The Summary Report 2018 provides a comprehensive overview of all G20 countries, whether – and how well – they are doing on the journey to transition to a low-carbon economy. The report draws on the latest emissions data from 2017 and covers 80 indicators on decarbonisation, climate policies, finance and vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. Providing country ratings, it identifies leaders and laggards in the G20.
With COP24 drawing near and widespread concern over underachieved climate targets that threaten the IPCC's 1.5º threshold, all eyes are turning to China. Its actions as the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitter and as a frontrunner in clean energy are highly important for the international community. The added pressure of climate-unfriendly forces emerging in economies such as Brazil, USA and Australia raises questions as to whether China will be able and willing to take up a central role in climate diplomacy. This issue of China Dialogue brings a series of insights on China’s position to help us navigate the country’s approach in the international climate community, from its relationship with coal energy to water privatisation and biodiversity protection.
A new report released in May by Displacement Solutions and Yangon-based Ecodev urges the government of Myanmar to immediately establish a Myanmar National Climate Land Bank (MNCLB) to prepare the country and its people for massive climate displacement.
An IPCC special report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty.
There is broad agreement that climate change represents a threat to sustainable development; consequently, development efforts must be resilient to the impacts of climate change and related disaster risks in order to be sustainable. This is the first in a series of briefs focusing on alignment of country efforts under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Bank predict that water scarcity, induced by climate change, will potentially reduce GDP of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region by 6 to 14% by 2050, if nothing is done to address this. In the report, the agencies highlight water and agriculture as key to conflict recovery, stabilization and peace building in the region currently experiencing armed conflicts and large refugee movements.
Germany will hold a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council in 2019 and 2020, and has announced that climate fragility will be one of its priorities. In a new brief, Susanne Dröge from the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) comments on the challenges Germany will face when moving the topic forward. She stresses the importance of connecting the Security Council’s engagement to other climate and development policy processes and fora.
The latest issue of the European Security and Defence Union Journal looks into the security challenges brought by climate-related impacts. The issue addresses climate change as a risk multiplier in fragile contexts. Environmental stress, the weaponization of water, monitoring technologies and the role of armed forces are some of the topics.
Lake Chad is a geophysical and ecological miracle. Situated in the arid Sahel region, two large rivers create an oasis in an otherwise water scarce region. But today, the Lake Chad region is best known for armed conflict, Boko Haram and one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises. According to Janani Vivekananda, Senior Adviser for Climate Change and Peacebuilding at adelphi, climate change plays a very real role in exacerbating and prolonging the crisis.
Environmental degradation, exacerbated by climate change, does not automatically lead to conflict. But it can affect drivers of conflict such as low rural incomes, livelihood systems or food insecurity, becoming threat a potent threat multiplier and increasing fragility.