All articles tagged with #climate diplomacy
The article discusses the importance and current challenges of multilateralism in global climate efforts, highlighting how US policies under Trump and geopolitical conflicts threaten international cooperation, with recent events like Cop30 and new EU green tariffs illustrating both setbacks and ongoing efforts to foster multilateral solutions for climate change.
The UN’s climate chief emphasizes that AI can aid in combating climate change by improving energy efficiency and climate risk management, but stresses the need for government regulation to mitigate risks and ensure benefits are shared globally. Despite geopolitical tensions and obstacles, global investment in renewable energy is booming, with a call for faster climate action and more comprehensive national plans ahead of the COP30 summit.
Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev criticized France and the Netherlands for their 'colonial' overseas territories during the COP29 climate summit, leading to France boycotting the event. Aliyev also blamed the European Parliament for violence in New Caledonia, overshadowing the conference's climate agenda. Meanwhile, Donald Trump's actions to dismantle Joe Biden's climate policies are influencing discussions at the summit, despite his absence.
An investigation has revealed that Azerbaijan's leadership at COP29 attempted to use the UN climate summit to broker fossil fuel deals, sparking criticism from climate advocates and raising concerns about conflicts of interest. Secret recordings show Azerbaijan's COP29 chief discussing oil and gas investments, contradicting global climate goals. The scandal highlights the ongoing influence of fossil fuel interests in climate negotiations, with calls for reform and stricter conflict of interest policies. Critics argue that the UN climate process risks being undermined by petrostates using it to greenwash their reputations.
President Biden will appoint senior adviser John D. Podesta to succeed John F. Kerry as the top U.S. climate diplomat, overseeing international climate policy while remaining at the White House. Podesta, a veteran Democratic strategist, played a key role in brokering the 2015 Paris climate agreement and will continue to focus on domestic deployment of clean energy. The move comes at a crucial time for Biden’s climate agenda and global efforts to slow Earth’s dangerous warming, with Podesta aiming to maintain momentum and leadership on climate action.
John Podesta is set to take over as the top climate diplomat for the Biden administration once John Kerry steps down this spring. Podesta, a veteran Democratic strategist with a long history in climate politics, will operate out of the White House and oversee the implementation of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act while also representing the U.S. at the COP29 negotiations. He faces pressure from the international community over U.S. fossil fuel development and will be tasked with leading the country's efforts in transitioning away from fossil fuels and expanding clean energy.
The UK's COP28 chief, Graham Stuart, has left the critical stage of the U.N. climate summit negotiations to return to London for a vote on immigration policy, sparking criticism from climate campaigners. The talks have overrun, with countries seeking major changes to a draft agreement. Green groups and NGOs expressed dismay at the decision to withdraw the head of the UK's delegation at a decisive moment. The weight of ministerial interventions is seen as crucial for securing higher levels of commitment to tackling climate change. Stuart's departure follows questions over Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's short attendance at the summit.
China's veteran climate chief, Xie Zhenhua, is working closely with the US and other countries at COP28 to reach a successful agreement on fossil fuels. Xie, who will retire after this year's summit, aims to end his career on a high note and believes that a compromise can be found based on the agreement he reached with US counterpart John Kerry last month.
Andreas Malm, author of How to Blow Up a Pipeline, believes that international climate diplomacy is hopeless and that elites are not prepared to take the urgent action needed to avert catastrophic climate change. Malm calls for a campaign of sabotage of fossil fuel infrastructure, to break the taboo against targeting property. Since the publication of his book, experiments have begun, starting gently and becoming ever more radical. In France, activists under the banner of Les Soulèvements de la Terre have begun sabotage campaigns against environmentally destructive targets. The popularity of his book suggests a radical change in public attitudes towards potentially violent activism.