This is my digital diary of Australia at COP29 in Baku. I will be following whats going on at in Baku online. Follow with me. I'll be updating this blog post regularly up to the end of November 2024.
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 will likely be 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. Civil Society COP28 Climate Justice Hub, DCCEEW international climate action page. Australia at COP29. Carbon Brief Negotiating Text Tracker | Fossil of the Day awards leader Board
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)
