A selection of hopeful climate news from various outlets, courtesy of Deb F.

Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative

• Global campaign urging governments to negotiate a binding international plan to phase out coal, oil and gas.
• Backed by 18 nation-states, numerous cities (like Toronto and Montreal), hundreds of parliamentarians, and thousands of civil society organizations.

Gulf News (Aug 24, 2026)

• Saudi Arabia sets fines of up to SR 5 million ($1.8 million Cdn) for marine pollution.
• New rules tighten controls on oil spills, wastewater, fishing and sensitive habitats.

The Better India

• Bengal College grows saplings in discarded coconut shells instead of plastic bags, to reduce environmental waste.

The Times of India

• Ecuador’s Indigenous women are planting trees for birds, insects and other animals; growing cacao for their families; and protecting the forest for their children to save the Amazon.

NHK World Japan

• Authorities in Tokyo are exploring converting aging concrete seawalls into beaches and wetlands to naturally absorb storm surges and improve local marine ecosystems.

Massimo

• US farmers are intentionally flooding parts of their crop fields to create wetlands that help migratory birds and improve soil health.

Travel and Tour World

• Malaysia aligns with Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia as new coastal research reveals natural aspects outperform seawalls in protecting beaches, strengthening hurricane resilience, and sustainable travel across southeast Asia.

The Tyee

• In the Fraser Valley, a new oil pipeline faces mountains of challenges.
• Getting through the steep, narrow stretch cost Trans Mountain billions.
• Alberta’s plans to avoid a repeat is full of holes.

Carbon Brief (UN Report)

• Rates of deforestation are declining around the world.
• Global net forest loss has more than halved since 1990
• Many countries are hugely increasing their forest area. China and Russia added more forest cover than any other countries in the last decade. (Canada is behind countries like Turkey, India and South Africa in net gain of forests.)
• Around one-fifth of the world’s forests are located in protected areas. For an area to be “protected,” it must be managed in a way that conserves nature.
• 26% of all forest in Asia are protected, the highest if any region. (North and Central America have the least percentage of protected forests.)

Carbon Brief (UN Report)

• Land-use emissions have fallen by l/3 this century.
• Emissions from land-use change include deforestation, loss of peatland and forest degradation.
• Forest regrowth and falling deforestation have driven down global land-use emissions since late 1990s.
• The largest contributor to an acceleration in the decline of global land-use emissions in the past decade has been Indonesia, which has rewetted more peatland area since 2017 alone than Europe in its entire history.
• Peatland wetting refers to the process of restoring water levels in drained peatlands in order to return them to their natural waterlogged condition, which allows for peat formation and carbon storage.

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Thanks to Deb F for her regular updates on the wider climate scene, beyond Gabriola. This month’s update is titled, surprisingly, a few signs of hope!

Thanks to Deb F for her regular updates on the wider climate scene, beyond just Gabriola. This month’s update is a labour of love, handwritten (because: computers) and covering: looming tipping points … a looming El Niño … criminalizing ecocide.

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COP30, a grim takeaway

November 30, 2025 from Deb F

Another COP wrecked by fossil fuel interests and global leaders’ cowardice. Key observations:

• 5000 indigenous people were there, but unable to vote or attend closed door meetings.
• The power of protests – protests happened every day, most notable an Indigenous led “great people’s march” on the Middle Sat.
• US absence created a vacuum, and an opportunity. In an historic first, America did not send an official delegation. China took an unexpected leadership role.
• Implementation through side deals – not the main stage – such as the Belem pledge, committed signatories to quadruple sustainable fuels production and use by 2035.
• The Global transition text – more than 80 countries signed the text for a roadmap to transition away from fossil fuels. But when the final deal was agreed, key references to fossil fuel phase out were missing. Opposition from Saudi Arabia, India and other fuel producers watered it down.

Warming is going to exceed 1.5°C*. Humanity is living beyond limits.