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	U.S. financial firms rolling back Net-Zero commitments with fossil fuel industry, political pressure by InfluenceMap, Carbonbrief, agencies USA   Jan. 20125   Scientists comment on the Unites States withdrawing from the Paris Agreement:   Dr Friederike Otto, Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London:   “The Paris Agreement is a human rights agreement.. Climate change is already making life more difficult for people in America, and around the world. With every fraction of a degree of warming, extreme weather events will intensify and impact basic human rights, like the right to food, housing, work, and medical care.   “The basic laws of physics – that a hotter climate causes more dangerous weather – will continue, independent of Donald Trump’s agenda.   “Moving away from fossil fuels and limiting warming to the Paris Agreement will make the world safer, healthier, and more equal. For many of us, these are goals worth fighting for, so it is important, more than ever to tell a different narrative to Trump’s, no matter what he and his government do and say.”   Prof Mark Maslin, Professor of Climatology at UCL:   “Donald Trump has won a second term as US President and this will have a profound impact on the domestic and international climate change agenda. Trump declared during his election campaign that he does not believe in climate change. Pulling out one of the world superpowers from COP negotiations to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions is a big deal – as it allows other countries to slow their own decarbonisation and blame the US instead of their own lack of ambition.. The transition from fossil fuels is too slow and the UN have suggested that with current trends we are looking at at least a extremely dangerous 3.1˚C warming by the end of the century.   Julio Diaz and Cristina Linares, scientific coordinators of the Observatory on Health and Climate Change, said:   “The United States is currently the second largest emitter of greenhouse gases (11%), after China (30%), but has contributed the most to global warming. Its exit from the Paris Agreement will have an impact on the US’s emissions reduction targets, but the advance of renewable energies is unstoppable, although this will be a major setback. It may also serve as a negative example for other countries (China) to be more lax in limiting their emissions.   On the other hand, the Paris Agreement also talks about financing for the countries most affected by the climate crisis, so the exit may also affect the agreements reached at COP29. In addition, Trump has also signed the withdrawal from the WHO, so it is assumed that the impact of climate change on health is something that does not interest this new administration in the slightest.   A decision that comes in the wake of 2024 being the warmest year globally, the recent fires in California, the floods in Valencia and a particularly harsh winter in the USA. All of this with clear implications for morbidity and mortality in both the short and long term. A decision that is incomprehensible from a scientific point of view and discouraging for all of us who work in this field”.   Anna Cabre, Climate physicist, research consultant at the University of Pennsylvania, said:   “This is bad news because without cooperation and funding from all countries it is difficult to make progress. In this case we are talking about one of the countries that emits the most per capita and has emitted the most throughout history, i.e. the one that should take more responsibility, not less. Moreover, it is a country that is already suffering the effects of climate change, as evidenced by the recent fires in Los Angeles. Even economic experts say that the transition to a low-carbon world is a profitable business opportunity.   “For all these reasons, the decision taken is irresponsible. It seems to be acting on the belief that it is not their turn to pay for anything and every man for himself. The only positive thing that could come out of this is that alliances are formed between other, stronger countries without US involvement, and that states, cities and businesses continue to move forward, keeping the process moving forward regardless”.   Ani Dasgupta, President, World Resources Institute:   “The Paris Agreement remains as essential as ever. UN climate negotiations are the only platform where every nation has a voice on one of the most pressing challenges of our time. Whether it’s to tackle the catastrophic climate impacts they face or tap into rapidly growing green technologies, countries recognize the critical value of this international process.   Every year, far too many US communities are bombarded with deadly wildfires, floods and hurricanes that know no borders.. Walking away from the Paris Agreement won’t protect Americans from climate impacts. We are in a generational struggle to move the world to a safer place. Today’s abdication of responsibility by President Trump will not derail the world from this fight".   Ottmar Edenhofer, Climate Economist and Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research:   "Trump’s return to the White House raises serious concerns about the future of international climate cooperation. His intention to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement would have far reaching implications. It could disrupt the COP process, weaken the U.S.’s influence in UN climate negotiations, limit domestic climate action, and reduce the pressure on other major emitters, such as China, to adopt more ambitious climate targets. Trump’s plans to expand oil and gas extraction would deepen climate risks.   Johan Rockstrom, Earth System Scientist and Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research:   "With Trump’s return to the White House, we face renewed uncertainty and significant challenges in addressing the global climate crisis. His previous term saw a dangerous pause in efforts to mitigate climate change; another delay is time we cannot afford to lose.   Science provides the solutions we need to secure a more competitive, resilient, and prosperous future. While the direction of U.S. climate leadership may change, it is essential to focus on phasing out fossil fuels, investing in sustainable food systems, protecting nature, and using resources efficiently. These actions are not sacrifices, but opportunities to thrive within the Planetary Boundaries, ensuring stability, health, and prosperity for generations to come."   U.S. Climate Alliance: “We will continue America’s work to achieve the Goals of the Paris Agreement”.   As the Trump administration announced it will withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement, the co-chairs of the U.S. Climate Alliance – New York Governor Kathy Hochul and New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham – delivered a letter to UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell making it clear to the global community that climate action will continue in the U.S."   "We write as co-chairs of the United States Climate Alliance, a bipartisan coalition of two dozen governors representing nearly 60 percent of the U.S. economy and 55 percent of the U.S. population, to make it clear to you, and the rest of the world, that we will continue America’s work to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement and slash climate pollution. We will not turn our back on America’s commitments. For our health and our future, we will press forward.”   "It’s critical for the international community to know that climate action will continue in the U.S. The U.S. Climate Alliance will bring this message to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Brazil (COP30) later this year – just as we have at every COP since our coalition’s founding – as we work to implement our climate goals".   President Trump ignores Science, makes decision to Withdraw US from Paris Agreement - Union of Concerned Scientists   President Trump announced today that he would seek to remove the United States from the Paris Agreement—adopted by nearly 200 countries in 2015 with the aim to limit global climate change. United States withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement would take effect a year after submitting the required letter of intent and mark the second time the country has done so.   Pres. Trump’s announcement comes as massive wildfires continue to rage in California and just weeks after U.S. and global scientific agencies confirmed the planet experienced its hottest year on record in 2024. Last year, the United States also endured at least 27 extreme weather and climate-related disasters that each reported damages of $1 billion or more, many of which were worsened by climate change.   Statement by Dr. Rachel Cleetus, the policy director and lead economist for the Climate and Energy Program at UCS:   “Withdrawing the United States from the Paris Agreement is a travesty. Such a move is in clear defiance of scientific realities and shows an administration cruelly indifferent to the harsh climate change impacts that people in the United States and around the world are experiencing. Pulling out of the Paris Agreement is an abdication of responsibility and undermines the very global action that people at home and abroad desperately need.   “Regardless of politics, the scientific imperative to address the climate crisis remains clear and necessitates urgent actions from U.S. and global policymakers. Last year was the first time global average temperatures exceeded 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels for an entire year. Unless world leaders act quickly, the planet is on track for a 3.1 degrees Celsius increase, which would be catastrophic.   As the largest historical emitter of heat-trapping emissions, the United States has a responsibility to do its fair share to stave off the increasingly dire consequences of the climate crisis.   “Instead of seizing the opportunity to expand the economic and public health benefits of clean energy for people across the nation, while working together with the global community to solve this shared challenge, Pres. Trump is choosing to begin his term pandering to the fossil fuel industry and its allies.   His decision is an ominous harbinger of what people in the United States should expect from him and his anti-science cabinet hellbent on boosting fossil fuel industry profits at the expense of people and the planet.   Scientific experts say fossil fuel emissions must be cut quickly and deeply to avoid the worst outcomes including more extreme weather, sea level rise, biodiversity loss, food and water insecurity and worsening health impacts.   Paul Bledsoe, a former Clinton White House climate official who now lectures at American University’s Center for Environmental Policy, speaking at the time of the Biden targets being announced in December last year, said: “Trump is risking the climate stability and safety of the planet as part of a culture war political strategy, heedless of billions who will suffer.”   http://wmo.int/media/news/wmo-confirms-2024-warmest-year-record-about-155degc-above-pre-industrial-level http://www.ucsusa.org/about/news/president-trump-ignores-science-makes-disgraceful-decision-withdraw-us-paris-agreement http://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/21/climate/trump-climate-change-executive-orders.html http://www.reuters.com/world/trumps-paris-climate-exit-will-hit-harder-than-2017-2025-01-21 http://www.pik-potsdam.de/en/news/latest-news/pik-statement-on-donald-trumps-inauguration-serious-concerns-about-the-future-of-international-climate-cooperation http://www.dw.com/en/what-does-trumps-second-term-mean-for-the-climate/a-70932970 http://usclimatealliance.org/press-releases/alliance-paris-withdrawal http://www.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2025/01/sierra-club-reaction-trump-s-absurd-energy-emergency   http://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-news-that-the-united-states-has-withdrawn-from-the-paris-agreement-again http://www.wri.org/statement-paris-agreement-withdrawal-erodes-americas-standing-world http://ips-dc.org/release-climate-justice-groups-paris-agreement-withdrawal-is-deeply-misguided http://350.org/press-release/keeping-optimism-alive-centering-the-climate-agenda-under-president-trump/ http://insideclimatenews.org/news/31012025/trump-administration-war-on-science http://insideclimatenews.org/news/07032025/stand-up-for-science-rallies-against-trump-anti-science-agenda/ http://www.lemonde.fr/en/science/article/2025/03/04/let-s-defend-science-against-anti-knowledge-efforts_6738768_10.html http://www.lemonde.fr/en/environment/article/2025/02/18/trump-attacks-climate-science-and-spreads-fear-among-scientists_6738302_114.html http://www.dw.com/en/us-science-funding-freeze-a-threat-to-academic-freedom/a-71501071   http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/mar/10/trumps-usaid-cuts-will-have-huge-impact-on-global-climate-finance-data-shows http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/07/us-exits-fund-that-compensates-poorer-countries-for-global-heating http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/04/trump-climate-change-federal-websites http://www.propublica.org/article/epa-workers-resign-trump http://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00243-8 http://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00197-x   2 Jan. 2025   Morgan Stanley banking group latest Wall Street financier to exit UN Net-Zero Coalition. (Reuters, agencies)   The Wall Street major Morgan Stanley has become the latest financial institution to leave the Net-Zero Banking Alliance, a United Nations-convened group of banks committed to "aligning their lending, investment, and capital markets activities with net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050."   The defections keep piling up. Earlier this week, Bank of America and Citigroup said they were leaving the alliance, and earlier in December Goldman Sachs Group and Wells Fargo announced they were doing the same, joining the Vanguard Group amongst other major U.S. investors exiting the NetZero Alliance.   While Morgan Stanley didn't offer an explanation for the exit, according to Reuters, financial firms have repeatedly found themselves in the crosshairs of members of the Republican Party who argue that corporate efforts to limit fossil fuels runs foul of antitrust law.   Last summer, the Republican members of the House Judiciary Committee published a report accusing financial institutions colluding to impose "radical environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals on American companies."   Their probe was largely focused on another climate group, Climate Action 100+, which is made up of financial institutions who strive to engage companies they invest in on climate issues. That coalition has also experienced a number of defections.   In December, 11 Republican GOP-led states sued three asset managers in federal court, arguing that the firms had "artificially constrained the supply of coal, significantly diminished competition in the markets for coal, increased energy prices for American consumers, and produced cartel-level profits" for the firms in violation of antitrust law.   Despite the stated goals of the Net-Zero Banking Alliance, Morgan Stanley and other firms who are a part of the alliance have remained a major financial life lines for fossil fuel companies.   According to a report published by a group of NGOs in 2023, 56 of the largest banks in the Net-Zero Banking Alliance—including Morgan Stanley—have provided at least $270 billion in the form of loans and underwriting to more than 100 "major fossil fuel expanders," from Saudi Aramco to ExxonMobil to Shell.   http://insideclimatenews.org/news/17062025/banks-continue-to-back-fossil-fuel-industry/ http://www.bankingonclimatechaos.org/banking-on-climate-chaos-2025-report/ http://ccli.ubc.ca/leaving-the-net-zero-banking-alliance-doesnt-exempt-canadian-banks-from-climate-accountability/ http://actuaries.org.uk/news-and-media-releases/news-articles/2025/jan/16-jan-25-planetary-solvency-finding-our-balance-with-nature/ http://insideclimatenews.org/news/12052025/basel-committee-banking-rclimate-rules/ http://insideclimatenews.org/news/12022025/german-climate-security-risks-report/ http://www.pik-potsdam.de/en/output/infodesk/tipping-elements/tipping-elements http://sdg.iisd.org/news/unga-recognizes-human-right-to-clean-healthy-and-sustainable-environment/   http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/02/1159846 http://climate.copernicus.eu/copernicus-january-2025-was-warmest-record-globally-despite-emerging-la-nina http://wmo.int/news/media-centre/wmo-confirms-2024-warmest-year-record-about-155degc-above-pre-industrial-level http://wmo.int/media/news/climate-change-impacts-grip-globe-2024 http://wmo.int/media/news/record-carbon-emissions-highlight-urgency-of-global-greenhouse-gas-watch http://www.worldweatherattribution.org/when-risks-become-reality-extreme-weather-in-2024 http://reliefweb.int/report/world/counting-cost-2024-year-climate-breakdown   * Banks and financial institutions exiting the net zero alliance are breaching their fiduciary duties to shareholders to assuage fossil fuel interests and climate change denialists. Such actions breach the fundamental human rights of current and future generations as the scientific consensus is unequivocal, increasing climate change will have highly negative impacts for people worldwide.   Dec. 2024   US Corporate Climate Advocacy going into 2025. (InfluenceMap)   New research from InfluenceMap finds early evidence of entrenched fossil fuel interests seeking to influence and benefit from a second Trump administration. Many of the tactics already being deployed by industry are reminiscent of the first Trump presidency, indicating a continuation of familiar fossil fuel tactics to shape climate policy and politics.   After entering office, President Trump can be expected to deliver on his promises to repeal all major environmental regulations, exit the Paris Agreement, and immediately deploy executive powers to reverse Biden administration actions like the pause on LNG exports.   This analysis directly links the advocacy of five major industry associations—the American Exploration and Production Council, US Chamber of Commerce, American Petroleum Institute, National Association of Manufacturers, and American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM)— to the increase in emissions that will result from Trump’s rollbacks.   According to Carbon Brief, regulatory rollbacks alone will amount to a staggering 4bn tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030, equivalent to the annual emissions of the EU and Japan combined..   As of December 2024, 39% of all US entities (both companies and industry associations) assessed by InfluenceMap advocate on climate in a way that is misaligned with the scientific recommendations of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).   Higher numbers of misaligned entities in the US could indicate that many corporate interests are resisting climate policy and the energy transition, particularly compared to Europe, where only 19% of European entities are misaligned.   These figures are heavily informed by the country’s fossil fuel industry associations like the American Petroleum Institute (API), which has already issued a “5 point plan” calling for repeal of US fuel economy and other automotive regulations.   Combining recent evidence with insights from the first Trump administration, this research offers three key observations of corporate policy influence that are likely to continue under the second Trump term.   In addition to a shift from defensive legal challenges to offensive requests for repeal, the analysis finds significant corporate attention to issues of fossil fuel infrastructure and the future of gas that is likely to escalate in 2025.   Along with automotive regulations, federal and state policies related to permitting reform and fossil gas have received the most advocacy across the US database, coming from a wide range of actors including powerful groups like the American Gas Association.   Some entities like ExxonMobil have said nothing about deeper regulatory repeal and the need to accelerate, not slow, the energy transition.   Going forward into 2025, corporate entities are likely to continue leveraging specific, nuanced narratives on climate that protect and promote fossil fuels, particularly in the eyes of the public.   In one example of this trend, the briefing identifies a strong overlap in “consumer choice” rhetoric between industry interests and candidates in the recent US election. The Trump campaign frequently campaigned on the issue of “consumer choice” to criticize automotive regulations in swing states like Michigan.   In strikingly similar messaging, corporate interests such as Exxon and the API publicly leveraged this same narrative on over 100 different occasions in 2024 alone..   InfluenceMap analysis in the United States now covers 141 companies and 37 industry associations based in the US. Growth of the LobbyMap database prioritizes the largest companies as measured by the Forbes Global 2000 along with other considerations such as the sector’s relevance to climate change. Analysis has spanned multiple administrations, including President Trump’s first term in office.   Of all 178 fully assessed entities headquartered in the US, including both companies and industry associations, 25 (14%) are engaging on climate policy in alignment with science-based policy recommendations, while 83 (47%) demonstrate advocacy that is partially aligned, and 70 (39%) are misaligned with scientific recommendations.   By comparison, Europe has both a larger proportion of positively engaging companies and a much smaller proportion of highly negative (misaligned) entities. 42 (18%) assessed European companies and associations are engaging in line with IPCC recommendations, while 147 (63%) are partially aligned, and 45 (19%) are misaligned.   In Asia-Pacific, 18 (6%) are fully science-aligned, 168 (57.5%) are partially aligned, and 104 (35.5%) are misaligned.   Higher numbers of misaligned entities in the US could indicate that many corporate interests are resisting climate policy and the energy transition, particularly compared to Europe, where many influential companies and groups have begun to align their advocacy with science-based recommendations.   The results show the largest proportion of companies in the partially aligned category, similar to other regions. These are companies that advocate with a mix of positive and negative positions on different issues and/or that fall somewhere in the middle in their positions by not fully supporting or opposing an issue. In the US, many utilities, industrials, and auto companies fall into this grouping. These companies are highly implicated in the energy transition and are likely affected by Inflation Reduction Act funding, given that their own process of decarbonizing operations is still underway.   A higher proportion of misaligned entities in the US compared to other regions is in part informed by a large number of negative industry groups, like the American Petroleum Institute and American Gas Association.   While misaligned interests do not represent the whole economy, the US is particularly notable for a large number of actively obstructive industry associations that regularly oppose climate ambition: of the 37 groups assessed in the US, a majority (65%) are engaging highly negatively on climate policy. By contrast, in Europe, less than a third of assessed groups are misaligned. In many cases, these US industry associations represent the large and powerful domestic oil and gas sector.   A high proportion of negative interests makes policy progress unlikely in any administration. While negative interests do not represent the whole economy, Trump has stated he will protect oil interests. The change in administration in 2025 comes with obvious implications for emissions reduction in the US, along with related shifts in the landscape for corporate advocacy.   Corporate Advocacy Post-US Election   As in 2016, the recent US election comes with significant ramifications for US policy. President-elect Trump has pledged to undo virtually all federal climate regulations and to drastically increase domestic oil and gas exploration, production, and export.   Based on a decade of tracking and analyzing corporate climate lobbying in the US and beyond, this briefing offers three key findings on US corporate advocacy that are likely to inform climate policy development and delay under the new administration.   1. Fossil Fuels Move from Defense to Attack   Between 2016 and 2020, the Trump administration pursued a robust agenda of rolling back climate regulations. During this time, the most entrenched fossil fuel interests shifted from a defensive to offensive strategy, openly calling for regulatory repeal. Already, in 2024, there is evidence of the most negative fossil fuel interests preparing to repeat these strategies.   Before President Trump assumed office in 2017, industry had filed a number of lawsuits against the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its climate-related regulations. The US Chamber of Commerce, for example, led a suit against the Clean Power Plan introduced under the Obama administration.   At least seven major US associations—the US Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), National Mining Association, American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), Auto Alliance, American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM), and American Petroleum Institute (API)—then supported the administration’s move to replace the Obama-era Clean Power Plan with a weaker alternative.   Industry advocated through a range of channels, from formal written comments during the required feedback periods to press releases and policy papers laying out their positions, meetings with policymakers, advertising, and other means.   As of 2024, there are currently a number of legal filings by industry associations against US climate-related regulations, including but not limited to automotive regulations (by the API), the power plant regulations (by the Edison Electric Institute), and the SEC’s climate disclosure rule (by the Business Roundtable). Just as in 2017, many of the most entrenched fossil fuel interest groups are likely to shift their attention from lawsuits to rollbacks as the administration begins the process of repeal..   The policy and political influence described above will be conducted by a range of entities across the economy, from power-providing utilities to oil and gas majors, to oil and gas astroturf groups masquerading as community interest groups. However, in the US and globally, InfluenceMap generally finds that companies tend to outsource their most regressive positions to powerful industry associations, which provide cover from scrutiny and reputational risk as they engage on the companies’ behalf. Going forward into 2025, industry associations are likely to carry forward the obstructive and negative advocacy that will lead directly to a spike in US emissions.   Industry associations have actively sought to overturn, weaken, or litigate against federal climate action. Carbon Brief analysis finds that the rollback of major climate regulations (for autos, power plants, and methane) along with the Inflation Reduction Act would lead to a total increase of 4bn tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent between 2025 and 2030.   (Notably, because the Carbon Brief analysis does not estimate the effects of increased fossil fuel production, the emissions spike resulting from the Trump administration’s policies will be even greater than 4bn).   http://influencemap.org/briefing/US-Corporate-Climate-Advocacy-Going-Into-2025-30736 http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/mar/05/half-of-worlds-co2-emissions-come-from-36-fossil-fuel-firms-study-shows http://influencemap.org/briefing/The-Carbon-Majors-Database-2023-Update-31397 http://blog.ucs.org/carly-phillips/the-infuriating-story-told-by-the-corporate-and-national-carbon-emissions-data http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/13/fossil-fuel-lobby-immunity-lawsuits http://clxtoolkit.com/publications/report-loss-and-damage-litigation-against-carbon-majors   http://www.globalwitness.org/en/press-releases/worlds-major-asset-managers-shoot-down-biodiversity-resolutions-despite-soaring-investor-interest http://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-trump-election-win-could-add-4bn-tonnes-to-us-emissions-by-2030/ http://www.carbonbrief.org/daily-brief/new-study-calculates-climate-changes-economic-bite-will-hit-about-38-trillion-a-year-by-2049 http://insideclimatenews.org/news/14092024/climate-action-100-esg-investing-departures/ http://www.ft.com/content/4c825d84-5486-47b4-9d59-86f7e8af34ae http://www.pik-potsdam.de/en/news/latest-news/pik-statement-on-donald-trumps-inauguration-serious-concerns-about-the-future-of-international-climate-cooperation http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/20/trump-executive-order-paris-climate-agreement http://www.ucsusa.org/about/news/president-trump-ignores-science-makes-disgraceful-decision-withdraw-us-paris-agreement http://www.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2025/01/sierra-club-reaction-trump-s-absurd-energy-emergency http://www.dw.com/en/what-does-trumps-second-term-mean-for-the-climate/a-70932970 http://www.ips-journal.eu/topics/economy-and-ecology/americas-climate-carousel-7932/   http://www.pleiadesstrategy.com/pleiades-anti-esg-bill-tracker-state-legislation-attacks-on-responsible-investing http://climate.law.columbia.edu/Silencing-Science-Tracker http://carbonmajors.org/briefing/The-Carbon-Majors-Database-26913 http://www.urgewald.org/en/medien/investing-climate-chaos-2024-institutional-investors-43-trillion-deep-fossil-fuel-industry http://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/jan/20/global-financial-sector-dropping-key-green-pledges-as-trump-takes-office http://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/jan/08/us-banks-quit-net-zero-alliance-before-trump-inauguration http://reclaimfinance.org/site/en/assessment-of-the-climate-practices-of-asset-managers/ http://www.asyousow.org/press-releases/2024/9/23/new-report-demonstrates-how-climate-change-is-making-groceries-more-expensive-due-to-reduced-food-supply   http://wmo.int/media/news/climate-change-impacts-grip-globe-2024 http://wmo.int/media/news/wmo-confirms-2024-warmest-year-record-about-155degc-above-pre-industrial-level http://wmo.int/media/news/record-carbon-emissions-highlight-urgency-of-global-greenhouse-gas-watch http://www.worldweatherattribution.org/when-risks-become-reality-extreme-weather-in-2024 http://reliefweb.int/report/world/counting-cost-2024-year-climate-breakdown http://www.climatecentral.org/report/people-exposed-to-climate-change-june-august-2024   http://www.iisd.org/articles/press-release/carbon-minefields-oil-gas-exploration-surging-pre-covid-levels http://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/jul/24/new-oil-gas-emission-data-us-uk http://www.urgewald.org/en/medien/investing-climate-chaos-2024-institutional-investors-43-trillion-deep-fossil-fuel-industry http://influencemap.org/mediabriefing/50-Years-of-Consistent-Oil-and-Gas-Advocacy-Against-Renewables-and-Electric-Vehicles-29011 http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2024/11/29/by-sidelining-climate-disinformation-cop29-undermines-climate-action/ http://climateintegrity.org/evidence/climate-deception http://climateintegrity.org/evidence/plastics-deception http://insideclimatenews.org/news/19022025/scientists-launch-corporate-harm-research-center/ http://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/digital-threats/falsehoods-and-forecasts-our-2025-predictions-climate-disinformation/ Visit the related web page
	International Court of Justice opens case on responsibilities of states to act on climate change by ICJ, IPS News, CIEL, Save the Children, agencies   Dec. 2024   The International Court of Justice on December 2, 2024 began its deliberations into the obligations under international law of UN member states to protect people and ecosystems from climate change.   The case was started by the Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change (PISFCC) with the support of Ishmael Kalsakau, the then prime minister of the Pacific island of Vanuatu.   Vanautu will be the first of 98 countries that will make presentations during the fortnight of hearings, after which the court will give an advisory opinion.   A few UN member states responsible for the majority of emissions have breached international law, Ralph Regenvanu, a special climate envoy from Vanuatu, told the International Court of Justice in the Hague in his opening address.   Regenvanu said his nation of islands and people had built vibrant cultures over millennia “that are intimately intertwined with our ancestral lands and seas. Yet today, we find ourselves on the front lines of a crisis we did not create.”   Arnold Kiel Loughman, Attorney General of Vanuatu, said it was for the ICJ to uphold international law and hold states accountable for their actions.   “How can the conduct that has taken humanity to the brink of catastrophe, threatening the survival of entire peoples, be lawful and without consequences?” Loughman asked.   “We urge the Court to affirm in the clearest terms that this conduct is in breach of the obligations of states and international law, and that such a breach carries consequences.”   Margaretha Wewerinke-Singh, the lead counsel for Vanuatu and the Melanesian Spearhead Group, said some states had breached international law through their acts and omissions.   She said this included issuing licences for fossil fuel extraction and granting subsidies to the fossil fuel industry, as well as failure to regulate emissions or to provide finance under the UN framework convention on climate change (UNFCCC).   Wewerinke-Singh said responsible states were required to make full reparation for the injury they had caused and this must be “proportionate to historic contributions to the harm”. She said this could include monetary compensation in addition to cash committed under the UNFCCC.   Cynthia Houniuhi, the head of the Pacific Island Students Fighting Climate Change, which had initiated the action, said climate change was undermining “the sacred contract” between generations.   “Without our land, our bodies and memories are severed from the fundamental relationships that define who we are. Those who stand to lose are the future generations. Their future is uncertain, reliant upon the decision-making of a handful of large emitting states.”   Throughout the day, countries impacted by climate change told the ICJ that climate change agreements did not preclude other aspects of international law. During it’s first day of hearings, the court heard from Vanuatu and Melanesian Spearhead Group, South Africa, Albania, Germany, Antigua and Barbuda, Saudi Arabia, Australia, the Bahamas, Bangladesh and Barbados.   Barbados gave graphic examples of how climate change affects the country and asked the court to consider robust obligations on states to mitigate their greenhouse gas emissions.   “Climate change is not some unstoppable force that individual states have no control over. We must cut through the noise and accept that those whose activities have led to the current state of global affairs must offer a response that is commensurate with the destruction that has been caused. There is no parity, there is no fairness, there is no equity,” Bahamas attorney general Ryan Pinder told the court.   Showing a photograph of piles of what looked like refuse, Pinder recalled the impact of Hurricane Dorian.   “You can easily mistake this photograph for a pile of rubbish. However, what you are looking at are lost homes and lost livelihoods. A 20-foot storm surge rushed through the streets of these islands, contributing to approximately 3 billion US dollars in economic damage. That’s about 25 percent of our annual GDP in just two days. The results of such a storm are real.   They include displaced people, learning loss, livelihoods, and lost and missing loved ones, all because some countries have ignored the warning signs of the climate crisis.”   “It is time for these polluters to pay. The IPCC has been telling us for years that the only way to stop a warming planet is to make deep, rapid and sustained cuts in the global greenhouse gas emissions. The world needs to reach net zero emissions by 2050, which requires a cut in the GHG emissions by at least 43 percent in the next five years. Industrial states need to take urgent action now and provide reparations for their decades of neglect.”   The ICJ’s hearings and advisory opinion are unique in that they do not focus solely on a single aspect of international law. Instead, they include the UN Charter, the International Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Paris Agreement, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the duty of due diligence, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the principle of prevention of significant harm to the environment, and the duty to protect and preserve marine environments.   The court will give its opinion on the obligations of states under international law to ensure the protection of the climate system for present and future generations.   It will also consider the legal consequences of causing significant harm to the climate system and the environment and its impact on other states, including “small island developing states (SIDS), which are affected by climate change, and peoples and individuals, both present and future generations, affected by the adverse effects of climate change.”   Attorney General Graham Leung of Fiji says the court isn’t a substitute for negotiations, which are complex and painstakingly slow.   “The ICJ opinion will be precedent-setting. That is to say it will cover and discuss and analyze the legal issues and the scientific issues, and it will come to a very, very important or authoritative decision that will carry great moral weight.   While the court doesn’t have enforcement rights and while it won’t be legally binding, it will work through moral persuasion.   “It’s going to be a very brave country that will stand up against an advisory opinion on the International Court of Justice, because if you are in that minority that violates the opinion of the court, you can be regarded as a pariah or as an outlaw in the international community.”   The hearings come as the outcome of the COP29 negotiations was met with criticism, especially with regard to the financing of the impacts of climate change.   Ahead of the hearings, WWF Global Climate and Energy Lead and COP20 President Manuel Pulgar-Vidal said, “With most countries falling far short of their obligations to reduce emissions and protect and restore nature, this advisory opinion has the potential to send a powerful legal signal that states cannot ignore their legal duties to act.”   Other criticisms of the present status quo include a belief that the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are inadequate, and climate finance, intended as a polluter pays mechanism, has failed to reach those most affected, with, for example, the Pacific countries only receiving 0.2 percent of the USD 100 billion a year climate finance pledge.   Cristelle Pratt, Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS), agrees that the court’s decision will make it easier to negotiate on climate finance and loss and damage provisions by making that clearer.   It’s expected the ICJ to publish its final advisory opinion in 2025.   http://www.icj-cij.org/multimedia/204420 http://www.icj-cij.org/case/187 http://www.ipsnews.net/2024/12/small-island-states-demand-international-court-look-beyond-climate-treaties-justice/ http://www.ciel.org/news/historic-climate-justice-hearings/ http://www.ciel.org/news/historic-climate-justice-hearings-icj/ http://www.savethechildren.net/news/pacific-youth-hope-historic-hearing-hague-delivers-climate-justice-where-cop-did-not http://www.rightsoffuturegenerations.org/the-principles http://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/general-comments-and-recommendations/crccgc26-general-comment-no-26-2023-childrens-rights   http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/dec/02/handful-of-countries-responsible-for-climate-crisis-icj-court-told http://wmo.int/news/media-centre/2024-track-be-hottest-year-record-warming-temporarily-hits-15degc http://www.ipcc.ch/reports http://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/hrcouncil/sessions-regular/session57/advance-versions/A-HRC-57-30-AEV.pdf http://academic.oup.com/bioscience/advance-article/doi/10.1093/biosci/biae087/7808595 http://www.pik-potsdam.de/en/news/latest-news/25-of-35-planetary-vital-signs-at-record-extremes-2024-state-of-the-climate-report Visit the related web page
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