Climate Weekly

It has not been the most proud week for carbon credit. We revealed Tuesday how Shell used accounting loopholes to cash in on dubious offsets derived from Chinese rice farming projects.

Yesterday, we reported How the carbon credit industry had successfully resisted calls by vulnerable nations for a part of carbon market revenues to be used to help countries adapt to climate change.

It seems like almost every day brings another carbon credit expose on Climate Home and elsewhere. But are those in power paying any attention?

Our freedom of information request revealed that the Australian government paid US$133,000 to obtain advice on carbon credits.

They had a close relationship to the fossil fuel and carbon credit industries. Surprisingly, the report they produced was not critical of carbon credits.

The new Australian Labor government claims it is cracking down against consultants, but they seem to have retained the love of carbon credits that their predecessors.

The Labor government’s flagship climate policy, which was reached after compromises with Greens this week, included the key goal of reducing emissions from new coal and natural gas production.

This week’s stories

• Luxor talks: Splits remain, but there are high hopes for a loss and damage fund in this year’s Luxor negotiations
• The carbon credit industry resists the call of vulnerable nations to finance adaptation
• Austalia’s controversial carbon credit policy was shaped by industry consultants
• Cyclone Freddy calls for urgent loss and damage finance.
• European court hears landmark lawsuits that could influence climate policy
• International Court of Justice will advise states on climate obligations: “A turning point in climate justice”
• Revealed: Shell’s dubious carbon offsets from Chinese rice pads were a cash grab
• Carbon credit rule-makers must engage Indigenous People
• Cop28 hosted by UAE tried to weaken global shipping’s climate ambition
• Climate in court: The role of the Paris Agreement in protecting human rights
• Greens are not blocking Australia’s new fossil fuel projects
• Mexico launches a global push to restrict geoengineering
• I’m a COP veteran. Here are three suggestions for the Loss and Damage Fund.

It’s been a great week for climate lawyers, which is a brighter note. On Wednesday, the UN General Assembly was in New York. Officially asked One of the most prestigious courts in the world to advise states about their responsibilities to combat climate change and the legal consequences of not doing so.

It was a diplomatic victory for Vanuatu, a tiny Pacific nation, and the students who came up with the idea. Vanuatu’s prime Minister called it “a win in climate justice of epic proportions”, even though no one knows what the court will decide.

Isabella Kaminski will also be on Wednesday reported A Strasbourg court convicted France and Switzerland of violating citizens’ human rights by failing to take adequate action on climate change.

The case could help improve climate policies in Europe and around the world if the European Court of Human Rights rules in favour of campaigners. Governments tend to hate being sued.