Interesting thread about the status and importance of forests for climate change and related perceptions: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/?highlightedUpdateType=SHARED_BY_YOUR_PAGE&highlightedUpdateUrn=urn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A7255986575811964930
LinkedIn
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Some progress on biodiversity: https://www.ciel.org/news/cbd-cop16-reaffirms-geoengineering-moratorium-fails-fossil-fuel-phaseout/
Center for International Environmental Law
UN Biodiversity Conference Reaffirms Geoengineering Moratorium but Falls Short on Fossil Fuel Phaseout - Center for International…
CBD COP16 closes, marking a pivotal step for biodiversity with historic decision on participation of Indigenous Peoples and People of African descent.
Good news about Art. 6,
https://www.catf.us/2024/11/catf-welcomes-progress-article-6-urges-strong-oversight-ensure-high-integrity-markets/
it will remain to be seen what that means in practice.
https://www.catf.us/2024/11/catf-welcomes-progress-article-6-urges-strong-oversight-ensure-high-integrity-markets/
it will remain to be seen what that means in practice.
Clean Air Task Force
CATF welcomes progress on Article 6, but urges strong oversight to ensure high-integrity markets
Negotiators finalized the operationalization of Article 6.4 of the Paris Agreement, a key framework for international carbon markets.
There is harsh criticism of the rules on Art. 6 adopted in Baku such as https://carbonmarketwatch.org/2024/11/23/cop29-complex-article-6-rules-pave-way-to-unruly-carbon-markets/, but I still see it as progress.
Carbon Market Watch
COP29: Complex Article 6 rules pave way to unruly carbon markets - Carbon Market Watch
Despite the best efforts of activists and some climate negotiators, the agreement reached on Article 6 carbon markets at COP29 in Baku risks facilitating The agreement reached on Article 6 carbon markets at COP29 risks facilitating cowboy carbon markets at…
About demands on the electricity network in Central Asia: https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/green-energy-corridors-for-central-asia-and-the-caucasus/
Ember
Green energy corridors for Central Asia and the Caucasus | Ember
COP29 host Azerbaijan and its neighbors are still largely fossil dependent, but regional collaboration around renewables could usher in a new era.
A study about carbon markets: https://www.dai.com/news/dai-publishes-carbon-markets-report
Dai
DAI Publishes Carbon Markets Report
DAI, in collaboration with FT Longitude, has published a report exploring what is required to establish robust, transparent, and credible voluntary carbon market systems capable of attracting international finance
A positive assessment of the status of CBAM but arguing there is some support from the EU for specific countries needed: https://www.cer.eu/publications/archive/policy-brief/2024/learning-cbams-transitional-impacts-trade
Centre for European Reform
Learning from CBAM's transitional phase: Early impacts on trade and climate efforts
The EU should use CBAM revenues to fund support for clean industrial investments in least developed and developing countries.
Quite something happening in Brazil: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/brazil-new-reach-law-carbon-market-bioeconomy-melissa-owen-da6uc/?trackingId=tPfg%2FTrpTJKtnb2YYJRt9g%3D%3D
Linkedin
Brazil: New "REACH" Law, Carbon Market Law, and Bioeconomy Developments
Brazil Passes its Carbon Market Law Brazil’s government continues to move on its sustainability and environmental agenda. Latest delivery: Congress passed its Carbon Market Law.
A dispute about the methodology in the voluntary market: https://www.oeko.de/blog/the-icvcm-approval-of-three-redd-methodologies-presents-risks-to-the-integrity-of-the-initiative
oeko.de
The ICVCM approval of three REDD methodologies presents risks to the integrity of the initiative
In November 2024, the Governing Board of the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) approved three methodologies for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD). The methodologies are now eligible for issuing “high…
A very thoughtful report which nevertheless does not really further clarity on many of the choices that climate policy faces: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/act-on-climate-risk-today-or-face-the-high-cost-of-inaction-302328370.html
PR Newswire
Act on Climate Risk Today or Face the High Cost of Inaction
/PRNewswire/ -- Climate inaction is exposing businesses to escalating risks that threaten profits, operations, and long-term viability. For unprepared...
A call for regulation of disclosure, in particular relating to scope 3: https://www.unepfi.org/industries/net-zero-asset-owner-alliance-calls-for-regulatory-mandates-on-scope-3-disclosure/
www.unepfi.org
Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance calls for regulatory mandates on Scope 3 disclosure
Geneva, 4th December: The UN-convened Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance (NZAOA) has released a new paper emphasising the critical role of top-down regulatory mandates in overcoming data and disclosure...
https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/citigroup-joins-us-lenders-exiting-net-zero-banking-alliance-2024-12-31/ and https://tennesseestar.com/news/two-major-banks-leave-united-nations-net-zero-banking-alliance-within-two-weeks/tcsquare/2024/12/21/?feed_id=7307&_unique_id=6769ab4ec31dc seem to confirm a monumental change in approach due to the Trump administration, which will give much food for thought, so lots to do in the NY!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Reuters
Citigroup, BofA join US lenders in exiting Net-Zero Banking Alliance
U.S. banks Citigroup and Bank of America
said on Tuesday they are exiting the Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA), a group of global banks that have pledged to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
said on Tuesday they are exiting the Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA), a group of global banks that have pledged to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
About low-emissions cattle from Kazakhstan and related criticism: https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/all/?fetchDeterministicClustersOnly=true&heroEntityKey=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_profile%3AACoAAADWa-MBC3p6WbstPUK-auEShVkkHLxGp8E&keywords=mark%20trexler&origin=RICH_QUERY_SUGGESTION&position=0&searchId=48f875c1-6941-44c0-b8e2-fbdcaf8ad649&sid=Mn~&spellCorrectionEnabled=false
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Ecopolis Certification and Services
https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/citigroup-joins-us-lenders-exiting-net-zero-banking-alliance-2024-12-31/ and https://tennesseestar.com/news/two-major-banks-leave-united-nations-net-zero-banking-alliance-within-two-weeks/tcsquare/2024/12/21/?feed_…
Here a more detailed discussion on why the difficulties of the Net Zero Climate Alliance are good news: https://www-foxbusiness-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.foxbusiness.com/politics/jpmorgan-chase-drops-out-of-massive-un-climate-alliance-in-stunning-move.amp
www-foxbusiness-com.cdn.ampproject.org
JPMorgan Chase, BlackRock drop out of massive UN climate alliance in stunning move
JPMorgan Chase, BlackRock and State Street confirmed they are exiting the world's largest climate alliance which seeks to push investors away from funding the fossil fuel sector.
And some comments on the consequences: "As Hans Stegeman, the chief economist at Triodos Bank, put it to me: “For too long, policymakers have placed excessive hope in private finance to resolve issues they hesitate to address through regulation or public policy.” As the climate crisis accelerates and increasingly far-right politicians make gains around the world – often on platforms that rally against the apparent elitism of climate politics – ignoring these issues is no longer a viable strategy." https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jan/15/woke-capital-net-zero-banking-alliance
the Guardian
Major banks are abandoning their climate alliance en masse. So much for ‘woke capital’ | Adrienne Buller
The scope of the Cop26 net zero banking alliance may have been limited, but the exodus of six US banks signifies a seismic political shift, says senior research fellow Adrienne Buller
The Paris Agreement without the USA: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/20/climate/trump-paris-agreement-energy-orders/index.html
CNN
Trump signs actions to pull US out of Paris climate agreement, intends to promote fossil fuels and mineral mining | CNN
Trump’s day-one actions on energy come as climate change-fueled fires ravage Southern California, following the globe’s hottest year on record.
Two big players that also have or had relevance for the certification market: https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/sgs-ends-talks-over-potential-30-bln-merger-with-bureau-veritas-2025-01-27/
Reuters
SGS ends talks over potential $30 bln merger with Bureau Veritas
Switzerland's testing and inspection group SGS said on Monday it had ended talks over a potential $30 billion merger with French rival Bureau Veritas .
Researching the causes for a flood in northeast India: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ads2659
Science
The Sikkim flood of October 2023: Drivers, causes and impacts of a multihazard cascade
On 3 October 2023, a multihazard cascade in the Sikkim Himalaya, India, was triggered by 14.7 million m3 of frozen lateral moraine collapsing into South Lhonak Lake, generating an ~20 m tsunami-like impact wave, breaching the moraine, and draining ~50 ...