Our Scans · (LF.13) 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] Importing CO2 from other countries risked turning Darwin into a dumping ground for the world's climate pollution. Australian Broadcasting Corporation
• [New] Many companies are recalibrating their earlier net-zero commitments not because they are abandoning climate action, but because the realities of political volatility, operational constraints and accelerating physical climate risks are forcing a more honest reckoning. London Business School
• [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] 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] The closer China comes to the US's traditional role, the more it will be expected to take historical responsibility for climate change. The Conversation
• [New] A global shipping disruption exposed how cleaner fuels sharply reduce cloud-cooling effects, reshaping climate predictions and policy trade-offs. ScienceDaily
• [New] The second highest future concern is climate disruption, which returned to second place in 2025, after dropping out of the top three in 2025. theHRDIRECTOR
• [New] In Indonesia's latest climate plan - known as a nationally determined contribution (NDC) - lodged with the United Nations in October, emissions are projected to peak in 2030 under two key economic growth scenarios. ST
• [New] Transport is Australia's fastest-growing sector for climate pollution and is expected to be the top source of emissions by 2030. Australian Broadcasting Corporation
• [New] If enough people realize that climate change will affect them personally and start engaging on an individual level, we might see a turn in the political tide that ends with the real, large-scale changes needed to limit rising global temperatures. Live Science
• [New] The lungs of the Earth, a lifeboat against climate change, a filter against sentiment destroying the Great Barrier Reef and a haven for wildlife will be provided real protection, while incentives will be provided to support a modern forestry industry based on plantations. The Guardian
• [New] A host of eminent scientists have warned politicians, business and community leaders that the UK risks severe climate-related risks to its economy, public health, food systems and national security. The Guardian
• [New] 2026 will see banks come under renewed pressure from governing bodies, such as the European Central Bank, to hit their goals around sustainability and inclusivity, with some shifting their portfolios to make balanced decisions around climate change. FinExtra
• [New] The climate decisions made by the next government will have long-lasting consequences for the environment and the Canadian economy. Center for Global Sustainability
• [New] Alongside NDCs, leaders will grapple with mobilising climate finance, including for the Brazil-led important Tropical Forests Forever Facility, finalising the rules of Article 6 on carbon markets, advancing adaptation amid worsening climate impacts and driving a just global energy transition. NewClimate Institute
• [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] 90% of disasters in the last decade were water-related, and with increasing disruption of the hydrological cycle by both climate change and human activity, floods, storms and droughts are increasingly affecting water management, economic development and natural ecosystems. Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
• [New] Renewable energy, driven by climate policy commitments, is expected to double employment globally by 2030. ""
• [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] As the Arctic becomes an increasingly strategic region due to climate change and growing international interest, enhancing infrastructure there will allow Canada to strengthen its presence and respond to emerging challenges with confidence. Travel And Tour World
• [New] At COP 30 in Belem, governments have taken a major step forward in confronting one of the world's fastest-growing climate risks: extreme heat. UNEP - UN Environment Programme
• [New] Climate-vulnerable countries like Jamaica and India will be celebrating a new pledge to triple the amount of cash to help them cope with the impacts of climate change. SKY
• Meeting climate goals to decarbonize the world by 2050 requires building around 300 terawatt-hours of storage. MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Last updated: 01 December 2025