The Canopy is a weekday morning email newsletter provided by the team at Greenpeace Australia Pacific.

Historic deal on loss and damage secured at COP27

Exhausted, hungry and very-much-over-it negotiators, government officials and climate campaigners (including our brilliant team from Greenpeace Australia Pacific) are now leaving the Egyptian resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh, after COP27 has come to a close.

This year’s UN climate summit has secured a historic deal that will see major emitting countries pay for the loss and damage caused by climate change in the developing world - which the Pacific has been campaigning for since 1992.

However, when it comes to fossil fuels as the actual cause of climate change, countries did not agree to requests to commit to the phasing down of all fossil fuels, instead the final decision was to take steps toward "the phase down of unabated coal power and phase-out of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies" - which was already agreed to at last year’s conference.

Cop27 agrees historic ‘loss and damage’ fund for climate impact in developing countries
Developing countries celebrated on Sunday morning as crucial climate talks ended with a “historic” deal on their most cherished climate goal: a global fund for “loss and damage”, providing financial assistance to poor nations stricken by climate disaster.

Success came at the end of COP, but that depends on what you wanted from it
Those who were determined to secure an agreement to create a fund to pay the poorest for climate damage will consider the gruelling and at times bitter talks in Egypt to have been a resounding success.

Critics lament COP27 deal lack of ambition
COP27’s final text did not contain a reference requested by India and other delegations to phase down the use of "all fossil fuels". Instead, it called on countries to take steps toward "the phase down of unabated coal power and phase-out of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies" as agreed at the COP26 Glasgow summit.

Climate change: Five key takeaways from COP27
BBC’s Matt McGrath looks at the different angles of the final decision at COP27 - is this COP the biggest win, or the biggest loss since the Paris Agreement? And what about fossil fuels?

Are we underestimating extreme rain in a changing climate? Research finds atmospheric moisture is increasing
New research has found we are failing to take climate change into account when considering current and future rainfall extremes, with researchers saying the dewpoint, and therefore atmospheric moisture, is increasing, which means rain storms can be "maximised".

Winds of change gather pace for biggest carbon-emitters
The battle for stronger climate ambition at AGL appears far from over, especially now that billionaire investor and activist Mike Cannon-Brookes’ board picks have been elected as independent directors.

Australia’s ‘cleaner coal’ is a systematic export scam, Wilkie to tell parliament
Australian coal exporters have been falsifying data to suggest their coal is cleaner than it is in order to increase its export price in a scam involving two testing laboratories, major accountancy firms and an investment bank, federal MP Andrew Wilkie is expected to tell parliament on Monday.

Wind and solar supply two thirds of South Australia grid in week it was cut off from NEM
The South Australia grid has been reconnected – or re-synchronised – with the country’s main grid after a week of “isolation”, during which time wind and solar still managed to deliver nearly two thirds of its electricity needs.

Analysis: India's biggest private bank bets $1.1 billion on a failed Aussie coal mine while poverty reigns at home
India, with 1.39 billion people, is soon to overtake China as the world's most populous country, with its insatiable need for energy to develop meaning its demand for coal is set to last for decades.

Electric vehicle tax unites states in High Court stoush against the Commonwealth
A High Court battle over taxing electric vehicles will pit the federal government against the states in a constitutional fight that could influence the future of the fuel excise.

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