International
Climate pledges still ‘nowhere near’ enough for 1.5C: UN
| By AFP | Kelly Macnamara |
International climate pledges remain far off track to limit temperature rises to 1.5 degrees Celsius, according to a UN report released Wednesday, less than two weeks ahead of high-stakes negotiations to tackle global warming.
The combined climate pledges of more than 190 nations that signed up to the 2015 Paris climate deal put Earth on track to warm around 2.5C compared to pre-industrial levels by the century’s end, the UN said.
With the planet already battered by climate-enhanced heatwaves, storms and floods after just 1.2C of warming, experts say the world is still failing to act with sufficient urgency to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
“We are still nowhere near the scale and pace of emission reductions required to put us on track toward a 1.5 degrees Celsius world,” said Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change.
“To keep this goal alive, national governments need to strengthen their climate action plans now and implement them in the next eight years.”
The UN’s climate experts have said emissions — compared to 2010 levels — need to fall 45 percent by 2030 in order to meet the Paris deal’s more ambitious goal.
In this latest report, the UN said that current commitments from governments around the world will in fact increase emissions by 10.6 percent by 2030, from 2010. This was a slight improvement from a similar analysis a year ago.
‘Disappointing’
When nations met in Glasgow last year for a previous round of climate negotiations, they agreed to speed up their climate pledges to cut carbon pollution this decade and increase financial flows to vulnerable developing nations.
But only 24 countries, of 193, had updated their plans at the time of the report, which Stiell said was “disappointing”.
“Government decisions and actions must reflect the level of urgency, the gravity of the threats we are facing, and the shortness of the time we have remaining to avoid the devastating consequences of runaway climate change,” he said.
He called on governments to revisit and strengthen their carbon cutting plans in line with the Paris temperature goals before the UN climate meeting, which will be held from November 6 to 18 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
Nations are meeting in the shadow of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and cascading global crises of hunger, energy prices and living costs, exacerbated by extreme weather.
Research by the World Resources Institute suggests that the world needs to curb emissions six times faster by 2030 than the current trajectory to meet the 1.5C warming cap.
Australia and Indonesia have offered “some momentum” by stepping up their climate pledges since the last UN climate negotiations, said WRI’s Taryn Fransen, adding that further announcements from a range of countries including the European Union, Chile, Turkey and Vietnam are expected this year.
She said the world’s second biggest emitter, the United States, took a “massive step” this year with measures in its new sweeping climate and inflation bill and urged China, the biggest emitter, to set a specific goal to cut planet-warming methane pollution.
‘Transformative response’
A second UN report also released Wednesday looked at longer term and “net-zero” climate goals to around mid century put forward by dozens of countries.
It found that those countries’ greenhouse gas emissions would be 68 percent lower by 2050 than they were in 2019, if all strategies were fully implemented.
“This is a sobering moment, and we are in a race against time,” said Sameh Shoukry, Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs and President-Designate of the upcoming UN COP27 talks.
Countries need to do more, he said, adding that the “alarming findings merit a transformative response” in Egypt.
Scientists have warned that any rise above 1.5C risks the collapse of ecosystems and the triggering of irreversible shifts in the climate system.
With the impacts slamming hardest into countries least responsible for fossil fuel emissions, calls have grown louder for richer polluters to pay “loss and damage” to vulnerable nations.
In a landmark report this year on climate impacts and vulnerabilities, the UN’s 195-nation Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned that time had nearly run out to ensure a “liveable future” for all.
That report was signed off by the same governments that will return to negotiations in Egypt.
International
Mexico City prepares for 13 million pilgrims at Basilica of Guadalupe
The Mexico City government is expecting at least 13 million pilgrims to visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe for the December 12 celebrations honoring Mexico’s patron saint. To ensure the safety and care of visitors, authorities have launched the “Basilica Operation,” mobilizing more than 105,000 public servants.
Mayor Clara Brugada stated that the operation began on December 5 and will continue until December 14, covering the peak of visits to the basilica, located in the Gustavo A. Madero borough in the north of the city.
Key measures include reinforcement of the Metro public transport system, particularly at stations near the sanctuary, the installation of three helipads for medical emergencies, and the involvement of Civil Protection brigades, health ministry personnel, and public safety officers.
Secretary of Public Security Pablo Vázquez explained that the deployment also includes 255 patrol units and numerous specialized teams to manage crowds, traffic, and emergency situations, aiming to guarantee a secure experience for all pilgrims.
Central America
Mexico and Guatemala launch joint security operation after Agua Zarca border attack
The Government of Mexico announced on Tuesday that it has strengthened coordination with Guatemala following an armed confrontation in the community of Agua Zarca, in Guatemala’s Huehuetenango department, where a soldier was wounded in an attack attributed to organized-crime groups operating on both sides of the border.
The Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Omar García Harfuch, confirmed that Mexico is exchanging information with Guatemalan authorities and that Mexican Army units have been deployed along the border to reinforce surveillance and assist in reconnaissance operations.
The attack, Guatemala’s Defense Ministry stated, reflects the “criminal dynamics” dominating that border region, where different groups compete for drug and arms trafficking routes.
According to Guatemala’s Defense Ministry, the clash left a soldier wounded in the leg after suspected criminals crossed from Mexico and opened fire. The wounded soldier is reportedly in stable condition. Authorities also seized high-caliber weapons, explosives, tactical gear and drones, which were handed over for forensic analysis.
Mexican Defense Secretary General Ricardo Trevilla Trejo announced that a coordinated plan of operations will be launched involving both Mexican and Guatemalan forces along the border to counter these criminal networks.
Harfuch emphasized that the violence is not isolated but symptomatic of the ongoing struggle between criminal organizations for territorial control, and reiterated Mexico’s commitment to bilateral security cooperation and its intention to strengthen institutional presence in vulnerable border zones.
International
Zelensky meets Pope Leo XIV as review of U.S. peace plan continues
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met on Tuesday with Pope Leo XIV in Italy, after pledging to deliver a response to the United States regarding the proposed peace plan aimed at ending the war with Russia.
The meeting with the pontiff took place at the papal residence in Castel Gandolfo, near Rome, where Leo XIV “reiterated the need to continue dialogue and renewed his urgent hope that the ongoing diplomatic initiatives may lead to a just and lasting peace,” the Vatican said in a statement.
His visit to Italy follows Monday’s meetings with European leaders in London and Brussels, amid pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to agree to a peace plan that Zelensky said he is still reviewing.
According to Zelensky, the plan presented by Washington—originally consisting of 28 points—was reduced to 20 after discussions between Ukrainian and U.S. representatives over the weekend. “We are going to work on those 20 points. We are not completely satisfied with the proposals from our partners,” Zelensky said during an online press conference on Monday.
Mexico City prepares for 13 million pilgrims at Basilica of Guadalupe
U.S. finds no evidence of fraud in Honduras election despite delays
U.S. accuses Ortega regime of systematic human rights abuses in Nicaragua
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
Central America2 days agoGuatemalan soldier wounded in clash with suspected mexican armed group near border
-
International2 days agoJapan lifts tsunami alert after strong 7.6-magnitude earthquake hits northern coast
-
International4 days agoFive laboratories investigated in Spain over possible African Swine Fever leak
-
Central America4 days agoHonduras vote vount drags on as Asfura and Nasralla remain in technical tie
-
Central America2 days agoGuatemala reverses asset seizures after judge replacement, benefiting ex-president and former ministers
-
Central America23 hours agoMexico and Guatemala launch joint security operation after Agua Zarca border attack
-
International2 days agoInterior Dept. redefines 2026 Patriotic Days, sparking criticism over removed civil rights holidays
-
Central America23 hours agoHonduran University: Nullifying elections without proof of fraud undermines popular sovereignty
-
Central America23 hours agoCNA director says Libre’s defeat stems from “lack of substance,” not messaging
-
International23 hours agoZelensky meets Pope Leo XIV as review of U.S. peace plan continues
-
Central America2 hours ago
U.S. accuses Ortega regime of systematic human rights abuses in Nicaragua
-
Central America2 hours ago
U.S. finds no evidence of fraud in Honduras election despite delays
-
Central America2 hours ago
Honduras’ electoral chief reports ongoing technical issues but says results remain intact
-
International2 hours agoMexico City prepares for 13 million pilgrims at Basilica of Guadalupe