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Climate change
COP30 opens in Brazil without top-polluting nations
The 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference has kicked off in Brazil, but the top polluting nations are not showing up as expected. Addressing the opening conference of thousands of delegates and diplomats, Brazilian President Lula called on the COP30 to be one of truth and prioritising science, amidst “fake news and misrepresentation”. “They attack institutions, they attack science and universities…it's time to inflict a new defeat on the deniers," he said. While no names were mentioned, the comments were seemingly directed at U.S. President Donald Trump, who is not in attendance. Trump's administration has increased funding for fossil fuel industries since coming into office at the start of the year, and Trump himself recently labelled global warming as “the greatest con job ever perpetrated" during a UN address. Approximately 50,000 people from more than 190 nations are anticipated to attend the 12-day event. However, conspicuously absent are leaders from India and China, who, along with the U.S., make up the top 3 polluters in the world. The States has refused to send any delegation at all, while India and China have nominated a Vice Premier and Ambassador respectively, but neither nation has sent th
Climate change
Central America most affected by plastic bottle pollution
Central American countries are the most affected by plastic bottle pollution on Latin America’s Pacific coast, with large companies like Coca-Cola representing the majority of these pollutants. Most of the plastic bottles and caps polluting Latin America’s Pacific coastline were made by The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, and Peru-based Aje Group, according to a new study from the University of Barcelona. More than 12,000 kilometres of coastline were surveyed across 2023 and 2024. “On the mainland beaches of Mexico, Guatemala and the southern countries — Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Chile — most of the bottles came from the same country. In contrast, in the Central American countries — El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama — the percentages of locally sourced items were significantly lower, with those of external origin predominating,” said the study’s authors, including University of Barcelona Chair on Sustainable Blue Economy Miquel Canals. El Salvador saw the highest number of plastic bottle and cap pollutants on Pacific continental beaches of any country in Latin America at 4,655, with Costa Rica taking second place with 4,426. Ecuador recorded the most bottle pollutants around human settlement areas at 1,179, a
Climate change
Large iceberg heads for small town in Greenland
An iceberg of titanic proportions is on a collision course with Greenland, prompting authorities to issue a warning. The iceberg is set to make contact with Innaarsuit, a small island located in western Greenland, whose local income revolves primarily around fishing. Officials said if the iceberg made contact with the shore or breaks apart, potential damage and injuries could follow. It’s unlikely that any broken ice chunks will fall directly on land; however, the impact of plummeting permafrost would create massive waves that could sweep ashore. Government representatives caution against getting too close to the iceberg, both on the water and on land. “Emergency services encourage families not to go in a group towards the store, while at the same time asking people with walking difficulties to be extra careful when walking towards the store,” they said. Dennis Lethonen said that typically, large icebergs move within a few days; however, this one has remained stationary for around a week, causing concern. “Because of this, the [local municipality] issued the official warning for the iceberg, and we are temporarily closing the local fish factory where I work as well as the small shop,” Lehtonen said. This is
Climate change
Record level heatwave wreaks havoc across Europe
Outdoor work has been banned in over half of Italy during the hottest parts of the day as a heat wave sweeps through Europe. The massive heatwave has smashed the June temperature records in Spain, Portugal, and England. According to Spain’s weather service, Aemet, average temperatures for June “shattered records”, reaching 23.6°C. According to the weather service, this is even higher than the country experiences in July and August. The monthly average is also 3.5°C higher than the average over the period from 1991 to 2020. While monthly average data is yet to be released for Portugal, the country recorded a daily temperature for June of 46.6°C. The scorching temperatures are thought to have claimed three lives, and admissions to hospital units in parts of Italy have risen by 15-20%. In Turkey, many have been forced to evacuate from their homes due to wildfires, which have also forced the closure of schools in parts of France due to education unions warning that the classrooms were far too hot for students. The Education Ministry said around 1,350 schools will be fully or partially closed, up from 200 earlier in the week. The heat has also had an impact on tourism, with many of Europe’s most popular tourist
Climate change
Standing Rock oil pipeline protests cost Greenpeace $1bn
A North Dakota jury in the United States has ruled against Greenpeace in a high-stakes lawsuit, awarding Energy Transfer US$660 million in damages. The case, centered on Greenpeace’s alleged role in the #NoDAPL protests, has been branded a SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) by Greenpeace, accusing the energy giant of trying to suppress free speech and peaceful protest. Greenpeace entities vow to appeal the decision to the state’s Supreme Court, citing the need to protect rights critical to justice and environmental advocacy. Greenpeace leaders expressed alarm over the ruling, describing it as a dangerous trend in corporations using courts to stifle dissent. They reaffirmed their commitment to non-violence and highlighted Indigenous leadership's role in the Standing Rock protests. The organisation decried what they called Energy Transfer’s disregard for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s voices. It vowed to continue supporting marginalised communities most impacted by climate crises and environmental injustices. The case marks one of the largest SLAPP lawsuits ever filed and underscores differing global approaches to such legal battles. Greenpeace International has already launched its own legal ac

Climate change
Supreme Court rejects Greta Thunberg climate action case
Sweden’s Supreme Court ruled that Greta Thunberg and hundreds of other activists could not proceed with a lawsuit that sought to force the state to take stronger action on climate change. The lawsuit was initially filed in 2022, where the activists requested that the District Court declare that the state violated their rights under the European Convention on Human Rights. They argued that the state was not taking enough measures to counteract climate change and not achieving specified climate change goals. One of the Supreme Court Justices in the case, Jonas Malmberg, said the court ruled the group’s actions inadmissible and would not go further in the case. “The court has not taken a position on how the issue should be assessed if the action was brought by an association and if the action was limited to requesting a declaration that the state violated their rights under the European Convention of Human Rights by not taking sufficient measures to counteract the effects of climate change," Malmberg said. There were around 300 plaintiffs in the case who called themselves the Aurora group who wanted the courts to order Sweden to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Aurora’s legal and scientific coordinator, Ida
Climate change
Oil spills into Black Sea after Russian tanker splits
The Russian crew member of an oil tanker died during a severe storm in the Black Sea near the Crimean Peninsula. Tanker Volgoneft-212 split in half before sinking, spilling oil. The 1969-built tanker carried approximately 4,300 tonnes of fuel oil. A second tanker, Volgoneft-239, was also damaged and left drifting. The Russian authorities are investigating possible safety violations related to the incident. As part of the rescue operation and to mitigate the environmental impact, more than 50 Russian government personnel, helicopters, and rescue tugboats have been deployed. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told news agencies that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the government to set up a working group to deal with the rescue operation.
Climate change
G20 in Rio to tackle climate change, global conflicts
Rio de Janeiro will host the 2024 Group of 20 major economies (G20) summit kicking off this week, as Heads of state arrived in Rio on Sunday (Monday AEDT), set to address issues from climate change to global conflicts. Following the United Nation’s COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan last week where around 100 world leaders reached a stalemate with agreeing a goal to mobilise hundreds of billions of dollars for climate finance, U.N. officials have appealed to G20 leaders to break the standoff. G20 countries account for 85% of the world's economy and are the largest contributors to multilateral development banks helping to steer climate finance, while contributing more than three-quarters of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres posted on X: “The #G20 must lead by example. This is fundamental to trust, credibility, and legitimacy of every government and our global system in these turbulent times. “We need to seize every opportunity to lead transformative action for a safer, more peaceful and sustainable world.” The G20 Summit gives heads of state and government opportunities to deal with global challenges, with the event scheduled for November 18 and 19, including the presence of the leade