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Consider us also as a resource to help uplift your stories, reports, actions, and events - contact Daela Taeoalii-Tipton at dtaeoalii-tipton@climatenexus.org.
SPOTLIGHT
While we’ve written about increasing crackdowns on climate activists in thepast, the issue certainly doesn’t seem to be going away. Human rights experts have warnedabout the EU’s increasing criminalization of activists and worldwide a growing number of countries are passing anti-protest laws to try and deter climate and other activists. In countries like New Zealandthis hasn’t worked, but there is concern aboutdetention risksat COP28 in Dubai - so much so that the UK government has asked the UAE for assurances over free speech.
In Vietnam, six prominent climate experts who sought greater accountability in Vietnam's climate change and energy investments have beenarrested, calling into question how “just” Vietnam’s Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) with western donors will be. The UN has issuednumerous callsfor the release of these individuals, who include environmental lawyer Mr. Dang Dinh Bach (Bach), Obama Foundation ScholarMs. Hoang Thi Minh Hong(Hong), and Ms. Ngo Thi To Nhien (Nhien), Executive Director of Vietnam Initiative for Energy Transition, an independent Vietnamese energy think tank. This latest arrest came on the heels of President Biden’s recent visit to Hanoi in which the two countries strengthened their partnership and discussed human rights and solutions to climate change. The effective shutdown of civil society monitoring in the implementation of the JETP raises significant concerns about accountability and the risk that incoming funds may be used in a way that will lead to more, not less, coal investments. Interviews with experts available upon request: reach out tov4climateleaders@gmail.com.
ON OUR RADAR
In less than a month, tens of thousands of people will descend on Dubai for international climate negotiations. However, terrorist attacks in Israel by Hamas and the consequent declaration of war affecting millions of Palestinian civilians, are putting serious pressure on fragilealliances, contributing to rising oil and gas prices, and will likelyimpactclimate cooperation. Treasury Secretary Yellenstatedon Monday the US can “absolutely” afford to financially support both Israel and Ukraine in their respective war efforts. Money for the Green Climate Fundmay not be available though, due to “ongoing uncertainty in our budget.” As InsideClimate Newsreports, the environmental devastation caused by war can be irreversible.
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WORTH 1000 WORDS
NEWS
Climate Diplomacy
Country positions: EU to push for COP28 deal on phasing out fossil fuels (Reuters), Africa and India urge faster fossil fuel phase-out in COP28 positions (Climate Home), Least developed countries set expectations for COP28 with Dakar Declaration (Down To Earth)
Fossil fuels @ COP: OPEC, oil industry will attend COP28 climate summit -OPEC sec general (Reuters), Saudi Aramco CEO: COP28 focus should be on emissions cuts of hydrocarbons (Reuters), How 'unabated' snuck into climate negotiations (E&E$)
IMF/World Bank annuals: Dirty subsidies targeted by the World Bank to fund climate action (Climate Home), World Bank's Banga says he is open to using IMF SDRs to boost climate lending (Reuters)
Development finance: Revealed: Tenth of UK’s climate-aid spending goes via private consultancies (Carbon Brief)
Debt: The New York legislature could help free the Global South from crushing debt (Jacobin)
Impacts
Loss and damage: It’s up to rich countries to fix loss and damage finance problems, says former lead negotiator (The New Humanitarian)
Disaster risk reduction: Cutting disaster risk will boost equality, improve resilience (UN News)
Health: Immediate methane cuts can prevent nearly a million premature deaths, IEA says (Bloomberg $), ‘Only the rich can bear this heat’: how Dhaka is battling extreme weather (The Guardian)
Colonization: Settler violence is fueling the effects of climate breakdown on Palestinians (972 Magazine)
At a glance: India is the second largest source of carbon offsets in the voluntary carbon market. This report explores what this growing market means for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions globally and the benefits for carbon-sequestering communities on-the-ground.
At a glance: This new scorecard reveals how the world’s largest economies are struggling to integrate clean air into their countries’ climate action plans, while low- and middle income countries – which suffer from the highest exposure to air pollution – demonstrate far more attention and ambition.