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Climate change diplomacy

Climate change diplomacy
Latest news and analysis about how different governments engage with each other over environmental policies, including competition, collaboration and negotiations.
Authorities announced on Friday China will cancel export VAT rebates for solar panels and lower rebates for batteries from 9 per cent to 6 per cent from April 1. The rebates for batteries will be cancelled on January 1, 2027. Photo: VCG via Getty Images
China exports

Goodwill or necessity? Why is China slashing solar and battery subsidies?

Analysts expect policy will signal to Europe that Beijing is interested in serious trade relations and is a good partner.

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United Nations

‘World stands at a crossroads’: UN chief issues grim New Year message

Science

US green tech retreat echoes mistake of China’s Qing dynasty before collapse

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China economy

Opinion | How China is cementing its central role as the architect of green tech

Beyond climate leadership and capacity building, China is rewriting its own energy system – and the global energy order.

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An aerial view of the No 1 booster station of the Ningxia Power Investment Yongli (Zhongwei) 3-megawatt photovoltaic green power project, in Shapotou district, Zhongwei city, Ningxia. It was officially connected to the grid and began power generation on October 25. Photo : Xinhua
China-EU relations

Opinion | How France and China offer an alternative to zero-sum diplomacy

As the countries stake their relationship on sustainability and hi-tech cooperation, they are building a new template for bilateral ties.

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Climate change

Opinion | How Hong Kong can distinguish itself as a climate finance hub

The city should lead by directing capital to projects that modernise grids, electrify transport and accelerate green supply chains.

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Climate change

Opinion | Fashion industry must tailor climate plans to Asian suppliers’ reality

Efforts to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions in the fashion industry will not work if they rest on a Western design paired with Eastern sacrifice.

A worker holds a piece of clothing at a factory in Depok, Indonesia, on April 25, 2022. Photo: EPA-EFE/ADI WEDA
Climate change

Opinion | How Cop30 laid bare the new geopolitics of climate action

Fractures, even among the Global South, show the energy transition is not just a technical challenge but a deeply political negotiation.

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Climate change

Opinion | China’s quiet climate leadership offers hope for Global South and world

The Global North is failing to deliver on its climate pledges while Beijing patiently lays the groundwork for a greener future.

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Climate change

‘Important steps’: what Cop30 deal means for climate unity and Global South

Despite the limited outcome, the summit also reveals how developing nations can still influence the global transition, analysts say.

A fire truck is seen submerged in floodwaters in Songkhla province, southern Thailand, on Monday. The Cop30 summit set a goal of scaling up global climate finance to at least US$1.3 trillion per year by 2035. Photo: AP
Climate change

Language Matters | Why language loss in indigenous communities hurts biodiversity conservation

Ecosystem loss and language erosion often occur in tandem. Thankfully, Cop30 marked an unprecedented effort to elevate indigenous voices.

Activists take part in a climate protest during the Cop30 UN climate summit in Belem, Brazil, on November 15 2025. Photo: AP
China-India relations

India, China align on climate at Cop30 as ties thaw

Analysts say pairing China’s cleantech prowess with India’s energy needs has the potential to redefine Asia’s decarbonisation trajectory.

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Climate change

Cop30 seals uneasy climate deal that sidesteps fossil fuels

The EU had pressed for language on the move away from fossil fuels but faced stiff resistance from Arab Group nations including Saudi Arabia.

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Climate change

Macroscope | What China, not the free market, gets right about climate finance

China’s central and local governments and state entities are willing to issue or guarantee green bonds on a scale unmatched elsewhere.

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Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva greets China’s Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang in Belem, Brazil on November 5, ahead of Cop30. Photo: AFP
United Nations

Fire breaks out at Brazil’s Cop30 talks, forcing delay at critical phase

Fire forces evacuation at summit site in Belem as nations attempt to resolve contentious climate issues.

People use fire extinguishers to put out a fire at the Pavilion of Countries in the Blue Zone. Photo: Reuters
Australia

‘We can’t have it all’: Turkey to host UN climate summit as Australia budges

Canberra will lead the conference’s negotiations among governments as its neighbour Papua New Guinea slammed the summit process as useless.

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Climate change

Can Brazil’s Cop30 spark a climate breakthrough in the Amazon?

Brazil accelerates talks, urging nations to finalise climate plans, aid distribution, and transparency by Friday.

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Americas and the Caribbean

Cop30: climate protesters rally in Brazil at UN summit’s halfway mark

The rally in Belem, attended by indigenous peoples and activists, is the first major protest outside the annual climate talks since Cop26.

Climate activists protest with coffins that read coal, oil and gas during the C0-30 UN climate summit on Saturday in Belem, Brazil. Photo: AP
Japan

Pikachu protest at Cop30 takes on Japan’s fossil fuel empire

The Japan Bank for International Cooperation financed over US$7 billion in loans for coal and gas projects from 2016 to 2024, study shows.

Climate change

Outside In | Takeaway from Cop30: climate action needs to be up close and local

A focus on adaptation means a pivot to action on floods, typhoons, heatstroke deaths, wildfire damage – issues of immediate survival.

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Climate change

Editorial | As the US sits out Cop30, China and others must pick up the slack

Technology and investment partnerships, especially among developing nations, could reinvigorate efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Indigenous leaders gather in the Cop30 Village during the UN Climate Change Conference in Belem, Brazil on November 12. Photo: Reuters
United States

At Cop30, California Governor Newsom seizes spotlight and takes aim at Trump

With the US president absent, the California governor and 2028 prospect called Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Accord an ‘abomination’.

California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks to journalists after a press conference at the Cop30 summit. Photo: AFP
Brazil

Protesters force way into UN climate summit venue, clash with security

The clash in the Brazilian Amazon city of Belem underscored frustration among Indigenous groups who demand more say in how forests are managed.

China-Latin America relations

China refuses to back Brazil’s crucial rainforest fund

Beijing says wealthy countries should shoulder more responsibility as Lula prepares personal appeal to Xi at the G20 summit in South Africa.

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Climate change

Opinion | How Cop30 can advance a new template for South-South climate leadership

Proven monitoring, policy lessons and the moral weight of the Amazon venue give the Global South a rare convergence of tech capability and political urgency.

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Leaders gather during the launch of the Tropical Forest Forever Facility in the framework of the Cop30 UN Climate Change Conference in Belem, Para State, Brazil, on November 6. Photo: AFP
China-Latin America relations

Cop30: China to join coalition seeking shared rules for carbon trading

New alliance, which also includes the EU and UK, was created to align standards globally and help countries trade carbon credits more easily.

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The Wujing Power Station in Shanghai. China is set to join a coalition seeking shared rules for carbon trading at Cop30 in Belém, Brazil. Photo: AFP
China-Latin America relations

China joins support for Brazil’s Forest Fund but delays financial commitment

Brazil’s finance chief urges patience, saying Beijing wants a role in designing the new fund before pledging money.

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China-Latin America relations

Brazil’s Lula opens Cop30 demanding courage – and cash – to save the planet

Chinese Vice-Premier Ding urges nations to honour Paris pledges with fairness and justice, calling for global climate action.

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