COP29 chaos during global turmoil

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♻️ This week’s sustainability news

COP29 rapidly becoming a lost opportunity

What’s happening: The annual talks where governments assess global efforts to advance the Paris Agreement, known as Conferences of the Parties (COPs), is currently being held in Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan. COP29 already had the shadow of the election of Donald Trump in the US hanging over it. But Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev highlighted issues with hosting countries when he described oil and gas as a "gift of the god" during his opening remarks on November 12. During discussions, members agreed developing countries need funds to adapt to a warming world but argued about how much and who should be paying. On Friday, prominent global climate leaders released an open letter asking for major changes to the whole UN climate process.

Why it’s happening: COP29 is the third consecutive year that climate talks are being held in a country that heavily depends on oil and gas. The last two meetings were in the United Arab Emirates and Egypt. All three countries have also faced criticism for alleged human rights issues before their events. The open letter suggests that countries not committed to moving away from fossil fuels should not be allowed to lead COP meetings. More and more, the yearly conferences have been allowing fossil fuel companies to participate. This year, over 1,700 people from the fossil fuel industry signed up to attend the meetings, according to a group called Kick Big Polluters Out. The discussions on finance meanwhile are required to replace the current target of $100 billion, which was set in 2009 and finally met two years later than planned in 2022.

Why it’s important: The chaos at COP29 comes during a scramble by climate leaders to find ways to Trump-proof climate progress achieved to date, as the president-elect has vowed to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement in a repeat of his first term in office. The possibility of Trump returning to power is encouraging similar leaders to rethink their climate efforts. On Wednesday, Argentina's foreign ministry withdrew its team from COP29 without explaining why. A source in President Javier Milei's government later told CNN that Argentina might leave the Paris Agreement. Milei does not believe in climate change and has called global warming a "socialist hoax." The discussions at COP29 are happening after what is expected to be the hottest year ever, and following two hurricanes that recently caused over 300 deaths in the US. Some scientists are wondering if it's still possible to keep the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees. To try to achieve this, carbon emissions need to be cut in half by 2030, and the world needs to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

📖 Read the full article: Climate leaders were worried Trump would derail talks. They didn’t know their host would be the wrecking ball

Shell wins appeal against climate ruling

What’s happening: Shell has successfully challenged a major climate ruling by a Dutch court. In 2021, the court had ordered the company to significantly cut its greenhouse gas emissions. On Tuesday, a court decided that although Shell, as a major oil company, has a "special responsibility" to reduce its emissions, setting a specific legal target is not the way to achieve this.

Why it’s happening: In 2021, a lower court issued a landmark ruling requiring Shell to reduce its global carbon emissions by 45% by the end of 2030, using 2019 levels as a baseline. This decision marked the first instance in which a court mandated a corporation to undertake such significant measures to address climate change. The case was started by Milieudefensie, the Dutch branch of Friends of the Earth, along with over 17,000 co-plaintiffs. In response to this unprecedented ruling, Shell decided to appeal. The appeals court agreed that Milieudefensie could make this claim, even though fighting climate change involves political decisions. However, the court was not sure that forcing one company to cut emissions would actually reduce emissions from its customers, especially if the company could meet the requirement simply by selling less fossil fuel.

Why it’s important: The court upheld the statement that companies like Shell must protect human rights. The decision can still be challenged and taken to the supreme court. However, this would focus on how the law is interpreted, not the main facts of the case. Sjoukje van Oosterhout, head of research at Milieudefensie, said the organization will read the entire decision closely before deciding if they want to challenge it. But she believes there is still room for future legal action against corporations. During this appeal, other local courts made important decisions about evaluating greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel projects. In January 2024, Norway stopped the development of three oil and gas fields in the North Sea because the government didn't properly consider how their future use would affect the climate. A few months later, the UK Supreme Court made a similar decision.

📖 Read the full article: Shell defeats landmark climate ruling ordering cut in carbon emissions

Trump’s cabinet picks cause alarm for climate leaders

What’s happening: US president-elect Donald Trump has spent the week announcing a series of disturbing nominations to serve in his cabinet. On Monday, he said he would choose former Representative Lee Zeldin, a Republican from New York, to head the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This role is likely to be important for Trump's plans to undo major climate rules. His choice of North Dakota's Republican governor, Doug Burgum, as the interior secretary has also quickly upset environmental groups. They are worried about the new administration's plans to allow oil and gas drilling on federal lands. Trump said in his announcement on Friday that he plans to make Burgum the head of a new National Energy Council, which will work on achieving “US energy dominance” and focus on “the battle for AI superiority”.

Why it’s happening: Trump campaigned to get rid of EPA rules that aim to reduce global warming by limiting pollution from cars, power plants, and oil and gas wells. He particularly wants to get rid of a major climate rule from the Biden administration. This rule aims to move away from cars that use gasoline and encourage the use of electric vehicles. During his campaign, Trump also often said "drill, baby, drill" and promised to open up the Arctic national wildlife refuge in Alaska for oil and gas drilling.

Why it’s important: The EPA has been a major focus for Trump, who believes that environmental rules slow down industries like construction and oil drilling. In his first term, he removed over 100 environmental rules. President Biden brought many of them back and made some even stronger. Some members of Trump's transition team believe the EPA needs major changes. They are even considering relocating the EPA headquarters and its 7,000 employees out of Washington, D.C, according to the New York Times. There are also major concerns about the country's wildlife refuges and public lands as Trump prepares to begin a second term as president. Burgum, a former businessman, has been the governor of North Dakota since 2016. North Dakota is the third biggest producer of oil and natural gas in the US. If the Senate approves him, Burgum would be in charge of US federal lands, like national parks and wildlife refuges, and would also handle relations with 574 recognised Native American tribes.

📖 Read the full articles: Trump chooses Lee Zeldin to run EPA as he plans to gut climate rules and Environmental groups alarmed as Doug Burgum picked for US interior secretary

🌐 Travel to Pixyá in Mexico

Stunning naturally-formed swimming holes and more

This small town in Yucatán should be on your travel list: We were lucky enough to explore more than 20 cenotes when we travelled along the Yucatán Peninsula, and these were some of the most special ones. Our article also reveals a hidden spa, an opportunity to camp at one of the cenotes, delicious local food, and historic buildings to explore in the town itself.

😇 People doing great things

Micro wind turbines power buildings

Unique clean energy option: When you think of wind power, you probably imagine big spinning blades. However, some companies now create small wind turbines that can be used in homes, businesses, and parks. A French startup called New World Wind makes what they call the Aeroleaf, a tiny turbine that looks like a curled leaf. When the wind blows, it spins and generates energy that can go directly to a nearby building. The micro turbines are installed in groups—either on the roof of a building or as part of what New World Wind calls a wind tree or wind bush. These installations mimic the look of real trees and bushes. You can change the colours of their trunks, branches, and leaves to match the environment or stand out. For instance, a wind tree near Wichita State University in Kansas has black and yellow leaves, which are the school's colours.

⭐️ Weekly inspiration

Subsea cables get green light to share renewable energy

Projects for five subsea power cables: Great Britain is getting ready to use its large offshore wind farms to produce enough green electricity to power millions of homes and sell extra electricity to other countries by the 2030s, with the projects linking Great Britain to power grids in Germany, Ireland, and Northern Ireland.

Spraying rice with sunscreen ingredients provides protection

During heatwave conditions: Zinc nanoparticles, often found in sunscreen, could help rice deal with heat stress, happening more often because of climate change, with rice plants treated with zinc nanoparticles producing 22.1% more grain and possessing more nutrients than those that weren't treated.

California’s solar rooftops have a cost benefit to the state

Saving California billions of dollars: A recent study by a solar trade group discovered that California's 17 gigawatts of rooftop solar power have helped customers save around $2.3 billion on their utility bills this year.

Extinct tigers make a return

Been absent in the area for over 70 years: Earlier this year, male and female tigers were brought to the Ile-Balkhash State Nature Reserve in Kazakhstan in an effort led by the Government of Kazakhstan, the World Wildlife Fund, and the United Nations Development Program to help restore the area's ecosystem.

LED lights could prevent shark attacks

Australian study focused on counter-illumination: Researchers found that humans might be able to confuse sharks’ visual systems by using LED lights after getting the idea from the plainfin midshipman fish, which naturally produces light to hide its shape, and testing for six years at Mossel Bay in South Africa, a well-known area for great white sharks.

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