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Thursday November 21, 2024
(LONDON )-- As Jahanzeb Wesa fled toward the Pakistani border in the middle of the night, he wondered if his career defending human rights would help protect him now that he was a refugee himself.
A 28-year-old Afghan journalist and women's rights advocate, Wesa said he was attacked by a Taliban fighter while covering a women's rights protest just after the fall of Kabul in August 2021. If he didn't make it across the border, he said, he knew he would likely be killed.
"We worked for 20 years for a better future for Afghanistan," he recalled thinking. "Why did we lose everything?"
But arriving in a new country brought no sense of safety.
Following the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, some Afghan journalists said they have been in limbo waiting for humanitarian visas while living in exile in Pakistan, where they fled across the shared border when Kabul fell.
The Taliban's violent suppression of criticism, along with draconian crackdowns on women's rights, meant journalists who stayed in Afghanistan were at constant risk of being detained, tortured, disappeared or killed.
In Pakistan, unable to legally work and threatened with deportation through government ultimatums and face-to-face interactions, some Afghan journalists applied for visas from countries that promised to help Afghan refugees.
Almost three years later, many said they still have not received a decision.
In the meantime, their prospects in Pakistan are dire, several told ABC News.
Life in Pakistan
Several Afghan journalists living in Pakistan told ABC News that their fear of deportation is omnipresent.
Khatera, a journalist from northern Afghanistan who asked ABC News not to publish her last name for her safety, fled to Pakistan in April 2022 after the Taliban raided her newsroom, destroying radios and TVs.
"After that," she said, "everything was a nightmare."
Like many Afghan journalists in Pakistan, Khatera arrived on a tourist visa she had to renew every six months through a private travel agent. Visa renewals were sometimes denied without reason, and officials often asked for bribes, she said.
The Pakistani government did not reply to a request for comment.
Housing, health care and transportation in Pakistan can be prohibitively expensive for Afghans, whose tourist visas don't allow them to work. Many rely on depleting savings, support from family members, or under-the-table jobs, according to those who spoke to ABC News. Given the economic strain, the biannual visa fee and the corresponding bribes present significant burdens, they said.
But not having proper documentation can bring serious consequences. "Anywhere you're going, the police are asking about your valid documents," said Khatera. They sometimes conduct nighttime home check-ins and try to deport those who can't provide valid papers, she said.
Those disruptions to daily life don't appear to be unique to journalists. A 2023 Human Rights Watch report declared a "humanitarian crisis" of Pakistani authorities committing widespread abuses, including mass detentions and property seizures, against Afghans in Pakistan. Over a month and a half, the report said, Pakistani authorities deported 20,000 Afghans and coerced over 350,000 more to leave on their own.
Afghan journalists regularly receive death threats from the regime at home over social media, Wesa said. "If I'm deported to Afghanistan," he said, "the Taliban is waiting for me."
"No journalist has been condemned to torture, disappearance, or death by the government of Afghanistan," said a spokesperson for the Taliban-run Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, adding that "all citizens of the country are equal in the eyes of the law regardless of their position and profession."
Some journalists said they also face a widespread mental health crisis. Rahman, an Afghan journalist who asked ABC News to use his middle name due to what he described as ongoing threats from the Taliban, struggles with worsening depression and anxiety. He said he fears for himself and his family, still in Kabul.
"It's daily mental torture," he said.
An endless wait
The conditions in Pakistan have spurred many Afghan journalists to apply for humanitarian visas from the U.S., Australia, the U.K. and other European countries. Yet, some have not heard back for about three years.
Wesa applied for an Australian humanitarian visa on Jan. 4, 2022, six months after he arrived in Pakistan. He supplemented his application with support letters from Reporters Without Borders, Amnesty International and other nongovernmental organizations stating his life was at risk, he told ABC News.
More than two years after filing his initial application, he has received a confirmation of receipt but no further updates, he said.
A departmental spokesperson from the Australian Department of Home Affairs said they "expect it will take at least 6 years from the date of receipt for processing to commence on [the applications] lodged in 2022, 2023, or 2024."
"We will wait – there is no other way," Wesa said in response. "I hope they help us as soon as possible."
"Day by day, I'm faced with depression and health issues," he said. "My only hope is that Australia will save my life."
Rahman, who reported on women's rights in Afghanistan, is saving up to apply for a family visa from Australia, where his fiancée lives. The process costs over $9,000. He said he believes a humanitarian visa application will not receive a response.
Requests for help from the French embassy and the U.N. have also yielded no results, he said.
"I believe these countries have always been for freedom and for democracy. They can help out," he said. "I just wonder why it takes such a long time."
Khatera applied for a visa from the Swiss embassy. It took a year and a half to receive the file number, she said. She was told she needed close relatives in the country, but otherwise, they would likely not be able to help.
"I'm getting depression," she said. "I'm just trying to fight."
Every Afghan journalist in exile interviewed by ABC News said they continue to receive threats from the Taliban over social media and fear for their lives every day.
The Taliban denied sending the threats, saying "the government and officials of Afghanistan have not threatened any journalists."
Broken promises
Afghan journalists waiting in worsening conditions for responses to their visa applications said they feel that Western countries have broken their promises to help Afghan refugees.
The United States expanded a resettlement program for Afghan refugees in 2021 to include journalists and humanitarian workers who had helped the United States. However, as of 2023, The Associated Press reported that only a small portion of applicants had been resettled.
The U.S. State Department did not respond to a request for comment.
The Afghan Pro Bono Initiative, a partnership providing free legal representation to Afghan refugees, published a 2023 report entitled "Two Years of Empty Promises." The report found that the U.K. resettlement programs for Afghan refugees were fraught with delays, understaffing, administrative hurdles, narrow eligibility and technical issues.
Earlier this year, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and other NGOs called on Western countries to adopt prima facie refugee status for Afghan women and girls, which would grant refugee status without the need for individual assessments, potentially streamlining the application process and decreasing lengthy wait times.
Despite the dragging wait times and the pervasive hopelessness, many of the 170 Afghan journalists in exile in Pakistan continue to speak out against the Taliban.
Wesa's X account includes frequent posts about Afghanistan -- legal updates, protest videos and women singing to resist what they describe as draconian Taliban policies.
"In any country, I will stand for Afghan women," he said. "I will risk my life for them."
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(LONDON and KYIV) -- Russia on Thursday launched an intercontinental ballistic missile toward a southeastern Ukraine, officials in Kyiv said, but two U.S. officials told ABC news it was instead an intermediate-range ballistic missile, or IRBM.
Ukraine's military was "95% sure" the strike was with an ICBM, a Ukrainian official told ABC News, but added that they were still examining the missile parts on the ground and had not yet reached a final conclusion.
"Today it was a new Russian missile. All the parameters: speed, altitude -- match those of an intercontinental ballistic missile," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine said in a statement on social media. "All expert evaluations are underway."
Moscow did not immediately confirmed the launch, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declining to comment, saying questions about it should be instead directed to the Russian Defense Ministry.
The Ukrainian Air Force announced on Thursday morning that it had tracked the launch of the ICBM, along with six additional missiles, all of which were targeting the Dnipro region. The ICBM appeared to have been launched from the Astrahan region, in Russia's southwest, Ukrainian military officials said.
All of the missiles were launched in about two hours, beginning at about 5 a.m., Ukraine said.
All were targeted at businesses and critical infrastructure, but only the missile that Ukraine identified as an ICBM struck the city, Ukraine said. The six other missiles were shot down. There were no reports of casualties or significant damage, officials said.
The U.S. officials said the assessment of the launch, the type of missile and warhead and the damage in Dnipro was continuing. The distance from what Ukraine said was the launch point to the strike location in Dnipro is about 600 miles, a distance shorter than what an ICBM would be expected to travel.
Two experts told ABC News the projectile, seen in video circulating online, looks likely to be "a ballistic missile with MIRV-ed capabilities."
The launch of an ICBM, if confirmed as such, would arrive amid concerns that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine could further escalate. Ukraine's military this week first launched U.S.-made ATACMS missiles toward targets within Russia, days after U.S. President Joe Biden allowed for such use of the long-range weapons.
Kyiv launched on Tuesday six of the ATACMS at targets within Russian territory, according the Russian Defense Ministry.
Zelenskyy said he would not confirm if Ukraine had used ATACMS to conduct a strike on an ammunition depot in the Bryansk region of Russia, but said Ukraine has ATACMS and "will use all of these," against Russia.
Within hours of Russia announcing it had struck down five of the ATACMS on Tuesday, the Kremlin announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin had updated the country's nuclear doctrine, a move that lowered the bar for Russia to response with nuclear weapons. Russian ICBMs are capable of carrying nuclear warheads, although it appeared the missile fired on Thursday was not equipped with one.
Following that warning, Ukraine on Wednesday fired long-range British Storm Shadow cruise missiles into Russia for the first time, a Ukrainian military unit involved in the operation told ABC News. At least 10 of those missiles hit an estate in the village of Marino, the unit said.
They were targeting a command post where North Korean army generals and officers were present, the unit said. More than 10,000 North Korean troops are said to be operating alongside Russian forces in the Kursk region.
Ukraine's 413th Separate Unmanned Systems Battalion, which helped provide fire control for the strikes, told ABC News that there was intelligence showing high-ranking North Koreans were present.
Zelenskyy cast the Russian strike on Thursday as a result of Russia and its leader being "terrified."
"Obviously, Putin is terrified when normal life simply exists next to him. When people simply have dignity. When a country simply wants to be and has the right to be independent," Zelenskyy said. "Putin is doing whatever it takes to prevent his neighbor from breaking free of his grasp."
ABC News' Joe Simonetti, Lauren Minore, Yulia Drozd and Natasha Popova contributed to this report.
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(LONDON) -- The Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday that it defeated a Ukrainian ATACMS attack in the western Bryansk region, shortly before the Kremlin updated its nuclear weapons doctrine to allow for nuclear strikes in response to foreign ballistic missile attacks.
Two U.S. officials also confirmed to ABC News that Ukraine had for the first time fired ATACMS at targets in Russia.
Ukrainian forces fired six "ballistic missiles," the Russian Defense Ministry wrote on its official Telegram page, five of which were downed and the sixth damaged. "According to confirmed data, American-made ATACMS operational-tactical missiles were used," it wrote.
"ATACMS fragments fell on the technical territory of a military facility in the Bryansk region, a fire broke out, it was extinguished," the ministry added.
Bryansk borders Kursk to its west.
A U.S. official provided a differing account of the strike, saying Russia intercepted two of eight total ATACMS missiles launched by Ukraine. The other six were assessed to have hit an ammunition storage site in Karachev, the official said.
The ministry alleged the attack shortly after Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists that the changes to Russia's nuclear doctrine -- signed by President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday -- meant "the use of Western non-nuclear rockets by the Armed Forces of Ukraine against Russia can prompt a nuclear response."
One of the U.S. officials said they are not surprised by what they called "irresponsible rhetoric" from the Kremlin, but that the U.S. sees no indications Russia actually plans to use nuclear weapons.
State Department spokesperson Matt Miller told reporters Tuesday he was "unfortunately not surprised" by Russia's decision to alter its nuclear doctrine.
"Since the beginning of its war of aggression against Ukraine, it has sought to coerce and intimidate both Ukraine and other countries around the world through irresponsible nuclear rhetoric and behavior," Miller said. "Despite what Russia says, neither the United States nor NATO pose any threat to Russia."
Miller said the U.S. has "not seen any reason to adjust our own nuclear posture, but we will continue to call on Russia to stop bellicose and irresponsible rhetoric."
Peskov's remarks came after three U.S. officials confirmed to ABC News that President Joe Biden had approved Ukraine's use of the long-range American-made MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System -- colloquially known as the ATACMS -- to hit targets in Russia's western Kursk region.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would not confirm on Tuesday if Ukraine had used ATACMS to conduct a strike on an ammunition depot in the Bryansk region of Russia, but said Ukraine has ATACMS and "will use all of these" against Russia.
"Sorry, no unnecessary details," Zelenskyy said when asked about the possible use of ATACMS against Russia at a press conference in Kyiv on Tuesday.
"Ukraine has long-range capabilities, including domestically produced long-range drones. We now have the extended range 'Neptune,' and not just one. And now we have ATACMS, and we will use all of these," he continued.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday that the reported ATACMS attack is a signal that Western nations "want escalation."
"It is impossible to use these high-tech missiles without the Americans, as Putin has repeatedly said," Lavrov said during a press conference at the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro.
The extent of U.S. assistance to Ukraine in the battlefield operation of the ATACMS remains unclear. The platform uses an improved inertial guidance system combined with GPS to zero in on designated targets. Kyiv is entirely reliant on the U.S. for replacement missiles.
The Biden administration hasn't publicly confirmed the ATACMS policy change. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told journalists at a Monday briefing he would not confirm or deny approval for ATACMS use inside Russia, but said the U.S. response to Russian and North Korean military cooperation in the war "would be firm."
There are now some 10,000 North Korean troops in Russia's Kursk region intended for deployment to the battlefield, U.S. officials have said.
The changes to Russia's nuclear doctrine were unveiled several weeks ago but only signed by Putin on Tuesday, as officials in Moscow expressed anger at the U.S. decision to allow ATACMS use on Russian territory.
The doctrine now says Russia can launch a nuclear attack against a country assisting a non-nuclear country in aggression against Russia that critically threatens the country's state integrity.
Moscow has repeatedly threatened nuclear weapon use against Ukraine and its Western partners throughout its full-scale invasion of the country.
Western leaders including Biden have said that avoiding a direct clash between Russia and NATO is a top priority given the danger of nuclear war.
ABC News' Matt Seyler, Joe Simonetti, Tanya Stukalova, Oleksiy Pshemyskiy and Yulia Drozd contributed to this report.
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(LONDON) -- An initial investigation into possible sabotage has been launched by four NATO countries -- Finland, Germany, Sweden and Lithuania -- after two underwater telecommunications cables connecting Germany and Finland across the Baltic Sea were cut in two separate incidents in recent days, a European official told ABC News.
Sweden is leading the investigation, as both incidents occurred in the Swedish economic zone, a Swedish Ministry of Defense official told ABC News.
"Against the backdrop of the security situation, the government is following developments very closely and is in close contact with its authorities. It is central that greater clarity is brought to the cause of this event," Swedish Minister for Civil Defense Carl-Oskar Bohlin told ABC News in a written statement.
The German-Finnish cable was one of two Baltic Sea connections damaged in recent days.
An underwater cable that runs between Lithuania and Sweden in the Baltic Sea was cut on Sunday around 10 a.m. local time, Telia spokesperson Audrius Stasiulaitis told ABC News. Telia is a Lithuanian telecommunications company. A cable that runs between Germany and Finland was cut on Monday around 3 p.m. local time.
"Our monitoring systems could tell there was a cut due to the traffic disruption and that the cause was not the equipment failure but physical damage to the fiber cable itself," Stasiulaitis said.
Internet traffic was not impacted, as the company rerouted the traffic after the disruption occurred, Stasiulaitis said.
The underwater cable has been in place since 1997, Arelion spokesperson Martin Sjogren told ABC News. Arelion is a Swedish telecommunications company that operates and owns the cable.
Arelion is in touch with Swedish authorities about the incident, Sjogren said.
A repair ship will need to get on-site in order to determine the cause of the break, Sjogren said. Repair work is scheduled to start later this week and could be finished by late next week depending on the weather, Sjogren added.
The Lithuanian Prosecutor's Office has opened an investigation into the matter, a statement from their office said Tuesday. Swedish police have also opened a preliminary investigation into the matter, a statement from Swedish police said Tuesday.
The foreign ministries of Germany and Finland said in a joint statement on Monday they were "deeply concerned" by the severing of an undersea cable connecting the two countries across the Baltic Sea -- one of two Baltic Sea connections suddenly damaged in recent days.
Finnish company Cinia reported a "fault situation" with its C-Lion-1 submarine cable on Monday afternoon, saying in a statement that an investigation and repair work were underway.
Cinia did not offer any explanation for the interruption to the connection and said undersea cable repairs generally take between five and 15 days. The 730-mile cable has connected Finland to central European communication networks since 2016.
The German Interior Ministry confirmed to ABC News that authorities believe the cable was severed by an external force near the Swedish island of Oland.
Berlin and Helsinki said they were "deeply concerned about the severed undersea cable."
"The fact that such an incident immediately raises suspicions of intentional damage speaks volumes about the volatility of our times," the joint foreign ministries' statement continued.
"A thorough investigation is underway. Our European security is not only under threat from Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, but also from hybrid warfare by malicious actors. Safeguarding our shared critical infrastructure is vital to our security and the resilience of our societies."
The damage to the C-Lion-1 cable came one day after Telia Lietuva -- a Swedish telecoms company in Lithuania -- said one of its undersea telecommunications cables linking Lithuania and Sweden across the Baltic Sea sustained damage.
That cable -- which intersects with the C-Lion-1 Finnish-German cable -- was damaged on Sunday morning, company spokesperson Andrius Semeskevicius told local media.
The damaged cable has been the subject of faults and accidents in the past. But, Semeskevicius told Lithuanian National Radio and Television, "since both are damaged, it is clear that this was not an accidental dropping of one of the ship's anchors, but something more serious could be going on."
The cause of the damage to the cables has yet to be established. The interruptions come against a backdrop of concerns over Russian sabotage operations in Europe and elsewhere, prompted by Western support for Ukraine in its defensive war against Moscow.
The Baltic Sea has been the scene of mysterious undersea incidents in recent years, such as the sabotage attacks on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 natural gas pipelines running from Russia to Germany in 2022.
The following year, a Chinese container ship -- the Newnew Polar Bear -- dragged its anchor for more than 100 nautical miles through the Gulf of Finland, damaging an undersea natural gas pipeline and two telecommunications cables. Finnish and Estonian authorities are conducting a joint criminal investigation into the incident.
ABC News' Aicha El Hammar and Ellie Kaufman contributed to this report.
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(LONDON) -- Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists that new changes to Russia's nuclear weapons doctrine signed by President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday mean "the use of Western non-nuclear rockets by the Armed Forces of Ukraine against Russia can prompt a nuclear response."
Peskov's remarks came shortly after three U.S. officials confirmed to ABC News that President Joe Biden had approved Ukraine's use of the long-range American-made MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System -- colloquially known as the ATACMS -- to hit targets in Russia's western Kursk region.
The administration hasn't publicly confirmed the policy change. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told journalists at a Monday briefing he would not confirm or deny approval for ATACMS use inside Russia, but said the U.S. response to Russian and North Korean military cooperation in the war "would be firm."
There are now some 10,000 North Korean troops in Russia's Kursk region intended for deployment to the battlefield, U.S. officials have said.
The changes to Russia's nuclear doctrine were unveiled several weeks ago but only signed by Putin on Tuesday, as officials in Moscow expressed anger at the U.S. decision to allow ATACMS use on Russian territory.
The doctrine now says Russia can launch a nuclear attack against a country assisting a non-nuclear country in aggression against Russia that critically threatens the country's state integrity.
Moscow has repeatedly threatened nuclear weapon use against Ukraine and its Western partners throughout its full-scale invasion of the country.
Western leaders including President Joe Biden have said that avoiding a direct clash between Russia and NATO is a top priority given the danger of nuclear war.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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(PORTLAND, Or.) -- A teenager who was seriously injured in Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas war has arrived in the United States for treatment.
Diaa Al-Haqq, 15, was injured when an alleged Israeli missile attack hit a café in Gaza, the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund (PCRF) -- the nongovernmental organization that arranged his evacuation -- told Portland, Oregon, ABC affiliate KATU. Diaa's arms were severely injured and he had amputations on both arms below his elbows.
Diaa and his sister, Aya, arrived at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago on Saturday, the local PCRF chapter in Portland said in a post on Instagram. After a brief layover, Diaa arrived in Portland, where he will be receiving medical care, on Sunday, according to the chapter.
Videos shared to social media showed Diaa, sitting in a wheelchair, arrive to a cheering crowd waving Palestinian flags.
"We're really excited that he's able to come here for treatment and be safely hosted within the Portland community in the coming months," Niyyah Ruschaer-Haqq, a nurse practitioner in Portland, told KATU.
The PCRF said it worked with several organizations -- including the World Health Organization and the nonprofits Human Concern International and FAJR Scientific -- to evacuate eight critically injured children, including Diaa, and their companions from Gaza to Jordan. The children were then taken to the U.S. for medical care.
Diaa is one of two children whose medical care will be supported by the PCRF, while the remaining six children will have their medical care supported by other organizations, the PCRF said.
The organization said Diaa dreamed of becoming a professional photographer and loved documenting nature, according to KATU. It's unclear how long Diaa will remain in the U.S. receiving care.
The PCRF did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment.
Since the Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7, 2023, at least 12,000 children have been injured, equating to almost 70 every day, according to UNICEF. They are "disproportionately wearing the scars of the war in Gaza," according to the humanitarian aid organization.
Last month, UNICEF said that between Jan. 1 and May 7 of this year, an average of 296 children were being medically evacuated from Gaza each month. However, since the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt was closed on May 7 after Israeli forces launched a ground operation, just 22 children have been medically evacuated every month.
"As a result, children in Gaza are dying -- not just from the bombs, bullets and shells that strike them -- but because, even when 'miracles happen,' even when the bombs go off and the homes collapse and the casualties mount, but the children survive, they are then prevented from leaving Gaza to receive the urgent care that would save their lives," UNICEF said in an October press release.
Since Hamas launched its surprise terrorist attack on Israel, and Israel responded by declaring war, at least 43,800 people have been killed in Gaza and at least 103,700 have been injured, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health. About 1,700 Israelis have been killed and about 8,700 have been injured, according to Israeli officials.
Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(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.
As the world grapples with the climate crisis, many of its leaders are skipping this year's COP climate conference
Each year, world leaders, climate scientists and environmental advocates gather at COP, the U.N. global climate conference. And each year, getting a handle on the climate crisis becomes more urgent. Another year of lives lost to human-amplified extreme weather. Another year of billion-dollar natural disasters unending people's livelihoods.
But even in the face of this great urgency, some countries have decided not to attend this year's conference.
One of the most surprising no-shows was Papua New Guinea, which boycotted the conference. While criticism of COP is nothing new, it is uncommon for a country to skip it altogether.
"Our non-attendance this year will signal our protest at the big nations," Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape announced in August. "These industrialized nations who are big carbon footprint holders for their lack of quick support to those who are victims of climate change, and those of us who are forest and ocean nations."
The prime minister focused on the historical lack of follow-through and the impact of the climate crisis on the most vulnerable, which he says doesn't end when the conference concludes.
"We are protesting to those who are always coming into these COP meetings, making pronouncements and pledges, yet the financing of these pledges seem distant from victims of climate change and those like PNG who hold substantial forests," he said.
"Our economy needs money yet we are preserving trees as the lungs of the earth, whilst industrialized nations keep on emitting. You have not paid for any conservation," Marape added.
Argentina sent a delegation to COP29 for week one of the conference but left unexpectedly after Argentinian President Javier Milei withdrew the entire Argentinian cohort.
The newly elected far-right president is a staunch climate change denier. Pulling all 85 Argentinian delegates from COP29 triggered concerns about Milei withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, a move he threatened during his presidential campaign last year.
State leaders from many G20 countries have also skipped this year's conference, including the United States, India, Australia, China, Germany, Japan and France. However, all those nations sent delegates to represent their countries.
France's top climate official is boycotting COP29 after Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ilham Aliyev criticized the country. Aliyev called the French territories of Algeria and French Polynesia "colonies," and accused France of "environmental degradation" and "brutally suppressing" small island nations.
When announcing her decision not to attend, Anges Pannier-Runacher, France's minister of ecological transition, energy, climate and risk prevention, called Aliyev's comments "unacceptable" and "unjustifiable," adding that Aliyev used his position at COP29 for an "unworthy personal agenda."
-ABC News' Charlotte Slovin
Dangerous hurricanes are being made even worse because of climate change, study finds
Hurricanes are getting stronger, and humans are primarily to blame. A new study from Climate Central adds to a growing body of evidence that human-amplified climate change is indeed leading to more intense storms.
The study, published in the journal Environmental Research: Climate, found that 84% of Atlantic hurricanes between 2019 and 2023 were, on average, 18 mph stronger because of climate change. That additional wind speed resulted in 30 hurricanes reaching an entire category higher in strength (Category 3 to Category 4 or Category 4 to Category 5, for example) compared to a world without human-amplified climate change.
The researchers say sea surface temperatures are being made hotter by global warming, fueling these rapidly intensifying cyclones. The authors cite Hurricane Milton as an example. They found that Milton intensified by 120 mph in under 36 hours. At the time, ocean temperatures were at record levels or near record levels, which Climate Central's Climate Shift Index: Ocean determined were made 400 to 800 times more likely by climate change.
Over the past half-century, the ocean has stored more than 90% of the excess energy trapped in Earth’s system by greenhouse gases and other factors, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
"Every hurricane in 2024 was stronger than it would have been 100 years ago," Dr. Daniel Gilford, climate scientist at Climate Central and lead author of the study and report, said in a statement. "Through record-breaking ocean warming, human carbon pollution is worsening hurricane catastrophes in our communities."
The researchers identified three storms between 2019 and 2023 that became Category 5 hurricanes, the highest level on the scale, because of our changing climate.
When the scientists applied the same study methodology to storms in 2024, they determined it was unlikely Beryl and Milton would have reached Category 5 status without the impact of climate change. And they found that every Atlantic hurricane in 2024 saw an increased maximum wind speed, ranging from 9 to 28 mph, because human-amplified climate change resulted in elevated ocean temperatures.
Since 1980, tropical cyclones, a generic term for hurricanes and tropical storms, have cost communities $1.4 trillion in damages and claimed more than 7,200 lives, according to The National Center for Environmental Information.
-ABC News Climate Unit's Matthew Glasser and ABC News meteorologist Dan Peck
Biden pledges $325 million in clean tech funding for developing nations
On Tuesday, the Biden administration announced $325 million in funding to the Clean Technology Fund (CTF) for global clean energy projects. The funding comes as climate leadership conferences continue worldwide, with COP29 underway in Azerbaijan and the G20 summit in Brazil.
Projects range from implementing renewable energy sources, like solar and wind, to more efficient energy use in transportation.
The Clean Technology Fund provides money for permanent climate projects for middle-income and developing countries, allowing them to jump the financial hurdle and implement much-needed new green tech and energy.
Nine countries currently give money to the Fund through grants and loans. Operated by the World Bank, the program distributes money to eligible countries through global development banks.
This financial commitment is another example of the Biden administration trying to lock in climate funding and programs before President-elect Donald Trump takes office.
Since 2022, the U.S. has contributed $1.56 billion in concessional loans to the fund, and in October of this year, they contributed another $20 million in grants. Since it was established in 2008, the Fund has contributed $7.28 billion in loans and grants globally.
A report released last week highlighted that advancing climate progress in middle-income countries is crucial for setting the world on a path to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. These countries are not only the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, but they also host the majority of the world’s nature and biodiversity.
-ABC News' Charlotte Slovin
Countries pledge to reduce potent greenhouse gas that comes from food waste at COP29
As the world's nations try to decide on a plan of action for limiting the impacts of climate change, the head of the United Nations Environment Programme says reducing methane emissions could be the "emergency brake" the world needs.
Methane is a potent greenhouse gas responsible for about 30% of the rise in global temperatures since industrialization, according to the International Energy Agency.
"Reducing methane emissions this decade is our emergency brake in the climate remit," Martina Otto, head of the Secretariat, Climate and Clean Air Coalition at the UNEP, said at a press conference with the COP29 presidency.
"To cut the emergency we need to harness the fact that methane has a much higher global warming potential and is shorter lived in the atmosphere, which means we can curb near-term warming."
Tuesday is food, water and agriculture day at COP29 – an occasion marked this year by a new agreement to cut methane emissions from food waste.
Over 30 countries have already committed to the Declaration on Reducing Methane from Organic Waste, which targets methane emissions from organic waste like food. The move complements additional global efforts to tackle methane emissions, including the Global Methane Pledge, which aims to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030.
"Urgent work is needed to help the agricultural sectors adapt to a warming planet," COP29 lead negotiator Yalchin Rafiyev said.
Rafiyev explained that the Baku Harmoniya Climate Initiative for Farmers — an effort launched by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the COP29 presidency — will give farmers tools for building climate resilience and secure funding.
"We are also committed to taking every opportunity for mitigation, particularly on methane," Rafiyev said, noting previous COP's progress on methane emissions. "We must address all the major sources of methane emissions, including fossil fuels, agriculture and organic waste."
"Transforming agriculture and food systems is going to be critical if we are to achieve the Paris Agreement, whether it's on the side of adaptation and building resilience, or indeed on the side of mitigation," Kaveh Zahedi, director of the Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment at the FAO, said. "And on this food, agriculture and water day, we're so delighted that the cop 29 presidency has been shining a light on this."
-ABC News Climate Unit's Kelly Livingston
UN climate lead says millions of lives are at stake and delegates should 'cut the theatrics'
As COP29, the annual U.N. global climate conference, heads into its second and final week, the United Nations' top climate representative is reminding delegates of what's at stake if they fail to act now.
During his opening remarks on Monday, Simon Stiell, the U.N. climate change executive secretary, chastised the delegates, warning them that they are losing sight of the forest because they are "tussling over individual trees" and that "bluffing, brinksmanship and pre-mediated playbooks burn up precious time."
"So let's cut the theatrics and get down to real business," he said.
Later in the day, Stiell urged climate leaders and public officials to unite on adaptation policy and finance.
"This year, we saw how every bit of preparation – every policy, every plan – is the difference between life and death for millions of people around the world," Stiell said.
Stiell emphasized that we know how to adapt to our changing climate technologically but need the will to act.
"We have the tools, the science, the ability to achieve these outcomes," he said.
The biggest roadblock, he said, is ensuring countries have enough money to do the work.
"Of course, we cannot ignore the adaptation elephant in the room: there is a stark financial gap we must bridge," Stiell said.
According to Stiell, the expenses associated with adaptation are rapidly increasing, especially for developing nations. By 2030, these expenses could amount to $340 billion annually and soar to $565 billion annually by 2050.
Without proper funding, he said billions of lives are on the line.
"The IPCC's Working Group II report told us that almost half the human population live in climate vulnerable hotspots, where people are 15 times more likely to die from climate impacts," Stiell said.
Stiell encouraged public and private sector funders to rise to the occasion and meet global needs in new ways.
"Think beyond traditional grants and loans," Stiell said. "Philanthropies, the private sector, and bilateral donors must step up with the urgency that this crisis demands."
He added, "The funding exists. We need to unlock and unblock it."
-ABC News' Charlotte Slovin
Hundreds of US counties lack sufficient air quality monitoring
Cities, counties and government agencies use air quality monitors to measure the pollutants and particulates that can cause significant health problems. However, according to a new report, hundreds of counties across the United States lack these essential measurement tools.
According to the American Lung Association’s 2024 State of the Air report, more than two-thirds of U.S. counties do not have official ground-based air quality monitoring stations. As a result, dangerous levels of pollution are going undetected and unaddressed.
The association used satellite data to estimate that 300 of the 2,700 U.S. counties with incomplete or no air monitoring data had potentially failing grade levels of fine particulate matter between 2020 and 2022.
Lexi Popovici, lead report author and a senior manager of the American Lung Association, said satellite data could help fill the data gap left by the missing air monitors and help people and officials, particularly in rural areas, take protective measures. She said the technology could also supplement existing ground monitors and ultimately create a more comprehensive air quality monitoring system.
"Using satellite data actually helps fill in those gaps to identify pollution in places that might otherwise go undetected, and this can help millions of Americans understand what air quality they are breathing," Popovici said.
Earlier this year, the Environmental Protection Agency introduced a more stringent national annual average standard based on the risk to human health.
Fine particulate pollution is a mix of solid or liquid particles suspended in the air – smaller than a strand of human hair – that can be present even in air that looks clean, according to the EPA. These pollutants are considered the most dangerous forms of air pollution and are linked to asthma, lung and heart disease, and other respiratory health issues.
Popovici said subsequent reports will focus more on the potential of community air quality resources and ways to mitigate environmental injustices.
--ABC News' Gaby Vinick
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(LONDON) -- Residents of Delhi woke up to a thick blanket of toxic smog, prompting the city to cancel in-person classes, halt construction and limit traffic, as the Indian capital city's air-pollution levels surged past 60 times the World Health Organization's recommended daily maximum.
Government officials warned the 33 million residents of Delhi to stay inside and use air purifiers as the smog increased in severity. The city implemented GRAP 4, the highest stage of pollution-related emergency measures, which kick into effect during "severe" air pollution.
GRAP 4 forbids trucks -- except those carrying essential goods -- from entering the city and bans construction and demolition projects. The government may also consider programs where only vehicles with license plates ending in odd or even numbers may drive on a given day.
Last week, Delhi's environment minister announced the addition of over 100 more buses to the city's fleet in response to the worsening pollution. The Delhi metro also announced it will run 60 extra trips as the city tries to minimize the number of cars on the road.
Most students will attend remote classes, and only half of employees will go into offices. Children and those with respiratory illnesses were advised to minimize any time outdoors.
Delhi's air-quality index, or AQI, shot up past 1,000 on Monday, more than five times higher than Sarajevo, the second most-polluted major city, according to the Swiss air monitoring company IQAir.
The WHO estimates that air pollution kills 7 million people annually. IQAir has consistently ranked Delhi amongst the world's most-polluted cities.
Toxic smog in the region gets worse every year as winter sets in and smog from crop-burning, brick kilns and heavy traffic settles for extended periods due to the cold, dense air.
Atishi Marlena Singh, the chief minister of Delhi, blamed the deadly pollution on the national government's insufficient measures.
"The Central Government is sitting idle. Today, all of north India has been pushed into a medical emergency," she said at a press conference.
Forecasts predict the air pollution will continue throughout this week.
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(LONDON) -- The Israel Defense Forces continued its intense airstrike and ground campaigns in Gaza -- particularly in the north of the strip -- and in Lebanon, with Israeli attacks on targets nationwide including in the capital Beirut. The strikes form the backdrop for a fresh diplomatic push by the White House ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's return to the Oval Office in January.
Tensions also remain high between Israel and Iran after the former launched what it called "precise strikes on military targets" in several locations in Iran following Tehran's Oct. 1 missile barrage.
Netanyahu's office 'rejects with disgust' ICC arrest warrant
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Israel "rejects with disgust the absurd and false actions and charges against it," after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for the arrest of the prime minister and his former defense minister.
The arrest warrant issued Thursday morning alleges that Netanyahu and the minister, Yoav Gallant, were party to alleged war crimes in Gaza.
The statement issued by Netanyahu said the court, which is based in The Hague, was "a biased and discriminatory political body."
"There is nothing more just than the war that Israel has been waging in Gaza since the October 7, 2023, coup, after the terrorist organization Hamas launched a murderous attack against us, committing the greatest massacre committed against the Jewish people since the Holocaust," his office said.
The statement pointed a finger at Karim Khan, accusing the ICC's chief prosecutor of bias and describing him as "corrupt."
- ABC News' Joe Simonetti and Kevin Shalvey
ICC issues arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants on Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant.
The Hague issued the warrants for alleged war crimes in Gaza, according to a statement. The ICC said that there were "reasonable grounds" to believe that Netanyahu and Gallant committed war crimes, and added that Israel's acceptance of the court's jurisdiction is not required
Dozens killed in massive strike in northern Gaza
Dozens of people have been killed and many more are feared dead after a large strike hit a residential neighborhood in northern Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health.
The strike occurred in a neighborhood near Kamal Adwan Hospital, officials said.
-ABC News' Joe Simonetti and Kevin Shalvey
Israel wants freedom to strike Hezbollah under any cease-fire deal, foreign minister says
Israel wants to "keep the freedom to act if there will be violations" by Hezbollah in any cease-fire agreement reached between Lebanon and Israel, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said in comments Wednesday.
U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein is in Beirut meeting with officials about the proposed cease-fire deal and is expected to travel to Israel Wednesday night to continue discussions.
Israeli forces kill Hezbollah commanders, strike over 100 targets in Lebanon, IDF says
The Israel Defense Forces said it killed Hezbollah's anti-tank missile and operations commanders "in the coastal area" on Sunday.
Israeli forces "struck over 100 terror targets in Lebanon" in the last day, the Israeli Defense Forces said Wednesday. Israel said it is continuing "limited, localized, targeted raids in southern Lebanon."
On Tuesday, 14 people were killed, and 87 people were wounded in Lebanon, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health.
-ABC News' Jordana Miller
US vetos Gaza UN Security Council cease-fire resolution
The U.S. vetoed another United Nations Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire in Gaza because it did not include a hostage release.
This is the 12th time the Security Council voted on a draft resolution since the war in Gaza started 13 months ago.
At least 43,972 people have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run Ministry of Health.
In June, the Security Council passed a U.S.-drafted cease-fire deal that President Joe Biden approved. At the time, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said "we voted for peace."
US sanctions Hamas leaders as officials say group's political wing has rebased in Turkey
The U.S. is rolling out sanctions against six senior Hamas leaders accused of facilitating the transfer of weapons and funds into Gaza to support the group’s terror activities as well as smuggling in construction materials to build the underground tunnels critical to its operations, according to the Biden administration.
“There is no distinction between Hamas’ so-called military wing and its political leadership,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement announcing the tranche of sanctions.
Three of the targeted individuals are based in Turkey, according to the U.S. Treasury Department.
Despite the denials coming from Hamas and the Turkish government, two U.S. officials say that the bulk of Hamas’ political wing has now relocated to Turkey following the group’s ouster from Qatar.
The U.S. has turned a blind eye to Hamas’ relationship with NATO ally Turkey for years, which allows the U.S. designated terror group to openly recruit, fundraise and interface with its government officials.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he hopes to strengthen ties with the U.S. when President-elect Donald Trump takes office. However, Trump’s cabinet is expected to feature many staunchly pro-Israel voices who will object to Turkey’s tolerance of Hamas -- potentially complicating Erdogan’s plans.
-ABC News' Shannon K. Kingston
Hospitals in northern Gaza running out of medical supplies, requesting patient transfers as attacks continue
Kamal Adwan Hospital is running out of medical supplies, and more people with cases of malnutrition are arriving at the hospital because of the lack of food and water allowed into northern Gaza, the hospital director said in comments Tuesday.
"?There are a number of cases of malnutrition that have begun to arrive, including children and the elderly," Dr. Hussam Abu Safia, the director of Kamal Adwan hospital said.
"The health system is working under extremely harsh conditions to the point that we have started losing numbers of infected people due to the lack of medical supplies," Abu Safia added.
At least 50 people were killed, and 110 people were injured in Gaza over the past 24 hours, the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health said.
The International Committee of the Red Cross and the Palestine Red Crescent Society transferred 15 patients from Al Awda Hospital in north Gaza to Al Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza City Sunday, the ICRC said in a statement Tuesday. The patient transfers were requested by the hospitals, the ICRC said.
The organizations also delivered medical supplies to three hospitals in Gaza City Monday, the ICRC said in a post on X.
"The delivery and medical transfer came in the wake of another large-scale attack in the Beit Lahia area of ??the Northern Governorate, in which dozens of people were killed and many more injured," the ICRC said.
-ABC News' Diaa Ostaz and Sami Zyara
UN peacekeepers, buildings targeted in 3 incidents in south Lebanon
United Nations peacekeeping forces in Lebanon and facilities were targeted in "three separate incidents in south Lebanon," Tuesday, UNIFIL said in a post on X.
Four Ghanian peacekeepers on duty "sustained injures as a rocket ... hit their base," UNIFIL said in a post on X. Three of the injured peacekeepers were transferred to a hospital in Tyre, Lebanon for treatment, UNIFIL said.
In a different attack, a UNIFIL building was "impacted by five rockets," UNIFIL said.
"In another incident, UNIFIL Sector West Headquarters in Shama was impacted by five rockets, which struck the maintenance workshop," UNIFIL said. "Although it caused heavy damage to the workshop, no peacekeeper was injured. This was the second time this UNIFIL base was impacted by the ongoing clashes in the area in less than a week."
In a third incident, a UNIFIL patrol was "passing through" a village, and "an armed person directly fired at the patrol," UNIFIL said. No injuries were reported from this incident.
UNIFIL is investigating the incidents and has informed the Lebanese armed forces about them, UNIFIL said.
"UNIFIL once again reminds all actors involved in the ongoing hostilities to respect the inviolability of United Nations peacekeepers and premises," UNIFIL said in a post on X.
5 killed, 31 injured after Israeli strike on central Beirut
At least five people were killed, 31 were injured and at least two people remain missing after an Israeli airstrike in the Zuqaq al-Blat neighborhood of central Beirut, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health said.
The Israeli Defense Forces did not issue a warning before conducting this airstrike on central Beirut Monday.
At least 28 people were killed and 107 were wounded across Lebanon from Israeli attacks Monday, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health said.
Overall, 3,544 people have been killed, and 15,036 have been injured since Israel's increased attacks on the country began in mid-September, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health said in a post on X.
U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein met with Lebanese House Speaker Nabih Berri in Beirut Tuesday, according to Lebanese state media.
After meeting with Hochstein for two hours, Berri said the cease-fire negotiations were "good in principle," but warned Israel could change its minds about the proposal as it has done before.
Berri said the U.S. is managing guarantees about Israel's position on the proposal, according to Lebanese state media.
-ABC News' Morgan Winsor
Israel kills 5 in central Beirut strike, officials say
At least five people were killed and 31 wounded by an Israeli strike in the Zuqaq al-Blat neighborhood of central Beirut on Monday, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health. Two other people are missing.
The Israel Defense Forces did not appear to issue any public evacuation order prior to the strike. ABC News has reached out to the IDF for comment on the target of the strike.
The attack made Monday the second consecutive day of Israeli strikes within central Beirut. To date, the vast majority of airstrikes on the capital have hit the southern Dahiya suburb, known as a Hezbollah stronghold.
Israel has intensified its bombardment in and around Beirut over the past week, while Hezbollah has continued missile fire into Israel. Fresh discussions are ongoing as to a potential cease-fire to end the fighting.
-ABC News' Morgan Winsor, Jordana Miller and Joe Simonetti
Israel demands 'immediate' action against pro-Iran militias in Iraq
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Tuesday published a letter sent to the president of the United Nations Security Council in which he called for "immediate action regarding the activity of the pro-Iranian militias in Iraq, whose territory is being used to attack Israel."
"The Iraqi government is responsible for everything that happens on its territory," Saar wrote, noting Israel's right to self-defense.
"I called on the Security Council to act urgently to make sure that the Iraqi government meets its obligations under international law and to make these attacks on Israel stop," Saar said.
Iran-backed Iraqi militias have been launching drone attacks into Israel from the east in support of Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah in Lebanon, with whom Israeli forces have been engaged since Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack into southern Israel.
-ABC News' Jordana Miller
Nearly 100 aid trucks looted: UNRWA
The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said Monday their aid convoy was "violently" looted over the weekend, one of the largest such cases of looting since the war began.
The 109-truck U.N. convoy was carrying food supplies to people in Gaza when it was looted on Saturday, UNRWA said.
"The vast majority of the trucks, 97 in total, were lost and drivers were forced at gunpoint to unload aid," UNRWA said in a statement.
UNRWA said the Israel Defense Forces made the convoy leave a day earlier than planned.
The IDF has not yet commented on this incident.
-ABC News' Will Gretsky
Israel's October attack damaged some of Iran's nuclear program: Netanyahu
Israel damaged some of Iran's nuclear program in its October attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday.
Iran's air defense, ballistic missile production and ability to produce "solid fuel" were impacted, Netanyahu said during remarks to Israel's parliament.
"There is a certain element of their nuclear program that was damaged in this attack," he said, though added that its ability to operate "has not yet been thwarted."
Netanyahu said Iran's nuclear threat must be dealt with.
"If we don't deal with the nuclear program, then all the other problems will come back and resurface, both in the axis, and in armaments, and in other things," Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu also said Israel is "currently talking about possible negotiations for a settlement" to be reached between Israel and Lebanon, but added, "Even if there is a cease-fire, no one says it will last."
-ABC News' Jordana Miller
US envoy en route to Lebanon for cease-fire talks, official says
U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein is on his way to Lebanon for talks on a cease-fire between Hezbollah and Israel, an official familiar with the plans confirmed to ABC News.
Hochstein left from the U.S. for Lebanon on Monday, the official said.
Israel is getting close to being ready to agree to the U.S.-backed cease-fire proposal, which is very similar to the proposal that was floated by the U.S. at the end of September. The U.S. needs to see how Hezbollah feels about this proposal, which is what Hochstein aims to do during his trip, according to the official.
-ABC News' Shannon K. Kingston
4 killed in Israeli attack in Beirut: Health ministry
Four people were killed and at least 18 injured in an Israeli attack in Beirut, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health said Monday.
-ABC News' Ellie Kaufman
1 killed, 10 injured in strike on residential building in Israel: Officials
A woman was killed and 10 people injured after a Hezbollah rocket directly hit a residential building in northern Israel, Israeli emergency services said Monday.
Dozens of projectiles were fired by Hezbollah from Lebanon into Israel Monday afternoon, the Israel Defense Forces said. Not all of the projectiles were intercepted, the IDF said.
-ABC News' Jordana Miller
US sanctions entity, 3 individuals tied to West Bank violence
The State Department said Monday it is sanctioning three individuals and one entity for allegedly undermining "peace, security, and stability in the West Bank."
The department accuses the entity, Eyal Hari Yehuda Company LTD, of having supported Yinon Levi, an Israeli settler who was sanctioned by the Biden administration over accusations of attacks and harassment against Palestinians earlier this year.
The three impacted individuals are Itamar Levi, Shabtai Koshlevsky and Zohar Sabah, the State Department said. Itamar Levi, the brother of Yinon Levi, is being designated for his role as the owner of the aforementioned company, while Koshlevsky is accused of holding a leadership position at Hashomer Yosh, an Israeli nongovernmental organization that provides material support to U.S.-designated outposts in the West Bank and was sanctioned in August of this year.
Sabah is accused of engaging "in threats and acts of violence against Palestinians, including in their homes" as well as "a pattern of destructiveness targeting the livestock, grazing lands and homes of local Palestinians to disrupt their means of support," the State Department said in a press release.
-ABC News' Shannon K. Kingston
Hamas denies that leaders relocated from Qatar to Turkey
Hamas denied reports in Israeli media that its leadership has relocated from Qatar to Turkey amid a breakdown in Doha-supported cease-fire talks earlier this month.
Hamas dismissed the news reports as "rumors" spread by Israeli authorities in a statement posted to its official website.
Qatar told Israel and Hamas earlier this month it could not continue to mediate cease-fire and hostage release talks "as long as there is a refusal to negotiate a deal in good faith."
Doha is under U.S. pressure to expel Hamas leaders. A senior administration official told ABC News earlier this month that the group's "continued presence in Doha is no longer viable or acceptable."
-ABC News' Diaa Ostaz, Shannon K. Kingston and Somayeh Malekian
Gaza death toll nears 44,000, health officials say
The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said Monday that 43,922 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since Oct. 7, 2023, with nearly 104,000 more injured.
Israeli airstrikes killed at least 96 people and wounded at least 60 in Gaza through the weekend, officials said. The dead included 72 people in north Gaza and more than 20 from other areas of the strip.
Most of those killed were displaced women and children sheltering in residential buildings in the northern town of Beit Lahiya, officials said.
Beit Lahiya is at the heart of the Israel Defense Forces' recent northern offensive, which has been accompanied with sweeping evacuation orders and spiking civilian casualties.
-ABC News' Samy Zyara and Joe Simonetti
Hezbollah positive on US cease-fire proposal, reports say
Hezbollah responded positively to the U.S.-proposed cease-fire deal between Israel and Lebanon, Israeli and Lebanese media reported Monday.
U.S. special envoy for Lebanon Amos Hochstein is expected to arrive in Beirut on Tuesday to discuss the proposal before heading to Israel to speak with leaders there.
The proposal is reportedly based on the United Nations Security Council's resolution 1701 that sought to end the last major cross-border conflict in 2006.
That deal ordered Hezbollah to withdraw all military units and weapons north of the Litani River, which is around 18 miles north of the Israeli border. The resolution also prohibited Israeli ground and air forces from crossing into Lebanese territory.
Israeli leaders have demanded open-ended freedom to act against threats in Lebanon, a stipulation reportedly opposed by Hezbollah and Lebanese leaders.
-ABC News' Jordana Miller and Joe Simonetti
Khamenei meets with ambassador injured in pager attacks
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei met with the country's ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, as the latter continues his recovery from injuries sustained during Israel's detonation of Hezbollah communication devices in September.
Khamenei's official X account posted a short video of their interaction on Monday, in which Amani told the Iranian leader he lost around half of the vision in his right eye in the attack.
-ABC News' Jordana Miller
Hezbollah media relations chief killed in Israeli strike
Mohammed Afif, Hezbollah's media relations chief, was killed in an Israeli strike Sunday, Hezbollah confirmed.
The strike on central Beirut partially collapsed a building and injured three others, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.
The Israel Defense Forces also confirmed Afif's death. In a statement, the IDF said he joined Hezbollah in the 1980s and went on to become a "central and veteran figure in the organization who greatly influenced Hezbollah's military activity."
Citing one particular incident, the statement claimed that he had played a key role in the drone attack on Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's home in Caesarea in October.
-ABC News' Will Gretsky
Pope calls for investigation to determine whether Israeli attacks on Gaza are 'genocide'
Pope Francis, in an upcoming book to be released ahead of his 2025 jubilee, called for an investigation to determine whether Israel's actions in Gaza constitute genocide, according to the Vatican.
"In the Middle East, where the open doors of nations like Jordan or Lebanon continue to be a salvation for millions of people fleeing conflicts in the region: I am thinking above all of those who leave Gaza in the midst of the famine that has struck their Palestinian brothers and sisters given the difficulty of getting food and aid into their territory," he wrote in a passage released by the Vatican.
"According to some experts, what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide," the pope wrote. "It should be carefully investigated to determine whether it fits into the technical definition formulated by jurists and international bodies."
-ABC News' Victoria Beaulé
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(LONDON) -- Russia would consider the White House's authorization for Ukraine to use U.S.-made longer-range weapons within Russia to be a "qualitatively new round of tensions" between Moscow and Washington, a Kremlin spokesperson said on Monday.
"Allowing Kyiv to strike deep inside Russia with U.S. long-range missiles, if such permission has actually been given, will mark a qualitatively new round of tensions and level of Washington's involvement in the Ukraine conflict," Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesperson, said at his daily briefing.
President Joe Biden authorized the use of the weapons, ATACMS, or Army Tactical Missile System, within the Russian Kursk region, two U.S. officials told ABC News on Sunday. The missiles have a range of about 190 miles.
Ukraine had not as of Monday morning used the weapons against Russian forces within Russia, a senior defense official said.
Officials in Kyiv, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, had been calling for months for authorization to use such weapons within Russia. Kyiv has previously used the ATACMS to strike Russian bases within occupied Ukraine.
But the Biden administration had held back, even as Zelenskyy requested the authorization as he traveled to the White House for an official visit in September.
Peskov on Monday painted the change in policy as an "obvious" signal that the Biden administration in its final months intends to "continue to add fuel to the fire."
He added that Moscow viewed the move as a way for the White House to "continue to provoke further escalation of tension around this conflict."
ABC News' Joe Simonetti, Lauren Minore, Shannon K. Kingston and Luis Martinez contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(LONDON) -- Russia launched a major missile and drone attack on Ukraine overnight into Sunday targeting power plants and energy infrastructure across the country.
The barrage was the largest attack on Ukraine since late August and the third largest so far this year. Missiles and drones targeted cities including the capital Kyiv, forcing people into basements, subway stations and other underground shelters.
Ukrainian authorities reported that at least five people were killed.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram early Sunday that the "massive strike" targeted areas in "all regions of Ukraine."
Zelenskyy said around 120 missiles and 90 drones were fired into the country, with Ukrainian air defenses downing more than 140 targets.
Ukraine's air force said that at least eight Kinzhal hypersonic missiles -- among Moscow's most advanced weapons -- were among the projectiles used in the attack. So too were one Zircon hypersonic cruise missile and more than 100 Kalibr cruise missiles.
The air force said Ukrainian defenders downed 144 targets -- 102 missiles and 42 drones. The Russian aircraft involved in the assault included Tu-160 and Tu-95 strategic bombers, the air force said, as well as Su-34, Su-27 and MiG-31 jets.
"We are grateful to all our air defense," the president said, noting that American-made F-16 fighter jets were involved in the defense.
Strikes and explosions were reported in Kyiv, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Kryvyi Rih, Dnipro and in western Ukraine. The Black Sea port city of Odesa was reportedly left without power following the strikes.
Zelenskyy said a drone impact in the southern city of Mykolaiv killed two people and injured six others, including two children.
Poland's military, meanwhile, said the Russian missile barrage prompted it to scramble fighter jets to protect its skies.
Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko confirmed in a post to social media that the strikes were targeting Ukraine's grid. The attack prompted authorities to impose emergency energy shutdowns in Kyiv and at least one other region.
Russia has targeted Ukraine's grid as winter looms. The country's centralized heating systems having been turned on in the past couple of weeks as temperatures drop below freezing. The strikes threaten to leave millions without power.
Moscow has launched missile and drone barrages against Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale war in February 2022. Russia has generally expanded long-range strikes as winters approach hoping to collapse the Ukrainian energy grid.
This year appears no different, with recent months bringing an intensification of drone and missile attacks across the country as the change in U.S. administration prompts talk of renewed peace negotiations.
Zelenskyy told Radio Ukraine on Saturday that Kyiv expects Russia to "continue combined strikes" through the winter period. "We need to prepare for everything," he added.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the attack was Russian President Vladimir Putin's "true response" to recent conversations with world leaders -- an apparent jab at German Chancellor Olaf Scholz who spoke with Putin Friday for the first time in two years, against Ukraine's objections.
"Russia launched one of the largest air attacks: drones and missiles against peaceful cities, sleeping civilians, critical infrastructure," Sybiha said. "This is war criminal Putin's true response to all those who called and visited him recently. We need peace through strength, not appeasement."
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(LONDON) -- On Thursday, as a National Geographic expedition was exploring the waters around the Solomon Islands, its members spotted something that looked like a shipwreck underwater. Intrigued, they sent a diver down to investigate.
The diver came back to the surface with extraordinary news.
The object was not a shipwreck but a massive coral -- soon confirmed as the biggest coral in the world. The gigantic coral, which is visible from space and believed to be about 300 years old, stores an invaluable historical record of ocean conditions from past centuries.
“Just when we think there is nothing left to discover on planet earth, we find a massive coral made of nearly 1 billion little polyps, pulsing with life and color,” said Enric Sala, National Geographic Explorer in Residence and founder of Pristine Seas, the expedition that made the serendipitous discovery.
The coral is three times bigger than the previous record holder, which is known as “Big Momma” and located in American Samoa. While “Big Momma” is as tall as a giraffe, the new coral is the size of a blue whale.
The Solomon Islands, a cluster of hundreds of islands in the South Pacific and fittingly bordered by the Coral Sea, hosts the second highest coral diversity on the planet, boasting more than 490 known species.
“What many people don’t realize is that corals, though appearing as simple rocks, are actually living creatures that build these incredible habitats,” said Ronnie Posala, Fisheries officer at the Solomon Islands Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources.
He added that corals are critical defenses against the effects of climate change, saying that they “act as the first line of defense for coastal communities, buffering against powerful waves and storms.”
Corals and coral reefs are endangered due to global warming, which results in coral bleaching. According to UNESCO, the coral reefs in all 29 reef-containing World Heritage sites would cease to exist by the end of this century if human-created processes continue to emit the current level of greenhouse gasses.
“Despite its remote location, this coral is not safe from global warming and other human threats,” said Sala.
But the newly discovered reef also brings optimism, according to Eric Brown, a coral scientist on the National Geographic expedition.
“While the nearby shallow reefs were degraded due to warmer seas,” said Brown, “witnessing this large healthy coral oasis in slightly deeper waters is a beacon of hope.”
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(WELLINGTON, New Zealand) -- M?ori lawmakers interrupted a New Zealand parliamentary vote with a Haka on Thursday to protest a proposed law that critics say would erode the land and cultural rights of Indigenous New Zealanders.
When asked how her party’s representatives would vote during the session, Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke of New Zealand’s M?ori party stood up and began a soaring Haka, a ceremonial M?ori dance that demonstrates pride, strength and unity through a series of intricate movements and facial expressions. She ripped a copy of the bill in half as she did the Haka.
About half of the lawmakers present, including members of the Labour and Green parties, joined in, along with members of the public seated in the gallery, their chants echoing through the chamber.
Gerry Brownlee, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, appeared to roll his eyes as the Haka began. Unable to regain control of the room, he later suspended the House and ordered the gallery to be cleared.
He suspended Maipi-Clarke for one day. Earlier in the session, he ejected veteran M?ori lawmaker Willie Jackson for yelling “Shame! Shame!” at the representative who proposed the controversial law.
The Treaty Principles Bill proposes reinterpreting the Treaty of Waitangi, an 1840 agreement guaranteeing the M?ori certain land and cultural rights in exchange for allowing the British to govern.
Critics of the bill said it will eliminate dedicated land, government seats, health care initiatives and cultural preservation efforts granted to the Maori people under the Treaty of Waitangi. Together for Te Tiriti, a group that advocates for Maori people, said the bill “clears the way for politicians and corporations to have greater control over our communities.”
David Seymour, a M?ori lawmaker who authored the Treaty Principles Bill, argued that the existing laws grant M?ori people “different rights from other New Zealanders.”
Under the Treaty of Waitangi, lawmakers set up programs to revitalize the M?ori language and tackle poor health metrics through a M?ori Health Authority.
Although the Treaty Principles Bill is unlikely to pass, leaders, including Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, voted for it in the first stage as part of a political coalition deal, promising they would not allow it to pass any further.
Thousands of New Zealanders marched toward Wellington on Monday to protest the Treaty Principles Bill. The protest is expected to be the biggest race relations march in the country’s history.
Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(LONDON) -- Prominent Iranian political activist, Kianoosh Sanjari, who took his own life on Wednesday in an act of protest, was buried Friday morning in Tehran. In a final post on his X account he said the decision was to protest against what he called the dictatorship of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Sanjari jumped off a five-story building in a busy area of Tehran on Wednesday after writing on his X account that "no one should be imprisoned for expressing their opinions. Protest is the right of every Iranian citizen. My life will end after this tweet, but let's not forget that we die and die for the love of life, not death."
Amnesty Iran mourned the loss of Sanjari following the news of his death in a post on Instagram, saying his “passion for human rights will continue to shine.”
“Years of interrogations, unjust detention, torture and exile haunted him as his oppressors remain unpunished,” the post read, adding that the collective grief over his death will galvanize calls for justice.
Sanjari was first imprisoned by the Islamic Republic regime following protests in Iran in 1999 when he was 17-years-old but was later repeatedly arrested and tortured for his criticism against the corruption of the clerical ruling regime until 2007.
He ended up spending months in solitary confinement and was forcefully transferred to a psychiatric center, telling Voice of America and BBC Persian that he had his hands and legs chained to a bed and would receive injections which would make him unconscious for hours.
Sanjari eventually fled Iran to seek asylum in the United States and began working for Voice of America where he continued his activism and reported on the human rights situation in Iran, including a protest in front of the United Nations when former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gave a speech at the Columbia School of Journalism in September 2007.
In spite of the potential risks of returning, he moved back to Iran in 2017 due to his mother suffering from a severe health, according to a statement on his social media.
Sanjari was arrested by the regime by the security organizations after his return, but was later released. However, he was arrested again during the nationwide Woman Life Freedom movement that took over the country in 2022 and 2023 when many activists and protesters were arrested and jailed in the aftermath of the tragic death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman under the hijab police custody after she was taken for not fully complying with hijab rules.
Sanjari supported the idea of toppling the current clerical regime and advocated for a transition to a new ruling system for the country led by the U.S.-based son of the former Iranian monarch, Reza Pahlavi, until people could choose a new governing regime.
Pahlavi posted a video on his X account saying it was “painful news” to hear about Sanjari’s death.
“We deal with a regime that its life is based on death and execution,” he said, blaming the Islamic Republic for Sanjari’s suicide and warning about the government's execution order for other protestors who were recently sentenced to execution with charges related to the Woman Life Freedom uprising.
Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(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.
Trump victory won't stop climate progress, US officials tell COP29
As COP29, the annual U.N. global climate conference, concludes its first week, the United States energy secretary, spoke out about a post-Biden energy future. The message to conference delegates: We will be here tomorrow.
President-elect Donald Trump has said he will withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement, reducing the country's influence and participation in global climate negotiations. However, U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said that other leaders, like governors, mayors and community groups, will continue to work on climate challenges.
"The future of U.S. climate policy may be less certain than it was last week, but this moment is not unprecedented," said Granholm in a press conference on Friday. "We've been here before and this time we are feeling even more bullish."
"The economy around the clean energy transition, the actual economics of this transition, is inexorable," she said.
The energy secretary touted the country's work in clean energy, highlighting the 400,000 workers hired and 900 clean energy factories opened in the U.S. since the passing of the bipartisan infrastructure law in 2021. She also highlighted the work done across the political aisle and the significant clean energy investments in red and blue districts.
"The absence of leadership in the White House does not mean that this energy transition is stopped," Granholm said, referring to the Trump administration.
At another COP29 event, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee echoed the secretary's sentiments, saying he's confident climate work will continue thanks to state leadership and multistate coalitions.
"We know that despite the election of Donald Trump, the incredible momentum, the incredible dynamic growth, the incredible support that has preexisted his administration will continue and continue unabated through the administration," Inslee said. "The reason I came here is to make sure people's ambition, ability to work together and aggressive actions are not slowed down at all because of that election."
"We know in the states that our destiny is in our hands and the tools are in our toolbox. And we cannot be stopped," he added.
-ABC News' Charlotte Slovin
'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 (CO?) 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 CO? 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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