World’s biggest carmakers to build 400m more vehicles than 1.5C climate target will allow

Yesterday, we published our report that showed that carmakers worldwide, including Australians' most trusted brand Toyota, are on track to sell an estimated 400 million more diesel and petrol vehicles than is feasible to keep global heating under 1.5°C. The Guardian in Australia covered the report: “Around the world carmakers are shifting towards electric vehicles, with companies such as Volvo, General Motors and Mercedes-Benz planning to stop manufacturing petrol engines, some as soon as 2025. But Toyota was expected to produce 63m more petrol and diesel cars than was sustainable, followed by Volkswagen with 43m and Hyundai with 39m.”

‘It’s humiliating’: A Kulkalgal activist from the Torres Strait Islands has said the way the world often treats Indigenous people is an insult and he is attending the Cop27 conference in Egypt 'fighting for our home'. At the same time, there are a record number of fossil fuel lobbyists at Cop this year. There are 600 of them, an increase of more than 25% from last year, and they outnumber any one frontline community affected by the climate crisis.

Last but not least, the AFR reports that the cost of living continues to soar as the key concern of voters, who also feel the government is doing a poor job of doing anything about it, new research shows.

World’s biggest carmakers to build 400m more vehicles than 1.5C climate target will allow
The world’s biggest carmakers plan to build about 400m more diesel and petrol cars than what is sustainable to contain global heating, a study has found. Researchers from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), the University of Applied Sciences of the Industry in Bergisch Gladbach and Greenpeace Germany compared the rate at which the world needed to embrace zero-emissions vehicles with the rate at which major car companies were planning to produce various models.

‘It’s humiliating’: activist says Indigenous voices are being ignored on climate crisis. A Kulkalgal activist from the Torres Strait Islands has said the way the world often treats Indigenous people is an insult and he is attending the Cop27 conference in Egypt 'fighting for our home'.

Anger at fossil fuel lobbyist numbers: what happened on the fourth day of Cop27
And so we are edging towards the end of the first week. Friday is decarbonisation and industry day, with events themed around that topic. The US president, Joe Biden, is heading to Egypt and Asia. He is expected to drop in on Cop27 on Friday before going on to the East Asia Summit in Cambodia and then the annual G20 in Indonesia. Meanwhile, there are a record number of fossil fuel lobbyists at Cop this year. There are 600 of them, an increase of more than 25% on last year, and they outnumber any one frontline community affected by the climate crisis.

Climate carnage: whose job is it to save the planet? – documentary
In a crucial year for the climate, award-winning Guardian environment editor Fiona Harvey reflects on 30 years of Cops and meets the politicians, activists, and scientists asking who is responsible for saving the planet. A must-watch!

Cost of living streaks ahead as top voter concern
The cost of living continues to soar as the key concern of voters, who also feel the government is doing a poor job of doing anything about it, new research shows.

‘Rain bursts’ over Sydney have intensified by 40% over the last two decades, research finds
A new analysis of weather data suggests the potential for severe flash flooding has increased far beyond predictions.

Spring tracking to become the wettest on record for southeast Australia as wet weekend predicted
Spring 2022 is on track to be the wettest on record for southeast Australia as yet another round of heavy rain and flooding arrives this weekend. In a repeat of the pattern observed numerous times since August, a band of thunderstorms will initially develop over central and South Australia on Saturday then extend to eastern states through Sunday and Monday, dropping heavy rain from north-west Queensland to Tasmania.

Record numbers of eastern quoll joeys born at Barrington Wildlife Sanctuary
There's been a baby boom of eastern quolls at a New South Wales wildlife sanctuary, with a record number of joeys born this season. The breeding program is run by Aussie Ark in a bid to safeguard the endangered quoll species.