Here are the month’s significant climate news items, as curated by Deb Ferens and presented to the Sustainable Gabriola meeting on Sunday, Jan. 28.
COP28 – Successes & Failures
Loss and Damage Funds operationalised on day one. Agreement on “global transition away” from fossil fuels (not stronger wording of “phase-out”).
Link: https://unfccc.int/cop28
Azerbaijan chosen to host COP29 Nov–Dec 2024
Azerbaijan has been announced as host of next year’s climate summit, after fraught negotiations. Critics have expressed concern over the country’s reliance on the fossil fuel industry, and poor record on human rights.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/dec/09/azerbaijan-host-cop29-fraught-negotiations
Montana Supreme Court Upholds Landmark Ruling From Youth Climate Case
Montana’s Supreme Court has rejected an attempt by the state’s Republican governor to block a landmark climate ruling that said regulators must consider the effects of greenhouse gas emissions when issuing permits for fossil fuel development
https://time.com/6563786/montana-supreme-court-upholds-landmark-climate-ruling/
B.C.’s draft Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework
As an overarching priority, the Framework formalizes a new and strategic direction for a more holistic approach to stewarding our land and water resources and making sure they are healthy and resilient for future generations.
Members of the public can access the draft Framework and provide comments up to January 31, 2024 by contacting biodiversity.ecosystemhealth@gov.bc.ca
2024 Doomsday Clock announcement
Previously in January 2023, the Doomsday Clock was set at 90 seconds to midnight, the closest to midnight the Clock had ever been.
This year the Science and Security Board of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists leaves the hands of the Doomsday Clock unchanged at 90 seconds to midnight, citing ominous trends that continue to point the world toward global catastrophe: nuclear risk, climate change, biological threats, and disrputive technologies (AI).
Some past changes: 2012: 5 minutes to midnight … 2015: 3 minutes … 2017: 2.5 minutes … 2018: 2 minutes … 2020: 100 seconds … 2023: 90 seconds.
Link: thebulletin.org/doomsday-clock/