# data[].attributes.body
COP28, Move Beyond Coal week of action, Tally to Tugun growing, State govt emissions targets and more!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Watch COP28 UAE unfold here, with a live stream of events, including heads of state speaking at the Global Climate Action Summit, the UN climate negotiations, and voices from the Presidency's themed program.

COP28 is bringing the world together to Unite, Act and Deliver. Change starts here.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
COP28 UAE - United Nations Climate Change Conference

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
COP28 will convene in the UAE in November 2023. COP28 UAE brings the world together at a critical moment for global transformative climate action.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Over one hundred people risk arrest and remain in the shipping channel at the People's Blockade of the Port of Newcastle
26th November Rising Tide is continuing its blockade of the Newcastle coal port after police permission will expire at 4pm today. The Blockade commenced at 10am on Saturday.
Rising Tide organiser and spokesperson Alexa Stuart said today, "Over one hundred people, with the youngest 15-years-old and the oldest 97, are remaining on the water and risking arrest." "If the Government will not take action on climate change the people will use civil disobedience. We wish we did not have to do this, but the Albanese Government needs to understand we are serious," Alexa said. "Until the Albanese government says no to new coal projects and agrees to tax coal export profits at 75% to fund the transition, we will continue to disrupt the fossil fuel industry - because the climate crisis is impacting us all." Newcastle local and Alexa's grandfather, Reverend Alan Stuart, is a 97-year-old Uniting Church minister who is in the shipping channel and risking arrest. "I am doing this for my grandchildren and future generations because I don't want to leave them a world full of increasingly severe and frequent climate disasters," he said. "I am so sorry that they will have to suffer the consequences of our inaction. So, I think it is my duty to do what I can and to stand up for what I know is right." Anjali Beams, a 17-year-old school striker from Adelaide who is also remaining on the water, said, "I'm doing this as a student because the decision makers in this country have consistently ignored young people's voices. The Newcastle coal port is the largest coal port in the world, and I will not be complicit in letting my future get sold away by the fossil fuel industry for their profit." Coal miner Grant Howard, (0407 898 989) has travelled from the Queensland coal fields to participate in the blockade, said, "Just because I'm a coal miner doesn't mean I don't care about the future of the planet. I'm taking this action today because the transition has already started, it is happening and I want coal miners to be part of that conversation." "I support Rising Tide's call for a tax on coal exports to fund the transition away from polluting fuels for good. This is an opportunity for coal companies to materially support the communities that have helped make their massive profits, before they wind down," For media enquiries: Tom Morton 0402 610 656 For comment: Alexa Stuart 0423 361 030 Photos of the action after 4pm on Sunday will be available here

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
26th November Rising Tide is continuing its blockade of the Newcastle coal port after police permission will expire at 4pm today. The Blockade commenced at 10am on Saturday. Rising Tide organiser and spokesperson Alexa Stuart said today, "Over one hundred people, with the youngest 15-years-old and the oldest 97, are remaining on the water and risking arrest."

# data[].attributes.body
Two charts in Australia’s 2023 climate statement show we are way off track for net zero by 2050

The biggest remaining sources of emissions are transport, stationary energy (heating and burning fuel for industry), “fugitive” emissions from coal and gas production, and agriculture.

All of these are projected to remain roughly constant between now and 2035, and there is little reason to expect sharp declines after that, at least under current policies. So, on our current trajectory, we are unlikely to get much below 50% of 2005 emissions, let alone net zero, by 2050.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Two charts in Australia's 2023 climate statement show we are way off track for net zero by 2050

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Australia's latest climate change statement shows we have little hope of reaching net zero emissions by 2050. There's good news on the 2030 target, but then what?

# data[].attributes.headline
Tally to Tugun Sustainability Project news

# data[].attributes.subject
Tally to Tugun Sustainability Project news

# data[].attributes.body
a fantastic EOY event last night

Celebrating and connecting

Unveiling new intentions and name!

Gold Coast Sustainability Project

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Tally to Tugun Sustainability Project | Facebook

# data[].attributes.headline
Turn up the heat! It's Move Beyond Coal week of action!

# data[].attributes.subject
Turn up the heat! It's Move Beyond Coal week of action!

# data[].attributes.body
This Saturday 11-12 Broadbeach

We're turning up the heat on Albo again with another fun event at Kurrawa Beach (same location as last time).
Come and participate in a fun skit with Albo and Coal cooking the planet with new coal mine approvals.
We need lots of participants and attendees to make this a striking event for passers-by.
We want to show Gold Coasters there are lots of people who are passionate about the climate. We are in the trenches at Gold Coast, where the fight to turn public oponion is the greatest. Lets do this together!

https://www.facebook.com/events/1261338394536343/?ref=newsfeed

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Event by Grae Robert on Saturday, December 9 2023

# data[].attributes.body
Sultan Al-Jaber, COP28 Summit president and head of the UAE's largest oil company, said there is no shared science or scenario that says the phase out fossil fuels is what's going to achieve 1.5C.

The COP28 Director-General later came back in defence of Sultan Al-Jaber's initial comment to say “What he was talking about was, of course, that net-zero 2050. We all know that it’s very clear in all of the scientific reports that fossil fuels are going to be part of that mix, and he’s spoken very clearly that he thinks the phase down of fossil fuels is inevitable.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ek-yNR3ZeAA

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Cop28 president hits back after outcry over remarks on fossil fuels

# data[].attributes.body
Nuclear is being sold as a counterfeit climate response at COP28 with 22 nations signing a pledge to triple nuclear power generation by 2050. Australia is not one of them.

However, it’s increasingly clear the LNP are locking in nuclear as a response to climate change. Australia’s other nuclear proponents are the Australian Nuclear Association and the Mineral Council. They are championing tech that doesn’t exist anywhere in the world: an Ikea/flatpack nuclear concept, or small modular nuclear reactors.

Current projects to develop these are experiencing massive cost overruns, a U.S. company collapsed just last week.

Nuclear is a high-risk, high-cost distraction that will only delay our efforts to slash carbon emissions. Nuclear waste must be stored in isolation from anything for 100,000 years. What an incredible intergenerational burden. Civilian nuclear capacity is strongly correlated with nuclear weapon development as all the processes, tech and pathways are there.

The positive is an acknowledgement we need to drop carbon. But is this a holding strategy to a gas powered future?

Meanwhile, renewable energy is proven, popular, safer, cheaper and far more deployable.

(Notes from a talk by Dave Sweeney this week)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
With global leaders meeting in Dubai for the global climate change conference COP 28, the federal Opposition has again raised the idea of Australia embracing nuclear energy to reduce emissions.

The calls come after the Australian government declined to sign a pledge at the conference to triple nuclear energy capacity globally by 2050.

More Information

Featured:
Jane Buston, Clean Air Foundation
Christopher Kisinde, COP28 delegate
Shadow Climate Change Minister Ted O'Brien
Al Gore, Climate advocate
Tennant Reid, Australian Industry Group

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Federal Opposition calls for nuclear re-think at COP 28 - ABC listen

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
With global leaders meeting in Dubai for the global climate change conference COP 28, the federal Opposition has again raised the idea of Australia embracing nuclear energy to reduce emissions.

# data[].attributes.body
Australia has signed onto the global pledge to triple renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency by 2030.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Australia has backed a pledge at Cop28 climate summit to triple global renewable energy capacity and double the annual rate of energy efficiency improvements by 2030.

The climate change minister, Chris Bowen, said the Albanese government had joined 117 other countries in making the pledge, reiterating an agreement reached by G20 countries in September.

The renewable energy agreement was one of a series of headline declarations made as more than 100 global leaders arrived in the United Arab Emirates for the opening days of the two-week conference.

Anthony Albanese is not attending, and Bowen is not due to fly to Dubai until later this week for the event's final week, when ministers will attempt to wrangle a consensus position on how to lift action to tackle the climate crisis in the face of rising geopolitical tensions. Australia was represented at the opening plenary by its climate change ambassador, Kristin Tilley.

Bowen said Australia had joined other major energy exporters, including the US, Canada and Norway, in supporting the renewables and energy efficiency push.

"We know that renewables are the cleanest and cheapest form of energy, and that energy efficiency can also help drive down bills and emissions," he said in a statement. "For emissions to go down around the world, we need a big international push. Australia has the resources and the smarts to help supply the world with clean energy technologies to drive down those emissions while spurring new Australian industry."

The renewable energy pledge was welcomed by climate campaigners and analysts. Tim Buckley, director of the independent think tank Clean Energy Finance, said it was excellent to see Australia backing the commitment. He said falling costs had made the transition to renewables "an entirely economically sensible and viable commitment".

"Two years ago this would have been seen as next to impossible, but with China having transformed the world's capability to deliver on decarbonisation this goal will collectively bend the climate trajectory towards what the science clearly dictates. Propelled by China, the doubling of global solar module, battery and electric vehicle manufacturing capacity every two years is driving costs down dramatically," he said.

"It is now time for the world and Australia to kick the fossil fuel habit. [Australia] can't continue to approve, dig and ship coal and gas if it is to honour its climate commitments and help keep warming to the critical 1.5C threshold."

Barry Traill, director of the advocacy organisation Solutions for Climate Australia, said the support for tripling renewable energy was a "bright spot" at a summit "tainted by fossil fuel industry influence". He said he hoped Bowen would "use his flight to Dubai to gear up to fight in the negotiation rooms" to ensure the renewables and energy efficiency pledges were enshrined in the final Cop28 agreement.

"We also hope and expect that the Australian government will build on this major commitment by supporting the other two fundamental parallel commitments required globally to fix climate change: explicit commitments to phase out the main cause of climate change, the mining and burning of oil, gas and coal, and stronger climate finance arrangements to support poorer countries and their energy transition to clean, cheap renewable power," he said.

Speaking on the Guardian's Australian politics podcast on Saturday, Bowen said he supported strengthening mitigation efforts around the world, but would not be drawn on whether Australia would explicitly push for language to phase out fossil fuels or phase out unabated fossil fuel.

"We will be in there arguing for a very sensible strengthening [of language]," Bowen said. "We'll see what coalition emerges internationally in good company, but we'll be in that good company. Unlike previous [Cops] when Australia was in very bad company, blocking efforts, I'll be there working for a sensible outcome to get consensus across the board."

Australia is the chair of the "umbrella group" of countries at the talks, which includes the US, UK, New Zealand, Canada, Ukraine, Israel and Norway. Bowen said he intended "to be quite an active chair" and that meant "bringing other countries with us" to help reach a consensus.

"It's not just about mitigation - that is my No 1 priority, frankly - but also there's loss and damage [funding], there's the global stocktake [of national commitments], there's global finance action, there's adaptation pledges. This is a very busy Cop agenda," he said.

An initial draft Cop text released on Saturday listed included a range of expressions to be debated, including that either fossil fuels or coal should be "phased out" or "phased down". The same applied to fossil fuel subsidies. Saudi Arabia, China and India have previously resisted calls to agree that all fossil fuels should be phased out.

Australia was also among more than 100 countries to back declarations pledging to strengthen climate action in healthcare and farming. It did not sign up to a commitment by 22 countries, including the US, Canada, Japan and Britain, to triple nuclear energy capacity by 2050.

The Albanese government is hoping to win support for Australia to host Cop31 in 2026 with Pacific countries, but it is unclear whether a decision will be made in Dubai. The UN climate process faces a more pressing decision on where next year's annual summit will be held. It is due to be hosted in eastern Europe but Russia has blocked agreement on which country will take the reins.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Australia backs Cop28 promise to triple renewables but not nuclear capacity pledge

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
More than 115 countries vow to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030 - though not China and India

# data[].attributes.body
COP28 Win

"Day one saw a major breakthrough, with agreement on a “loss and damage” fund to compensate “particularly vulnerable” countries. While questions remain over the long-term sustainability of funding sources and how the fund will be administered, it still represents progress."

'Moving' and 'staying with dignity' are ongoing challenges for Pacific Island peoples.

An estimated 350 Indigenous people will be at the conference, still far lower than the 600 fossil fuel reps.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
It has taken decades, but the complex and increasingly urgent issue of " climate mobility " has gradually become central to international climate negotiations.

At the COP28 summit currently taking place in Dubai, there are around 25 sessions or side events devoted to the needs and rights of people and communities displaced by climate change.

Day one saw a major breakthrough, with agreement on a "loss and damage" fund to compensate "particularly vulnerable" countries. While questions remain over the long-term sustainability of funding sources and how the fund will be administered, it still represents progress.

But it is unclear how the fund will be integrated with the Global Stocktake - the report card on progress toward Paris Agreement goals. Only clear targets will help ensure meaningful outcomes that "leave no one behind", in line with the proposed COP28 roadmap to accelerate progress through inclusive climate action.

Embedding the specific issue of climate mobility within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ( UNFCCC) has never been easy. No consensus has been reached on protecting the citizens of states threatened by the impacts of climate change.

Nor is there much apparent political will to change the definition of "refugee" in the 1951 Refugee Convention to include those affected by climate change - or to develop new international law that would protect them.

With the world beginning to witness some of the consequences of this failure, it is important COP28 maintains momentum on an issue that is not going away.

Questions over the Australia-Tuvalu deal

The recently signed Falepili Union between Australia and Tuvalu provides a clear example of how thorny the question of climate mobility has already become.

The agreement provides a "pathway" for citizens of Tuvalu affected by climate change to gain citizenship in Australia. But it comes with a series of serious trade-offs for Tuvaluan national sovereignty, making its viability as a model of climate mobility justice questionable.

Read more: COP28 climate summit just approved a 'loss and damage' fund. What does this mean?

While claiming to offer Tuvaluan people the ability to "move with dignity", the Falepili agreement also requires Tuvalu to "mutually agree with Australia" any security and defence-related arrangements with other countries.

This is broadly defined to include defence, policing, border protection, cybersecurity and critical infrastructure; all key areas of geopolitical tension with China in the Pacific.

As such, the agreement has been criticised for breaching the good faith obligations of states undertaking climate mobility agreements with vulnerable partners. One commentator argued the Falepili Union was:

dressed up as a bilateral treaty - meaning it works for both countries - [but] should really have been called the Australia Defence Treaty in Tuvalu.

Staying with dignity

Countries at the forefront of climate change - low-lying island states vulnerable to sea level rise, in particular - have long put principles of dignity and equity at the centre of their calls for climate justice.

A significant gap in the Australia-Tuvalu agreement was the lack of consultation with Tuvaluan citizens. Debate in Tuvalu's parliament raised serious questions about this, as well as the agreement's approval by cabinet, widespread public confusion, and the lack of an officially released version from the government.

Research has consistently shown communities hit by climate change need not just the opportunity to move with dignity, but also the option to stay with dignity. This is particularly true for Pacific peoples and nations, where displacement, planned relocation and migration are becoming stark realities.

Successful strategies for remaining in place when and where possible are already in place around the Pacific. Communities in Samoa, for example, have found ways to adapt that minimise both physical risk and cultural harm.

Read more: COP28: Earth's frozen zones are in trouble - we're already seeing the consequences

Self-determination and climate justice

With many other climate-vulnerable nations seeking sustainable solutions to their problems, the Australia-Tuvalu agreement risks setting the wrong precedent for bargained, bilateral visa arrangements.

If and when such agreements involve larger, possibly more politically volatile countries, what might be the trade-offs? And what will be the implications for regional and global security?

The "climate refugee" question is already highly political, and has been a challenge to bring into formal agendas since the Paris Agreement in 2015. And while economic loss and damage tends to dominate discussions, non-economic and less tangible loss and damage also needs to be a focus.

Read more: COP28: the climate summit's first Health Day points to what needs to change in NZ

This encompasses everything from mobility, sovereignty and culture, to health, dignity and social cohesion. All have serious implications for Indigenous peoples - and all communities - whose sense of belonging to their lands is a vital part of identity and wellbeing.

International climate negotiations now need to concentrate on protecting the sovereignty of vulnerable states, and ensuring geopolitical calculations do not trump climate justice for those affected.

Small island states and Pacific peoples have contributed very little to the causes of climate change. But they are at the forefront of the crisis and are among the first to feel the full impacts.

The right of people to decide their own adaptation future, including options to adapt in place, may be addressed at COP28. But these now need to translate into the mechanisms that will support and empower that self-determination.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
COP28: with a 'loss and damage' fund in place, protecting climate refugees is more urgent than ever

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A recently signed Australia-Tuvalu citizenship agreement offers people displaced by climate change a chance to 'move with dignity'. But staying with dignity has to be an option too.

# data[].attributes.body
Australia has experienced record-breaking dry conditions and warmer than average temperatures during early spring, with hot and dry conditions expected to persist into the new year for many locations.

Many factors are driving increased risk of fire for large areas of Queensland, NSW, and NT, as well as locations in Tasmania, Victoria, SA and WA.

# data[].attributes.body
Submissions from across the country have been made in support of the Climate Change Amendment (Duty of Care and Intergenerational Equity) Bill 2023. Add your support via the link :)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
We all know the decisions we make today affect our future. When those decisions are made by politicians, they affect all of us.

When it comes to climate change, politicians and policy makers still aren't acting in the best interests of young people and future generations.

We need to act now if we want to protect the people and places we love.

We support the Climate Change Amendment (Duty of Care and Intergenerational Equity) Bill 2023 which imposes a statutory duty on decision makers:

1. To consider the likely impact of decisions that could harm the climate on the health and wellbeing of current and future children as the paramount consideration; and

2. Not to make a decision that could harm the climate if the decision poses a material risk of harm to the health and wellbeing of current and future children in Australia.

We the undersigned call on the federal parliament to pass legislation that imposes this Duty of Care and act now if we want to protect the people and places we love.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We all know the decisions we make today affect our future. When those decisions are made by politicians, they affect all of us. When it comes to climate change, politicians and policy makers still aren't acting in the best interests of young people and future generations.

# data[].attributes.body
Bamaga Basin - we need all our voices to join with Traditional Owners coming together to stop Gas and/or Oil extraction. Led by Teppethiggi Elders Nerida Brown and Temaleti Matasia and Traditional Owner Groups in the Western Gulf of Carpentaria.