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Green spaces and social housing: Paris’s ‘bioclimatic’ plan to transform the city by 2035

The Paris City Council on Wednesday approved its "bioclimatic" urban development plan, designed to address climate challenges, housing shortages and urban expansion. The plan’s focus on green spaces, social housing and tighter rental regulations has draw

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Yesterday

At UN climate talks, developing countries blast lack of detail on funding for energy transition

The draft text for the UN climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, left out how much wealthy nations will pay poorer countries to help them to reduce greenhouse gasses and cope with climate change. The developing world says it needs the $1.3 trillion in c

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Fires in the Amazon: Brazilian police track down climate criminals

With the COP29 summit now in its final days, we take a closer look at the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. A major global carbon sink that's nicknamed the lungs of the planet, the Amazon is once again under threat. Illegal fires set by farmers ravaged millio

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Wednesday, november 20, 2024

G20 Rio summit ends with Ukraine blame game as Lula pushes climate action

At the G20 on Tuesday, Ukraine's allies and Russia blamed each other for escalating Europe's war, overshadowing the summit's final day. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva urged global leaders to revive stalled UN climate talks in Azerbaijan, w

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Rich nations under pressure over climate finance at COP29 talks

Pressure mounted on wealthy nations Wednesday to put a figure on the table as time runs out at COP29 to strike a deal on climate assistance for poorer countries.

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Tuesday, november 19, 2024

Goodbye old world order? Final G20 summit before Trump inauguration

Will history remember Rio as the swansong gathering of the US-led world order as we now know it? The curtain is coming down on Joe Biden's last G20 summit – his last big global gathering before the return of Donald Trump to the White House. The outgoing

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Negotiators seek to break COP29 impasse after G20 'marching orders'

Negotiators sought Tuesday to break a deadlock at UN climate talks after G20 leaders backed the need for "trillions" of dollars for poorer countries but left key sticking points unresolved. Details by Liza Kaminov.

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G20 leaders turn focus to climate change on Rio summit's last day

Leaders of the Group of 20 major economies meet on Tuesday to discuss sustainable development and the transition to cleaner energy, as they aim to increase the odds of a successful deal to address global warming at U.N. climate talks in Azerbaijan. Analy

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Trump's shadow looms large over G20 summit

G20 leaders on Tuesday were holding the final day of a summit that offered some impetus to stalled UN climate talks, diverged on wars in Ukraine and the Middle East -- and foresaw global turbulence as Donald Trump readies to take over the US presidency.

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Monday, november 18, 2024

French farmers protest EU-Mercosur trade agreement

French farmers are mobilizing for widespread protests targeting the controversial EU-Mercosur trade agreement. They argue the deal threatens their livelihoods by allowing a surge of South American agricultural imports produced under less stringent enviro

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G20 leaders to grapple with climate, taxes and Trump comeback in Brazil

G20 leaders gather in Brazil on Monday to discuss fighting poverty, boosting climate financing and other multilateral initiatives that could yet be upended by Donald Trump's impending return to the White House. Details with FRANCE 24 correspondent in Rio

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Hopes set on G20 spurring deadlocked UN climate talks

Nations returned Monday to the negotiating table at deadlocked UN climate talks in Azerbaijan, but with time running out hopes of a breakthrough are pinned on G20 leaders meeting in Brazil. Story by Liza Kaminov.

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Schools shut in India's New Delhi as toxic smog exceeds 60 times WHO limit

Schools in New Delhi were closed Monday as toxic smog enveloped the Indian capital and exceeded the daily limit set out by the World Health Organization by 60 times. The polluted air is thought to be the cause of thousands of premature deaths each year,

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Trump nominates fracking magnate and noted climate change skeptic Chris Wright as Energy Secretary

President-elect Donald Trump appointed Republican Brendan Carr, a vocal critic of big tech backed by Elon Musk, as FCC chairman on Sunday. Calling Carr a "warrior for Free Speech", Trump pledged he will curb regulatory overreach and support rural America

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Head in the clouds: 'We're not thinking about' the energy required to store our digital data

Climate talks in Azerbaijan are focusing on getting more climate cash for developing countries to transition away from fossil fuels, adapt to climate change and pay for damages caused by extreme weather. And for the first time ever, 'digital pollution is

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Biden becomes first US president to visit Amazon as Trump signals climate policy shift

Joe Biden became the first US president to visit the Amazon on Sunday, flying over drought-hit regions and fire-damaged rainforests, in a bid to highlight climate change's toll on the vital ecosystem. His visit to Latin America comes as the incoming Trum

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Sunday, november 17, 2024

UN chief urges G20 'leadership' to rescue stalled COP29 climate talks

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday urged G20 leaders in Rio to "show leadership" on emissions cuts to rescue stalled UN climate talks in Azerbaijan. Deadlocked over a $1 trillion climate investment deal, nations hope that compromise from the

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In Brazil, activists call on leaders to combat global hunger, as G20 summit to open in Rio

Diplomatic tensions over global warming will take center stage at the G20 summit in Brazil this week, as negotiators at U.N. talks in Azerbaijan hit an impasse. Meanwhile activists take to the beaches of Brazil to call on world leaders to commit to comba

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As COP29 crosses its halfway point, climate groups link oil industry to Gaza war

Distractions were bigger than deals in the first week of United Nations climate talks, leaving a lot to be done, especially on the main issue of money. With wars in the Middle East and Europe and Donald Trump's re-election, is COP29 being overlooked? FRA

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APEC closes in Peru, China's Xi urges freer trade and criticizes tariffs as backward

China’s leader Xi Jinping met for the last time with U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday but was already looking ahead to President-elect Donald Trump and his “America first” policies, saying Beijing “is ready to work with a new U.S. administration." De

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World looks to G20 in Rio for breakthrough in climate talks

Diplomatic tensions over global warming will take center stage at the G20 summit in Brazil this week, as negotiators at U.N. talks in Azerbaijan hit an impasse on climate finance that they hope leaders of the world's 20 major economies can break. Report

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Super Typhoon Man-yi batters Philippines' most populous island

A powerful typhoon wrecked houses, caused towering tidal surges and forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee to emergency shelters as it cut across the northern Philippines on Sunday in the sixth major storm to hit the country in less than a month.

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Super Typhoon Man-yi smashes power lines, wrecks houses in Philippines

Super Typhoon Man-yi slammed into the Philippines, sparking tidal surges and forcing hundreds of thousands of people to flee to emergency shelters as it cut across the northern Philippines on Sunday in the sixth major storm to hit the country in less tha

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Saturday, november 16, 2024

Philippines urges residents to flee as super typhoon Man-Yi strengthens on approach

Philippine authorities issued an urgent appeal on Saturday for residents in low-lying areas and coastal towns to move to safety as super typhoon Man-Yi gained strength on its approach towards the country's main Luzon island. Details by Shirli Sitbon.

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Is Argentina's Milei on brink of leaving Paris climate accord?

French president Emmanuel Macron is on a visit to Argentina. France hopes to bring his counterpart Javier Milei closer to the international consensus, ahead of the G20 summit in Brazil. On Friday, Argentina was widely criticised for casting the only vote

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Spanish regional leader admits mistakes made in flood response, but refuses to step down

The Spanish regional leader Carlos Mazón facing immense pressure for his handling of the catastrophic Valencia floods last month defied calls to step down Friday, but conceded that authorities made mistakes in their response to the disaster. Details with

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Activist Greta Thunberg urges release of Armenians in Azerbaijan

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg Friday urged the release of political prisoners held by COP29 summit host Azerbaijan, including detainees from its neighbour and rival Armenia whom she described as "hostages". Story by Emily Boyle.

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Philippines warns of 'potentially catastrophic' Super Typhoon Man-yi

A super typhoon sweeping towards the Philippines on Saturday was intensifying and could have a "potentially catastrophic" impact, the state weather forecaster warned, with millions of people at risk from storm surges.

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Super Typhoon Man-yi slams into Philippines – the sixth major storm in a month

Super Typhoon Man-yi made landfall in the Philippines on Saturday after the disaster-hit nation evacuated hundreds of thousands of people. It was the sixth major storm to hit the country in the past month, and authorities warned of a "potentially catastr

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Friday, november 15, 2024

'Drill, baby, drill': What Trump's election victory means for climate change

Nations have gathered in Azerbaijan for COP29, under the shadow cast by the re-election of climate change denier Donald Trump, who has pledged to row back on the United States' carbon-cutting commitments. As the planet logs its hottest year on record, Ch

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COP29: In absence of world's biggest polluters, 'more underrepresented nations have a bigger voice'

A group of former leaders and climate experts said the annual UN COP climate talks were no longer fit for purpose and needed to be reformed, publishing a critical open letter mid-way through what has so far been a fractious summit. Nearly 200 countries a

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'Green Islam': How Indonesian Muslims are helping protect the Earth

Indonesia may be on the front lines of the fight against global warming, but many of its people are climate sceptics. A 2019 survey found that Indonesia – the world's biggest Muslim-majority country – has the highest proportion of climate change sceptic

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A muted COP29 in Azerbaijan: Heavy on lobbyists, light on commitments

PRESS REVIEW – Friday, November 15: US President-elect Donald Trump has mooted bypassing Senate approval for his major appointments – we take a look at the press backlash. In other news: COP29 continues, but without the Argentinian delegation and with ac

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Methane, a climate time bomb: On the trail of leaks in Romania

Nearly three years after more than 100 countries promised to tame methane emissions, the indiscriminate leakage of this powerful greenhouse gas is still rampant. As world leaders convene in Azerbaijan for the COP29 climate summit, FRANCE 24's reporters f

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Thursday, november 14, 2024

2024 Booker Prize winner Samantha Harvey on her unintentional climate novel 'Orbital'

This year's Booker Prize winner Samantha Harvey speaks to FRANCE 24's Culture Editor Eve Jackson about her wonder-filled space novel "Orbital". They discuss climate change, fiction's role in politics and Elon Musk's space endeavors.

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World's largest known coral found near Solomon Islands

The world's largest known coral, visible from space, has been discovered in the waters of the Solomon Islands. Scientists said the discovery of the gigantic organism offered a glimmer of hope at a time when hotter and more acidic oceans have drained the

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New rain alert lifted for Spain's flood-ravaged Valencia region

Two weeks after Spain's deadliest flooding in decades that killed more than 200 people, a fresh overnight rain alert issued by the national weather agency was downgraded from the highest level after a new storm made landfall without causing any new victi

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Wednesday, november 13, 2024

How does climate change affect young people and migration?

COP 29 taking place all this week, dozens of world leaders gathered to discuss how to combat the challenge of climate change and global warming. FRANCE 24's speaks to Aakash Ranison, Youth Delegate on Climate Migration at the International Organization f

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Does the global workforce have the skills necessary to fight climate change?

In its 2024 Green Skills Report, social media platform LinkedIn uses data from its 1 billion users to track the evolution of so-called "green skills" on the labour market. Their findings show that while the number of people with the skills that help comb

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Making polluters pay for the climate disaster: Oxfam calls for 'systemic change'

Two jets of billionaire Elon Musk – who is set to join the incoming Trump administration – jointly discharged as much CO2 in just 25 days as 834 years' worth of emissions generated by the average person. That's just one of the shocking statistics in a re

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Shell wins appeal against landmark climate ruling

Oil giant Shell has succeeded in overturning a landmark 2021 court ruling that ordered it to cut CO2 emissions by 45 percent from 2019 levels by 2030. The appeals court in The Hague said that while companies like Shell had the responsibility to contribut

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Greenland extends detention of anti-whaling activist Watson for three more weeks

A court in Greenland has once again extended the detention of Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson while Denmark decides whether to extradite the prominent activist to Japan. Watson's next hearing is scheduled for December 2.

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UK's Samantha Harvey wins 2024 Booker Prize for 'Orbital'

UK author Samantha Harvey, one of a record five women shortlisted for the Booker Prize, won the coveted award on Tuesday for her fifth novel, a "space pastoral" titled "Orbital", becoming the first woman to win the award since Margaret Atwood in 2019.

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Tuesday, november 12, 2024

Shell wins appeal against landmark Dutch climate ruling

A Dutch appeals court on Tuesday overturned a landmark ruling that ordered energy company Shell to cut its carbon emissions by net 45% by 2030 compared to 2019 levels, while saying that "protection against dangerous climate change is a human right.” FRAN

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COP 29: Who pays for climate finance?

This year’s COP29 summit has been dubbed the “finance COP”. Negotiators must increase a $100 billion-a-year target to help developing nations prepare for worsening climate impacts and wean their economies off fossil fuels. How much will be on offer and w

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Dutch appeals court overturns landmark climate ruling against Shell

A Dutch appeals court on Tuesday (November 12) overturned a landmark ruling that ordered energy company Shell to cut its carbon emissions by net 45% by 2030 compared to 2019 levels, while saying that "protection against dangerous climate change is a huma

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COP29 countries endorse global carbon market framework

The COP29 climate summit is being held in Baku, Azerbaijan this week. So far, the conference has given the go-ahead to establish 'carbon credit quality standards'. That could pave the way for the creation of a global carbon-trading market. But critics sa

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Climate change and the threat of ocean acidification

It is known by experts as an invisible threat - but one which is unravelling marine life, food chains and entire economies. That is the conclusion of new research on the critical threat of ocean acidification. Scientists discussed the problem at the COP1

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Oil giant Shell wins appeal against landmark Dutch climate ruling

A Dutch appeals court on Tuesday (November 12) overturned a landmark ruling that ordered energy company Shell to cut its carbon emissions by net 45% by 2030 compared to 2019 levels, while saying that "protection against dangerous climate change is a huma

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Monday, november 11, 2024

US election leaves 'wide-open vacuum' for global climate leadership, activist says

The COP29 climate talks open Monday in Azerbaijan, under the long shadow cast by the re-election of Donald Trump, who has pledged to row back on the United States' carbon-cutting commitments. FRANCE 24's Emerald Maxwell reports. Angela Diffley speaks to

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Can the COP save the planet? Fears build over climate with Trump's reelection

In Baku, the UN climate conference is underway. The stakes could not be any higher. 2024 is set to be the hottest ever year on record. The damage caused to human life and habitat by the effects of climate change are still being counted in Spain in the wa

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COP29 nations approve new rules for creation of global carbon market

Nations at COP29 on Monday agreed new ground rules for a global carbon market that would reward countries for reducing emmissions by giving them "carbon credits" they could sell to higher-polluting countries. COP29 president Mukhtar Babayev said the agre

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US climate envoy says work will continue despite Trump's return

Following COP29 climate summit's opening in Azerbaijan, U.S. climate envoy John Podesta on Monday urged governments to keep faith in the country's promise to combat global warming, saying Donald Trump can slow, not stop, the transition from fossil fuels

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‘Nothing grows anymore’: In Malawi, eating becomes a daily struggle due to climate change

The combined effects of cyclones and droughts, worsened by climate change, have led to widespread food insecurity in Malawi. While some adaptation efforts are emerging in this agriculture-dependent country, they have yet to gain traction on a larger scal

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After years of conflict in Iraq, residents of Mosul organize a reforestation project

As the curtain rises on COP29, attendees are hoping to seal an agreement to unlock trillions of dollars to help climate vulnerable countries adapt to climate change. Among these countries is Iraq, where in the city of Mosul, residents are taking matters

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Trump's return gives China chance at climate leadership, but Beijing resists pressure to do more

China accounts for 30% of the world's carbon emissions, making it the biggest greenhouse gas polluter. However, it also produces the most energy from renewable sources. The world's second largest economy says it's up to the US and other western countries

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Climate finance at top of agenda as COP29 opens in Azerbaijan

As delegates from all over the world attend the opening of COP29 in Azerbaijan this Monday, we focus on the financial needs of developing economies in their bid to transition to a green economy and build up climate resilience. A leading group of experts

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COP29 opens after Trump win with call for cooperation

The COP29 climate talks opened Monday in Azerbaijan with a call to show global cooperation was not "down for the count", as Donald Trump's re-election hangs over the key discussions. Story by Nick Rushworth and Oliver Farry.

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COP29 climate talks open amid Trump's vow to reverse US commitments

COP29 climate talks opened in Azerbaijan on Monday amid concerns over newly re-elected Donald Trump's pledge to reverse US carbon-cutting commitments. The two-week session is expected to focus on funds from rich countries to help poor nations cut carbon

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Disaster-weary Philippines hit by fourth typhoon in under a month

Philippines ordered thousands to evacuate and shut ports as Typhoon Toraji hit its northeast coast near Dilasag, officials reported Monday. The fourth typhoon in under a month, Toraji struck about 220 kilometres from the capital Manila. No casualties or

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