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As the UN climate talks enter their final week and the world’s Development Ministers gather to discuss the human cost of climate change, Jeremy Hobbs, Executive Director of Oxfam International said: “The negotiations are stuck - rich countries won’t budge on climate cash or emissions targets and the big players don’t want to talk about the kind of deal that will come out the end of the week.  We desperately need world leaders to get a grip on these issues now. “All countries will need to give a little if we are going to get a deal in time. The big question is…

There is likely to be a climate deal in Paris. The emission pledges that more than 150 governments have put on the table this year show that global climate ambition is increasing. In this briefing Oxfam looks at potential game-changers on finance and mitigation ambition that could avert these costs for the world’s poorest people.

A new report from the UN’s High-level Advisory Group on Climate Change Financing (AGF) makes it crystal clear that raising the public money to help poor countries build resilience to climate change is possible without putting the squeeze on taxpayers.

Oxfam welcomed the launch of a new website by the Dutch Minister of the Environment today (faststartfinance.org) which aims to collect and present details about climate finance pledges from developed countries.

Oxfam International criticized today the agreement just reached by the Japanese Cabinet for watering down the country’s responsibility to contribute to global efforts to tackle climate change.

As the EU scales back its climate ambition, new Oxfam research reveals the stark carbon inequality in the EU: Europe’s wealthiest are increasing their emissions, while ordinary Europeans have made the biggest cuts. The report highlights three key findings: Europe’s wealthiest are burning through our climate budget: the richest 10% of Europeans produce as much carbon as the bottom 50% combined. Carbon cuts are driven by ordinary Europeans, while Europe’s elite keep polluting: emissions have fallen. The bottom 50% of Europeans reduced their emissions by 27%, while the richest 0.1% increased theirs by 14%. To stay on the 1.5°C pathway, the EU must tackle the excessive emissions of Europe’s richest: everyone must cut their emissions, but the richest must go much further. The research shows that, to stay within the 1.5°C limit, the bottom 50% would need to cut their emissions in half, the top 10% by 90%, the top 1% by 97%, and the top 0.1% by 99%. 2024 was the first year that average global temperatures exceeded 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Yet, since the European elections, the EU has scaled back its climate ambitions, failing to submit its climate plan before the COP30 deadline and watering down climate legislation in the name of simplification. Oxfam calls on the EU to ramp up its ambition for emission reduction, with measures aimed at Europe’s wealthiest, to avoid a climate catastrophe and reduce climate inequality.

Over a decade ago, developed countries committed to mobilize $100bn per year by 2020 to support developing countries to adapt and reduce their emissions. The goal is a critical part of the Paris Agreement. As 2020 draws to a close, Oxfam’s Climate Finance Shadow Report 2020 offers an assessment of progress towards this goal.

Governments must build back better, low carbon, economies in the wake of the coronavirus to avoid fuelling the climate crisis, warned Oxfam today ahead of the Petersberg Climate Dialogue on 27 – 28 April. The virtual meeting will bring together government ministers from across the globe to discuss international climate action. 

Oxfam joins in welcoming the endorsement of the Global Compact on Refugees today, but warned that this groundbreaking document will only make a difference it if is translated into concrete action. The endorsement of the Compact follows years of tireless work by world leaders, international organizations and refugee advocates whose voices have truly been a driving force in developing this document. Sarnata Reynolds, Oxfam’s Policy Advisor on Global Displacement…

EU environment ministers could break through the dominance of China and the US that prevented progress at the Tianjin climate talks by making key decisions on climate finance when they meet in Luxembourg today, says international agency Oxfam.