Latest news with #COP30
Scoop
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Breakthrough For Justice At Bonn Climate Talks - Amidst A System In Crisis
Bonn, Germany, 26 June 2025 - After two tense weeks of negotiations, one breakthrough emerged in the SB 62 climate talks: civil society's Just Transition priorities were officially tabled in the UN climate process, thanks to relentless pressure from social movements, workers, and frontline communities. This vital step opens the door in the fight for transitions that put people first - ensuring climate action centres justice, dignity, and decent work, rather than enabling corporate greenwashing or elite control. But beyond this opening, Bonn laid bare a system in crisis. Even as NATO leaders just 200km away pledged more than US$1 trillion a year in additional military spending, rich polluting countries showed up at the climate talks pleading poverty. The silence on war, genocide, and rising global inequality was deafening. Despite the escalating toll of climate impacts and injustice, these talks revealed a growing chasm between the urgent demands of communities on the frontlines of climate breakdown and the hollow, evasive language of a process struggling to retain relevance. Negotiations on adaptation were little more than a smokescreen. Developed nations dodged their financial obligations towards developing countries once again, and held the process hostage, preventing progress. The ghost of Baku haunted the talks, with developing countries facing fierce pushback when they united in their demand for a formal agenda item on the provision of climate finance by developed countries. And it's clear the so-called 'Baku to Belém' roadmap remains riddled with holes. Without new, additional and grant-based public finance from historical emitters, there will be no money to fund a real Just Transition, no closing of the ambition gap, and no hope of holding the line at 1.5°C. The COP30 Presidency and all parties must put a plan in place to address the critical issue of the provision of climate finance, or risk a blow up. As countries belatedly prepare their new climate action plans (Nationally Determined Contributions), one thing is clear: they will fall far short of what is needed. Despite this, there was a resounding silence around the ambition gap that is so clearly emerging. Countries that hold historic responsibility for the climate crisis continue to expand oil and gas exploration while pushing developing countries to shoulder the burden they themselves refuse to bear - both in cutting emissions and providing climate finance. It's a double standard that deepens injustice and delays real action. Tasneem Essop, Executive Director of Climate Action Network International, said: 'Enough is enough. While bombs get billions and polluters are increasing their record profits, Bonn has once again exposed a system rigged to protect polluters and profiteers - complicit in a global order that funds destruction but balks at paying for survival. "But even in this broken space, people's power shone through. Due to the relentless pressure from civil society, the Just Transition fight finally made it into the formal process, laying the table for a win for workers, for communities, and for every person fighting to build a future rooted in dignity and hope. Decision-makers must come to Belém with the commitment to make this a reality. "As this process drifts further from the real world, it is grassroots movements that continue to lead the way - resisting delay, greenwashing, and false solutions with vision, urgency, and courage. From the streets of Bonn to the heart of Belém, the fight for climate justice is turning into a roar that cannot be ignored." Caroline Brouillette, Executive Director, Climate Action Network Canada: 'The world is facing a treacherous moment. Political headwinds and unfair economic rules are preventing the level of climate action we need. The UNFCCC feels increasingly disconnected from the real world. 'Amidst the dark clouds of these existential challenges to the planet and to this process, there is a ray of sunshine: parties are finding common ground around a Just Transition. The text forwarded to Belem offers us a fighting chance to a COP30 outcome that truly connects workers, communities and Peoples with the Paris Agreement.' Amiera Sawas, Head of Research & Policy, Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative: 'As the Northern hemisphere suffers deadly heatwaves, UN climate talks remain frozen in an out-of-touch process. War and military spending escalated outside, while inside there was no discussion—and no finance. Civil society fought to bring negotiations into the real world, but geopolitics and the fossil fuel lobby kept derailing progress. Even successes, like the draft text for the 'Just Transition Work Programme' informed by workers and Indigenous Peoples, were nearly paralyzed by fossil fuel interests at the end. We are already at risk of breaching the 1.5 temperature limit, there's no time for paralysis. There's a real risk that the UN climate talks fail to address the crisis's biggest drivers: coal, oil, and gas. We cannot afford any more failure, we must urgently do better. And we will - whether inside or outside the UN. Brazil is talking big but its actions speak louder than words and its recent approval of new oil extraction in the Amazon is the worst possible signal.' Stela Herschmann, Climate Policy Specialist for Observatório do Clima (Brazil): 'This is a party-driven process. What the Bonn meeting showed us is that the parties want to discuss public finance. Despite Brazil's best intentions to streamline the agenda and make progress on other issues, it may not be possible to do so without including a conversation about public finance in the official COP30 agenda. 'Brazil had three priorities for Bonn. One of them, Just Transition, saw good progress and produced a preparatory text with key asks from civil society organizations so this work program can actually deliver justice to the people. The other two resemble Baku. The text on indicators for the global goal of adaptation advanced well but is being held until the last minute due to the discussion around finance and means of implementation. The UAE dialogue on the implementation of the Global Stocktake, did not progress as much. We will leave Bonn with two similar documents because the parties could not agree on a single informal note, and we can expect to see the same disputes over the scope and modalities in Belém.' Mariana Paoli, Global Advocacy Lead, Christian Aid: 'The Bonn climate talks have shown that there's hangover from the chaotic ending at COP29 in Baku. Finance remains the elephant in the room. While negotiators circled around the issue in Boon , limited progress was made. We cannot afford another year of delay - COP30 must deliver where COP29 fell short. 'There has been an over reliance on the illusion that private finance will solve the climate crisis. Its growing presence in these spaces is starting to resemble a Trojan horse. Public grants based finance is essential to deliver climate action, decisions should be done based on the needs of communities and not profits and should be rooted in fairness and science.' Teresa Anderson, ActionAid International: "Rich countries' continued refusal to put real climate finance on the table means that climate talks are facing uncertain times. For once, however, it's not all bad news. Governments are starting to get excited about Just Transition, and shaping energy and food systems in a way that really works for workers, women, farmers and communities. This comes at such a critical time, amid so much economic uncertainty, when many people feel they are being forced to choose between their immediate needs and a climate safe future. If approved at COP30, the Just Transition mechanism will deliver action on the ground, requiring and supporting governments to put people's needs first and foremost at the start of every climate plan. This represents a major evolution in climate action, and the spark of hope that our planet urgently needs." Nithi Nesadurai, Director & Regional Coordinator, CAN Southeast Asia: 'The Bonn climate meeting took place within the backdrop of a continuing genocide in Gaza, a hot war and the NATO Summit. Interestingly, while developed countries blocked decisions on their financial obligations on all the major climate negotiating items, a short distance away in The Hague, NATO members readily agreed to increase their military budgets to 5 per cent of GDP. Easily amounting to hundreds of billions of dollars, it shows finance is available, unlike what they implied in the Bonn negotiations. If not for the progress on the Just Transition Work Programme, which gives civil society a core issue to rally around on the road to Belem, this meeting offered little to get excited about on all other fronts.' Nafkote Dabi, Climate Policy Lead, Oxfam International: 'The Bonn conference exposes the stark injustice between rich and poor countries. The richest, primarily responsible for the climate crisis, are dodging their duty to provide public, grant-based finance for developing countries to adapt and rebuild. As warming spirals toward a catastrophic 3°C, urgent action is critical. Rich countries must own their climate debt and stop pushing private finance, that prioritizes profit over people, as a solution. The Brazilian COP presidency must also step up and champion equity and justice in Belem.' Sanjay Vashist, Director, Climate Action Network South Asia: 'Climate talks in Bonn have failed South Asia once again. While our communities face climate-induced floods, heatwaves, and hunger, wealthy nations dodge their obligations, offering empty words on adaptation and loss and damage finance. The refusal to put public finance on the table is a betrayal. As we pivot to COP30 in Belém, we demand not just promises, but delivery—real, predictable, and equitable finance. The era of evasion must end. The lives of millions in South Asia depend on it, however the UNFCCC process appears to have succumbed to fossil fuel lobbyists and private sector forces.' Romain Ioualalen, Global Policy lead at Oil Change International: 'Bonn saw the Global North further retreat from its responsibilities to provide public finance for climate action, instead promoting fabricated narratives on private finance filling the gap - despite evidence the market-led approach is not delivering. On top of blocking finance, rich countries failed their homework on fossil fuels with four Global North countries responsible for 70% of projected oil and gas expansion, which made calls from developed parties to center the fossil fuel phaseout in the negotiations continue to ring hollow and hypocritical. An outcome on just transition in Belém is within reach and could provide momentum for centering justice in the transition.' Ife Kilimanjaro, U.S. Climate Action Network: 'Bonn confirmed the UNFCCC feels dangerously out of touch with global crises—war, inequality, and a climate already past 1.5 degrees. The fight for public climate finance was an uphill battle; rich nations diverted responsibility, pushing risky private solutions that won't close the ambition gap. Yet, a vital glimmer of hope emerged: civil society secured demands in the Just Transition text. This shows organized people can make progress even in disconnected spaces. For USCAN, it's clear: we must keep bridging the gap between power and lived realities, demanding genuine accountability and justice.' Fernanda de Carvalho, WWF Global Climate and Energy Policy Lead:"The breakthrough we achieved in Dubai is at stake. Developed countries who should be leading the way, continue to explore for, and use fossil fuels while deforestation is on the rise. We need them to step up at the global level and commit to phasing out all fossil fuels, putting some much-needed momentum into the international climate talks. We also need strong measures to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030. We look to Belém as a political course-correction moment, and we count on the Brazilian Presidency and the political will of all countries to deliver that." Avantika Goswami, Programme Manager, Climate Change, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), India: 'We do not see appetite to uphold multilateralism from developed countries, and Bonn made that clear. The refusal to dive deeper into Article 9.1 and hear out concerns from developing countries about unilateral trade measures, symbolise the imbalance of power that persists in this space. While civil society is driving momentum on issues like just transition, all other spaces remain paralysed by inequity, and refusal of the Global North to support, fund and enable climate action in the rest of the world in line with its historical duty.' Ann Harrison, Climate Justice Policy Adviser, Amnesty International: 'Human rights references and protections were again sacrificed at the altar of consensus which drives down ambition. UNFCCC reform must be on the table, including greater protections for free speech and peaceful protest which were further restricted, particularly for actions protesting the genocide in Gaza and solidarity actions for imprisoned defenders. Fossil fuel producers continue to undermine progress towards the full, fast, fair and funded fossil fuel phase out and just transition we need. And let's be clear, providing adequate public, grants-based climate finance, especially for adaptation and loss and damage is also a human rights obligation for developed countries and it must be massively scaled up to contribute towards climate justice.' Andreas Sieber, Associate Director of Global Policy and Campaigns: 'Bonn was bogged down by political divisions and bruised by global tensions, with results that leave much to be desired. A serious injection of energy and urgency is required as we look ahead to COP30 in Belém. Negotiators must make progress on implementing the Global Stocktake, closing the ambition gap, and delivering the finance needed to turn ambition into action. 'Civil society must hold the line on the agreement to triple renewables and phase out fossil fuels, and rich countries must course correct after Baku's shortcomings. COP30 has much to make up for, and for it to be a success, the Presidency must lead with the integrity, diplomacy and flexibility this crisis demands.' Gaïa Febvre, Réseau Action Climat France, International Policy Lead: 'As the Bonn climate talks come to a close, it is shocking to see France, once the proud 'guardian' of the Paris Agreement, actively blocking a more ambitious EU NDC. 'What's the point of hosting summits and delivering grand speeches if, behind closed doors, France stalls the very commitments needed to keep 1.5°C alive? The Paris Agreement doesn't need more ceremony, it needs leadership. It needs a France that pushes the EU to step up, not one that defends the status quo or fossil interests. The window to act is closing. France must choose: will it honor the legacy of Paris, or betray it?'
Scoop
7 hours ago
- General
- Scoop
Factory Farming's Toll On Farmed Animals, Farmers And Food Security Exposed In New 'Climate Doom Loop' Report
Wednesday 25 June Governments are today (25 June) being urged to step up action to fix our broken food system as a new report released by Compassion in World Farming reveals, for the first time, the immense toll of climate crisis-linked extreme weather events on farmed animals, farmers' livelihoods and food security. Climate Doom Loop: Factory Farming's Toll on Animals, Farmers and Food is published just as policymakers from around the world meet at the Climate Change Conference in Bonn. This critical moment will shape the agenda for COP30 and ultimately influence whether industrial animal agriculture continues to be propped up by subsidies or phased out. To break the destructive loop, the report advises governments to substantially reduce livestock production, switch to more climate and nature-friendly farming practices, and ensure our food system aligns with planetary boundaries. From heatwaves in the UK to hurricanes in the US, flooding in Italy and Brazil and other extreme weather events across Europe, Asia and Africa, the report's case studies – just a snapshot of the bigger picture – reveal that 14.8 million farmed animals have been killed as a direct result and 56.4 million people impacted, at an estimated global cost of $120 billion per year. The report spotlights the suffering of farmed animals – many in cages who are left to drown in floods and suffocate in heatwaves when these increasingly common climate-linked disasters strike – whilst highlighting the major role industrial farming plays in driving climate change. Disasters outlined in the report include: Brazil, 2024: Catastrophic flooding led directly to the deaths of 1.2 million commercial poultry, over 14,000 beef cattle and 14,000 pigs. Vietnam, 2024: Over 5 million poultry, 44,000 cattle and thousands of pigs were killed by a typhoon. USA, 2024: An estimated 2-5 million chickens were killed by Hurricane Helene. Italy, 2023: Witnesses saw 'piles of hundreds of dead pigs', alongside other animals swimming for their lives, following flooding in Emilia-Romagna, the Italian region famous for Parma ham and Parmigiano cheese. France, 2023: 750,000 poultry died of suffocation and exhaustion during extreme heatwaves. Food systems are responsible for a third of total global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The livestock sector – dominated by factory farming – produces more direct GHG emissions than all the world's planes, trains and cars combined. But with a growing global population, 200 leading climate, food and agriculture scientists refute sustainable intensification as a solution for reducing animal agriculture emissions. Most (90%) believe that reducing meat consumption – particularly in the Global North – is the most effective action. Debbie Tripley, Global Director of Campaigns and Policy Advocacy, at Compassion in World Farming, said: 'Millions of farmed animals are killed each year by floods, storms and heatwaves driven by climate change, yet the very system they are reared in is making the situation worse. These increasingly common extreme weather events are also catastrophic for people, food security and farmers' livelihoods. Simply put, we're trapped in a doom loop. 'Governments must take urgent action to reduce emissions and livestock production as well as meat consumption in richer countries, whilst also establishing proper plans for climate resilience. Farmers must move away from cruel, unsustainable factory farming and towards responsible climate- and nature-friendly practices. Farmed animals, economies, and the food on our plates are all under serious threat – we must act now before it's too late.' Supporters are being asked to sign the petition calling for a sustainable food system that protects animals, people, and the planet.
Scoop
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Climate Groups Call For Accountability And Ambition From COP30 Presidency
23 June 2025 Bonn, Germany – In a press conference held today, leading voices from the climate justice movement responded to the COP30 Presidency's plenary session at the UN climate talks in Bonn. Activists and climate groups are urging a stronger, more accountable path forward, gathering earlier in the day holding banners calling for the tripling of renewable energy, a full and fair phase-out of fossil fuels, and the inclusion of Indigenous and traditional leaders at the heart of COP30 decision-making. At the press conference, speakers from across the Global South emphasized that the world cannot afford another summit of empty promises. They called on the COP Presidency to deliver the tripling renewable energy capacity and phase out fossil fuels in the negotiated outcome, and for Indigenous and traditional people to meaningfully participate in the leaders segment and official agenda. Today's messages were clear: 1.5°C is a lifeline, not a target to be negotiated. The Global North must deliver new, additional public finance to meet its climate debt, and frontline communities must be empowered as leaders in global climate governance. Only through ambition grounded in justice can COP30 deliver the outcomes the world urgently needs. Alia Kajee, Global Campaign Project Manager, says: 'At home in South Africa, 88 people died in flooding just this month. Droughts, storms, and heatwaves are intensifying. Food and energy costs are rising while a handful of billionaires profit and prop up the industries that pollute our lands, air and waters while the vulnerable carry the burden of climate impacts and the cost of life. We ask the COP30 Presidency: Will you match our courage, or will you let history remember you as the government that wrote sophisticated letters, but failed to walk the talk?' Claudio Angelo, Head of International Policy, Observatório de Clima, says: 'Brazil is the best presidency you could get for a climate conference, given the context we have today with wars and the expansion of fossil fuels everywhere. The issue is more that there is a lot on their plate right now. They do have a plan, and they are trying to innovate in a COP format, but the issue is that simply the context is not favoring much ambition right now. But it's not game over yet. If one country can do it, at a climate conference, especially looking at the last three presidencies, Brazil can deliver – but it can't do it alone.' Cacique (chief) Ninawá Inu Huni Kui, says: 'We are here to reaffirm that we are not invited to simply occupy seats at global decision-making tables; we are holders of ancestral knowledge and guardians of the territories that guarantee life on the planet. Indigenous peoples and local communities are not spectators in the climate debate: we are protagonists and have the right and commitment to guide paths towards fair and sustainable change. This is not an option. It is a vital necessity for each and every one of us. Let's transform this global battle into a joint and equal action, so that all voices are heard and all strategies are strengthened by the Indigenous and traditional presence.' Dr Sindra Sharma, International Policy Lead, Pacific Islands Climate Action Network, says: 'I am born of and a product of the Pacific, a region that did not cause this crisis, but is paying for it every day. It's been 10 years since the Paris Agreement, and what do we have to show for it? In every country, planetary boundaries are being crossed, emissions keep rising, and fossil fuel subsidies are not falling. The problem is not a lack of science, it's a failure of political will. For us, the 1.5C limit is a red line. As we move toward COP30 we hope this is the moment we can reclaim 1.5C, as our time is running out. We'll continue to defend 1.5C and the science. But know this, our resilience is not your excuse to not act. We must maintain the required ambition.'
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
New global energy report offers path forward on fossil fuel phaseout, just transition, renewable energy models
The Women's Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN) on Thursday released a new report on effective and equitable community-led energy solutions to address challenges to just transition away from fossil fuels. The report, How Local Community Power is Central to a Just Renewable Energy Transition , spotlights scalable global community initiatives that are advancing decentralized and democratized energy solutions. The report was released during the Global Women's Assembly for Climate Justice : Path to COP30 and Beyond, and comes on the last day of government climate negotiations in Bonn, and ahead of COP30 in Brazil, where the international community will need to tackle not only escalating climate disasters but also the expansion of fossil fuel extraction and infrastructure by high-income countries. The report's analysis explores some of the barriers to implementing a just transition and the complexities of shifting away from current social and economic structures. Such structures include economic systems that promote fossil fuel production (including the trillions of dollars in government fossil fuel subsidies); societal patterns characterized by overconsumption in high-income countries; and current models of utility companies that further enable fossil fuel use and discourage a transition to more affordable and beneficial energy alternatives. The authors warn that the energy transition cannot replicate the same injustices as the fossil fuel economy. Instead, this transition must prioritize ecological well-being and community-owned renewable energy projects that are rooted in democratic governance and local empowerment. 'The era of fossil fuels has been defined by corporate greed, environmental destruction, Indigenous and human rights violations, and the denial of communities' right to clean, affordable energy,' said Osprey Orielle Lake, Founder, Executive Director at Women's Earth and Climate Action Network. 'As the climate crisis accelerates and governments regress on their climate commitments, frontline communities are showing the world what a just and regenerative future looks like—one rooted in equity, democracy, Indigenous and human rights, and community-led regenerative energy solutions. We have a narrow window to act and accelerate efforts for a Just Transition. COP30 must be a turning point to phase out fossil fuels and take action toward a just energy system that serves people and planet.' Case studies from the report explore principles and on-the-ground lessons that can inform a rights-based, environmentally sustainable, community-led energy transition. For instance, in Spain, a member-owned energy cooperative began providing renewable energy to its community following the 2008 economic crisis and frustrations over corporate control of energy access. In Ladakh, India, where the Himalayas make it challenging for villages to access outdated energy infrastructure, off-grid and decentralized solar solutions, as well as microgrids, are now a reliable source of energy for many remote villages. The report closes with a call for action: 'Communities across the world recognize that a transition away from fossil fuels is not only urgent but also inevitable, with many taking it upon themselves to implement socially and environmentally just solutions. Looking forward, governments, businesses, and civil society can work together to scale effective and lasting solutions, creating just pathways for economic transformation that do not perpetuate past and present injustices, but instead build a just, equitable, and inclusive future for all.'
Sky News
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Sky News
Prince William has had a lot to say this week - but is anyone listening?
Prince William has had a lot to say this week, attending three events about the environment as part of London Climate Action Week and giving three speeches. But I wouldn't be surprised if you haven't really heard what he had to say. The eyes of the world have, understandably, been elsewhere. Conflict, not the climate crisis, has been the primary focus of world leaders and continues to be - a problem you could say for William and all those trying to whip up momentum ahead of COP30 in Brazil, with only four months to go until the UN's climate conference in November. It was William and his team who specifically convened a meeting at St James's Palace on Thursday with the Brazilian ministers in charge of the summit and indigenous leaders from other parts of the world. With Ed Miliband, the secretary of state for energy security and net zero, just a few seats away, William made a call to action, saying: "We've made bold commitments: to halt deforestation, restore ecosystems, and protect 30% of land, sea, and water by 2030. "But these goals will remain out of reach unless we move from promises to action - grounded in respect, equity, and shared responsibility. "Looking ahead to COP30 in Belem and beyond, we must act with greater ambition and deeper collaboration. This is a moment for courage." When I put it to a palace source that maybe it all feels a bit futile in the current climate, with attentions firmly elsewhere, I was told there is "no change in course" - the prince always has and will continue "to use his platform to spotlight the need to restore the planet". 1:16 In the past, we've been more used to his father being more vocal. The King's involvement in London Climate Week was more fleeting, albeit involving a handshake with a giant gorilla puppet, and a discussion with the Brazil delegation in which he hinted that he would love to attend the summit in November, saying: "It's fitting it all in." Attendance by either the King or the Prince of Wales hasn't been confirmed yet, although it's looking likely William will go. He told one person this week: "I'll be in the area", with his Earthshot Prize being held in Rio in the days running up to the climate conference. But in the coming months, we do now know that father and son will be meeting with one key player, who has certainly voiced very different views on the severity of the climate crisis. 0:56 This week, it was confirmed that Donald Trump's full state visit to the UK will go ahead later this year, likely in September. His potentially disruptive presence when it came to the climate debate was hinted at on Tuesday, in front of Prince William, during a speech by former New York mayor Mike Bloomberg. Mr Bloomberg, a global adviser to Earthshot Prize, said: "There's a good reason to be optimistic, lots of problems around the world, America has not been doing its share lately to make things better, I don't think. Nevertheless, I'm very optimistic about the future." The King and Prince William have worked in this environmental sphere long enough to weather the frustrations of other distractions, a lack of interest or momentum. I'll never forget in 2015 ahead of COP21, when Islamic State and Syria were dominating the news agenda, Prince Charles told me very firmly that of course there was a link between the civil war in Syria and climate change. He said there was "very good evidence indeed that one of the major reasons for this horror in Syria was a drought that lasted for about five or six years, which meant that huge numbers of people in the end had to leave the land". "It's only in the last few years that the Pentagon have actually started to pay attention to this," he added at the time. "I mean, it has a huge impact on what is happening." But as a family, they know how much their global profile and ability to get people in the room can help attract attention that others simply can't. It's easy to be sniffy about that convening power, but as one delegate at an Earthshot event put it, they have an ability to "bring people together not around politics but purpose". And in a currently noisy, fractured world, it feels like that is needed more than ever.
