Latest news with #FrameworkConventiononClimateChange
Scoop
6 days ago
- Health
- Scoop
Health Community Demands Ambition On Ending Fossil Fuel Dependence And Robust Investment In Protecting Communities
Bonn, 16 May 2025:- As the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) SB62 UN Climate Change Conference opens today in Germany - and ahead of this year's COP30 Climate Summit, in Belem, Brazil - the Global Climate and Health Alliance demands that governments ensure the 'just, orderly and equitable transition away from fossil fuels', called for by countries at 2023's COP28, is translated into concrete, measurable, and accountable action. 'Over the next two weeks, governments must protect people's health by laying the groundwork for a just transition away from fossil fuels to cleaner renewable energy sources - this must be matched by adaptation that promotes health, and underpinned by adequate finance that will effectively confront the climate crisis already driving devastating health impacts around the world', said Jess Beagley, Policy Lead at the Global Climate and Health Alliance, which brings together over 200 health professionals and health civil society organisations and networks to address climate change. 'Dependence on fossil fuels is the primary driver of health impacts from climate change, which is already straining healthcare systems around the world', said Beagley. 'Fossil fuel use is also a key air pollution culprit, causing millions of deaths annually from respiratory and cardiovascular disease, as well as developmental and cognitive issues.' 'Developed countries must provide enough finance to developing countries, so that they can adapt and respond to these climate impacts, and transition to development pathways compatible with a healthy climate future', said Beagley. 'At COP29 rich countries could have committed financing that would support the Global South - yet they failed to deliver'. 'Over the coming fortnight, governments can redeem themselves by delivering positive signals on the Baku to Belem Roadmap on climate finance, and in demonstrating willingness to prioritise public grants from developed to developing countries', continued Beagley. 'Developed countries must provide funding to prevent worsening climate change by addressing its causes; funding for countries to build resilience against the climate impacts they are already facing; and funding to recover and rebuild from destruction that they were unable to avoid.' 'In Bonn, countries must also make good on the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) by supporting technical experts, enabling them to continue coordinating and refining their work', said Beagley. 'Down the line, delegations must ensure GGA indicators adopted at COP30 include means of implementation - namely finance, technology transfer, and capacity building – in order to ensure that countries actually have the capacity and resources to take the steps they must to protect their people'. 'Meanwhile, countries yet to submit their NDCs [Nationally Determined Contributions - see notes below] must address these same priorities of mitigation, adaptation and finance at national level, including setting targets for reducing their emissions that are sufficiently ambitious to align with their fair shares towards the goals of the Paris Agreement', said Beagley. 'In their new NDCs, governments must commit to optimising health and building resilience, which will only be possible when supported by adequate domestic budget and international finance commitments, and they must commit to monitoring how those commitments are being implemented", said Beagley. 'Governments must also ensure that countries that have contributed the least to climate change but are facing its harshest impacts, must receive crucial international support', said Jeni Miller, Executive Director of the Global Climate and Health Alliance. 'From flooding that destroys homes and clinics and spreads cholera, to heatwaves that overwhelm hospitals with patients, to droughts and weather instability that ruin harvests, to wildfires spreading toxic smoke to communities thousands of miles away, in every country people are suffering from the impacts of climate change; low income developing countries are the most severely harmed and the least able to respond to and recover from the damages from this problem that they did not cause.' 'Fossil fuels are at the root of climate change, as well as of air pollution and plastic contamination, as well as polluting our water and soil pollution. Collaboration amongst governments in Bonn must ensure that November's COP30 takes a great leap towards ending the fossil fuel age and its devastating impact on human health', said Miller. Ending Fossil Fuel Industry Influence 'A major impediment to action on climate change is the well-documented and deliberate efforts of certain industries to block progress', said Miller. 'For years, the fossil fuel industry has deliberately sown doubt and interfered with policy deliberations, has sent hundreds of lobbyists to COPs every year since the Paris Agreement was signed. Big agriculture is also very well organized, and increasingly attempting to slow COP action on agricultural practices that contribute to climate change. Without putting a halt to the influence of industries that have a vested interest in delaying progress on climate change, our chances are hampered from the get-go.' 'A clamour is now developing ahead of COP30 about how UNFCCC should counter the increasing representation at climate summits from high emitting industries like fossil fuels and big agriculture', added Miller. 'Two years ago, the UNFCCC Secretariat introduced new regulations forcing delegates to disclose their affiliations, but to date, there are no restrictions on participation - as a result, polluting industries driving climate change are everywhere at COP climate summits. The UNFCCC must urgently put in place stronger measures to limit the influence of industry and conflicts of interest - and to achieve this, it can learn from how other UN bodies, such as the World Health Organization, have responded to industry pressures from tobacco and alcohol companies.' Brazil's COP30 Presidency has voiced concerns over fossil fuel interference, plans to lead a 'Global Ethical Stocktake' of COP processes, and has launched four 'Support Circles', including one focused on climate governance.
Qatar Tribune
31-05-2025
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
ICC Qatar launches Environment & Energy Commission to drive private sector leadership on sustainability
DOHA: The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Qatar, in collaboration with the Al-Attiyah Foundation, has launched the ICC Qatar Environment & Energy Commission – a landmark initiative aimed at galvanising the private sector's role in advancing Qatar's sustainable energy and climate goals. The Commission, unveiled during a high-level event in Doha on Wednesday, will serve as the country's premier platform for private-sector engagement on climate policy, environmental stewardship, and the energy transition. Aligned with global frameworks such as the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the Commission's establishment marks a significant step in reinforcing commitment to sustainability and economic diversification under the Qatar National Vision 2030. The roadmap unveiled at the event outlines a phased implementation strategy, including the formation of dedicated working groups focused on low-carbon energy transition, sustainable water and desalination, and emissions mitigation through tools such as carbon markets and carbon capture. The Commission will also engage closely with national entities such as the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Kahramaa, and QatarEnergy, while fostering strategic alliances with international partners including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), and the UN Global Compact. Sheikha Tamader Al Thani, Secretary General, ICC Qatar highlighted: 'The establishment of the ICC Qatar Environment & Energy Commission represents a significant step in advancing our commitment to sustainability as a key driver of long-term economic resilience and private sector leadership. This Commission provides a dedicated platform for constructive dialogue, policy advocacy, and actionable collaboration between business, government, and global institutions.' She also pointed out: 'Through the commission work, we aim to align with the objectives of the Qatar National Vision 2030, while actively contributing to international frameworks and initiatives. Together with our partners at the Al-Attiyah Foundation, we are confident that this Commission will catalyze innovative solutions and position Qatar's private sector as a leader in the global energy transition.' Speaking at the launch, Colman Hands, Co-Chair of the Commission, emphasized the importance of private-sector leadership in addressing climate challenges. 'This Commission is designed to be a dynamic force, connecting policy, innovation, and investment in ways that can drive real change,' he stated.
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Business Standard
29-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
India to submit adaptation plan to UNFCCC in few months: Bhupender Yadav
India will submit its first National Adaptation Plan (NAP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in the coming months, Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Thursday. To strengthen efforts to address climate-related risks and enhance India's climate resilience, the government recently released a draft framework for a climate finance taxonomy. By detailing the methodology for classifying activities, projects and measures under adaptation and mitigation, the taxonomy is expected to contribute to India's climate commitments. It aims to facilitate investment in adaptation solutions and technologies that mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change. 'In a significant step towards strengthening adaptation, the government has embarked on a journey to create an inclusive roadmap through the development of the first National Adaptation Plan, which will be submitted to the UNFCCC in a few months,' Yadav said at the Confederation of Indian Industry's Annual Business Summit. The plan will be based on three pillars: enhancing adaptive capacity, strengthening knowledge systems, and reducing exposure to climate change, he added. Business Standard had reported last month that India's forthcoming adaptation plan will be broader and more holistic, extending into economic and social structures to improve the scope of climate resilience. The NAP, expected to be submitted by September, will mark the country's first such framework aligned with its global commitments under the Paris Agreement. While India has the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), this will be the first adaptation-specific plan drafted in compliance with the Paris Agreement. The NAP will be built on eight key principles: country-driven; integrated and multi-sectoral; gender-responsive; participatory and transparent; inclusive of vulnerable groups, communities and ecosystems; science-driven and informed by traditional knowledge; iterative and adaptive; and coordinated through a 'whole-of-government' and 'whole-of-society' approach. It also aims to facilitate the integration of climate change adaptation measures with relevant existing and upcoming policies, programmes, development planning processes and strategies. This development is critical as the global average temperature is projected to remain between 1.2°C and 1.9°C above pre-industrial levels over the next five years. Rising temperatures have already led to an increase in the intensity and duration of extreme weather events—such as heatwaves, cyclones and hazardous climatic episodes—particularly affecting India and other Southeast Asian countries.
USA Today
25-04-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
State Department nixes climate office, revamps energy bureau
State Department nixes climate office, revamps energy bureau Show Caption Hide Caption What do Lee Zeldin's EPA rollbacks mean for Americans? Lee Zeldin announced the Environmental Protection agency would roll back regulations aimed fighting climate change and pollution. WASHINGTON - The Trump administration has terminated federal employees in charge of U.S. global climate policy and climate aid as part of its reorganization of the country's diplomatic focus, the State Department said on Friday. The career employees in the Office of Global Change, which came under the State Department's Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, played a lead role in U.S. negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Officials from the office also represented the United States at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and their respective shipping and commercial aviation sectors. The dismissals come after President Donald Trump said he would withdraw the United States from the Paris climate agreement, as well as from IMO negotiations over decarbonization measures to enable the global shipping industry to reach net-zero emissions by "around 2050". The United States belongs to the ICAO and had agreed to participate in the UN agency's Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) and a goal to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The Trump administration, though, has recently objected to ICAO's move to boost sustainable aviation fuel. It is not clear how or if the United States will continue to participate in these international agreements, or whether some office functions will be folded into other bureaus. The Trump administration has been aggressively rolling back existing U.S. climate policy and dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development. A State Department spokesperson said the office had supported efforts to "hobble" the U.S. through participation in climate agreements and is "unnecessary." Critical minerals There are also changes afoot at the State's Bureau of Energy Resources. When it opened during the administration of former President Barack Obama, the bureau helped gather support from allies and partners for sanctions on Iran's oil exports. In more recent years the bureau, which has about 80 staffers, has focused on developing critical minerals and oil and gas alternatives and weaning countries off Russian fossil fuels. Internal documents reviewed by Reuters said the Bureau of Energy Resources would be absorbed into the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs "to ensure a laser-like focus on expanding and exporting American energy." A department spokesperson said the office grew beyond its original purpose and promoted policies "completely inconsistent with the President's vision of American energy dominance." The spokesperson said the bureau's functions it deems useful, such as work on securing access to critical minerals, will be preserved elsewhere in the department.
Iraqi News
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Iraqi News
Chairman of the Group of 77 and China confirms support for the climate change summit in Brazil
The representative of Iraq to the United Nations and the Chairman of the Group of 77 and China, Abbas Kazim Obaid, confirmed today, Friday, support for the climate change summit in Brazil. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a statement received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA): that "The representative of Iraq to the United Nations and the Chairman of the Group of 77 and China, Abbas Kazim Obaid, met with André Correa, the President-designate of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change COP30, which will be held in Brazil," noting that "the two sides discussed the multiple challenges facing the climate agreement, and ways to implement commitments and pledges to achieve common goals." The Iraqi representative, according to the statement, expressed "the support of the Group of 77 and China and its confidence in Brazil's leadership to make this international event a success and achieve the common priorities of developing countries," noting that "international environmental and climate action is still based on what was achieved at the Earth Summit organized by Brazil in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, and continuous communication ensures the success of the conference and meets the concerns of member states, and that this task is a shared responsibility that falls on everyone." For his part, the conference president thanked "the Chairman of the Group of 77 for his confidence and gratitude for the group's support for the presidency of the conference, and that part of his program is based on positive and successful communication with the negotiating groups, of which the Group of 77 is the most prominent and largest," praising "the level of readiness and seriousness shown by the Iraqi delegation, in its capacity as Chairman of the Group, in making the negotiating tasks entrusted to it a success, and raising the voice of developing countries in all available forums until the conference's work begins."
