Noting that climate change constitutes a decisive global challenge which, if not urgently managed, will put at risk not only the environment but also world economic prosperity, development and, more broadly, stability and security, the Foreign Affairs Council adopted a set of conclusions on 24 June to further mainstream climate diplomacy into EU and Member States' priority agendas. The aim is to help mobilising the necessary political will globally in support of an ambitious climate agreement in 2015 and more effective climate action on the ground.
The adoption of renewed Council conclusions on EU climate diplomacy and the lively debate among ministers underlined the high degree of consensus among MemberStates, the HR/VP and Commission on the relevance and urgency to strategically address climate change, including its security dimension. Indeed, climate change affects and increasingly shapes policy agendas and outcomes in the economic and security fields, a fact reflected in unequivocal policy reports of international institutions including the World Bank, IMF and the OECD but also, consistently, in reports of the intelligence and security community.
Global climate action is picking up speed as more than 90 countries representing all together more than 80% of global emissions, have already decided to undertake domestic emissions reductions. However, ministers noted with concern that today's global ambition level is still far from sufficient to limit global average temperature increases to less than 2°C from the pre-industrial level and avoid the devastating consequences of current emission trends, if left unchecked. More political lobbying for climate ambition is urgently needed.
For the complete article, please see European Union at the United Nations.
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.
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.
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.
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.