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Countries are ‘still in the climate fight’, the United Nations climate chief Simon Stiell said

COP30: Nations chose unity, science and economic common sense amid ‘stormy political waters’

Countries are ‘still in the climate fight’, the United Nations climate chief Simon Stiell said

With COP30 closing this week, one truth has come sharply into focus: climate extremes are natural, but disasters are not. (Flickr)

COP30 launches global forest finance facility amid indigenous rights concerns

Indigenous groups and NGOs caution that the facility risks becoming another top-down market mechanism that benefits investors more than the forests themselves

Emissions are still climbing. In 2024, global greenhouse gas emissions increased by 2.3%, reaching 57.7 gigatons of CO₂ equivalent — a faster rate of growth than in 2023 and more than four times the annual average of the 2010s.

Off target: Unep warns that the world is still falling short of the Paris climate goals

A decade after the Paris Agreement united countries behind the goal of limiting global warming to well below 2°C, the latest Emissions Gap report from the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep) delivers a sobering message: global efforts remain off target.  Despite new pledges and some policy progress, the world is still heading toward dangerous levels […]

Uncertainty still surrounds the Kariba REDD+ forest conservation project, which provides sustainable livelihood opportunities for poor communities in northern Zimbabwe. (Substack)

Fate of Zimbabwe’s Kariba REDD+ forest conservation project hangs in the balance

Kariba REDD+ has been prevented from trading after allegations of mismanagement and corruption

Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Velenkosi Hlabisa and Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero at the U20 Summit. (CityofJoburgZA/X)

Global cities call for $800bn in climate finance at first African Urban20 summit

Urban leaders call for multilevel governance, affordable housing and zero-emission transport to drive sustainable urban futures

Outdoor air quality funding to sub-Saharan Africa collapsed by 91% in just one year, falling from $129 million in 2022 to a mere $11.8 million in 2023.
Photo: File

Reduce Africa’s dependency on climate aid finance to ensure a sustainable future

Digital sustainable finance is key to mobilising private funding as Africa’s climate transition faces a major hurdle with aid often as loans increasing debt

Johannesburg’s inner city. Cities in Africa can benefit from genuinely affordable financing. Photo: Delwyn Verasamy, M&G

Rebooting the global financial system will pay dividends in Africa

Transforming the world’s monetary policies would benefit African cities and the continent’s public development banks have a key role to play

South Africa hosts the G20 leaders summit this weekend. (@G20org/X)

G20 finance track calls for IMF reform, revitalising the World Trade Organisation, inclusive global growth

The need to ensure the independence of central banks was also one of the key recommendations from South Africa’s G20 finance track

For Africa, climate action isn’t just about emissions — it is a development imperative. The continent faces a myriad of challenges: a population boom, rising energy demands, persistent poverty and fragile infrastructure.

South Africa must take the lead in pan-African climate solidarity

Changes in funding show how precarious Africa is in its reliance on foreign aid and the pressing need to find alternatives to ensure economic and climate resilience

The G20 is a forum of the largest economies in the world who meet regularly to discuss the most pressing issues facing the global economy. (Photo: Brenton Geach/Gallo Images/Getty Image)

South Africa’s G20 presidency an opportunity to reshape the global energy narrative

A strong presidency would establish mechanisms for accountability, ensuring that promises made during G20 summits translate into measurable progress

Fadhel Kaboub, a senior adviser at think tank Power Shift Africa.

Unified African voice needed at COP29

The continent must also ignore the dangled carrot of small bits of money for carbon forests or just transitions, said Fadhel Kaboub, a senior adviser at Power Shift Africa

(UN Climate Change / Kiara Worth)

The second week of COP29 needs to reach funding commitments

There is an air of impatience as talks on finance hit a stalemate

US Pesident Donald Trump. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Trump’s return to power sparks uncertainty over US climate commitments

South Africa and other developing nations are pushing for a $1 trillion climate finance target

Schoolchildren who participated in the Local Conference of Youth event held at the African Leadership Academy in Roodepoort.

SACAN workshop: African youth perspectives on STEM and climate action

LCOY 2024 aimed to provide youth aged 14 to 25 with the tools and knowledge to participate in climate policy and STEM-based solutions actively

National Protected Area Authority (NPAA) forest rangers look on at deforestation and illegal gold mining pits inside the Kambui forest reserve outside Kenema on June 14, 2024. (Photo by JOHN WESSELS / AFP)

Sierra Leone rangers fight uphill battle against deforestation

With just 62 wardens to cover some 14,000 hectares, it’s an arduous game of cat and mouse

Uwen Garae surveys his destroyed house on March 16, 2015 in Port Vila, Vanuatu. Cyclone Pam hit the South Pacific islands with hurricane-force winds, huge ocean swells and flash flooding. (Photo by Dave Hunt-Pool/Getty Images)

Commonwealth urges immediate action to support vulnerable island nations

A cyclone, or a hurricane, can knock a small or at-risk country off its growth trajectory for years, if not decades

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg (M) raises her fist at a rally on the subject of “Kick Big Polluters Out”. Photo: Benjamin Westhoff/dpa (Photo by Benjamin Westhoff/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Bonn climate conference leaves much to be desired

It was business as usual at the talks: protests, visa troubles and little commitment to climate finance

The president of COP28, Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, is also the chief executive of the state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company. Photo: Beata Zawrzel/Getty Images

Editorial: COP28 a compromise we’ll pay for

Why do fossil fuels have a voice and space at the Conference of the Parties in Dubai?

File photo

What to look out for at COP28

There will be some crucial talking points for the climate crisis at this year’s event This content is restricted to registered users and subscribers. Get Your Free Account The Mail & Guardian is committed to providing all our readers with the best possible experience. Please register your free account now. Your registration is your first step to becoming an M&G community member. Register Registration enables: – M&G newsletters access – notifications – the best possible experience Already registered? Login here Want to subscribe and get even more benefits? Explore our subscription offers