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SPOTLIGHT
It’s a big week for Asia-Pacific relations, with both Asia Pacific Climate Week and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit (APEC) taking place.
On the sidelines of APEC, President Biden and President Xi Jinping are meeting today, where they may not bond over chocolate cake, but discuss bilateral relations, security, and fentanyl flow from China. This follows a joint agreement yesterday where the two biggest climate polluters agreed to restart climate talks, including focus on methane, ramping up renewables, and plastic pollution. Experts also noted the agreement that both countries’ 2035 NDCs will be economy-wide, and include all greenhouse gasses.
These summits directly follow the 52nd Pacific Islands Forum, the most important annual meeting of Pacific island leaders. One of the biggest announcements was a treaty between Australia and Tuvalu on migration and security. Australia, potential COP31 host and one of the largest coal producers in the world, will begin annually offering residency to up to 280 citizens of Tuvalu, a low-lying island nation that has called on Australia “to stop approving Pacific-killing coal and gas projects.” In exchange, Tuvalu is granting Australia exclusive security and defense rights. This seismic shift in policy by the Australian government comes across as a broad recognition of the existential threat that climate change poses to Tuvalu, yet, they have not moved to phase out the very thing that fuels the climate crisis, fossil fuels," says Lavetanalagi Seru, Regional Coordinator for Pacific Islands CAN.
ON OUR RADAR
Recommendations for the new Loss and Damage Fund were finally agreed to in tense, last minute negotiations earlier this month. Until the end, the United States was a major blocker leading the effort to avoid language identifying richer countries as the main source of funding - even though this principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities” is already embedded in other aspects of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and Paris Agreement.
A major concession by developing countries was accepting the World Bank as a “temporary host” for the first four years of the fund, a position pushed by the US (the World Bank’s largest shareholder) and supported by the European Union. This compromise includes clear conditions the World Bank must meet, including the fund’s autonomy to set its own rules and allowing direct access by countries and communities.
Since the recommendations have been agreed to, the EU has promised a “substantial” contribution and ispushingthe UAE to do the same. Saudi Arabia, who did not want to be financially on the hook for the fund as a rich, oil-producing nation, has alreadyreaffirmedtheir preference for bilateral aid. Meanwhile, climate envoy John Kerry stated Washington would put in “several millions.”More than 650 scientistshave called on the Biden administration to take ambitious action at COP28.
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WORTH 1000 WORDS
NEWS
Climate Diplomacy
COP28 ambitions: Exclusive: COP28 declaration to tie climate funding to conflict for the first time (The New Humanitarian), Exclusive: EU, US, COP28 hosts rally support for global deal to triple renewable energy, documents show (Reuters), Colombia, neighbors to jointly push six key points in COP28 -minister (Reuters)
Fossil fuels at COP28: Fossil fuel interests have large, yet often murky, presence at climate talks (AP), McKinsey & Company pushes fossil fuel interests as advisor to UN climate talks, whistleblowers say (France24), Oil companies attending climate talks have minimal green energy transition plans (AP), UN climate summit host pushes oil producers for advance deal (Politico)
Human rights at COP28: COP28: Why a gender power divide threatens climate progress (Lowy Institute)
US at COP28: Biden official heads to COP28 on a minerals mission (E&E $), Biden not going, Top House Republican plans trip to UN climate talks (E&E $)
Pledge assessments: Forests, methane, finance: Where are the Cop26 pledges now? (Climate Home)
International Finance
Debt: Biden wants more ‘debt-for-nature’ swaps (E&E $), European Investment Bank to back Barbados debt-for-climate swap (Bloomberg $)
JETP: The West wants to help developing countries transition to renewables. It's off to a rocky start. (Grist), Exclusive: South Africa to miss 2030 emissions goal as it keeps coal plants burning (Reuters)
Adaptation: Talks to boost 'underfinanced' climate adaptation split over money (Climate Home)
Carbon markets: Carbon market greenwashing systems deepen inequalities in Global South – experts (IPS), Big Oil producer lines up African carbon deals ahead of climate talks (Wall Street Journal $)
Impacts
Climate colonialism: France’s poorest island is parched because of drought and underinvestment (AP)
Military emissions: US military owes at least $106 billion for climate damage since 2015 (Mother Jones)
Early warnings: Without warning: A lack of weather stations is costing African lives (Yale E360)
Agriculture: Smallholder farmers spend billions of their own income annually on adapting to climate change, nature loss (Carbon Pulse)
At a glance: Nearly half of all air pollution deaths in the US are due to the burning of fossil fuels. Climate change is also contributing to the expansion of conditions ripe for infectious disease spread. While everyone experiences some harms, the intersections with income inequality and racism worsens the consequences for the most vulnerable.
At a glance: The report analyzes Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of 195 Parties to the Paris Agreement. If fully implemented, these would lead to a 9% increase in greenhouse gas emissions in 2030 compared to 2010 levels, a fractional improvement from the 11% increase shown in last year’s report.
