Climate Change

A senior Alaska Native official, who was responsible for overseeing the federal agency that is in charge of U.S. Arctic research policy, quietly left her position in the last few days. This information comes from a source with knowledge of the issue and documents seen. The departure of Elizabeth Qaulluq Cravalho who was a member of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission (USARC) until earlier this month is the latest indication of the turmoil in the Arctic research community and the policymaking process since Republican U.S. president Donald Trump assumed office in January. Sources say that the exact nature of Cravalho's...

On Monday, environmental groups sued Alaska’s wildlife authorities to stop a predator-control plan that allows game wardens to hunt an unlimited number of bears using helicopters in a vast area where a protected herd of caribou roams. The groups claim that the Board of Game reinstated the program, without taking into account the impact on grizzly bear and black beaver populations. This is a violation of Alaska's wildlife conservation provisions. The suit was filed in the state district court of Anchorage. It claimed that state fish and games agents had killed 175 black bears and 175 grizzlies since 2023 under...

Ding Xuexiang, vice premier of China, called on fellow leaders to show "true multiculturalism" at the climate summit held in Brazil. Ding, via a translation, said: "We must strengthen international collaboration in green technology and the industry, remove trade obstacles, and ensure free flow of high-quality green products, to better meet global sustainable development needs." Ding told the official Xinhua News Agency on Friday that the developed countries must fulfill their obligation "to lead in emission reduction and honour their funding commitments", as well as provide more assistance to developing countries. He said that China was willing to work with...

Google's biggest deal to remove carbon emissions involves financing the restoration of Amazon rainforests with Brazilian startup Mombak. This comes as big tech searches for high-quality credits that can offset emissions from energy-hungry data centres. Companies said the deal would offset 200 metric tons carbon emissions. This is four times more than a pilot agreement signed in September 2024 between Google and Mombak, its sole supplier of forestry credits. Both companies declined comment on the deal's value. The agreement shows how big tech wants to mitigate the climate impact of its massive investment in data centers that use a lot...

The government revealed in its budget plan for the first budget of Prime Minister Mark Carney that Canada may scrap the cap on oil-and-gas emissions and replace it with other measures, such as industrial carbon pricing or the deployment of technology to capture and store carbon. In the climate plan that was part of the first budget of Prime Minister Mark Carney, it said the cap would be no longer needed because its value would be marginal. The Canada's emission cap is not being enforced by legislation, and it will not take effect before 2030. Canadian oil and natural gas...

The government revealed in its budget plan for the first budget of Prime Minister Mark Carney that Canada may scrap a cap on gas and oil emissions if other initiatives like carbon markets, stronger regulation, and carbon capture and storage technology prove successful. In the climate plan that was part of the first budget of Prime Minister Mark Carney, it said the cap would be no longer needed as its value would be marginal. The Canadian emissions cap is not legally enforced and will not take effect until 2030. However, Canadian oil and natural gas companies have condemned it because...

Inter-American Development Bank's (IDB) first Amazonia Bond raised $100 million to combat deforestation, boost local communities and support them, according to its chief. Other countries will follow soon. The coupon rate for the five-year bond is 3.802%. Ilan Goldfajn, President of the IDB, said that the operation is the start of a plan for the IDB to issue bonds up to $1 billion "over time." He added that the Brazilian government has told them they intend to issue similar bonds using the same framework developed by the IDB and the World Bank. Brazil's Treasury said that "studies are underway" to...

The grain traders group Abiove said that the vote of Brazil's Supreme Court, which took place on Monday, recognising legality and effectiveness of the soy-moratorium, a corporate agreement under investigation by Brazil’s antitrust agency, confirms its legitimacy and efficiency. Why it's important The ruling by Supreme Court Justice Flavio DiNo supports a longstanding corporate environment agreement that prohibits soybean traders from purchasing from farmers who cleared land from the Amazon rainforest in July 2008. It also shapes the soy trading in Brazil, which is the world's biggest soybean exporter. CONTEXT The soy ban was intended to reduce deforestation by limiting...

Executives revealed that a climate finance platform, co-founded by MUFG (Japan's largest financial group), has raised $600 million in order to assist countries in developing markets to adapt to climate change impacts and reduce emissions. Bill Gates, a billionaire investor and business leader in Brazil, made the announcement as business leaders gathered ahead of COP30 climate talks. The GAIA Climate Loan Fund will support projects that build resilience in countries as extreme weather events like floods and droughts become more intense. Ariane Pvide, Director of Climate and Blended Finance, MUFG, stated in an emailed comment that "Adaptation Finance has become...

A White House official confirmed that the U.S. would not be sending any high-level officials for the upcoming COP30 Climate Summit in Brazil. This will ease some concerns among world leaders who were worried Washington might send a team of negotiators to sabotage the talks. Brazil will host the high-level leaders summit in Belem, Amazonian City next week. The UN climate talks begin there two weeks later. Earlier this week, the U.S. warned that it would use visa restrictions and sanction to retaliate to nations who voted in favor of a UN shipping agency plan, the International Maritime Organization (IMO),...

Hurricane Melissa, which swept through the Caribbean on Thursday and was seen gaining speed as it moved across open water towards Bermuda, left a path of destruction and high winds from Jamaica to Cuba. As the storm passed, people in the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos were slammed with rain and dangerous winds. Bermudans, located around 600 miles (970km) northeast of the last position of the storm, prepared for the expected evening arrival. Authorities in the region are struggling to keep up with the devastation. They have confirmed 25 deaths, 10 of which were children, in Haiti and four in...

The document shows that a flagship climate coalition of asset managers has dropped certain targets for its members. This comes months after U.S. pressure forced BlackRock to leave the group and suspend their activities. After Republican politicians attacked them, the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative took similar measures at sister groups in banking and insurance. The announcement comes just days before the COP30 Climate Talks in Brazil, where a number of fund managers will be gathering at a variety of events related to the global effort of decarbonising the economy. 2050 NET-ZERO GOAL FOR INVESTMENT PORTFOLIOS DROPPED NZAM announced on...

Iceland's climate minister said that the government has classified the collapse of an Atlantic Ocean current as a threat to national security and an existential concern, which allows it to plan for worst-case scenarios. Warm water is brought from the tropics to the Arctic by the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). This warm water flow helps keep Europe's cold winters mild. Scientists warn that the flow of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) could be disrupted by the cold water from Greenland melting the Arctic ice. The collapse of AMOC would trigger a new ice age in which winter temperatures...

On Tuesday, dozens of indigenous protesters forced themselves into the COP30 Climate Summit venue and clashed violently with security guards. The protesters shouted angrily and demanded entry to the U.N. compound, where thousands of delegates are attending the U.N. Climate Summit this year. Some carried flags or signs that said "Our land is not for Sale" or slogans urging land rights. A leader of the Tupinamba tribe, located near the lower reaches Tapajos River on the Brazilian coast, expressed his displeasure at the ongoing development. Gilmar, a man who goes by only one name, said: "We cannot eat money." "We...

Raoni Metuktire, a 93-year-old indigenous leader, has urged Brazil to empower natives in order to preserve the Amazon rainforest. She also warned that the plans to build infrastructure are a direct danger to the forest and the people who live there. In an exclusive interview with The Telegraph on Tuesday, Chief Raoni, a leader widely known as the chief of the Raoni tribe, warned that the proposed rail projects, oil wells and highways will harm people around the world. "These projects continue to destroy rivers and land. It's not good. Raoni, who spoke in his native Kayapo language with his...

The COP30 Climate talks begin in Brazil this Week Small island states are pushing for a new push to 1.5C. The discussion will also include how to pay climate damages Clar NiChonghaile UnaMay Gordon is a former director for climate change at the Jamaican Government and advisor to the Caribbean Community Climate Change Center that coordinates climate action. We lost our cultural heritage. 300-year old churches are gone. It also took a part of our own identity with it. Gordon told reporters that "people are hurting". According to Jamaica's Prime Minister, the strongest storm ever to hit the island left...

Scientists in Chile warned that the population of Humboldt Penguins, which is one of only a few species to live on rocky coastlines in temperate areas, was at risk of further decline after the species was declared endangered. Scientists at the Universidad de Concepcion estimate the number of Humboldt Penguins in Chile has dropped from 45,000 to fewer that 20,000 since the late 1990s. The species is considered vulnerable by international organizations, which prohibits commercial trade. But late last month Chile’s Environment Ministry reclassified it as “endangered.” Biologists are concerned that the numbers of seabirds will continue to decrease. The...

Sebastian Vettel, the retired Formula One world champion, said that he was open to taking on a new sport role as long as it had meaning. The German spoke at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, where he raised climate awareness. He won four titles for Red Bull, and his last race was with Aston Martin 2022. "Why not? If it's well-spent time, there's a human element, it's challenging, and I enjoy it, why not?" He said this at Interlagos without giving any details or examples. "There must be a reason." I don't just want to come here to make money....

It was not clear what the 190+ countries attending the COP30 would be discussing during the two week U.N. Summit in Brazil's Amazonian city of Belem. It's also unclear how they will handle controversial issues such as the 2023 pledge to stop using polluting sources of energy and their demand for funding to achieve this. The biggest question was whether or not countries would want to reach a final deal, which is difficult to do in an era of global politics that has been fractious and the U.S.'s efforts to block a move away from fossil-fuels. After years of COP...

The U.N. Climate conference generates hundreds of headlines every year about global efforts to save the world from a climate catastrophe. The conference begins in Belem, a Brazilian rainforest city. What exactly takes place at these annual summits, then? What you should know WHAT IS A COP? The annual Conference is called a COP. This stands for Conference of the Parties who signed the U.N. Climate Treaty of 1992. The U.N. The Framework on Climate Change Convention, or UNFCCC, committed countries to work together to combat climate change. The treaty established the principle "common, but differentiated responsibility", which means that...

Exxon Mobil's CEO Darren Woods stated on Friday that oil and gas would continue to play a crucial role for a very long time. He added that the real question is whether they will be used to fuel vehicles. Woods stated that while future technological advances may see a shift in the way hydrocarbons are burned, they will still be used in other areas, like the medical industry. Woods said that crude oil and hydrocarbons will play a crucial role in everyone's lives for many years to come. Carbon emissions from fossils fuels, such as coal and oil, but also...

Brazil raised $2.25bn on Thursday through a new dollar-bond sale. This was its fourth international market transaction this year. It also included sustainable notes, as the country hosts world leaders at the United Nations Climate Summit. Brazil's Treasury issued a statement saying it had sold $1.5 billion of new sustainable bonds that are due in 2033, and $750 million more through a retap on its benchmark 10-year bond. IFR, a fixed-income news service, was the first to report on these values. Treasury said the 8-year bond was issued with a 5.75% yield, while the 2035 bonds have a yield 6.2%....

U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres ripped into nations for failing to limit warming to 1,5 degrees Celsius. Brazil hosted world leaders in Belem, a rainforest city for a summit before the COP30 Climate Conference. Scientists confirm that the world will cross the threshold of 1.5 C around 2030. This could lead to extreme warming and irreversible effects. Guterres stated in his speech that "too many corporations make record profits by destroying the climate, and billions are spent on lobbying, misleading the public, and obstructing advancement." "Too many politicians remain captive to entrenched interests." Subventions for fossil fuels amount to about...

HSBC released a new set of climate targets on Thursday that are softer and more flexible for near-term sectors like oil and gas. This is in response to the slow rate of change in real economy. The targets for the end of the decade follow a review that was announced by British bank earlier this year, when it dropped its goal to reach net-zero emissions in all of its operations by 2030. HSBC is still aiming for its operations, funded by the loan book, to produce zero emissions by 2050. It and other banks who have set similar climate goals...