UN report on 1.5C blocked from climate talks after Saudi Arabia disputes science

A major report on 1.5C has been excluded from formal UN climate negotiations, after Saudi Arabia tried to discredit its scientific underpinnings.

Climate science was buried at a meeting in Bonn. Meanwhile,
diplomats planted trees to symbolise their intention to combat desertification.

Discussions came to a deadlock at the talks in Bonn after a small group of countries refused to engage in substantive discussions over how the report’s findings could be used to inform policies on increasing the pace and scale of decarbonisation.

The report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) lays out the differences between 1.5C and 2C of warming – a matter of survival for many vulnerable countries including small island states which pushed for the findings to lead to more ambitious carbon-cutting policies.

Read the Climate Home News story by Cholé Farand - “UN report on 1.5C blocked from climate talks after Saudi Arabia disputes science.” 

Curbs on fuel pollution ruled out in favour of cheaper options

Moves to introduce stringent regulations for Australian fuels have been excluded from the government’s most recent consultation paper in favour of cheaper options that would result in more damage to the environment and public health.

Environment department says it will no longer
 consider changes that would provide greatest health benefit.

The Ministerial Forum on Vehicle Emissions is considering changes that would reduce emissions from motor vehicles, including regulations that would improve the fuel-efficiency of new cars and limits on pollution levels in fuel.

The motoring lobby and the petroleum industry have been fighting the introduction of the strongest regulations on both fronts. This week the department of environment revealed it did not plan to continue examining the strongest options.

Read Michael Slezak’s story in The Guardian - “Curbs on fuel pollution ruled out in favour of cheaper options.”