10 Twitter Accounts to follow for Climate Diplomacy news during COP24
COP24 might be in Katowice, but for the rest of the world it’s on Twitter. Navigating through this sea of news and expert profiles is not the easiest task, however. With this is mind, we’d like to share our favourite Twitter accounts with our followers so that you can be up-to-date throughout the event.
1. COP24
The official account of the COP24 is the central hub for official information on venue, session and event updates.
COP is the ultimate forum for international climate diplomacy – we can’t help but be there. Whether you can attend our side events or not, follow us and we’ll keep you on top of COP24’s highlights.
The UNFCCC is the ‘mother’ of the Paris Agreement; and like any mother, it is keeping a close eye on every step and detail of COP24 that influences the development of the accord. Follow them if you want to feel like you are onsite.
Climate Home is the place to keep up-to-date on climate-related news all year round, and will surely not disappoint during the COP24. Apart from their timely reporting, they are currently doing a special coverage of the latest climate and environment-related developments in Brazil in light of the country’s recent political developments.
Cañete is the EU Climate Action and Energy4Europe Commissioner, as well as an avid twitterer. If anything is seen, said or done on EU climate action, it is almost certain that he will tweet about it. A definite must-follow!
6. Josh Busby
If you are looking for an academic perspective and are interested in US climate policy, follow Josh Busby. Apart from maintaining a Twitter account that follows the latest global climate developments, Busby authors many insightful articles on climate & security, climate governance, health and foreign policy.
If you are interested in the climate wild card China, follow chinadialogue. They are not your typical minute-by-minute news page, but certainly provide some insight into China’s role in the global climate community.
8. Carbon Brief
Carbon Brief is a website dedicated to analysis and fact-checking of energy policy and climate change science (with a focus on the UK). Their Twitter feed provides a broad overview of what is (or should be) on the agenda in climate politics.
9. Alex Randall
Randall’s tweets will surely have you reflecting on climate migration. Follow him if you would like to know all about climate-related migration, what is happening and why.
10. Connect4Climate
Connect4Climate is a community of civil society and international organizations, private and public sector players, media, academic institutions, youth networks and much more. Not only does this account speak to a broad public, but its multi-actor nature also inspires the kind of cross-sectoral cooperation that is so crucial for climate action.
Should you come across any other must-follow Twitter channels touching upon climate diplomacy issues, let us know @ClimateDiplo.
Ten years after committing to phase out fossil fuel subsidies, G20 countries still subsidise coal, oil and gas to the tune of around USD 150 billion annually. Peer review of fossil fuel subsidies help push the G20 forward on this issue, but these reviews need to be followed by action. Subsidy reforms could free up resources that could be channeled back into government programmes and on accelerating a clean energy transition.
Let’s adapt – towards the Year of Action
Adapting to climate change and strengthening resilience are becoming priorities for the international community – however, they require greater ambition in climate policy. 107 governments and numerous international organisations have endorsed a call for action on raising ambition at the United Nations Climate Change Summit on 23rd September 2019. Following the summit, the Global Commission on Adaptation will begin its Year of Action to meet the climate challenges ahead. The Year of Action is here to accelerate climate adaptation around the world, to improve human well-being and to drive more sustainable economic development and security.
Organized crime in the Amazon: Illegal mining hotspots
A new form of organized crime has recently been emerging in the Amazon: illegal mining. Miners fell trees, use high-grade explosives for blasting soils and dredge riverbeds. But the impacts go beyond environmental damage, bringing with it a slew of other social problems. Peace researcher Adriana Abdenur urges policymakers to improve coordination and argues that diplomacy may help prevent further conflicts, corruption and crime.
Explainer: ‘Desertification’ and the role of climate change
The severity of desertification and its mutual relationship with climate change cannot be overstated. In light of the recent launch of the Special Report on Climate Change and Land by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Robert McSweeney from Carbon Brief explains what desertification is, what role climate change plays, and what impact it has across the world.