68 m. ago Cop30 live: ‘Clown show’ talks run into overtime with no clarity on climate deal

Negotiations ran late last night, and as delegates begin to leave the outcome of the summit remains unclear Civil society campaigners from the developing world have accused the rich countries of spreading “duplicitous narratives” over their role in the Cop30 climate talks over the past fortnight.As the talks in Belém, Brazil, passed the deadline for their resolution on Friday, European countries indicated they would walk away from any deal that did not include a commitment for “roadmap” to phase out fossil fuels.The world lost the climate gamble. Now it faces a dangerous new realityTen years ago the world’s leaders placed a historic bet. The 2015 Paris agreement aimed to put humanity on a path to avert dangerous climate change. A decade on, with the latest climate conference ending in Belém, Brazil, without decisive action, we can definitively say humanity has lost this bet. Continue reading...

Society

25 h. ago ‘It’s like arguing with robots’: negotiators on the state of Cop30 talks

Three representatives of developing countries speak candidly about meetings behind closed doors in BelémCop30 – latest updatesIn the negotiating rooms at the Cop30 climate conference, representatives from vulnerable countries work to get the best deal they can. Here, three of them reveal what happens behind closed doors. Continue reading...

Politics

31 h. ago Saudi Arabia leads attempts to block climate deal at COP30, UN chief warns

António Guterres notes talks could fail as a result of negotiating tactics

Events

42 h. ago Cop30 climate summit in Brazil disrupted after fire breaks out in venue

Event thrown into confusion after conference centre evacuated but UN says no one hurtBrazilian president will take fossil fuel phase-out plan to G20 summitTalks at the Cop30 climate summit in Brazil were disrupted on Thursday after a fire broke out in the venue, triggering an evacuation just as negotiators were hunkering down to try to land a deal to strengthen international efforts to address climate change.António Guterres, the United Nations secretary-general, had appealed earlier in the day for a deal from the summit, welcoming calls from some for clarity on the hotly disputed subject of weaning the world off fossil fuels. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago Once a global leader on climate action, the EU has given in to the right’s green

From deforestation to emissions trading, vital policies are being watered down in the name of ‘competitiveness’. But Europe is shooting itself in the footClimate action has long been a flagship European policy. As negotiators gather in Brazil for Cop30, however, Europe’s leadership risks faltering. Things were very different a decade ago in Paris, when a landmark deal to limit global heating to 1.5C was achieved at Cop21. That agreement relied on an understanding between the US and China – one that would be difficult to replicate today. Its ambition was elevated by Europe acting in concert with a broad coalition of global south countries.The Paris climate agreement paved the way for the European Green Deal in 2019, which enshrined into law the ambition of climate neutrality in the EU by 2050 and introduced the world’s first comprehensive plan to achieve it, featuring a robust set of pricing, regulatory and funding measures.Nathalie Tocci is a Guardian Europe columnist Continue readi...

Politics

9 d. ago Despite America’s absence, Trump’s influence looms large over Cop30

In this week’s newsletter: Fear of retribution from the unpredictable president has left climate summit negotiators feeling nervous and vulnerable• Don’t get Down to Earth delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereUnder Donald Trump, America has not only jettisoned any effort to deal with the climate crisis, but has also attempted to stymie moves by other nations to shift to cleaner forms of energy, such as solar and wind.The climate crisis is “the greatest con job perpetrated by the world”, Trump told the UN in September, urging other governments to stick to oil and gas (preferably drilled in the US, of course) and ditch the “scam” of renewable energy.World still on track for catastrophic 2.6C temperature rise, report findsFossil fuel projects around the world threaten the health of 2bn peopleChina’s CO2 emissions have been flat or falling for past 18 months, analysis findsCalifornia governor calls Trump ‘an invasive species’ at Cop30 climate talksTussles break out between protesters an...

Politics

1 week ago Trump abandoning the climate opens door for China, says Paris deal chief

As the Cop30 climate conference opens in Brazil and 10 years after the key deal she brokered, Christiana Figueres speaks to Nick Ferris about why Beijing is stealing a march on the West when it comers to renewable energy – and why she is confident that the US will eventually return to the climate fold

Politics

2 w. ago Major school changes as parents given chilling warning over child safety

Primary school children will be taught how to spot fake news, deal with money and about the climate crisis under a major shake-up of the school curriculum published today

Events

3 w. ago Socotra, an island apart from mainland Yemen’s turmoil – in pictures

Carl Court documents the life of Socotra inhabitants as they deal with the impacts of climate change in relative peace from Yemen’s hostilities Continue reading...

Politics