FtF News #191 – 15th November 2023
FtF News #191 – 15th November 2023
Tentative progress on loss and damage, mass timber skyscrapers and the seemingly unstoppable rise of SUVs
It’s that time of the year again where countries are trading initial blows at conference tables ahead of COP28, which is in just a few short weeks. Despite the stakes arguably being higher than ever, it’s unclear whether much meaningful progress will be made when major parties are at loggerheads over most issues, and even the hosts are trying to advocate for increased fossil fuel extraction. The recently released US National Climate Assessment sums it up nicely – climate impacts are getting worse, and whilst we’re doing more, it’s not nearly enough.
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Wild Weather
Mother nature’s reactions to the ever-warming world
India has had its third-warmest October on record, averaging at 32.09°C, whilst rainfall was below average.
Storm Ciarán caused significant damage across NW Europe, cutting power to over 1m people, along with strong winds and heavy rainfall.
Thanks to low water levels, the Panama Canal is restricting traffic, with knock-on implications for shipping and trade globally.
Extreme drought in northern Italy is now so severe, the climate there is now similar to that of Ethiopia. Meanwhile, ongoing droughts in Syria, Iraq and Iran have been made dozens of times more likely by climate change.
It’s Science!
The latest from in climate research and analysis
A new report suggests that the world will pass the threshold for 1.5°C of warming in 2029, rather than in the mid-2030s, as previously thought.
Yet another assessment of 42 key measures needed to reach net zero by 2050 has found that the world is off track on all bar one – the growth in EV sales.
The US has published the latest edition of the National Climate Assessment, which perhaps unsurprisingly finds that climate impacts are growing alarmingly, and we’re not doing enough about it.
Plastic waste is ‘spiralling out of control’ in Africa, with 116m tonnes of waste annually predicted by 2060, driven by a growing population and a lack of meaningful recycling.
Modelling of transport policies on a city level has found that cities can, on average, cut CO2 by 22% by adjusting policies without impacting quality of life.
Lawn equipment, including lawnmowers and leaf-blowers, emit outsize amounts of not only CO2, but PM2.5, benzene and even formaldehyde.
Gas cookers nearly double the levels of nitrogen dioxide in homes when used, often exceeding WHO air pollution levels indoors.
A landmark Indian study has found that air pollution raises the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Recent assessments have found that the number of species at risk of extinction has doubled to around 2 million, after insects were found to be much more at risk than previously thought.
A new UN report details that petrostates from the US to India to Saudi Arabia are planning massive increases in fossil fuel capacity that would blow the planet’s carbon budget twice over.
Research suggests that graphic warning labels on meat similar to those found on cigarette packaging in some countries could cut consumption by 7-10%.
Party Political Broadcast
Climate politics are a special creature indeed
The EU, US and UAE are trying to rally governments worldwide around a commitment to triple global renewable energy capacity this decade at COP28.
Another coalition of countries including France, Spain and Kenya are also pushing for a commitment to phase out fossil fuel production entirely.
Low- and middle-income countries are leading global efforts to improve air quality, whilst leading polluters, including all G20 members, are falling behind.
China has announced that it will roll out a major scheme to monitor and reduce methane emissions, improving monitoring, reporting and data transparency.
Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has fallen to a five year low, suggesting that the country’s new leadership is making good on its promise to cut deforestation to zero by 2030.
The UK PM has announced an annual scheme to issue new oil and gas licences despite outrage from many, even though the country is unable to process much of its current oil output domestically.
The UK has also failed to implement a pledge made at COP26 to stop importing products that cause deforestation, including soy, beef and palm oil.
Two municipalities in the Netherlands have voted to ban meat and dairy advertising in public spaces for environmental reasons.
Money makes the world go around
The machinations of climate finance
After some intense negotiations, countries have agreed some of the key steps to start implementing the loss and damage fund agreed at COP27 last year. However, with many compromises made, a lot of parties are far from happy with the result.
Haha, Business!
Climate happenings in the corporate world
Shell has sued Greenpeace for $2.1m in one of the largest legal claims against the group, after protestors occupied one of the company’s vessels for 13 days earlier this year.
TotalEnergies is also suing them after they co-authored a report claiming the firm massively underestimated its 2019 emissions.
Clean Green Energy Machine
Renewables versus coal – a look at the changing energy system
Despite the Biden administration talking up a storm on climate action, it is overseeing the continuation of one of the largest fossil gas expansions anywhere in the world, even as new research shows that gas, particularly exported gas, is actually worse for the planet than coal.
Many major manufacturers in both the wind and solar sectors are struggling, with supply chain issues and shifting financial pressures pushing firms to the brink.
Much of Lagos runs on generators thanks to a severely lacking grid, but with fuel subsidies recently cancelled, maybe now is the time for micro-solar?
Breakthroughs
New inventions to inspire hope
Japan is joining the world of mass timber, combining traditional carpentry with modern techniques to build recyclable wooden skyscrapers.
The country is also putting serious money into technological approaches to control and limit extreme weather by preventing dangerous storms from forming at all.
60+ companies are now working on electric aircraft, although despite progress, they still face steep challenges in battery capacity, cost and regulations.
Yet another direct-air capture startup has emerged, but this one has invented tech that pulls both CO2 and water from the air, reducing impact and cost.
Climate Inequity
A hard look at the inequities of the climate crisis
Whilst billionaires have made some sizable philanthropic donations to climate causes, just 1% of their overall giving goes to the climate, and even all their philanthropy is but a fraction of their true wealth and impact.
Speaking truths
Efforts in activism and awareness
Esteemed climate scientist Saleemul Huq has died, after a long career working behind the scenes at every major climate conference, tirelessly advocating for those who have less voice in climate debates. He spent years working towards a loss and damage fund such as that agreed upon last year at COP27.
Just Stop Oil has been imitating tactics used by the suffragette movement, smashing the glass on the Rokeby Venus – a painting slashed by a suffragette in 1914.
A number of people are suing the UK government over its inadequate climate policies, saying that the lack of adaptation to climate change breaches their human rights.
Long Reads
Interesting deep-dives into climate-related topics
The car industry is one of the largest industries globally, but now with EVs supplanting ICE vehicles at breakneck speed, the transition is impacting countries across the globe at a geopolitical level.
Chamonix has been a hub for alpine sports for three centuries, but now is having to rapidly adapt as warming weather makes long held activities vastly less safe.
SUV sales continue to skyrocket, despite the vehicles being bigger, more polluting, more expensive and more dangerous. Is there anything that can be done to curb their rise?
China’s largest bottled water company, Nongfu Spring, has grown from humble beginnings to a half-trillion yuan empire, but though it markets the purity of its water, the company’s environmental impact is vast and shows no sign of abating.