Montreal Protocol continues to deliver on ozone reduction and climate

Source IISD/ENB 28 Oct 2024

A very detailed summary account on the international meeting addressing Ozone Depleting substances with the Vienna Convention, and Montreal Protocol. This is unlikely to make mainstream news, but provides important climate outcomes, and demonstrates the international treaty system when it is operating effectively. This is the little climate treaty that keeps on mostly delivering outcomes.

Thanks to the IISD/Earth Negotiations Bulletin who report on all the international negotiations, providing transparency.

The 13th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer (COP13) and 36th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (MOP36) ocurred 27 October – 1 November 2024 in Bangkok.

"Despite a few small setbacks and some late nights, delegates agreed that COP13/MOP36 was a resounding success. Parties managed to address a record number of agenda items in the most contact groups ever established, and adopted important decisions to keep the Convention and Protocol strong and successful.

Australia at Biological Diversity COP16 in Columbia

UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) COP16 meets from October 20 - 27 in Cali, Columbia. This is a Live article actively updated during October.

Participants will review the state of implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, including through alignment with national biodiversity strategies and action plans as well as resource mobilization. At the previous summit, COP15, which was held in Montreal in December 2022, countries agreed to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). The GBF is a set of four goals to 2050 and 23 targets to 2030 with the overarching mission of reversing the decline of biodiversity around the world by 2030. (Read the goals and targets here: The Montreal Moment for Biodiversity: Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework adopted)

Australia submitted its 6th national report to the CBD in 2020, and is due this year to submit a new national report.

COP16 Meeting documents | Carbon Brief INtereactive: who wants what | DCCEEW on CBD
CBD Youtube | CBD-Live Youtube |  IISD Earth Negotiation Bulletin on COP16

Australia at COP29 Climate Diary

The UN climate conference, the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP28) is ocurring in Baku in the Azerbaijan from Monday November 11 to Friday November 22, 2024 (but may also go into overtime). 

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 | COP29 Climate Justice Coalition | DCCEEW international climate action page | Carbon Brief Negotiating Text Tracker | Fossil of the Day awards leader Board | 

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 - 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