COP27 News
NRDC Experts and Events at COP27
The 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27), taking place on November 6–18, 2022, in Egypt, brings together world leaders—presidents, governors, mayors, CEOs, philanthropy, and civil society—to advance the concrete steps that are needed to cut global emissions in half in this decisive decade, and to adapt to the mounting climate change impacts we can no longer avoid. Read more
Hello from COP27
We are roughly midway between 2015, the year the Paris agreement came together to avert the worst climate hazards, and 2030, the deadline by which the global economy must pivot away from the unchecked burning of fossil fuels in order to avert those hazards, according to the latest scientific consensus. Read more
By Somini Sengupta — Climate Forward
FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Announces Roadmap for Nature-Based Solutions to Fight Climate Change, Strengthen Communities, and Support Local Economies
New actions and recommendations announced at COP27 will make nature-based solutions a go-to option for fighting climate change and boost progress toward U.S. climate goals. Read the Roadmap.
COP27: An opportunity to get serious about climate migration
This week, leaders, climate experts, and other stakeholders are gathering in Egypt for the 27th U.N. Climate Conference (COP27). From clean energy technology to food security, a number of pressing issues will be discussed. However, there is an important item that warrants more attention—climate migration.
As parts of the world become less habitable, more people will move—either in anticipation of environmental change or in reaction to extreme weather events. COP27 provides a chance to not only recognize that climate migration is here to stay but also to make resources available to support governments, Reva Dhingra and Elizabeth Ferris write. Read more
Forest News
Activists say the government’s failure to protect US forests is most critical to fighting climate change.
Read the latest report from Saul Elbein on Dominik DellaSala and others explaining the importance of preserving old-growth and mature forests. Read the article
Deforestation slowed last year — but not enough to meet climate goals
Report finds that most nations are not on track to meet global pledge to protect Earth’s forests. The analysis, called the Forest Declaration Assessment, shows that the rate of global deforestation slowed by 6.3% in 2021, compared with the baseline average for 2018–20. But this “modest” progress falls short of the annual 10% cut needed to end deforestation by 2030, says Erin Matson, a consultant at Climate Focus, an advisory company headquartered in Amsterdam, and an author of the assessment, published on 24 October. Read more
By Natasha Gilbert — nature
Forest Fires in Western Cascadia
If you missed the recent webinar, Forest Fires in Western Cascadia, you can still watch it.
It’s easy to think of forest fires in the Northwest as a phenomenon that occurs on the east side of the cascades in dry, inland forests. However, fires play a key role in shaping the wet forests west of the Cascade Crest – in the past, present, and future. In this talk, Dr. Harvey will discuss ongoing research projects examining forest fires in western Washington and northwestern Oregon (“Western Cascadia”).
Access more archived recordings here.
The world’s biggest banks are intent on driving a wedge between Forests and Climate.
Without forests, there can be no progress on climate change. Deforestation from agricultural commodity sectors is the source of up to 23% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Deforestation also destroys Indigenous economies and cultures, pushes species to the brink of extinction, and forces people into hazardous, low-paying work on plantations.
Tell the banks to stop financing forest-risk commodity sectors.
Lost in the Woods: Industrial Logging’s Unacknowledged Climate Impact
Industrial logging is a significant source of global greenhouse gas emissions, but its climate impact remains largely unacknowledged and unregulated. The clearcutting of climate-critical forests around the world, particularly in countries in the Global North like Canada, the U.S., and Sweden, is incompatible with meeting global climate targets and achieving commitments under the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use. This panel of leading scientists and policy experts, moderated by NRDC’s President, Manish Bapna, will discuss these forgotten logging emissions, logging‘s culpability in the climate crisis, and policy solutions.
The 2022 Virtual Carbon Friendly Forestry Conference
Join us December 7th and 8th for an interactive virtual webinar series that focuses on the importance of climate-smart and ecological forest management during our climate crisis. The urgency of this moment requires us to imagine new ways forward. The Pacific Northwest’s forests, if managed intentionally with the climate crisis in mind, can be powerful tools for carbon storage, ecosystem services, community resilience, and environmental justice.
Farms and Forests, Today and Tomorrow
In recent months, Sightline’s Farms & Forests program has been digging deep into the economics, policy, and politics of forest carbon sequestration. In addition to sharing our strategy, what progress we’ve made, and where we’re headed next, Sightline’s lead Farms & Forests researcher Kate Anderson fills you in on the two main forest health and carbon projects we’ve tackled this year: extending harvest rotations and shifting wildfire policy.
Regional Actions and Events
Please join Washington Conservation Voters and Washington Environmental Council for our last briefing of 2022.
During this session, we will look at the results of the 2022 elections in Washington and what the election results mean for current and upcoming work on the Climate Commitment Act, the law designed to help get Washington state to net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
What: 2022 Elections and Climate Update
When: Tuesday, November 15th at 2pm via Zoom
RSVP: Email Paul Balle to receive the Zoom briefing link
Local and Regional Newsletters
National Actions
The U.S. must commit to a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty phasing out fossil fuels
Climate change, like nuclear weapons, is a major global threat. And the main cause of the climate emergency is fossil fuels. They’re responsible for 86% of all carbon dioxide emissions in the past decade. The Paris Climate agreement never uses the words “fossil fuels,” let alone does anything to reduce their production, use, or expansion. That’s why the world needs a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to phase out fossil fuels, support a just transition, and ensure 100% access to renewable energy around the world. The idea has been supported by the President of Vanuatu, a number of other islands in the Pacific, the European Parliament, the Vatican, and many climate hawks around the world.
Keep the Pressure on Chubb
Chubb’s fossil fuel clients are drilling next to people’s homes and building pipelines across sacred territories — so we brought a two-story oil derrick to the CEO’s home in New York City because he can’t ignore the climate chaos his company is fueling.
How to Talk About Population In a World of 8 Billion
Join the Center for Biological Diversity’s Webinar:
Monday, November 14 — 10 am
RSVP to Attend
We’ll talk about population pressure within the frameworks of anti-racism and reproductive justice. We’ll provide background on the sensitivities around population conversations, context about reproductive injustices in the United States, and ways environmentalists can support equitable solutions.
Rein In Offshore Drilling for Whales, Climate
A massive lease sale in Alaska threatens the home of the last remaining Cook Inlet belugas with more oil spills and harmful noise pollution. And two huge sales in the Gulf of Mexico threaten the last Rice’s whales, of whom fewer than 100 remain.
The Future of Greenpeace USA
Greenpeace USA is being sued by multiple companies who want to shut us up and shut us down. These corporations are using Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) to silence free speech, prevent us from exposing the damage they’re doing to our planet, and potentially shut us down entirely. Rep. Jamie Raskin has introduced the first-ever federal anti-SLAPP legislation to prevent companies from abusing U.S. federal courts to attack our right to free speech.
National/International News
Germany’s current energy situation & its past energy choices
The Ukraine war has seen Germany’s supply of methane gas from Russia cut off. Energy prices have spiked as Germany scrambles to make up the deficit.
David Roberts interviews German energy economist Claudia Kemfert about Germany’s choices on nuclear and gas, the situation it faces this coming winter, and the policies that could help it recover and get back on track to hit its emissions goals. Listen here.
Why Marshlands Are the Perfect Lab for Studying Climate Change
On the Eastern Shore of Maryland, the bare, whitened trunks of a “ghost forest” are one of the effects of surging waters that turn woodland into marsh. Read more
By Jennie Rothenberg Gritz — Smithsonian
National Newsletters
A daily newsletter by Grist
Friday, November 11 — New York state voters want to fund climate and environmental initiatives.
Thursday, November 10— South Africa has a detailed plan to decarbonize.
Wednesday, November 9 — more heat pumps are coming to Washington state.
Tuesday, November 8 — the U.S. wants to bolster 37 “game-changing” climate innovations.
Monday, November 7 — the EPA is making a historic investment in air quality monitoring.
Opinion
The Midterm Results Bring an Air of Relief to the COP27 Climate Summit
Click here to read Bill McKibben’s latest comments on his trip to the COP27 climate summit.
What do big polluters owe?
The most important lesson I’ve learned as a global climate correspondent is this: The most acute impacts of climate change are often felt by those who are least responsible for the problem. Read more.
By Somini Sengupta — Climate Forward
Magical Hope vs Actual Hope
I spent the weekend in Reno, Nevada with, among other people, my old friend Rebecca Solnit. We were there to rally voters and knock on doors in one of the nastiest elections in the country—and at such times Solnit’s powerful reflections on hope are a balm and a spur. Ever since her landmark 2004 book Hope in the Dark, she’s been a kind of spokeswoman for the proposition that we can make progress on our struggles—especially the climate fight—if we mobilize together, build our strength, and break the power of the fossil fuel industry. Read more.
By Bill McKibben — The Crucial Years
Manchin’s Pipeline Loss Shows Frontline, and Green Groups Are Gaining Steam
When the pandemic hit in 2020, I was living far from home, working as a special assistant at a nonprofit organization in Boston after graduating college. Like many 25-year-olds at the time, I decided to move home to be closer to my family in southwest Memphis. That’s when I found out that two major oil companies were planning to build a crude oil pipeline through the city, and it would carry dirty oil to the Gulf of Mexico for export. Read more.
By Justin J. Pearson — Yes! Magazine
The Climate Book: The Facts and the Solutions
You might think it’s an impossible task: secure a safe future for life on Earth, at a scale and speed never seen, against all the odds. There is hope – but only if we listen to the science before it’s too late. Read more.
Olympic Climate Action 