Biodiversity & Livelihoods
Climate Change
Environment & Migration
North America
Avaneesh Pandey

Eleven House Republicans, led by Rep. Chris Gibson (R-NY), signed a resolution calling for action on climate change. The resolution, made public Thursday, marks a major break from the party line of climate change denial.

“The House of Representatives commits to working constructively, using our tradition of American ingenuity, innovation, and exceptionalism, to create and support economically viable, and broadly supported private and public solutions to study and address the causes and effects of measured changes to our global and regional climates, including mitigation efforts and efforts to balance human activities that have been found to have an impact,” the resolution, which calls for a “conservative environmental stewardship,” reads.

For the complete article, please see the International Business Times.


Climate Diplomacy
Global Issues
Dhanasree Jayaram, MAHE

As we step into 2020, time has come to implement the Paris Agreement and raise climate ambition, but the geopolitical tide seems to be against it. The best way forward at this crucial juncture might be to forge a ‘climate coalition of the willing’ – recognising and streamlining actions of all actors at all levels.

Climate Change
Early Warning & Risk Analysis
Global Issues
Lauren Anderson, IISD

For the first time in the survey’s 10-year outlook, the top five global risks in terms of likelihood are all environmental. They are: extreme weather events, failure of climate change mitigation and adaptation, major natural disasters, major biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse, and human-made environmental damage and disasters.

Climate Change
Land & Food
Sub-Saharan Africa
Issa Sikiti da Silva, SciDev.Net

Millions of people across Sub-Saharan Africa could face grave hunger in the first half of 2020 because of armed conflict, political instability and climate change-linked disasters, a report says.
The report published by the UN World Food Programme (WFP) this month says that the countries affected will require life-saving food assistance and investment to prevent humanitarian catastrophes.

Climate Change
Forests
Oceania & Pacific
Daisy Dunne, Josh Gabbatiss and Robert McSweeney, Carbon Brief

Australia is currently experiencing one of its worst bushfire seasons, with swathes of the southern and eastern coastal regions having been ablaze for weeks.  As the fires have spread, there has been extensive media coverage both nationally and internationally documenting – and debating – their impacts. This Carbon Brief overview summarises how the fires – and the political response to them – have been covered by the media.