Global Scans · Climate Action · Weekly Summary

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In September 2015, 193 world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development. If these Goals are completed, it would mean an end to extreme poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030.
Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

• [New] Responding to increasingly desperate calls for help, at the COP 30 global climate conference last month in Brazil, countries pledged to triple funding for climate adaptation and make $1.3 trillion in annual climate financing available by 2035. ABC News
• [New] Governments backed climate finance ambitions of $1.3 trillion annually for developing countries by 2035, alongside a pledge to triple adaptation finance to $300 billion per year. ESG News
• [New] One of the impacts of a changing climate is the increase in number of days in the UK that are projected to see very intense or prolonged heavy rainfall. Met Office
• [New] The UK has been warned it is dangerously unprepared for the growing threat of wildfires, flooding and the wider impacts of the climate crisis - as experts call for immediate investment. Euronews
• [New] Scientists warn that Earth is being pushed toward critical climate tipping points - thresholds beyond which self-reinforcing feedback loops (such as permafrost thaw, ice-sheet collapse, forest dieback) could trigger runaway changes, potentially irreversible on human timescales. Countercurrents
• [New] Without rapid changes in the development of climate-resilient crops, the world faces widespread food shortages that could lead to famine, mass migration, and global instability. Science Speaks
• [New] A recent study from APIB, the Amazon Environmental Research Institute, and the Indigenous Climate Change Committee found that expanding Brazil's Indigenous territories could prevent up to 20% of additional deforestation and cut carbon emissions by 26% by 2030. The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News |
• [New] The world's oceans are expected to play a key part in drawing carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere to help slow dangerous climate warming. ScienceDaily
• [New] Accelerated transition scenarios consistent with 1.5 °C climate targets require 6-8 times current lithium production by 2040, exceeding currently identified economically viable reserves. Discovery Alert
• [New] Nature-based solutions, primarily forest conservation and restoration, can deliver 37% of the cost-effective climate mitigation needed by 2030. Planetary Guardians
• [New] Asia-Pacific operators are contending with rapid AI disruption and climate impacts, while Europe, the Middle East and Africa faces a balanced blend of digital, legal and financial constraints. Financial Mail
• [New] An annual progress report by the Climate Change Authority, a government agency, warned the pace of renewable energy growth over the past five years would need to more than double over the next five years to reach the 2030 goal. The Guardian
• [New] Australia is projected to fall just shy of its 2030 climate target and badly miss its 2035 target without significant changes. Australian Broadcasting Corporation
• [New] The IMF and World Bank reiterate at every opportunity that climate finance and AI investment need credible governance. Informed Comment
• [New] In West Asia, where wars and climate impacts overlap, vulnerability is not measured in emissions alone but in collapsing water systems, disrupted food chains, and the erosion of dignity. Climate Action Network
• [New] Ultimately collaboration is key: Engagement with public-private partnerships and participation in global health and climate initiatives on the professional level will position pharmacists to be a part of the shared decision-making that must go into addressing climate change in health care. Drug Topics
• [New] The U.S. withdrawal from climate commitments and the promotion of fossil fuels have polarized global actors, with allies recalibrating their energy strategies to mitigate U.S. policy risks. Ainvest
• [New] Improving water efficiency must become a national priority if England is to tackle escalating climate risks and deliver on a legally binding environmental target. illuminem
• [New] Hydrogen, Industrial Energy Costs and Decarbonization Electricity used for electrolysis in hydrogen production and natural gas used for CO2 in sodium bicarbonate production to be exempt from the Climate Change Levy by Spring 2026, subject to approval. Cogent Skills
• [New] National labs such as Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) are expected to play a central role, using AI to optimize reactor designs, model complex physical systems, and simulate grid and climate scenarios that would otherwise take years. Tech Startups - Tech News, Tech Trends & Startup Fundin
• [New] The global water crisis, driven partly by climate change, could leave two-thirds of humanity facing water stress by 2026, with water scarcity becoming a critical issue for an increasing number of countries. NewsBreak

Last updated: 07 December 2025