Negotiators Work Work Work To Overhaul Climate Finance: Global leaders will conclude their summit on climate finance in Paris today following a significant announcement from the World Bank that would provide some relief from the monster of sovereign debt preventing developing nations from protecting themselves against the impacts of climate change. The World Bank announced it would allow developing nations to suspend debt payments following extreme weather events, a reform supported by U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. While some international leaders and institutions may attempt to take a bow following the two-day summit, leaders from the Global South are singing at tune closer to 'the rich better have our money.' “It went very well to talk about the scale of change needed and the scale of finance needed to tackle climate change and poverty alleviation at the same time,” Saleemul Huq, the director of the International Centre for Climate Change and Development, in Bangladesh, told The Guardian. "I don’t much care for announcements of pledges from such summits. I would prefer to see each leader here to actually deliver what they have promised.” Neither Treasury Sec. Yellen nor World Bank President Ajay Banga have officially denied that Rihanna convinced them to support the measures. Senegal also secured a $2.7 billion in funding for a transition to cleaner energy from the G-7. (Summit: (AP, Axios, Wall Street Journal $, Reuters, Reuters, explainer, Prensa Latina, Reuters; World Bank: The Guardian, FT $, Bloomberg $, Climate Home; Yellen: E&E $; Senegal: Bloomberg $, Reuters, Climate Home; Rihanna: The Hill, Billboard)

SCOTUS Rules Against Navajo In Water Case: The Supreme Court on Thursday sided with multiple states and water districts, backed by the federal government, over the Navajo Nation in a dispute over whether the government's duty to provide a "permanent home" for the tribe under two 19th century treaties included protecting, or even considering, the tribe's access to water from the lower portion of the Colorado River. The Byzantine system of allocating water from the Colorado River relied on unrealistic assumptions from the outset, and water shortages have become more acute as climate change has worsened droughts across the region. “Where do the Navajo go from here?” Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in his dissent. “To date, their efforts to find out what water rights the United States holds for them have produced an experience familiar to any American who has spent time at the Department of Motor Vehicles. The Navajo have waited patiently for someone, anyone, to help them, only to be told (repeatedly) that they have been standing in the wrong line and must try another.” (AP, Indian Country Today, E&E News, Washington Post $, E&E News, NBC, Politico Pro $; Climate Signals background: Western megadrought)

Climate Change Is Great … For Mosquitoes: The worst silver lining of climate change may be that it is getting too hot for mosquitoes in parts of the southern U.S. This, of course, means the number of days with the hot, humid temperatures the little suckers love are increasing nearly everywhere else, a new report from Climate Central says. Europe isn't off the hook either. The European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention warned Thursday that more frequent and severe flooding and heatwaves, and longer, hotter summers in general — all hallmarks of climate change — are creating conditions more favorable for the mosquito species that carry dengue fever, yellow fever, zika, and West Nile virus. (US: Axios; EU: AP, Politico EU, The Hill; Climate Signals background: Vector-borne disease risk increase)

FOSSIL FUELED ENERGY CRISIS: Germany builds up LNG import terminals (Reuters, Factbox), Germany locks in more US natural gas as it shuns Russian supply (FT $), Russian natural gas flows through Ukraine may stop in 2024 (OilPrice)

LOCAL NEWS: Iowa meteorologist Chris Gloninger quits 18-year career after death threat over climate coverage (CBS, Washington Post $, New York Times $)

SHRAPNEL ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD: Criminal charges filed against Watts metal recycler and its owners (LA Times $)

CLIMATE LITIGATION: Groups urge DOJ to stop thwarting Juliana climate lawsuit (E&E $), Oregon county sues fossil fuel companies over 2021 heat dome (New York Times $)

• MONTANA CLIMATE TRIAL: 250+ groups petition Biden administration to drop opposition to youth climate lawsuit (Democracy Now)

CLIMATE DIPLOMACY: Colombian president calls for global 'Marshall Plan' to fight climate change (Reuters), Rwanda and partners to seek further 300 million euros for climate resilience (Reuters), US cannot rely on allies to meet climate goals, warns Mitsubishi (FT $), Debt-plagued Zambia reaches deal with China, other nations to rework $6.3B in loans, French say (AP)

GAS LEAKS: Methane activists in Richmond detect potentially dangerous gas leaks (Inside Climate News)

DEATH AT SEA: Dozens feared drowned after migrant boat sinks off Spain’s Canary Islands (CNN, Al Jazeera), Hundreds of Pakistanis dead in Mediterranean migrant boat disaster, official says (CNN), Greek coast guard under scrutiny for response to migrant mass drowning (New York Times $), A tale of two disasters: Missing Titanic sub captivates the world days after deadly migrant shipwreck (NBC)

STRANDED ASSETS: Loss of fossil fuel assets would not impoverish general public, study finds (The Guardian)

GOP vs. ESG: Some businesses say anti-ESG bills are anti-free market (Washington Post $), ESG investors play the long game (FT $), States shrug off warnings, plow ahead with anti-ESG laws (E&E News)

INFLATION REDUCTION ACT: Treasury Department says nearly 200 clean energy projects announced since IRA (The Hill)

AGENCIES: Biden names new leader for permitting council (E&E $), Advocates probe death of migrant girl in US custody (Prism Reports)

EPA: Biden administration to issue new, final WOTUS rule 'expeditiously' (Politico Pro $), EPA air chief defends strict tailpipe rule at House hearing (E&E $)

DOE: DOE’s Jigar Shah details the operations of the Loan Programs Office handling IRA funding (Utility Dive), Energy Department plans record $9.2B loan for Ford EV battery manufacturing (Politico Pro $)

DOT: DOT wants railroads to provide real-time chemical info to communities during train wrecks (E&E $)

TREASURY: Climate law can build clean energy supply chain — Treasury (E&E $), Yellen says it’s ‘critical’ to work with China after Biden calls Xi a dictator (The Hill), Yellen sees urgency in boosting IMF poverty-fighting arsenal (Bloomberg $)

WHITE HOUSE: Biden welcomes Indian PM Modi to the White House for elaborate state visit that’s fraught with trade-offs (CNN), Biden, India’s Modi tout climate teamwork (E&E $), Gina McCarthy’s next act (E&E News)

THE HILL: Republicans question agencies on post-Sackett plans (E&E News), Democrats in Congress run full-court press on reproductive rights ahead of Dobbs anniversary (The 19th* News)

HOUSE: 5 things to know about the culture war hiding inside House appropriations bills (The Hill), House committee OKs spending bill with climate cuts (E&E $), House GOP votes to limit climate action in defense bill (E&E $), Hunter Biden plea won’t stop GOP probe of energy deals (E&E News)

SENATE: Senate adopts funding totals for fiscal 2024 spending bills (Politico Pro $)

POLITICS: The climate coalition is threatening to split apart (Heatmap $), A majority of Americans are against banning gas stoves (OilPrice)

ELECTIONS: Will Hurd, a moderate Texas Republican and Trump critic, announces run for president (Texas Tribune, E&E $), Miami Mayor Suarez brings climate policy into GOP primary (E&E $)

NOMINEES & CONFIRMATIONS: Republican senator moves to block EPA nominees (E&E $)

TRIBES: Tribal leaders celebrate victorious ICWA ruling (Navajo Times) Episode 9. Update: The Supreme Court Decision (This Land) 

CITIES AND STATES: Maryland urged to cut emissions by swiftly adopting rules electrifying cars and trucks (Inside Climate News), Mich. lawmakers begin fractious debate on climate bills (E&E $), North Carolina legislature moves to block new rules for building efficiency (Energy News Network), Rhode Island sues solar company for 'deceptive' sales tactic (E&E $), A glaring problem: How LED lights worsen light pollution (Washington Post $), California just can’t kick its coastal gas plant addiction (LA Times $)

SCIENCE: The scientist who raised dangers of carbon dioxide in 1950s (The Guardian)

IMPACTS: A brief introduction to climate change and torrential rainstorms (Yale Climate Connections), Climate change is driving global inflation even higher (Bloomberg $), Ecological tipping points could occur much sooner than expected, study finds (The Guardian), Will India lightning strike deaths rise as climate change worsens? (Context)

HEAT: Extreme heat in Texas and southern US may linger until Fourth of July (Axios), Heat wave risk for London as stormy weather threatens Northwest (Bloomberg $), How heat waves form, and how climate change makes them worse (Vox), A record-breaking heat wave is baking northern China (Bloomberg $)

OCEANS: ‘Beyond extreme’ ocean heat wave in North Atlantic is worst in 170 years (Washington Post $)

WILDFIRES: How America solved its first air pollution crisis — and why solving the next one will be harder (Vox), Ominous orange skies have subsided – but threat of poor air quality isn’t over (Capital B News)

HURRICANES: Bret to blast lesser antilles through thursday night as it enters Caribbean (Washington Post $), Cindy becomes second active storm to threaten Caribbean (New York Times $)

RENEWABLES: First American ship for offshore windfarms takes shape (CBS), Cleantech arms race is ‘good for climate’ (FT $), Group backed by India's Vikram Solar to invest $1.5 billion in new US factories (Reuters), Indian solar giant to invest $1.5b in new US factories (OilPrice)

MINERALS: The global stakes of a Minnesota mining plan (Axios)

BATTERIES: New York City is getting its biggest battery system yet (Canary Media)

BUILDINGS: To reach net-zero emissions, American homes need an electric makeover (Grist), Can affordable housing be energy efficient? These developers say yes (Energy News Network), Gas Stoves Emit More of the Carcinogen Benzene Than Expected (E&E News), Study finds more evidence gas stoves are bad for human health: ‘Worse than secondhand smoke’ (Yahoo! News), Gas stoves may produce higher levels of cancer-causing chemical than second-hand smoke, new study finds (Toronto Star)

LNG: Lake Charles LNG appeal denied, setting stage for legal battle over export extensions (Natural Gas Intel)

OIL & GAS: Mysterious Saudi oil tanker cluster off Suez starts to clear (OilPrice), Oil drillers are saving the planet and their investors (Wall Street Journal $)

PIPELINES: Mountain Valley pipeline will run far below capacity — analysis (E&E $)

COAL: Shifting S. Africa coal plant for clean energy needs millions in loans. Experts say that’s a problem (AP)

NUKES: NRC authorizes first US high-assay low-enriched uranium enrichment plant critical for advanced reactors (Utility Dive)

GRID: Grassroots buy-in will be vital to transmission buildout, say clean energy experts (Utility Dive), Meet the metal that could transform the grid (E&E News), Virtual power plants are coming to save the grid, sooner than you might think (Inside Climate News)

EVs: 5 things to watch as the EV tax credits take shape (E&E $), Ford venture gets record $9.2 billion government loan for EV batteries (Wall Street Journal $, New York Times $, FT $)

CRYPTO: Bitcoin miners went dark as Texas power grid teetered on brink (Bloomberg $)

HOLY DIVESTMENT: Church of England to disinvest from fossil fuels this year (Reuters, The Guardian, OilPrice, FT $)

AVIATION: Washington state to host sustainable jet fuel plant (E&E $)

CURTAIN UP!: Zero waste theatre seeks to show we all can act for change (Reuters)

CARBON REMOVAL: Supercharging nature to suck carbon from the air (Wall Street Journal $)

SHIPPING: Climate impact of shipping under growing scrutiny ahead of key meeting (The Guardian)

FOOD: The US has tons of leftover food. Upcycling seeks to turn would-be trash into ice cream and pizza (AP)

FINANCE: Cleantech M&A activity expected to grow, driven by ESG investing and federal funding: West Monroe (Utility Dive), Creativity needed to fund climate transition, AIIB president says (CNBC), Egypt climate bond may get vital guarantee from Asian bank (Bloomberg $), International lenders continue pouring money into meat and dairy, despite climate promises (Inside Climate News)

GRETA: Greta Thunberg says France targeting climate activists (Reuters)

WILDLIFE: A picture is worth a thousand birds (Yes Magazine), A toxic algae bloom is killing California's sea lions (Gizmodo), Nearly half of US honeybee colonies died last year. Struggling beekeepers stabilize population (AP), Protecting marine life also benefits the people nearby, study finds (New York Times $)

INTERNATIONAL: German energy prices are so high they’re driving companies to relocate, industry body says (CNBC), India plans to keep adding coal power capacity as demand surges (Bloomberg $), Portugal's grid ready to transport 10% hydrogen this year (Reuters)

• The climate crisis is this century’s biggest threat. We need a global finance pact that reflects the task ahead (The Guardian, Chris Bowen, Steven Guilbeault, and James Shaw op-ed)
• The West must offer the Global South a new deal (Bloomberg, Andreas Kluth op-ed $)
• Amid heat wave, one reckless Abbott veto really has us hot (Houston Chronicle Editorial Board)
• Good weather for drinking beer but not for making it (Bloomberg, Juan Pablo Spinetto op-ed $)
• China’s dominance of solar poses difficult choices for the west (FT, Graham Allison op-ed $)
• False promises: As states tackle residential solar complaints, how companies can avoid problems (Utility Dive, Clayton Friedman, Ryan Strasser, Mackenzie W.J. Jessup, and Carson Cox op-ed)
• Thyssenkrupp hydrogen IPO calls for leap of faith (Reuters, Pamela Barbaglia commentary)
• The media cares more about the Titanic sub than drowned migrants (New Republic, Alex Shephard commentary)
• The Save Our Gas Stoves Act? That’s GOP pro-fossil-fuel foolishness (Los Angeles Times Editorial Board)

Exxon and API Spent Over $33 Million On Instagram And Facebook Ads In Past 5 Years

This week's Climate Monitor has some rather big numbers on climate disinfo advertising: "The highest-spending advertiser across the climate and energy sector continues to be fossil fuel giant Exxon Mobil, which has spent over $23.1 million since June 2018 on Facebook and Instagram ads." 

Climate Monitor has put together a list of the top 100 advertisers on Meta’s platforms, and right behind Exxon Mobil is the American Petroleum Institute, with over $11 million spent on Facebook and Instagram advertising between June 2018 and June 15, 2023. In third place is the California Public Utilities Commission, with $9.76 million in ad expenditures.

Overall, the organizations on the list, including environmental groups, "have dropped a cumulative $183 million on ads," with plenty of that money coming from green groups like the Sierra Club, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the League of Conservation Voters (ranked 4th, 6th, and 7th, respectively, for their $7.6, nearly $6.0, and $5.0 million budgets on Meta ads over the last five years).  

Call us old fashioned, but wouldn't it be nice if green groups were sending their ad dollars to local media to try to slow the disinfo-friendly desertification of local news, instead of subsidizing billionaire egomaniacs? 

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