Wealthy nations are trying to make up for a $10bn shortfall in the $100bn annual target for climate finance they were supposed to have met in 2020, according to Bloomberg. Citing “people familiar with the plans”, the news outlet reports that rich countries estimate they have so far raised $88-$90bn and are seeking to “reach or even exceed” the $100bn goal in 2022. Spain, Norway, Sweden are expected to boost their contributions ahead of COP26 in order to help close the gap, and Italy – identified by the Overseas Development Institute as one of the “significant laggards” in climate finance – is also is working to pledge more than $1bn, Bloomberg continues. It adds that the failure of rich nations so far to make good on their climate finance pledges has been a “sticking point” for poorer nations as the COP26 climate summit approaches.
Meanwhile, speaking at the Conservative party conference in Manchester, COP26 president-designate Alok Sharma said “we need the biggest emitters – the G20 is responsible for 80% of emissions – to step up to the plate and deliver in Glasgow”, praising climate activist Greta Thunberg for galvanising people to act and holding a “mirror” up to his generation, the Press Association reports. Separately, Sky News reports that business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng will “kick off a search for a climate change expert to join his department’s board as the government tries to make a convincing case of its green credentials ahead of the COP26 summit”.
CNBC and Italy’s Corriere Della Sera have covered Carbon Brief’s analysis from Tuesday that examines historical responsibility for climate change. CNBC notes that the US “by some distance” is responsible for the largest share of CO2 emissions from 1850 to the present day. (See Carbon Brief‘s analysis in full). Separately, BBC News has covered Carbon Brief’s new analysis of disparities in climate-science publishing, reporting that “climate change academics from some of the regions worst hit by warming are struggling to be published”.
Read in full at Carbon Brief