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Valerie Volcovici, Katy Daigle and William James, Reuters
UN climate chief Simon Stiell “urg[ed] countries to cooperate rather than battle over priorities” at the official opening of the COP30 climate talks in Belém yesterday, Reuters reports. The Guardian says Stiell offered a “stark portrayal of the price of failure on the climate crisis”. It quotes him saying: “To falter whilst megadroughts wreck national harvests, sending food prices soaring, makes zero sense economically and politically. To squabble while famines take hold, forcing millions to flee their homelands – this will never be forgotten as conflicts spread.” Brazil’s president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva told the opening ceremony that "COP30 will be the COP of truth" in an era of "fake news and misrepresentation" and "rejection of scientific evidence", BBC News says. Bloomberg, Sky News, Carbon Copy, El País and others also cover the summit’s opening.
The first day of negotiations “managed to avoid agenda fights”, the Indian Express reports, as Brazil proposed “informal backroom consultations” on contentious issues, rather than including them on the official agenda. [See a Bluesky thread from Carbon Brief’s deputy editor Simon Evans for more on agenda fights.] Climate Home News says the formal agenda was adopted yesterday, and Brazil’s presidency will update on consultations on other "thorny" issues at a “stock-taking plenary” tomorrow. Brazil is focusing on an “action agenda”, rather than a new climate deal, to “spur nations and businesses to deliver on existing commitments”, Agence France-Presse reports.
Elsewhere at the talks, Reuters reports on updated analysis from the UN that greenhouse gas emissions will decrease by 12% by 2035, compared to 2019 levels, based on new climate pledges from countries. This is an update from a 10% reduction announced on 28 October, the newswire notes, after further pledges were submitted. Meanwhile, BBC News reports that Australia’s proposal to host the next climate summit COP31 appears to be “faltering” during an ongoing “deadlock” with Turkey, BBC News reports. A decision on the next host country “needs to be ironed out by the end of next week”, the broadcaster says. Reuters reports that Ethiopia is set to be confirmed today as the host of COP32 in 2027.
MORE ON COP30
Al Jazeera looks at what to expect from the Belém talks and Reuters dives into climate finance. Mongabay and Vatican News explore the significance of the summit taking place in the Amazon. BusinessGreen looks at the focus for businesses at COP30, while Climate Home News covers what African countries want from the talks. Bloomberg reports that the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) has raised $100m in funding from Germany and Spain for a new climate adaptation programme. The Hindustan Times says that climate finance is the “dominant issue” at COP30. Bloomberg reports that 10 multilateral development banks have pledged to scale up climate finance and expect to commit $185bn towards mitigation and adaptation projects by 2030. The head of the International Maritime Organization tells a COP30 side event that he is continuing to “advocate and campaign” for global regulations to decarbonise shipping, the Associated Press reports. Brazil’s finance minister says he expects Germany to announce a contribution to the Tropical Forest Forever Facility by the end of this year, according to Reuters. The South China Morning Post says China has “reportedly declined” to contribute to the fund. DeSmog reports that sponsors of the sustainable agriculture pavilion at COP30 include companies “linked to deforestation and land conflict”. DeSmog also maps out the agri-food industry’s “routes to influence at COP30”.
Amy Hawkins, The Guardian
The Guardian reports on Carbon Brief analysis showing that China’s carbon dioxide emissions “have been flat or falling for 18 months”. The newspaper notes on its frontpage: “Rapid increases in the deployment of solar and wind power generation – which grew by 46% and 11% respectively in the third quarter of this year – meant the country’s energy sector emissions remained flat, even as the demand for electricity increased.” The Financial Times says the figures put China on track for a “new renewable energy record in 2025”. Carbon Brief’s analysis is also covered by Agence France-Presse, Bloomberg, Reuters, Carbon Pulse and Table Media.
MORE ON EMISSIONS AND RENEWABLES
The Financial Times reports that Shell has abandoned two major floating offshore wind projects off the coast of Scotland. The story is also covered by Reuters, Bloomberg, the Daily Telegraph and the Times. South Korea’s government has approved a 53-61% greenhouse gas emissions cut target by 2035, compared to 2018 levels, Reuters says. An EU parliamentary committee has backed the bloc’s target of cutting emissions by 90% by 2040, compared to 1990 levels, Bloomberg reports.
“Nonstate actors” adopted a declaration “emphasising the essential role of renewable energy in sustainable development and climate adaptation” at an African climate summit in Benin, Mongabay says. The New York Times interviews International Energy Agency executive director Fatih Birol with the headline: “Why everyone wants to meet the world’s most boring man.”
Jim Gomez, The Associated Press
Typhoon Fung-wong has weakened into a tropical storm over the South China Sea and is heading towards Taiwan, after causing at least 18 deaths and extensive damage in the Philippines, the Associated Press reports. Fung-wong, a “super typhoon”, landed on Sunday in a northeastern province, causing “flash floods, landslides, exposed electrical wires and a collapsed house”, the newswire says. The outlet adds that around 240,000 people remain in evacuation centres after more than 1.4 million people were moved before the typhoon landed. BBC News reports that the typhoon arrived in the Philippines “mere days after an earlier storm left more than 200 people dead”. Taiwan is evacuating more than 3,000 people ahead of Fung-wong’s arrival, the Associated Press says. Reuters, the Times and CBS News also cover the typhoon.
Hou Liqiang, China Daily
China is “providing significant momentum for global climate governance by upholding multilateralism and deepening international cooperation, according to a newly released white paper” by China’s State Council, state-run newspaper China Daily reports. The white paper, titled “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality China’s plans and solutions”, says that China has demonstrated the “highest possible ambition” in its recent pledge, adds the outlet. State news agency Xinhua carries the full text of the white paper. State-supporting newspaper Global Times publishes an article under the headline: “China’s role on green transition highlighted before COP30.” The newspaper says that Huang Runqiu, head of China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), “emphasised that for most developed countries, the time span between reaching their emissions peak and achieving noticeable reductions ranges from 20 to 50 years, which is incomparable to China’s planned decline of around five years after peaking”, according to a video released by state broadcaster CCTV.
Meanwhile, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the National Energy Administration (NEA) have issued a notice on “promoting the consumption and regulation” of “new energy”, industry news outlet BJX News reports. According to the notice, a “multi-level” new energy consumption and regulation system, which can “accommodate” more than 200 gigawatts (GW) of newly added renewable energy annually, will be established by 2030, adds the outlet. China Energy Net also covers the story.
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