget goes to subsidising activities that are likely to have a medium to high adverse impact on biodiversity; a total of $26.3 billion per year. (Biodiversity Council)
7 October 224 - Japan backs fossil fuels in Southeast Asian “zero emission” initiative. Japan’s Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) supported 56 projects using fossil fuel technologies in Southeast Asia — including LNG and carbon capture (Climate Change News) Zero emissions or fossil fuels? Tracking Japan’s AZEC projects. Results show AZEC is supporting prolonged fossil fuel use (Zero Carbon Analytics)
7 October 2024 - Australian Security Leaders Climate Group calls for overhaul of federal government's climate threat preparedness strategy (ABC News) Read the Australia Security Leaders Climate Group National Climate Security Summit Communiqué: Addressing the threat of climate change to Australia’s security landscape (ASLCG)
6 October 2024 - Australia claims progress in climate action, while fossil fuel expansion for export continues under Labor claims Energy analyst Ketan Joshi - The blurred self image of progressive climate villains. It includes some analysis of the effectiveness of the Safeguard Mechanism: "there hasn’t been any change in total emissions since the time it became active in July 2023" (KetanJoshi)
4 October 2024 - Exported gas produces far worse emissions than coal, major study finds. Research challenges idea that sending liquefied natural gas around the world is cleaner alternative to burning coal (Guardian) "Overall, the greenhouse gas footprint for LNG as a fuel source is 33% greater than that for coal when analyzed using GWP20 (160 g CO2-equivalent/MJ vs. 120 g CO2-equivalent/MJ). Even considered on the time frame of 100 years after emission (GWP100), which severely understates the climatic damage of methane, the LNG footprint equals or exceeds that of coal." (Energy, Science and Engineering Journal) Debunked: All those speeches rolled out over the last decade, especially by Labor politicians, justifying gas expansion as a lower emissions 'transition fuel'.
4 Octoberr 2024 - Gap in Albanese government’s new fuel efficiency rules means ‘biggest, dirtiest polluters’ exempt. New vehicle efficiency standards (NVES) will not apply to at least four large vehicles, source says (Guardian)
4 October 2024 - Ex-carbon offsetting boss charged in New York with multimillion-dollar fraud (Guardian) Wonder if the same could happen in Australia? Given integrity issues and supervision of Carbon Offsets? See The Age 16 Sep 2024, ‘Extreme risk’: Carbon watchdog mismanaged conflicts, ‘intimidated’ scientists
3 October 2024 - Australia sees a rise in "greenhushing," where carbon-neutral firms underreport their sustainability efforts. This silence stems from fears of scrutiny and low consumer interest. (Groundreport.In)
3 October 2024 - Gas power in future grid will be “tiny” and its cost exorbitant, IEEFA report finds (RenewEconomy). IEEFA claims while the capacity of gas generating capacity increases, its use in the generation mix actually falls significantly. Future role of gas in the NEM is likely overstated (IEEFA)
2 October 2024 - Two cancer doctors highlight Beetaloo gas fracking and Middlearm petrochemical hub could generate a 'cancer alley' in the Northern Territory in a letter to the Medical Journal of Australia. "Australia risks creating its own “sacrifice zone”, harming the health of its people and contributing irrevocably to the climate crisis." (MJA)
2 October 2024 - WA Labor government accused of shelving climate laws as emissions continue to rise (Guardian) "WA is the only Australian state without a 2030 emissions reduction target. National data says climate pollution in the five eastern states fell by at least 27% between 2005 and 2022 while rising 8% in WA, largely due to the state’s expanding liquified natural gas (LNG) export industry"
1 October 2024 - Tuvalu climate minister declares Australia’s coalmine decision ‘immoral’, akin to drowning Pacific neighbours (Guardian) “I have made my view on new coal projects very clear at last month’s Pacific Islands Forum: fossil fuels are killing us, all of us. It is therefore immoral and unacceptable to any country to open new fossil fuel projects, as Australia has recently done with the three coalmine expansion projects it has just approved,” Talia told Guardian Australia.
1 October 2024 - Azerbaijan is using Cop29 to ‘peacewash’ its global image (The Conversation) See also Climate Action Tracker 25 September assessment rating Azerbaijan as Critically Insufficient. "Azerbaijan appears to have abandoned its 2030 emissions target, moving backward instead of forward on climate action. Its renewable energy targets remain weak. Azerbaijan’s economy is dependent on fossil fuel production and the government plans to increase fossil gas extraction by more than 30% over the coming decade. Emissions from exported fossil fuels are twice as high as domestic emissions. (Climate Action Tracker)
1 October 2024 - Highest Annual Growth of Renewables Jobs in 2023, Reaching 16.2 Million (IRENA) The levelised cost of electricity produced from most forms of renewable power continued to fall year-on-year in 2023, with solar PV leading the cost reductions, followed by offshore wind according to a new report on renewable generation costs (IRENA)
30 September 2024 - Nature Positive market? Economics editor Ross Gittins nails the problem of nature market offsets and credits and the solution: "how else can we pursue nature positive? Well, here’s a radical thought: governments could stop logging native forests, stop further land clearing, stop subsidising fossil fuels, stop permitting new mines and gas fields, and start spending a lot of money restoring land and habitat." (The Age)
30 September 2024 - Statements on Climate by Foreign Minister Senator Wong at UN General Assembly (Climate Citizen)
30 September 2024 - Australian author Tim Winton on the dejection of young people with the Climate Crisis experiencing helplessness, anger, insomnia, panic and guilt about climate breakdown. "A child born now will experience 24 times the number of extreme climate events as a politician born in the 1960s." Our leaders are "so ensnared in webs of patronage and co-option they can neither see nor acknowledge our real predicament, which is a state of global subjugation to fossil capitalism. What they offer us – young and old – is business as usual, and for all their deluded airs of respectability and legitimacy, our leaders are largely agents of desolation. Deep down we know it. This is the source of our communal dread. Few of us want to admit it, but what we’re experiencing is the horror of resignation, the humiliation of captivity and the shame of collaboration." Our leaders are collaborators with fossil fuel colonialists. This is the source of our communal dread (Guardian)
29 September 2024 - The ‘Wicked problem’ of declining Fuel Excise tax as EV sales increase, and raising revenue for road maintenaince: Coalition doesn’t rule out EV road user tax as fuel excise falls with uptake of greener vehicles (Guardian)
29 September 2024 - Waste to Energy Incinerators in Australia questioned. Burning rubbish to create energy could end landfills. But some worry where Australia’s new path is leading. Some conservationists believe the ‘incineration industry’ is trying to gain a foothold in Australia and say the trend will end up damaging the environment (Guardian) See also new IPEN report on how Waste Incineration Drives the Triple Planetary Crisis (3 Sep).
28 September 2024 - Scientists test heat limits on humans for the first time (ABC News Video) Also draws upon 2021 study Global, regional, and national burden of mortality associated with non-optimal ambient temperatures from 2000 to 2019: a three-stage modelling study (Lancet Planetary Health), and this 2023 study: A physiological approach for assessing human survivability and liveability to heat in a changing climate (Nature Communications)
27 September 2024 - For the first time Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) issues a warning for Victoria's electricity grid — known as a minimum system load notice - due to extent of rooftop solar providing electricity and reducing demand during sunny mild weather. (ABC News) Obvious more grid, community scale and household batteries are required in the system.
27 September 2024 - Blow to offshore gas exploration with Seismic Blasting in the Otway Basin in Bass Strait abandoned due to widespread community protest and submission writing. (ABC Nerws | Australian Marine Conservation Society | Greenleft)
26 September 2024 - Sea level rise inevitable for Pacific Islands despite future greenhouse gas emissions reduction, NASA finds (ABC News)
25 September 2024 - Dutton’s nuclear plan would mean propping up coal for at least 12 more years – and we don’t know what it would cost (The Conversation)
25 September 2024 - Australian Rooftop solar installations booming. (The Age). Households added 1.3 GW of power capacity to the national electricity grid through 141,364 new rooftop solar installations in the first six months of 2024, a Clean Energy Council report says, while only 310 MW large-scale generation projects came online during the same period. Australia now has 24.4 gigawatts of installed rooftop solar capacity, compared with 21.3 gigawatts of coal-powered electricity in the 2023-24 financial year. Clean Energy Regulator approved 1.4 gigawatts of large-scale renewables in the first half of 2024, with 2.5 gigawatts of applications awaiting assessment.
24 September 2024 - Tanya Plibersek approves three coalmine expansions in move criticised as ‘the opposite of climate action’ (Guardian) Merri-bek outrage over coal mines decision (CAMerribek) Federal Labor MP Peter Khalil Advisory Group resigns en mass - coal approval last straw. (CAMerribek) Rising Tide blocks Newcastle coal train (ABC News)
24 September 2024 - Planetary Boundaries - Earth may have breached seven of nine planetary boundaries, health check shows. Ocean acidification close to critical threshold, say scientists, posing threat to marine ecosystems and global liveability (Guardian)
23 September 2024. Global research on positive tipping points cascade in power, transport and heating. During New York City Climate Week the Global Systems Institute at University of Exeter, UK released a policy comparison of targeted tax, subsidies or regulatory mandate for effecting energy transition. It found that regulatory mandates with specific timeframes were the most effective and likely to cause a positive cascade. (Exeter University | Guardian | Report PDF)
23 September 2024 - Peter Dutton refuses to divulge costs of Australia going nuclear at anticipated ‘could it work’ speech (Guardian) "The protestors with the placards outside the hotel were closest to the truth: This is about denial and delay, the whole policy is an elaborate troll, a political hoax, and a refuge for the climate deniers and do-littles. Nothing more, nothing less." (Renew Economy)
23 September 2024 - Carbon credits review: Criticism by Chief Scientist of Clean Energy Regulator interference in independent submissions. The Safeguard mechanism for Australia's top climate polluters is heavily dependent on use of Carbon Credits. (SMH)
22 September 2024 - UN Summit for the Future commits to “transitioning away from fossil fuels”, cementing the agreement made at COP28, but weakened by last-minute addition of loopholes, qualifiers and dangerous distractions directly from the fossil fuel industry playbook. 56 actions agreed to on climate, peace, poverty reduction to help meet Sustainable Development Goals. (Fossil Fuel Treaty | UN Pact for the Future outcomes | UN News) See UN Secretary General speech at start of the Summit of the future.
21 September 2024 - Corporate Capture: Western Australian gas companies Mineral Resources and Woodside gave more than $20,000 to WA Labor while it was considering changes to its domestic gas policy that allowed more gas to be exported from the state. (Guardian)
20 September 2024 - The Coalition’s Nuclear Plan and proposal to cap large-scale renewable energy would lead to “massive” electricity supply shortages risking blackouts, according to analysis by the federal government Energy Department. Electricity supply could be at least 18% less than what will be needed in 2035 under a scenario that reflects the few details of the Coalition plan. (Guardian) Further an IEEFA report says Coalition’s nuclear plan will add $665 a year to average power bill. The cost of electricity generated from nuclear plants would likely be 1.5 to 3.8 times the current cost of electricity generation in eastern Australia. (Guardian)
19 September 2024 - Climate Council Seize the Sun report on the need to ramp up rooftop solar. Currently 3.6 million households have solar with an additional 300,000 added each year. Rooftop solar adds up to 23 gigawatts of affordable renewable energy capacity, about a quarter of total capacity. Potential to add 4 million solar systems. Need to roll out 25 gigawatts of battery storage to unlock the cost savings of solar. Existing solar saves Average households more than $1,500 a year. Collectively, Australian households with rooftop solar are saving nearly $3 billion a year on their power bills, rerducing the cost of living. Action: sign-on to an open letter to Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition to ramp up rooftop solar.
19 September 2024 - Western Australia’s decision to lift onshore gas export ban will drive up emissions, say conservationists (Guardian)
18 September 2024 - a zombie gas project rears its head off the NSW Coast. Albanese government issues ‘preliminary refusal’ of Pep11 gas project previously vetoed by Scott Morrison (Guardian)
18 September 2024 - The world is spending at least $2.6tn (£2tn) a year on subsidies that drive global heating and destroy nature, according to new analysis by Earth Track. (Guardian) Report: Protecting Nature by Reforming Environmentally Harmful Subsidies: An Update (Earth Track)
Another report by Action Aid - How the Finance Flows: The banks fuelling the climate crisis - says that more than $650bn (£494bn) a year in public subsidies goes to fossil fuel companies, intensive agriculture and other harmful industries in the developing world. Many of the subsidies were owing to “corporate capture” of the government and public institutions, while climate finance to enable transition is lacking. (Guardian | Action Aid Report)
18 September 2024 - Fossil fuel companies sponsor $5.6bn in global ‘sportswashing’ deals, and this is likely an underestimate. (Guardian) Top sports sponsors include Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil company ($1.3 billion); British oil major Shell ($469 million); petrochemicals giant Ineos ($776 million); and French oil company TotalEnergies ($327 million), the study by the New Weather Institute found.(Desmog) This includes some $80 million by Gina Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting into Olympic sports since 2012. (SMH) Action: Climate Council developed in 2023 a fossil fuel free sponsorship code, Calling Time: How to Remove Fossil Fuel Sponsorships from Sports, Arts and Events. (Climate Council)
17 September 2024 - The big Labor fail in updating Australia's Nature laws to include climate impacts and beefed compliance. Adam Morton on The environment was meant to be ‘back on the priority list’ under Labor. Instead we’ve seen a familiar story (Guardian) "Every year since the act came into force in 2000, Austalia’s threatened species populations have actually fallen 2-3%. When development, agriculture and infrastructure projects do get assessed under these laws, about 99% are approved. Experts have found the laws permit ongoing destruction of critical habitat for threatened species.... our government is showing worrying signs of letting industry and developers control their environmental agenda." (The Conversation) Biodiversity Council has urged Labor Government to establish a robust EPA and EIA (Biodiversity Council).
16 September 2024 - ‘Extreme risk’: Australia's Carbon watchdog mismanaged conflicts, ‘intimidated’ scientists (the Age) The whole Safeguard Mechanism to reduce emissions is reliant on the integrity of carbon offsets. Research by former Emissions Reduction Assurance Committee Chair Andrew Macintosh in 2022 found the majority of carbon projects were fraudulent, a massive waste of taxpayer funds and failing to abate emissions. See also MacIntosh etal, Nature, 26 March 2024, Australian human-induced native forest regeneration carbon offset projects have limited impact on changes in woody vegetation cover and carbon removals (Nature)
16 September 2024 - Prime Minister Anthony Albanese rejected need for a climate Trigger in National Environment Laws, despite proposing a climate trigger in 2005. (Renew Economy) "I don't support adding a trigger to that legislation. Climate issues are dealt with through the safeguard mechanism. We've dealt with that." he said at a PM press conference. See also 23 Sep Explainer: How the “climate trigger” could be the answer to Australia’s fossil fuel problem (Renew Economy)
14 September 2024 - Environment Minister refers NT Beetaloo Basin fracking for scientific assessment of impact on water resources, but fails to use her powers under the Water Trigger to 'call-in' the projects to halt fracking while the assessment is underway. (Guardian). Request for advice is far too little too late says Lock the Gate.
14 September 2024 - The Hague becomes world’s first city to pass law banning fossil fuel-related ads. Legislation makes it illegal to advertise fossil fuel products and services with a high carbon footprint. (Guardian) Australia should do the same and implement a Fossil Ad Ban.
13 September 2024 - Labor’s new ‘renewable hydrogen’ targets aim for Australia to produce 15m tonnes by 2050, and a stretch goal of 30m tonnes. The plan aims for annual exports of 200,000 tonnes of exports by 2030, with a “stretch” goal of 1.2mt/year. (Guardian | Hydrogen Energy Plan 2024 PDF | Chris Bowen Speech to the APAC Hydrogen Summit, Brisbane) The strategy does not Mention The Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain project converting brown coal to hydrogen, jointly funded by Commonwealth and State Governments along with Japanese energy companies. (See Environment Victoria) For background see also Hope and hydrogen – Australia’s hydrogen export charade. Australia needs to produce 500,000 tonnes just to replace current fossil fuel hydrogen use, before considering new use in road, rail, ship and aviation transport and for export. (Australia Institute)
13 September 2024 - Federal Minister approves Melbourne Airport 3rd runway costing $3 billion to be constructed by 2031, ignoring the greenhouse gas emissions this will induce, estimated at a 55% increase in emissions by Flight Free Australia (Minister statement | Flight Free Australia)
12 September 2024 - Rich nations stay silent on future climate finance says Climate Action Network. Parties to the United Nations climate negotiations ended their final technical meeting ahead of November’s COP29 climate summit in Baku with little progress on an agreed new climate finance goal, known as the NCQG. (CANi)
12 September 2024 - Legal action against fossil fuel companies has tripled since 2015. 86 climate lawsuits have been filed against the world’s largest oil, gas, and coal producing corporations – including BP, Chevron, Eni, ExxonMobil, Shell, and TotalEnergies – with two in five cases involving claims for compensation for climate change damages linked to fossil fuels. (Oil Change International)
11 September 2024 - Climate Council report on how Australia hosting a UN Climate Conference, COP31 in 2026, would bring impetus to decarbonistion and economic benefits. Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide are in the running as city hosts. The decision likely to be made this November at COP29. (Climate Council)
10 September 2024 - Fossil Fuel Subsidies: The Fuel Tax Credits Scheme, also called the Diesel Fuel Rebate, is a subsidy for fossil fuel use valued at $10.2 billion in 2024-25. It works by refunding fuel tax paid by certain fuel users. The Scheme largely benefits coal and iron ore miners. The subsidy is estimated to be worth $4.8 billion to the mining industry, and $1.3 billion to farmers in 2024-25, with $1.4 billion going to the coal industry alone, The Report recommends scrapping fuel tax rebates for mining, not farmers (Australia Institute).
9 September 2024 - Almost 68% of Australia’s tourism sites at major risk if climate crisis continues, report says. At least half of 178 tourism assets around the country – from national parks to city attractions and airports – are facing major climate risks. And as the heat rises, so do the disruptions. Many of the country’s 620,000 tourism jobs will be under threat (Guardian | Zurich media release and report link)
8 September 2024 - Report of Second Meeting of U.S.-China Working Group on Enhancing Climate Action in the 2020s, 4-6 Sep (US State Dept)
- Meeting reaffirmed their intention to jointly host, with the COP 29 Presidency of Azerbaijan, a Methane and Other Non-CO2 Greenhouse Gases Summit at COP 29;
- advance efforts to halt and reverse forest loss by 2030, and continue collaborative efforts to enforce their respective laws on banning illegal imports, and promote global forest conservation and sustainable management;
- strengthen dialogue, collaborative efforts, and working with other Parties to support the Azerbaijan Presidency for a successful outcome of COP 29, including on, inter alia, the new collective quantified goal (WRI Explainer: new collective quantified goal on climate finance (NCQG)) and Article 6 (Carbon Markets) under the Paris Agreement (Pollination Explainer: Article 6 developments for COP29)
8 September 2024 - South Australia is aiming for 100% renewable energy by 2027. It’s already internationally ‘remarkable’ for a grid serving 2 million people. Bipartisanship was a key enabler, along with substantial uptake of rooftop solar, providing a lesson for other states and Federal sphere of Australian Politics (Guardian)
7 September 2024 - Global heat: Summer 2024 sweltered to Earth’s hottest on record, making it even more likely that this year will end up as the warmest humanity has measured, says Copernicus (Copernicus | Guardian) Heatwave across US west breaks records for highest temperatures. Hottest summer on record continues, with millions from Phoenix to Los Angeles to Seattle under heat alerts (Guardian) While in the UK Soggy summers and warmer winters are hitting sales as climate crisis blurs seasons (Guardian) Australia: Temperatures surge in south-eastern Australia as windy weather blasts NSW and Victoria (Guardian)
6 September 2024 - Dusky Sea Snake on threatened species list undermines Woodside Energy's Browse gas project around Scott Reef (Guardian) But it seems the Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has already ruled out reassessment of the $29bn gas project based on the threat to the sea snake. (Australian Business Review) It is shocking enough that the climate impacts of a new gas field aren't enough to stop it, reason why we need a Climate Trigger in National Environment Laws.
5 September 2024 - University funding from fossil fuels slowing switch to green energy (Guardian) Study: Fossil fuel industry influence in higher education: A review and a research agenda. One key site of ongoing climate obstructionism identified by researchers, journalists, and advocates is higher education. (Wires)
5 September 2024 - new report on Japanese fossil fuel finance around the world - $93 billion over 10 years. Japan is purchasing Australian LNG and onselling to Asia. Billions Off Course: Japan's Oil and Gas Financing Fueling the Climate Crisis (For Our Climate)
5 September 2024. New report on the gas sector. With proposals to import gas this new report shows the farce and political failure in managing and regulating gas industry. Around 80% of Australia’s gas is exported as liquefied natural gas (LNG). Over half (56%) of gas exported from Australia attracts zero royalty payments, effectively giving a public resource to multinational corporations for free. Across the country, gas and oil extraction employs just 21,200 workers — less than half of one percent (0.15%) of the 14 million people employed in Australia. (Australia Institute)
5 September 2024 - The Australian government may delay the announcement of a 2035 climate target until after the February deadline and beyond the next election, in part due to uncertainty about the ramifications of the US presidential election. Climate Change Authority suggests Australia could meet an “ambitious” target of cutting emissions by at least 65% and up to 75% below 2005 levels by 2035 (See CCA Targets paper, April 2024), but is yet to make its final recommendation. (Guardian)
4 September 2024 - 600 new zero emission battery electric buses by 2035 for Victoria (Premier media release | The Driven) Also of note: Volvo releases 600km range heavy duty battery electric truck (The Driven)
4 September 2024 - Companies that received federal environmental approvals made $54.8 million in political donations in the 24 years to 2022, analysis shows. (Lock The Gate)
- Woodside and Santos donated nearly $3 million each to Labor and the Coalition during the 24 year period.
- Santos projects received eight federal environmental approvals and Woodside projects received nine federal environmental approvals during this time.
- Coal companies including Adani, Whitehaven, and Glencore collectively donated $3.1 million dollars over the 24 year period and received 24 project approvals under the EPBC Act.
- Lobby groups representing the interests of mining companies such as the Minerals Council of Australia and NSW Minerals Council collectively donated more than $1 million to the two major parties.
3 September 2024 - New Report from IPEN: Waste Incineration Drives the Triple Planetary Crisis. Report argues Incineration is an outdated, unsustainable method for waste disposal, as burning waste, especially plastics, produces dangerous air emissions and high amounts of toxic ash. IPEN finds that burning waste, especially plastics, produces unsustainable and unmanageable hazardous air emissions and large amounts of highly toxic solid residues (ash), concluding that alternatives to incineration should be implemented globally. Given the challenges faced by the triple planetary crisis of biodiversity loss, climate change, and toxic pollution, the report finds that waste incineration contributes to all three of these interlinked problems. (IPEN) Note: Victorian state government is planning 5 Waste to Energy incinerators around Melbourne.
3 September 2024 - 20 more species added to Australia’s threatened wildlife and flora list, including a species of Waratah. One ecological community – the King Island scrub complex, was also added.The fresh listings bring the total number of endangered plants, animals and ecosystems to 2,245. This listing comes days after the Albanese Government suggested watering down new EPA legislation. (Guardian)
2 September 2024 - offshore wind zone declared off the coast of Bunbury, Western Australia. After engagement and consultation the Bunbury offshore wind zone has been amended to be at least 30km from shore at its closest point, excludes more than 60% of the recreational fishing areas requested for exclusion including Naturaliste Reef and provides further separation from breeding areas and migratory paths for Southern Right Whales. The final area covers 4,000km2 – reducing the zone by about half. It will create close to 7,000 jobs during construction and around 3,500 ongoing jobs for engineers, electrical technicians, cable installers, boilermakers, crane operators, riggers, seafarers, dockworkers and administrators. (DCCEEW - Chris Bowen media release)
2 September - Albanese Government looking to water down new EPA powers in national environment laws. Still no action to insert Climate Trigger in these laws. (Guardian)
2 September 2024 - Australia sweats through hottest August on record with temperatures 3C above average (Guardian) See also BOM: Australia in August 2024
1 September 2024 - Australian emissions rise by 0.6% in March 2024 Quarter as emissions reduction flatlines for past 3 years (Climate Action Merribek) See also Adam Moreton raising the same issues relating to emissions reduction on 4 Sep: Let’s be honest: Australia’s claim to have cut climate pollution isn’t as good as it seems (Guardian)
30 August 2024 - Australia experiences record breaking winter heatwave; Rapid snow season decline; Global Snapshot of news reveals climate crisis extent (Climate Citizen)
30 August 2024 - Territory Labor MPs accused of breaking promises as Tamboran starts work on new fracking project in Beetaloo Basin (Lock the Gate) Environment Minster Tanya Plibersek has so far failed to call in Tamboran fracking project for assessment under the Water Trigger which became Federal Law in late 2023. See also Greens Media release 3 Sep: Plibersek Fails To Use Water Trigger As NT Fracking Starts (Mirage News)
30 August 2024 - The Tipping Points of Climate Change and Where We Stand in 2024 | Johan Rockström - August TED talk (Climate Citizen) Also Climate tipping points implications for Australia. Australian scientists assessed the regional impact of tipping points in November 2023 and released a new report in February 2024.
29 August 2024 - ‘Immoral and unacceptable’: Tuvalu calls on Australia to set urgent deadline to end fossil fuels (Guardian) Maina Talia, Climate Minister from Tuvalu, said: “Opening, subsidising and exporting fossil fuels is immoral and unacceptable. If this [Pif leaders’ meeting] aims for regional prosperity, we must address climate justice, sea level rise and the root cause of climate change which is the burning of Fossil fuels.”
28 August 2024 - Victorian Legislative Council establishes Inquiry into decommissioning oil and gas infrastructure in Bass Straight (Hansard | Wilderness Society)
28 August 2024 - Woolworths announces decision to source deforestation-free beef from 2025. This follows Aldi commitment. Coles has still to step up of the major Australian supermarkets. Land clearing for beef grazing is a major driver of Australian deforestation (Greenpeace | ACF | ABC News)
27 August 2024 - New climate finance policy document launched in conjunction with Pacific Islands Forum. Seizing the Moment: A new Climate Finance Goal that delivers for the Pacific communicates civil society’s expectations of the Australian and New Zealand Governments when negotiating the new global climate finance goal at the UN Climate Conference in November 2024. (Action Aid) "Australia and New Zealand’s climate finance contributions are falling short of need. Australia’s commitment to provide AUD 3 billion over 2020-2025 is well short of its estimated fair share of the USD 100 billion goal, which is AUD 4 billion per year. Both countries have redirected substantial portions of their climate finance from existing aid budgets, undermining climate and development action across the region."
Report recommends for Australia:
"1. Take immediate steps to achieve its fair share of the USD 100 billion climate finance goal, estimated at AUD 4 billion annually, and commit an initial AUD 100 million in new and additional finance to the the global Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage.
2. Ensure that all climate funding is delivered in the form of grants not loans and is additional to Australia’s aid obligations."
27 August 2024 - surging sea level rise. Two reports launched by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in Tonga, associated with attending Pacific Islands Forum (UN News). The first report is a Technical Briefing by the UN Climate Action Team on Surging seas in a warming world, which summarises the latest science on accelerating sea level rise since the last IPCC 6th assessment report. The other report is by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) on State of the Climate in the South-West Pacific 2023. Key messages from the WMO report include: Climate change threatens the future of Pacific islands; Sea level rise accelerates and is above global average; Ocean heating and acidification harm ecosystems and livelihoods; Early warnings are integral part of climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. (See Climate Citizen: Surging seas driven by the climate crisis already impacting Island nations says UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres)
26 August 2024 - 40°C in August? A climate expert explains why Australia is ridiculously hot right now (The Conversation) A number of winter heat records have been broken for Australia.
26 August 2024 - Aviation White Paper released. "The government is committed to growing General Aviation into the future" is inconsistent with decarbonisation of the sector by 2050. The Government puts forward the development of a domestic SAF industry and technological advancements in electric and hydrogen-powered flight to meet the target, ignoring any demand management options. This is magical thinking. (see Aviation White Paper—Towards 2050 - Dep of Infrastructure and Transport) Flight Free has a briefing note dispelling some of the hype that low carbon liquid fuels or 'Sustainable Aviations Fuels', will achieve the emissions reduction needed. Also read the FlightFree analysis on Are “sustainable” fuels emissions free?, especially the correspondence with CSIRO in the left column on the Joint CSIRO and Boeing “Sustainable Aviation Fuel Roadmap”.
Much of the media has focussed on (the much needed) new initiatives for Aviation Customer Rights Charter and aviation-specific disability standards, ignoring the huge holes in the aviation decarbonisation plan. Development of SAF will not replace current fuels but will be blended. It will also be 2 to 4 times as expensive, with no plan in place for how aviation will meet these costs other than a proposed by industry voluntary flyer opt-in payment.
26 August 2024 - Methane reporting. The Federal Government has agreed in full or agreed in principle to 24 of the Climate Change Authority’s NGER Scheme recommendations and noted 1 recommendation. This includes appointing Chief Scientist Cathy Foley AO PSM to lead an expert panel as part of broader efforts to ensure the ongoing reporting for methane and other greenhouse gases is accurate and transparent. (Climate Minister Statement | Australia Government response to the 2023 CCA review of the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Legislation | Climate Council media statement)
26 August 2024 - There is no gas shortage. Australia exports 35 times more gas than the "shortage" of gas projected in the 2030s (Australia Institute) "Australia exports around 75% of the gas that is mined on our land and in our coastal areas, and another 7% of all of Australia’s gas is used to convert gas to LNG. That adds up to 82% of our gas. For comparison, Australian households use 2.6% per cent of all the gas produced in Australia." See Report: What is the case for more gas? Government modelling of the Future Gas Strategy does not show a need for more gas.
22 August 2024 - Mandatory Climate-related Financial Disclosure for large companies passes in the Senate. The largest companies and financial institutions must provide greater detail on how climate change is affecting strategy and key business decision under amendments to the Corporations Act. This is a major revamp of corporate climate reporting. (Read detail at APH | Media release by Treasurer Jim Chalmers | Renew Economy)
23 August 2024 - $1 Trillion LNG Infrastructure Boom Threatens Climate Goals. (OilPrice) See original Earth Insight report.
21 August 2024 - ANZ, NAB and Westpac banks ponder approving $750 million in finance to Santos for new Fossil Gas projects, while CommBank formally walks away from climate wrecking clients (Market Forces) Take action: email the banks via Market Forces App, ACF Email App this week.
See also video from Protest outside NAB Bank Melbourne headquarters
21 August 2024 - Victorian Climate and Energy Minister Lily D'Ambrosio launches plan for 95% renewables by 2035, net zero by 2045. (Media Release | Summary plan PDF, Vic Dept of Energy)(RenewEconomy)
21 August 2024 - Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek gives approval for Sun Cable Renewables Project to proceed (Media Release - Tanya Plibersek). The approval includes the 800 kms transmission link to Darwin from the pastoral property near Elliott in the Northern Territory, and will allow for up to 10 gigawatts of solar and battery storage to be built, providing up to 4 GW of 24/7 green power. Approval also includes sub sea cable to the limit of Australian waters, in anticipation of second stage to export low cost wind and solar to Singapore and other nations, of up to 6 GW of green power (RenewEconomy)
20 August - New report: Koalas or coal mines, how the federal government can save Australia’s most iconic species’ - national report launched by alliance of climate and nature conservation groups focussed on mining threat to endangered Koala habitat (Mackay Conservation Group PDF)
20 August - New report on complicity of oil suppliers in fueling Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people. Oil Change briefing, Behind the Barrel: New Insights into the Countries and Companies Behind Israel's Fuel Supply. The ongoing complicity of oil suppliers in fueling Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people is despite recent rulings from the International Court of Justice. With over 65 tankers delivering crude oil and refined products since October, action is needed now more than ever. (Oil Change)
19 August 2024 - BNEF Australia report: “Australia’s window to stay on a well-below-2C pathway is closing, fast,” Leonard Quong, head of BNEF Australia said on a new BNEF report. “Rapidly moving to a clean power system based on wind, solar and storage will be essential to cost-effectively reduce carbon emissions in line with our existing decarbonization targets.” Report says Australia needs to scale up its emission reductions targets from 43% by 2030 suggesting 71% reduction from 2005 levels by 2035, and it makes clear that the investment and spending also needs to treble, from a record $18 billion in 2023 to around $55 billion a year now and to $83 billion in the 2030s. (RenewEconomy)
18 August 2024 - Amazon rainforest ‘Nobody ever saw anything like this before’: how methane emissions are pushing the Amazon towards environmental catastrophe (Guardian)
18 August 2024 - Feature article on the win-win of grazing sheep with solar farms in Australia. Agrivoltaics. (The Age)
17 August 2024 - Background article on why and how the petrostate of Azerbaijan came to host COP29. Australia is seeking to host COP31 in 2026. (The Age)
16 August 2024 - Heat inequality ‘causing thousands of unreported deaths in poor countries’ (Guardian)
16 August - China adds new clean power from Solar and Wind at a record pace. Emissions are likely to have peaked this year. Electricity generation from coal and gas dropped by 5% in China in July, year on year. In 2023 China installed a record 293GW of wind and solar generating capacity. Last month, solar and wind capacity outstripped China’s coal-fired electricity capacity. By 2026, solar power alone will surpass coal as China’s primary energy source, with a capacity of more than 1.38TW (Guardian)
14 August - New Australian Medical report: Fossil Fuels are a Health Hazard. Sign the petition (Doctors for the Environment: Report | Press Release)
12 August 2024 - Australian fossil fuel exports ranked second only to Russia for climate damage with ‘no plan’ for reduction. Coal and gas exports expected to remain roughly at current level until at least 2035 with 4.5% of emissions linked to Australia, report finds (Guardian)
12 August 2024 - New report on Cruise ship emissions. Cruise ships are getting larger and more numerous. This is a problem for the environment. (Transport and Environment) See Blog Post - Cruise ships are getting larger and emissions are growing says new report
- At the current rate of growth, the biggest cruise ships in 2050 could become almost eight times bigger than the Titanic and carry nearly 11,000 passengers
- Twentyfold increase in the number of cruise ships from only 21 in 1970 to 515 today
- Cruise ship CO2 emissions were already nearly 20% higher in 2022 than in 2019 before the pandemic
- Cruise ships are currently exempt from fuel duties as well as most corporate and consumer taxes. A €50 tax on a typical cruise journey ticket would bring in €1.6 billion globally, €410 million of which would be raised in Europe.
7 August 2024 - $41 billion of new fossil fuel projects are gobbling up construction supply chain. Taxpayer money is helping fund private infrastructure that makes it harder to build public transport and housing, in the middle of a housing crisis, and when we need to build more public and active transport infrastructure to reduce transport emissions. In the NT alone, the Commonwealth Government is spending $100 million on roads explicitly for the onshore gas industry. (Australia Institute)
7 August 2024 - More species added to Australia's endangered list. Australia’s government now recognises 2,224 species as being under threat of extinction. (Australian Conservation Foundaton)
6 August 2024. An overwhelming proportion of Australia's gas is literally given away for companies profit. New Australia Institute report highlights:
"Australia has ten facilities that export gas as liquified natural gas (LNG). Six of these projects—both of the Northern Territory’s facilities and four of the five operating in Western Australia—pay no royalties, either state or federal. These facilities represent 56% of Australia’s gas export capacity. This means that all the gas exported from the NT, and more than half the gas exported from Australia, is given for free to the companies exporting it."
"The monetary value of this gas is enormous. The total value of LNG exports over the last four years is estimated at $265 billion Australia-wide, $37 billion of which was exported from the NT. All of the NT’s LNG exports were royalty-free and Australia’s royalty-free exports totalled $149 billion. To put this another way: in the last four years alone, Australians have given away the gas that made $149 billion worth of LNG, for free."
24 July 2024 - Resources Minister Madeleine King approves new offshore oil and gas exploration and 10 exploration permits for carbon dumping (Climate Action Merribek)
24 July - COP 29 Incoming Presidency Paints Its Vision for 2024 UN Climate Conference. Climate Finance will be a key item at COP29, and achieving landmark climate finance goals can unlock ambition. The letter from the Incoming Presidency outlines two mutually reinforcing pillars (IISD):
- Enhancing ambition, by setting out clear plans to keep the 1.5ºC temperature goal within reach while leaving no one behind through ambitious, comprehensive, and robust nationally determined contributions (NDCs), National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), and Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs) and through “wider engagement in international cooperation”; and
- Enabling action through the means of implementation and support, including by agreeing a fair and ambitious NCQG on climate finance and finalizing the operationalisation of Article 6 (cooperative implementation).
22-23 July 2024, 8th Ministerial on Climate Action (MOCA) in Wuhan, China. About 40 countries invited to attend. Australia represented by Climate Minister Chris Bowen. UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell outlined 5 priorities for this meeting and COP29 in his speech:
- First, we must redouble our commitment to a new global climate finance goal this year.
- Second, new sources of funding are equally vital. It's essential that governments finally reach an agreement on Article 6. There is no more time for pushing this issue into the following year.
- Third, we need all nations to come forward with bold new national climate plans, as early as possible, that are 1.5 aligned, covering the whole economy, and all green house gases – they are due February 10th next year.
- Fourth, as I saw in Carriacou, climate adaptation is utterly essential right now. Only 58 countries have submitted National Adaptation Plans so far. This isn’t enough. Every country needs to have an adaptation plan by 2025 and make progress on implementing them by 2030.
- And fifth, it’s crucial that every country submits a Biennial Transparency Report.
22 July 2024 - Luxury Car Tax and the Ute Loophole identified costing $250 million in 2023, Outlamdish in comparison to the $100 million over 4 years allocated to an Active Transport Fund (Australia Institute)
16 July 2024 - Australia's green hydrogen plans questioned. "Current industrial hydrogen use in Australia is 500,000 tonnes per year. The Commonwealth Government is budgeting for green hydrogen production of around 500,000 tonnes per year into the 2040s. Given the first users of green hydrogen will be existing industrial users of fossil hydrogen, this leaves no hydrogen for export from Australia." (or for use in road freight, rail, maritime, aviation) (Australia Institute)
21 June 2024 - Nuclear power for Australia polling results show that most Australians are not prepared to pay anything extra to have nuclear power in the energy mix. (Australia Institute)
June 2024 - Flight Free Australia Briefing note on Sustainable Aviation Fuels, questioning whether it is good climate policy given the costs, risks and issues in scaling up SAF production (Flight Free Australia | PDF)
Previous UN Climate Change Reports
I have attended four previous COPs (2015-2019) in person. Prior to 2015 I was regularly following international negotiations haphazardly from 2004. For COP26 Glasgow in 2021, COP27 Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt in 2022, COP28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates I kept a Digital diary of Australia at the climate conference.
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