Climate and environment updates: Climate leaders call for major overhaul of summit

(NEW YORK) — The climate crisis is not a distant threat; it’s happening right now and affecting what matters most to us. Hurricanes intensified by a warming planet and drought-fueled wildfires are destroying our communities. Rising seas and flooding are swallowing our homes. And record-breaking heatwaves are reshaping our way of life.

The good news is we know how to turn the tide and avoid the worst possible outcomes. However, understanding what needs to be done can be confusing due to a constant stream of climate updates, scientific findings, and critical decisions that are shaping our future.

That’s why the ABC News Climate and Weather Unit is cutting through the noise by curating what you need to know to keep the people and places you care about safe. We are dedicated to providing clarity amid the chaos, giving you the facts and insights necessary to navigate the climate realities of today — and tomorrow.

‘COP is no longer fit for purpose,’ say climate veterans; call for reforms

During the first week of COP29, the U.N. climate conference in Azerbaijan, delegates learned global fossil fuel emissions hit record highs in 2024, the world’s emissions reduction efforts are not good enough to meet 2050 net zero carbon goals and the international response to climate change has “flatlined.”

Now, a group of veteran climate leaders and scientists, are calling for a significant overhaul of future COP conferences, including Christiana Figueres, head of the Paris climate talks in 2015; Ban Ki-moon, former secretary-general of the U.N.; and Mary Robinson, the former president of Ireland and a climate advocate.

In an open letter, the 22 signatories begin by praising the past accomplishments of the COP conferences and the framework that has been established.

“We recognise the important diplomatic milestones of the past 28 years of climate negotiations,” the letter states. “A remarkable consensus has been achieved with over 195 countries having agreed to strive to hold global warming to 1.5°C.”

But the signatories go on to say that despite the COP successes, including agreements to phase out fossil fuels, “it is now clear that the COP is no longer fit for purpose. Its current structure simply cannot deliver the change at exponential speed and scale, which is essential to ensure a safe climate landing for humanity.”

The group says the world needs to “shift from negotiation to implementation” and listed seven recommendations for reforming what’s become the most significant climate meeting in the world.

One suggested change is implementing “strict eligibility criteria” for future COP presidents to “exclude countries who do not support the phase out/transition away from fossil energy.” That would also prevent their countries from hosting the event. Some climate advocates have criticized the decision to hold the last two COP meetings in countries where oil is a primary export.

The group is also calling for changing the meeting structure from one giant yearly convention to “smaller, more frequent, solution-driven meetings,” improving implementation and accountability and better tracking of climate response funding, specifically interest-bearing loans the group says “exacerbates the debt burden of climate vulnerable nations.”

In response to the letter, Laurence Tubiana, the head of the European Climate Foundation, posted on social media, “I know some are frustrated with the COP and UNFCCC processes, given the urgent need to accelerate action. While reforms are needed, let’s not forget: multilateralism is the foundation of climate progress. The Paris Agreement happened because every country had a voice.”

-ABC News Climate Unit’s Matthew Glasser

Solving the climate crisis could cost trillions, according to new report

Before a single delegate arrived in Azerbaijan for COP29, the U.N. climate conference, the event was being billed as the “finance COP.” The expectation was that world climate leaders would reach an agreement on how to fund global efforts to curb climate change and aid developing countries who are bearing a great burden of climate-related loss and damage.

From highlighting global policy advancements to the gaps in funding climate progress, Thursday’s conference activities had a clear message: invest now.

Leaders from the Taskforce on Net Zero Policy published a report on how well the world is doing in reaching net zero, a state where the carbon emissions we generate can be absorbed and stored by nature or technology. To be in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement, countries must be on target to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

While the report indicated significant advancement in achieving net zero, it found that emissions reduction efforts are not ambitious enough to meet the 2050 target.

During his remarks on Thursday, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres pushed for businesses, financial institutions and governments to all work towards more aggressive net zero policies while maintaining high levels of transparency.

“We need a massive global effort to steer our world onto a path to safety; a path to net zero by mid-century. Cities and regions, businesses and financial institutions play a pivotal role. And you are out in the front: Helping consumers, investors and regulators understand what credible net zero looks like,” the Secretary-General said.

But to make those policies possible, the money must be there.

Since COP26, the Independent High Level Expert Group on Climate Finance has released a report on how much it could cost to meet the Paris Agreement targets. In their latest report, they estimate that $6.5 trillion is needed yearly by 2030.

“The transition to clean, low-carbon energy, building resilience to the impacts of climate change, coping with loss and damage, protecting nature and biodiversity, and ensuring a just transition, require a rapid step-up in investment in all countries,” the report stated.

The question of who pays is a heated topic. Delegates are using their time in Baku to negotiate a global finance agreement. Whether they can come to an agreement is yet to be seen.

The report, however, emphasized the importance of acting now.

“Any shortfall in investment before 2030 will place added pressure on the years that follow, creating a steeper and potentially more costly path to climate stability,” the report continued. “The less the world achieves now, the more we will need to invest later.”

-ABC News’ Charlotte Slovin

The world’s response to climate change has “flatlined,” according to new report

As world climate leaders meet in Azerbaijan at this year’s climate conference, COP29, a new report warns that their efforts to curb climate change have “flatlined” since 2021.

Researchers from Climate Action Tracker, an independent project tracking government action on climate change, say their report demonstrates “a critical disconnect” between the impacts of climate change and political action to address it.

“Despite an escalating climate crisis marked by unprecedented wildfires, storms, floods, and droughts, our annual global temperature update shows global warming projections for 2100 are flatlining, with no improvement since 2021,” the study says. “The aggregate effect of current policies set the world on a path toward 2.7 degrees Celsius of warming.”

The 2.7 degrees estimate is significantly higher than the 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels limit called for in the Paris Agreement. Scientists say the world must stay below 1.5 degrees to “significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change.”

“We are clearly failing to bend the curve. As the world edges closer to these dangerous climate thresholds, the need for immediate, stronger action to reverse this trend becomes ever more urgent,” Sofia Gonzales-Zuniga of Climate Analytics, the report’s lead author, said.

Gonzales-Zuniga did, however, caution that the 2.7 degree metric was a median estimate and the actual warming number has a 50% chance of being above or below 2.7 degree Celsius.

“But our knowledge of the climate system tells us that there is a 33% chance of our projection being 3.0 degrees Celsius – or higher – and a 10% chance of being 3.6 degrees Celsius or higher, an absolutely catastrophic level of warming,” she added.

The world’s governments are currently developing their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which happens every five years as a part of the Paris Agreement. NDCs are climate action plans showing countries’ emissions reduction goals through 2035.

The Climate Action Tracker also calculated the potential impact of President-elect Donald Trump’s possible climate regulation rollbacks as laid out in Project 2025.

Researchers found that if the impact is limited to the U.S., warming could increase by 0.04 degrees Celsius. However, if other countries follow suit, there could be a much more significant negative impact.

“Clearly, we won’t know the full impact of the U.S. elections until President-Elect Trump takes office, but there is a clean energy momentum in the U.S. now that will be difficult to stop,” Bill Hare, CEO of Climate Analytics, said. “While the Trump administration will undoubtedly do its best to throw a wrecking ball into climate action, the clean energy momentum created by President Biden, being actioned across the country, is likely to continue at a significant scale.”

“The key issue is whether countries stick together and continue to move forward with action, a Trump rollback of U.S. policies, as damaging as it is, can be overcome,” he added.

-ABC News Climate Unit’s Kelly Livingston

UN-backed carbon credits market gets greenlight, potentially revolutionizing the process

After a yearslong deadlock, delegates at COP29, the U.N. global climate conference, have finally reached an agreement on international carbon market standards, a critical step in launching a global carbon market.

The new global carbon market would standardize the issuing, trading and redeeming of carbon credits. A carbon credit is a voucher representing a specific amount of greenhouse gas reduction or removal from the atmosphere. Individuals, businesses, organizations and countries can use carbon credits to offset an action that produces emissions — for example, paying for tree planting to offset the emissions from a factory or an airplane flight.

Presently, carbon trading markets are run by various organizations with little to no regulation or universal standards. However, a U.N.-backed global carbon market would provide the financial and regulatory support of the international governing body.

U.N. Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell said the new global carbon market will help countries implement their climate plans faster and cheaper, driving down emissions. Since this will be an open international market, companies, organizations and individuals could utilize the market to meet their voluntary climate targets, regardless of their nation’s participation.

A U.N.-backed global climate market would also bring significant financial benefits to the global market. Yalchin Rafiyev, COP29 lead negotiator, said this new market will be a game-changing tool that directs resources to the developing world and helps save up to $250 billion a year on climate plan implementation.

The International Emissions Trading Association, a nonprofit business group that supports global carbon markets, said that within a few years, the implementation of the U.N.-back carbon market not only has the potential to save the global economy billions of dollars per year, but could also cut approximately 5 billion metric tons of carbon output annually.

While a path has been cleared for this new carbon market to become operational, COP29 negotiators said there is still more work to do before it can be launched. Discussions will continue through the end of the conference to address any additional questions and concerns.

-ABC News meteorologist Dan Peck and ABC News Climate Unit’s Matthew Glasser

Day 3 at COP29 shows how hard it will be for the world to quit fossil fuels

Day three of COP29, the global U.N. climate conference, highlighted how challenging it will be for the world to transition away from fossil fuels. As some countries are making new commitments to reduce emissions and ramp up clean energy production, others are advocating for the continued use of fossil fuels.

Joining the United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates, Brazil announced its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) plans on Wednesday. NDCs are each country’s plan for achieving the goals outlined in the Paris Climate Agreement. Brazil has pledged to reduce its carbon emissions by 59% to 67% by 2035.

“Cutting emissions by 67% by 2035 could put Brazil on a pathway to reach net-zero by 2050,” said Karen Silverwood-Cope, climate director of WRI Brasil.

Brazil is hosting next year’s COP, and Silverwood-Cope said the country has “a responsibility to lead by example and aim high.”

But Silverwood-Cope also pointed out that Brazil’s NDC does not include a plan for reducing fossil fuel emissions. Instead, they are pledging to increase biofuel production. Biofuel is produced from renewable biological sources, including plants and algae. In Brazil, biofuel primarily comes from soybean oil. As a country with a history of mass deforestation, the loss of vegetation and forests for energy is controversial.

“Instead of saying that they’re going to reduce oil consumption in the country, they are betting on biofuels,” said Silverwood-Cope.

She said Brazil plans to use denigrated land for biofuel production. Deingrated land is land that has already been deforested.

As Brazil announced its new, stronger climate pledge, another South American country moved in the opposite direction by literally walking out of the conference.

Argentinian President Javier Milei ordered the country’s COP29 representatives to withdraw from the conference and return home. Milei, the country’s newly-elected, far-right president, has a history of climate change denial.

Despite the drama, delegates came to some agreements, including using more nuclear power as an alternative to fossil fuels.

The United States, El Salvador, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Nigeria and Türkiye endorsed a declaration calling for tripling the use of nuclear energy by 2050.

Italy also voiced its support for more nuclear energy and touted its ongoing investment in nuclear fusion research. Unlike current nuclear reactors, nuclear fusion doesn’t create radioactive waste. Despite billions of dollars in research funding, the technology has yet to be developed commercially.

“We must use all available technologies. Not only renewables, but also gas, biofuels, hydrogen, CO2 capture, and, in the future, nuclear fusion,” said Italian President Giorgia Meloni. “Italy is at the forefront on nuclear fusion.”

-ABC News’ Charlotte Slovin

Fossil fuel emissions hit record highs in 2024, according to study

If negotiating international agreements to slow down and reverse the global climate crisis wasn’t challenging enough, the delegates at COP29, the U.N. climate conference in Azerbaijan, are facing the grim reality that the world is moving in the wrong direction when it comes to fossil fuels.

According to the latest Global Carbon Budget report from the Global Carbon Project, carbon emissions from fossil fuels have hit a record high in 2024. The study projects that carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions will reach 37.4 billion tonnes, up 0.8% from 2023.

For almost three decades, international leaders have been attending COP conferences and discussing the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, despite these efforts, the Global Carbon Project says, “There is still no sign that the world has reached a peak in fossil CO2 emissions.”

“The impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly dramatic, yet we still see no sign that burning of fossil fuels has peaked,” wrote Pierre Friedlingstein of Exeter’s Global Systems Institute in a press statement.

He added, “Until we reach net zero CO2 emissions globally, world temperatures will continue to rise and cause increasingly severe impacts.”

Although the past decade has seen a decline in emissions from deforestation and land-use changes, emissions this year are rising compared to 2023, influenced by extreme drought conditions linked to the 2023-2024 El Niño climate event, according to the study. Despite this increase, land-use emissions have actually declined by 20% over the past decade thanks to reforestation and afforestation efforts.

Efforts to stop burning coal for energy are slowing down the year-over-year increase in those emissions, but they are still rising, albeit modestly. The study estimates that global coal emissions will increase by 0.2%. China and India are seeing increases of 0.2% and 4.5%, respectively, while the United States and the European Union are seeing declines of 3.5% and 15.8%.

Overall, the study found that China’s emissions (32% of the worldwide total) for 2024 are expected to increase by 0.2% compared to 2023. India (8% of the worldwide total) is projected to grow emissions by 4.6% from the previous year. The European Union (7% of the worldwide total) should see a 3.8% decline year-to-year and the United States (13% of the worldwide total) is looking at a 0.6% decrease compared to 2023.

It’s important to remember that many products purchased and used in the U.S. and Europe are made in places like China and India. Hence, their emissions reflect the manufacturing of goods for other countries.

According to the research, this trend worsens the cumulative impact of CO₂ in the atmosphere, projected to reach 422.5 parts per million (ppm) in 2024, representing a 52% increase compared to pre-industrial levels.

There is some good news in the data. The study finds that many countries have succeeded in reducing their fossil fuel carbon emissions or slowing down their growth. However, it’s not enough to put the world on a path to net zero.

“There are many signs of positive progress at the country level, and a feeling that a peak in global fossil CO2 emissions is imminent, but the global peak remains elusive,” wrote Glen Peters of the CICERO Center for International Climate Research in a statement. “Climate action is a collective problem, and while gradual emission reductions are occurring in some countries, increases continue in others.”

-ABC News Climate Unit’s Matthew Glasser

World leaders send mixed messages about the climate crisis on Day 2 of COP29

If there was a theme for the second day of COP29, the U.N. climate conference in Azerbaijan, it would be mixed messaging from world leaders. As some nations announced ambitious new climate goals, others justified their continued reliance on fossil fuels. The developments come when the world is questioning the United States’ future commitment to climate progress in light of President-elect Donald Trump’s previous comments about climate change and his selection for EPA administrator.

During his remarks, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, whose country is hosting the event, defended the use of fossil fuels, calling oil a “a gift of the God” and saying that it is just like any other natural resource. He added that countries “should not be blamed for bringing these resources to the market.”

“To accuse us that we have oil is the same like to accuse us that we have more than 250 sunny days in Baku,” said Aliyev.

Aliyev also called Western countries hypocrites for decrying oil production and calling for an end to fossil fuel use while still buying oil from countries like Azerbaijan. The European Commission signed an agreement with Azerbaijan in 2022 to receive oil from them when they stopped getting it from Russia. He said double standards are the “modus operandi” for climate talks.

Aliyev’s pro-oil statements aren’t expected to sidetrack the negotiations. David Waskow, director of international climate action at World Resources Institute, said statements from world leaders “in a sense float above the COP.”

But Aliyev’s comments added fuel to the criticism that oil-producing states shouldn’t be hosting a global climate conference. The United Arab Emirates, another country with significant oil production, hosted last year’s event.

Baku is also not an easy place to get to. Conference-goers had to travel by plane because all land routes are closed. A recent study identified that 291 private plane flights to COP28 in Dubai generated 3.8 kilotons of CO2.

How does a nation that touts the excellence of oil and gas end up as the host of an incredibly consequential climate conference?

The answer is entirely procedural. Each year, one of the five U.N. regional groups is selected on a rotational basis to host next year’s conference. Group members choose which country will host based on logistics and ability. As a result, champions of climate progress and oil-rich countries are equally likely to host the global climate conference.

Unlike the Azerbaijani president’s call to maintain the status quo, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres stressed the urgency and stakes of controlling global emissions.

“We are in the final countdown to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius and time is not on our side,” the Secretary-General said, urging countries to commit legislatively and financially to the climate response.

He called 2024 “a masterclass in climate destruction,” pointing out all of the climate records broken during the year, including the hottest day and months on record, adding that “this is almost certain to be the hottest year on record.”

-ABC News’ Charlotte Slovin and ABC News Climate Unit’s Matthew Glasser

UK, Brazil and UAE unveil plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions

Some of the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitters have announced their plans to reduce emissions at the ongoing United Nations climate conference, COP29, in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Although not due until 2025, The United Kingdom, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates released their respective Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets at the conference, marking ambitious plans to reduce their climate impacts.

Under the Paris Agreement, participating countries are required to release their NDCs every five years as part of the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

“The U.K., Brazil and the UAE are the first major emitters to put forward new national climate commitments, which are the main vehicle for countries to collectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions and avoid catastrophic climate impacts,” Melanie Robinson, global director of climate, economics and finance at World Resources Institute said of the announcements.

“Encouragingly, these three nations’ new climate targets could put them on a path to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 if their highest ambitions are realized,” Robison said.

The U.K. goal aims to reduce the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions by at least 81%, compared to their 1990 levels.

The Brazilian government is expected to release its NDC on Wednesday. In a preview announcement, the country said it’s committed to reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by 59% to 67%.

“This commitment will allow Brazil to advance towards climate neutrality by 2050, the long-term target of the climate commitment,” the government wrote in a statement Monday night. “The NDC results from an extensive assessment of Brazil’s emission scenarios. It acknowledges the urgency of combating the climate crisis, addresses the need to build resilience, and sets a roadmap for a low-carbon future for Brazil’s society, economy, and ecosystems.”

In the UAE’s NDC, released last week, the nation sets an emissions reduction target of 47% by 2035, compared to 2019.

“The UAE’s third NDC outlines a unified vision for addressing climate change that is aligned and informed by the UAE Consensus adopted at COP28,” the UAE wrote in its newest NDC. “The UAE Consensus emphasizes the need for accelerated action across all pillars of the Paris Agreement and serves as a roadmap for enhancing mitigation ambition, scaling up adaptation efforts, and aligning financial flows with low-carbon, climate-resilient development pathways.”

“I think when you look at these in the aggregate, what we’re seeing is that if these countries really pursue the full extent of what they’ve committed to, that they would be on track to achieve their net zero targets at mid-century,” said David Waskow, director of international climate action at the World Resources Institute, during a press call.

“With all three of them, there’s an important question about actually implementing them, and we’re going to need to see strong policies and investments,” Waskow added.

WRI’s Robinson also expressed skepticism about the announcements.

“While these initial 2035 targets look good on paper, they won’t move the needle unless countries take bold and immediate steps to turn them into action. The true measure of progress will be whether countries back up their promises with transformative policies and investments that embed climate action at the core of their economic strategies,” said Robinson.

-ABC News Climate Unit’s Kelly Livingston

EPA says oil and gas companies have to pay up for excessive methane emissions

For the first time, high-emitting oil and gas facilities will have to pay a fee for emitting a potent greenhouse gas if those emissions exceed a certain level set by the U.S. Environmental Production Agency (EPA).

The new rule, finalized on Tuesday, was announced by John Podesta, the top U.S. climate representative at COP29, the annual U.N. climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The regulation would cap the amount of methane that certain oil and gas facilities could release into the atmosphere. The companies will be charged a fee for each metric ton of methane exceeding that limit, starting at $900 per metric ton, increasing to $1,200 in 2025 and $1,500 in 2026.

EPA administrator Michael S. Regan wrote in a statement, “EPA has been engaging with industry, states, and communities to reduce methane emissions so that natural gas ultimately makes it to consumers as usable fuel — instead of as a harmful greenhouse gas.”

He added, “Along with EPA’s complementary set of technology standards and historic financial and technical resources under the Inflation Reduction Act, today’s action ensures that America continues to lead in deploying technologies and innovations that lower our emissions.”

The EPA estimates the new rule will reduce methane emissions by 1.2 million metric tons through 2035. That’s the equivalent of taking 8 million gas-powered cars off the road for an entire year, according to the agency.

The EPA classifies methane as a “super pollutant” and says that over 100 years, one ton of methane released into the atmosphere “traps 28 times as much heat in the Earth system as one ton of emitted carbon dioxide.” On a 20-year time scale, it’s 84 times more potent, according to the European Union.

The EPA said the oil and natural gas industry is the largest industrial source of the greenhouse gas.

During a press call, David Waskow, director of international climate action at the World Resources Institute, said, “Large oil and gas companies actually supported the fee approach, and I think that they’re aiming to make sure that methane, which has been a sort of sore spot in the oil and gas industry, is cleaned up as a way of helping the reputation of the oil and gas industry.”

Waskow said that even if the incoming Trump administration tries to undo the regulation, he believes its support within the industry may help keep it in place.

-ABC News Climate Unit’s Matthew Glasser

Global climate conference off to a challenging start

How much will it cost to fight climate change globally, and who should pay for it? That’s the primary issue facing delegates at the annual U.N. climate conference, COP29. Dubbed the “finance COP,” the two-week event began on Monday in Baku, Azerbaijan.

While representatives from nations worldwide will discuss various climate issues, finance is a key theme this year, namely how much external financing will be available to developing countries for their climate adaptation efforts and to compensate them for the damage and loss caused by climate change. Although wealthier countries generate the majority of greenhouse gas emissions, poorer nations are disproportionately impacted by the consequences of global warming.

Conference attendees and climate leaders will be watching closely the climate investment commitments made by various nations and private finance, and much of the discussion will revolve around who should be paying and how much they should be contributing.

The current target for international public and private financing is around $100 billion, but the U.N. estimates that it will take as much as $2.4 trillion by 2030 to meet climate goals, with $1 trillion coming from international sources.

It’s uncertain, however, how much each nation will contribute and where the money will go.

“For those poorest countries and particularly for adaptation, finance needs to be in grant and concessional form,” said Melanie Robinson, the global climate, economics and finance program director at the World Resources Institute.

One issue sure to be controversial is whether developing countries that can afford to contribute to the global effort should be added to the contributor base. Critics of that recommendation say the biggest emitters should be the most significant contributors.

U.N. Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell set the table for the talks during his opening address, focusing on what’s at stake.

“If at least two-thirds of the world’s nations cannot afford to cut emissions quickly, then every nation pays a brutal price,” said Stiell. “If nations can’t build resilience into supply chains, the entire global economy will be brought to its knees. No country is immune.”

Stiell added, “So, let’s dispense with the idea that climate finance is charity. An ambitious new climate finance goal is entirely in the self-interest of every single nation, including the largest and wealthiest.”

On the same day Stiell was delivering his remarks, preliminary data from the World Meteorological Organization showed that 2024 remains on track to be the warmest year on record and will likely become the first year that is more than 1.5 degrees Celsius warmer than the 1850 to 1900 pre-industrial average

COP29 takes place in the shadow of significant political challenges, including changes in worldwide political leanings and the recent presidential election in the U.S. It didn’t help that delegates had to delay the convention activities on Monday because leaders couldn’t agree on a conference agenda. Who would be leading financial planning meetings, as well as an unconventional move from a supervisory board to pass new standards without any consultation, were the primary sources of contestation.

Mukhtar Babayev, president of COP29 and Azerbaijan minister of ecology and natural resources, suspended sessions for further talks on the agenda.

“The hour is late, we have a lot of work ahead of us,” Babayev said as the delayed session resumed.

-ABC News’ Charlotte Slovin and ABC News Climate Unit’s Matthew Glasser

US climate envoy tells global climate conference the fight must continue despite election results

With the future of U.S. climate and environmental policies uncertain following the presidential election, the world is gathering in Baku, Azerbaijan, to talk climate change. COP29, formally known as the 29th Annual Conference of Parties, opened Monday with questions about the United States’ commitment to global climate goals in light of the 2024 election results.

At a press conference on Monday, U.S. Climate Change Envoy John Podesta told reporters, “For those of us dedicated to climate action, last week’s outcome in the United States is obviously bitterly disappointing.”

“It is clear that the next administration will try to take a U-turn and reverse much of this progress,” Podesta said. “And I know that this disappointment is more difficult to tolerate as the dangers we face grow ever more catastrophic,” he added.

In sharp contrast to President-elect Donald Trump calling climate change a hoax, promising to “drill, baby, drill,” and roll back unused Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funds, Podesta highlighted the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to combat climate change, including the move to rejoin the Paris Agreement and the climate and clean energy investments made through the IRA and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Podesta said that while the Biden Administration will work with the incoming Trump Administration to ensure a peaceful transfer of power, “This is not the end of our fight for a cleaner, safer planet.”

“Facts are still facts. Science is still science,” he added. “The fight is bigger than one election, one political cycle in one country, this fight is bigger still, because we are all living through a year defined by the climate crisis in every country of the world.”

Podesta pointed to extreme heat records, recent hurricanes in the Southeast United States, flooding in Spain, severe drought in southern Africa, and wildfires in the Amazon as some examples of the acute impacts of climate change felt around the world just this year.

Following then-President Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement in 2017, a coalition of local and state government leaders, organizations and private industry members announced the joint declaration, “We Are Still In.”

Podesta reminded attendees of that effort, saying that while a Trump White House may pose challenges for federal level climate action, the U.S. is not giving up on its goals and that support for clean energy, an issue that “has become bipartisan in the United States.”

“You might not know that by reading the newspapers, but it has,” he said. “57% of new clean energy jobs created since the Inflation Reduction Act passed are located in congressional districts represented by Republicans.”

He added, “We can and will make real progress on the backs of our climate committed states and cities, our innovators, our companies and our citizens, especially young people, who understand more than most that climate change poses an existential threat that we cannot afford to ignore. Failure or apathy is simply not an option.”

-ABC News Climate Unit’s Kelly Livingston and Matthew Glasser

How a university is using AI to reduce cafeteria food waste

Food waste is a massive problem. According to the UN, the world wastes more than a billion tons annually. Here at home, Americans waste around 80 million tons each year. And worldwide, nearly 40% of all the food we produce is lost or wasted, according to the WWF.

At the same time, Feeding America, a nationwide network of food banks and pantries, says 47 million people in the U.S. face hunger, including 1 in 5 children. Then, there are the significant environmental impacts of sending so much wasted food to landfills. Left to decompose, this organic waste releases methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that’s far more potent than carbon dioxide.

Erin Murphy, a student at Georgia State University (GSU) in Atlanta and a sustainability initiatives intern, saw all the food her peers were wasting and wanted to do something about it. She applied for a grant to bring new technology to campus that uses artificial intelligence to examine food waste and provide real-time data on what’s left behind.

The technology, aptly named “Raccoon Eyes,” analyzes the food left on each plate, categorizing and weighing the leftovers to provide detailed data on the waste and recommendations for reducing the leftovers.

When students finish their meals, they place their plates on a conveyor belt, where “Raccoon Eyes” captures an image of the plate. AI then uses that picture to evaluate the contents. This data is displayed on an online dashboard, offering real-time insights to the dining staff.

Ivan Zou, the co-founder of “Raccoon Eyes,” said the information helps identify trends, such as how many plates of a specific meal were uneaten. For example, the system showed that students ate most of the salmon they put on their plates during a particular meal, but they left behind a lot of french fries during another meal.

Jennifer Wilson, GSU’s Director of Sustainability, said that since the program’s launch in January, the AI has analyzed over 400,000 plates and found that approximately 21% contained food waste.

And it turns out that some of the most popular items, like chicken, pizza, and french fries, also generate the most waste. However, the dashboard’s detailed feedback also reveals that popular meals often have leftover portions because students take too much, not because the food is unpopular. This nuanced insight helps dining services adjust not only the menu but also portion sizes and serving methods.

The initiative is already making a difference. In the first four months, GSU reduced food waste by 23%, thanks to AI insights and increased student awareness.

The program even encourages feedback through a kiosk where students can leave comments like “sorry for my waste.” Such feedback has proven invaluable, guiding the dining team in refining their offerings, for instance, by making more of the crowd-favorite Hot Cheetos sushi and less of other less popular items.

-ABC News Climate Unit’s Matthew Glasser, ABC News’ Matt German, and ABC News meteorologist Dan Manzo

Drought in US improves slightly but still a problem for half the country

Heading into November, widespread drought conditions are still a significant concern across the country, with the Northeast currently experiencing some of the worst impacts, according to a U.S. Drought Monitor update released Thursday.

Overall, more than half of the contiguous United States is still grappling with drought. But there are some areas where things are improving slightly. A large swath of the central U.S. saw its drought situation improve, according to the data.

As a result, countrywide drought coverage decreased from 54.08% to 51.89% week over week. Moderate to severe drought conditions expanded in the Northeast, with portions of southern New Jersey now experiencing extreme drought conditions. Recent heavy rain in the Southern Plains brought drought improvements to parts of Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.

October was one of the driest months on record for the U.S., triggering a significant increase in the area and severity of drought conditions. While the overall drought coverage has decreased slightly, over 87% of the lower 48 states continue to experience abnormally dry conditions, the most extensive coverage area ever recorded by the U.S. Drought Monitor, which began tracking the data in 2000.

Drought is a complex phenomenon influenced by various factors. Among these, extreme heat is strongly linked to human-amplified climate change. More frequent and intense extreme heat events can worsen the effects of drought. Drought risk has increased in the Southwest over the past century, according to the federal government’s Fifth National Climate Assessment.

Over the next week, measurable rain is forecast across most of the country, with widespread significant rainfall likely across portions of the Midwest, Plains and Pacific Northwest.

Looking ahead, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center said most of the country will likely experience above-average precipitation in mid-November, particularly in the Midwest, Plains and West. Most of the East Coast and Gulf Coast can expect near-average rainfall during this period. No part of the nation should experience below-average precipitation during this time.

-ABC News meteorologist Dan Peck and ABC News Climate Unit’s Matthew Glasser

2024 a near certainty to be the warmest year on record

It’s now virtually certain that 2024 will surpass 2023 as Earth’s warmest year on record, according to a new report by Copernicus, the European Union’s Climate Change Service. As of October 2024, the average global year-to-date temperature was 0.16 degrees Celsius (or 0.29 degrees Fahrenheit) higher than it was in 2023, which is the warmest year ever recorded.

While .16 degrees may not seem significant, even small global temperature increases can trigger substantial changes in weather patterns, leading to more extreme events like heatwaves, droughts, floods, and wildfires, according to climate scientists at NASA.

Last month was also the second warmest October globally, with an average temperature of 15.25 degrees Celsius, or 59.45 degrees Fahrenheit.

Copernicus noted that 2024 will likely be the first year to be 1.5 degrees Celsius warmer (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) than the pre-industrial average of 1850-1900.

The global average temperature over the past twelve months (November 2023 through October 2024) was 1.62 degrees Celsius or 2.92 degrees Fahrenheit above pre-industrial levels.

The Paris Agreement goals aim to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius to prevent the worst outcomes of climate change.

Global daily sea surface temperatures across most of the world’s oceans remain well above average, including much of the Atlantic Basin. Unusually warm sea surface temperatures can make hurricanes more intense and may play a role during the remainder of the Atlantic Hurricane Season, which ends on November 30th.

Persistent marine heatwaves are also a major concern for the world’s coral reefs as the largest global coral bleaching event on record continues to impact these delicate ecosystems. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says that nearly 77% of the world’s coral reef areas have experienced bleaching-level heat stress during this latest event, the second global coral reef bleaching event in the last 10 years.

-ABC News meteorologist Dan Peck and ABC News Climate Unit’s Matthew Glasser

Study finds use of renewable energy sources reduces risk of blackouts

The Texas freeze of 2021 knocked out power for more than 10 million people, leaving some without heat for days. In the aftermath of the storm, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told a national news network that “Wind and solar got shut down.” He added, “They were collectively more than 10% of our power grid, and that thrust Texas into a situation where it was lacking power on a statewide basis.”

However, in the aftermath, a research study found that renewable energy sources (RES) weren’t to blame. Instead, the researchers found that Texas “failed to sufficiently winterize its electricity and gas systems after 2011.”

Other blackouts have also been blamed on RES, including the 2016 blackout in South Australia and a 2019 outage in the U.K., both of which involved disruptions to wind farms.

Now, according to a new study from The University of Tennessee, grids with higher renewable energy penetration are actually less vulnerable to blackouts than those more reliant on traditional, non-renewable sources.

The analysis found that as the proportion of renewable energy in the grid increases, the intensity of blackouts — measured by the number of affected customers and the length of outages — decreases. This finding challenges the notion that renewable energy inherently makes power grids more fragile.

The researchers analyzed over 2,000 blackouts across the U.S., looking specifically at how renewable energy levels and various weather patterns influenced outage severity. They discovered that high levels of renewables didn’t contribute to an increase in weather-related blackouts.

In grids where renewables made up more than 30% of the energy supply, blackout events were generally less intense and shorter in duration. This trend held even during extreme weather, like high winds and storms, which can place heavy demands on power systems.

-ABC News Climate Unit’s Matthew Glasser

Researchers say they’ve devised the perfect placement for EV chargers

When you buy a gas-powered car, you rarely worry about where to fill it up. That’s because gas stations are everywhere. A 2022 McKinsey survey found that more than 40% of prospective electric vehicle (EV) buyers want that same degree of convenience when it comes to public charger availability for EVs.

Engineers at Cornell University say they have devised a solution for where to place EV charging stations so they are convenient for drivers and profitable for companies.

Using Bayesian optimization, a mathematical method that efficiently analyzes complex data to achieve these results, the research team discovered that for urban areas that it’s best to install an equal percentage of medium-speed and fast chargers. And because motorists use different speed chargers for different reasons, the researchers said it is essential to consider how they are being used when placing them around town.

For example, the engineers found that fast charging is more important at grocery stores when consumers are only inside for 20 minutes. Work and home charging stations should be medium speed because drivers usually park for hours at a time at those locations.

The researchers say their approach can boost investor returns by 50% to 100% compared to random placement strategies.

The team simulated the behavior of 30,000 vehicles over 113,000 trips in the Atlanta region, considering various traffic patterns and driver decisions. This method allowed them to determine optimal charging station placements.

Yeuchen Sophia Liu, the study’s lead author, told the Cornell Chronicle that, “Placing publicly available charging stations around cities sounds like a simple thing, but mathematically, it’s actually very hard.”

She added, “Economically strategic placement of charging stations could play a pivotal role in accelerating the transition to zero-emission vehicles.”

-ABC News Climate Unit’s Matthew Glasser

Nearly 40% of the world’s trees face extinction, according to new assessment

Climate change, deforestation, invasive pests and disease all threaten to permanently wipe out nearly 40% of the earth’s trees, according to a new assessment by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The organization, comprised of 1,400 member organizations worldwide and 16,000 experts, said more than one in three tree species across 192 countries is now facing extinction, especially trees found on islands.

development and agriculture, as well as the other threats faced by tree species across the globe.

Since 1964, the IUCN has hosted its “Red List,” a database of threatened species from around the world. The research group found that 16,425 of the 47,282 tree species on their list are at risk of extinction — more than 2,000 of which are used for medicines, food, and fuels.

“Trees are essential to support life on Earth through their vital role in ecosystems, and millions of people depend upon them for their lives and livelihoods,” said Grethel Aguilar, IUCN director general, in a statement.

According to their analysis, “the number of threatened trees is more than double the number of all threatened birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians combined.”

The group is calling for more habitat protection and restoration to protect these species and the creation of seed banks and botanical gardens to ensure they don’t disappear forever.

“The significance of the Global Tree Assessment cannot be overstated, given the importance of trees to ecosystems and people. We hope this frightening statistic of one in three trees facing extinction will incentivize urgent action and be used to inform conservation plans,” said Eimear Nic Lughadha from the Royal Botanic Gardens, in a statement.

-ABC News Climate Unit’s Matthew Glasser

Report finds climate change increased heat deaths among older adults by 167%; worsened food security

The health and economic costs of climate change are rising worldwide, according to the newly released 2024 Lancet Countdown, a yearly report hosted by University College London and involving more than 300 researchers.

According to the report, “Of the 15 indicators monitoring climate change-related health hazards, exposures, and impacts, ten reached concerning new records in their most recent year of data.”

With global communities facing an additional 50 days of “dangerous heat,” heat-related deaths among older adults increased by a record-breaking 167% in 2023 compared to the 1990s, according to the report’s findings.

In addition to the heat impact, the Lancet report found that climate change is significantly worsening food insecurity, with 151 million more people facing shortages compared to previous decades. And more than 3 million people died in 2021 because of air pollution and fine particulate matter.

The researchers also found that global extreme weather costs have increased by 23% from 2010-14 to 2019-23, amounting to $227 billion annually.

-ABC News Climate Unit’s Kelly Livingston and ABC News Medical Unit’s Sony Salzman

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