The United Nations Environment Assembly is the world’s highest-level decision-making body on the environment. The Assembly meets biennially to set priorities for global environmental policies and develop international environmental law. This year’s theme is “Innovative solutions for environmental challenges and sustainable consumption and production”.

Climate Change
Energy
Global Issues

The Global Fossil Project Tracker (GFPT) is a resource for researchers, communities, activists, and students who would like to learn more about fossil fuel industry infrastructure around the world. It serves as a surveillance system for planned and existing projects, enabling users to track locations, status, size, history, ownership, and industry trends. The tracker was designed and produced by CoalSwarm.

Climate Change
Climate Diplomacy
Global Issues
Carbon Brief

This year’s annual UN climate conference concluded late on Saturday evening in Katowice, Poland, after two weeks of tension-filled talks.

Source:
Carbon Brief
Climate Change
Environment & Migration
Global Issues
UN News

As hundreds of decision-makers are gathering in Marrakech to agree new standards for global migration, the United Nations climate change conference ‘COP24’ is looking at concrete ways to help countries tackle large-scale displacement caused by the impacts of climate change, including water scarcity, flooding, storms and rising sea levels. 

Source:
UN News
Biodiversity & Livelihoods
Conflict Transformation
Sub-Saharan Africa
UN Environment

Nigeria’s central Middle Belt region is home to a diverse cultural population of semi-nomadic cattle herders and farming communities. For decades, the region has experienced increasingly violent attacks that have been partially attributed to direct competition over access and use of natural resources.

Biodiversity & Livelihoods
Climate Diplomacy
Forests
Security
South America
Adriana Erthal Abdenur, Instituto Igarapé
Quick Access

In order to help address escalating violence, UN Environment has launched the UN Initiative for Environmental Defenders. This brief analyses the initiative and looks into how member states can support peace by engaging in environmental diplomacy, with a focus on Brazil.

Climate Change
Global Issues
Newsletter

With recent shakeups in global leadership, climate talks might take unexpected turns. Brazil’s foreign policy and commitment to the Paris Agreement will soon be managed by a climate skeptic. Another letter from Washington has arrived, and it makes the case for climate action as a strategy for the new diplomacy. New videos on climate security look into France’s strategies and Mali’s climate security trap. The interactive Pledged Warming Map demonstrates expected global warming based on countries’ ambitions.

Dennis Tänzler, adelphi

COP24 starts today, the IPCC has published new scientific evidence on the devastating impacts of climate change, the probability that those changes will be manageable are decreasing, and, once again, there is a stalemate in international climate negotiations. Time is running out fast - or more appropriately, as UNFCCC Executive Secretary Espinosa stressed, time is a luxury we no longer have. So, actually the question is how soon is now?

Climate Diplomacy
Global Issues

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.

Conflict Transformation
Security
Water
Global Issues
Adrien Detges, adelphi and Tobias Ide, Georg Eckert Institute

Although water is an essential input for agriculture and industrial production, it is also scarce in many regions. When it crosses international borders via shared rivers, lakes and aquifers, it can become a source of conflict and contention. Yet while water can be a source of instability, especially in the face of climate change, it can also be a source or catalyst for cooperation and even peace.

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