AFP UK

The TRACE monitor has said the site with the biggest emissions on the planet is the Permian Basin in Texas

On the hunt for the methane “super-emitters”, US President Joe Biden on Friday unveiled a plan to plug oil and gas leaks and tighten regulation as several global emitters vowed to step up efforts to slash pollution of the powerful greenhouse gas. 

Methane, released from the oil and gas, waste and agriculture sectors as well as through natural processes, is responsible for roughly 30 percent of the global rise in temperatures to date. 

Dozens of countries have signed up to cutting their emissions of the short-lived but potent gas by a third this decade and Biden said this could be “our best chance” to meet the Paris climate deal’s more ambitious goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.  

“We have to make vital progress by the end of this decade,” he told an audience at COP27 in the Egyptian seaside resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. 

With recent data showing methane concentrations in the atmosphere made their biggest increase on record in 2021, the United States, the European Union, Japan, Canada, Norway, Singapore and Britain signed an agreement committing to “immediate action to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with fossil energy production and consumption”.

They also vowed to minimise flaring — burning off unwanted natural gas from oil and gas wells — and to minimise methane and carbon dioxide “across the value chain to the fullest extent practicable, while also working to phase down fossil fuel consumption”, according to a statement from the EU. 

– ‘Hot spots’ –

Biden pledged to invest more than $20 billion in cutting emissions in the United States, including improving equipment and capping leaks in the oil and gas industry.   

He also touted “strong regulatory actions” from the country’s Environmental Protection Agency, which, if finalised, would toughen up standards for methane and other harmful air pollutants. 

This was “especially from super emitters”, he said, referring to a programme that would require operators to respond to credible third-party reports of high-volume methane leaks. 

Earlier this week, the newly-launched TRACE satellite monitoring project said the top 14 largest emitters are all oil and gas extraction sites.

And of those, the biggest emitter on the planet is the Permian Basin in Texas — one of the largest oilfields in the world — said former US vice president Al Gore, a project founder.

On Friday, the UN Environment Programme unveiled its satellite-based Methane Alert and Response System (MARS), which will use data from global mapping satellites to detect methane “hot spots” and large plumes of the gas, and identify their source.

– ‘Game changer’ –

Biden said the measures announced Friday would enable the US to reduce its emissions from covered sources by 87 percent below the levels of 2005, by 2030. 

At last year’s COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, more than 100 nations agreed under the Global Methane Pledge to reduce emissions 30 percent by 2030, spearheaded by the US and European Union. 

But several major methane emitters — including China, Russia, Iran and India — failed to sign.

That figure has grown to 130, Biden said Friday, adding it was a “game changer”. 

Governments have zeroed in on emissions of methane, which lingers in the atmosphere only a fraction as long as CO2, but is far more efficient at trapping heat. Levels of the gas are their highest in at least 800,000 years.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said countries working together could reduce warming by 0.1C by mid-century, adding “every fraction of a degree counts in our fight to preserve our planet for future generations”. 

Rachel Cleetus, lead economist at the Union of Concerned Scientists’ climate programme, said the swathe of new announcements on methane “are critical” to addressing planet-heating methane pollution.

“We urgently need better tracking of methane emissions and stronger rules to reduce these emissions,” she said.

The International Energy Agency has decried the enormous amount of methane that leaks from fossil fuel operations, estimating the amount lost last year globally was broadly similar to all the gas used in Europe’s power sector.

In October, NASA said a methane plume about two miles (3.3 kilometres) long was detected southeast of Carlsbad, New Mexico, in the Permian Basin.

US President Joe Biden addresses UN climate talks in Egypt in a lightning stop on a tour that will also take him to Cambodia and Indonesia

President Joe Biden vowed at UN climate talks on Friday that the United States was on track to slash its carbon emissions, urging all nations to ramp up their own efforts to avert catastrophic global warming.

His speech came at the halfway point of a two-week COP27 conference in Egypt where rich polluters like the US are under pressure to finally provide the funding developing countries have been promised in the battle against climate change.

Biden touted the passage of a massive, $369 billion spending package to green the US economy as an achievement that would “shift the paradigm” for his country and the entire world.

“The climate crisis is about human security, economic security, environmental security, national security and the very life of the planet,” Biden said.

In an hours-long visit to Egypt before heading to Asia for ASEAN and G20 summits, Biden said the United States “will meet” its goal of cutting emissions 50-52 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. 

He also announced plans to step up efforts to cut methane emissions — a major contributor to global warming — by plugging fossil fuel leaks and requiring companies to act on leaks reported by credible third parties.

“To permanently bend the emissions curve, every nation needs to step up. At this gathering, we must renew and raise our climate ambitions,” he said.

“The United States has acted, everyone has to act. It’s a duty and responsibility of global leadership,” said Biden, whose administration also announced plans to require federal contractors to reduce their emissions in line with the Paris Agreement.

– Howl of protest –

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has sent energy prices soaring, has raised concerns that tackling climate change has dropped down the priority list of many countries.

“Russia’s war only enhances the urgency of the need to transition the world off its dependence on fossil fuels,” Biden said.

His 22-minute speech was briefly interrupted by a small group of demonstrators, who howled and attempted to unfurl a banner protesting fossil fuels before they were removed by UN security.

New research shows just how dauntingly hard it will be to meet the ambitious goal of capping global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels — requiring emissions to be slashed nearly in half by 2030.

The new study — published on Friday in the journal Earth System Science Data — found that CO2 emissions from fossil fuels are on track to rise one percent in 2022 to reach an all-time high.

– Mixed reviews –

Biden’s visit to COP27 came three days after US midterm elections that have raised questions about what the result could mean for US climate policy.

His climate speech earned mix reviews from COP27 participants.

“President Biden is advancing the boldest climate agenda of any American president by far,” said Ani Dasgupta, president of the World Resources Institute.

But he said the US was “grossly underperforming” on its commitments in a $100-billion-a-year global climate funding programme to help developing nations transition to renewable energy and build resilience.

Biden has pledged to double the US contribution to $11.4 billion, but Democrats may be running out of time to honour that as control of the House of Representatives appears poised to shift to the Republicans from January in the wake of this week’s vote.

Others pointed out that the United States has previously blocked efforts to establish a “loss and damage” mechanism that would see rich polluters compensate poorer countries for the destruction from climate-induced natural disasters.

Biden did not address the “loss and damage” mechanism idea in his speech, though the United States has allowed it to be on the official COP27 agenda.

“Joe Biden comes to COP27 and makes new promises but his old promises have not even been fulfilled,” said Mohamed Dowd, founder of the Power Shift Africa think tank.

“He is like a salesman selling goods with endless small print.”

Before his COP27 address, Biden met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on the sidelines of COP27, where he raised human rights issues with his host amid concerns over the health of jailed dissident Alaa Abdel Fattah, who is on a hunger strike.

The United States is the world's second-biggest emitter of harmful carbon emissions, and the 2022 passage of a landmark spending bill was seen as a significant boost to its renewable energy push

Despite Republicans’ gains in the US midterm elections this week, they are unlikely to knock President Joe Biden’s existing climate policies off course, experts say, highlighting the importance of individual state regulations.

Biden arrived at the COP27 global climate meeting in Egypt less weakened than he might have been if the Republicans’ much desired “red wave” had materialized in Congress, but with the balance of power still in limbo as counting continues.

Biden urged the world to “renew and raise our climate ambitions,” and said the passage earlier this year of a massive $369 billion spending package to green the United States economy should be an example for the entire world. 

The United States is the world’s second-biggest emitter of harmful carbon emissions, and the passage of the landmark spending bill was seen as a significant boost to its renewable energy push.

Conservative Republican lawmakers, who are traditionally less favorable to the fight against climate change, voted against the bill.

With 209 seats won in this week’s election so far, Republicans appear poised to secure a slim majority in the 435-seat House of Representatives, with control of the Senate still unknown.

Whatever the final result, the Republican party is not in a position to backtrack on the legislation or other similar bills, due to the lack of the majority necessary to override a presidential veto.

Nathaniel Keohane, president of the Washington-based Center for Climate and Energy Solutions thinktank and a former climate advisor to Barack Obama, said that Republicans taking control of both houses would be “the worst case for the climate.”

However, even if this happened and they “try to push back against what’s been done, there would be very limited success,” he said.

“Even if they only control one chamber, they can pursue hearings and oversight and investigations to try to make the administration look bad, but they are limits, even there, in terms of how far they could go over the next two years,” said Barry Rabe, an environment policy specialist and University of Michigan professor.

– ‘Two lost years’ –

The Republican campaigns ignored climate issues and centered on high inflation, crime, and immigration.

“They don’t have any serious plan,” on the climate emergency, said Jeffrey Colgan, director of the Climate Solutions Lab at Brown University.

However, he says the “most important climate results” emerging from the election would be in the Senate, whose composition will only be known after the Georgia runoff. 

A Democratic majority “would allow Biden to continue to appoint judges and other appointees who are climate-friendly,” said Colgan. 

Meanwhile, when it comes to authorizing oil and gas exploration, “Congress has limited authority,” said Keohane.

“I don’t think we’re likely to see a big shift in oil and gas production.”

Overall, the US Congress could end up with “two lost years” when it comes to fighting climate change, he added.

“It’s not ideal, but I don’t worry too much about backsliding.”

– The power of states –

Adding to the overall optimism of experts are the series of Democratic victories in key states, which Rabe said “have tremendous power and independence in some ways to move beyond the federal government.”

In 2017, former president Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the Paris climate agreement, pushing California and other states to move forward with their own ambitions.

The election of several pro-climate Democratic governors and local officials will allow new funding for infrastructure and energy to be “aggressively used in some of these states,” said Rabe.

“State action is crucial for decarbonization,” added Colgan.

He gave the example of newly elected Massachusetts governor Maura Healey, who is aiming for a 100-percent clean energy grid by 2030 — “five years ahead of Biden’s goal for the US as a whole,” he said.

“If we have a Congress that does not take action, state action is going to be very important,” said Keohane.

“So far, we’ve seen the Democrats, at the state level be much more willing to take action on the climate than Republicans.”

In a referendum in the state of New York, voters approved a $4.2 billion bond to fight climate change. This was a proposal backed by Democratic governor Kathy Hochul, who won re-election on Tuesday.

Nevertheless, around half of the country’s states will be led by Republicans after the midterm election.

Total Energies CEO Patrick Pouyanne (R) speaks with activists at the COP27 UN climate conference where he was heckled by others angered by the presence of fossil fuel lobbyists

French giant TotalEnergies’ chief executive was confronted by climate activists Friday at the COP27 summit in Egypt, where the presence of fossil fuel firms has drawn backlash.

As he was readying to join a conference, Patrick Pouyanne was confronted by a number of activists, forcing him to briefly take cover in the Guinean pavilion, an AFP correspondent reported.

This was followed by a tense exchange with the activists, who criticised TotalEnergies’ continued presence in Russia, its projects in east Africa and its representation at the UN climate talks.

“I have the right to be here,” Pouyanne told the activists. “I respect you so respect me, that’s all I’m asking you.

“We deliver gas to Europe because Europe is needing this gas,” said the chief executive, as the energy giant maintains its presence in its Yamal natural gas facility in Russia.

British watchdog Global Witness commented on the events, saying: “Today Mr Pouyanne was confronted by the destructive impact of his company, from Eastern Europe to East Africa.

“He is just one of more than 600 fossil fuel lobbyists that have flooded these UN climate talks, a sharp increase from the previous year.”

Groups including Global Witness estimate that the number of lobbyists at this year’s climate summit has increased by 25 percent compared to last year’s gathering in Glasgow.

US President Joe Biden addresses UN climate talks in Egypt in a lightning stop on a tour that will also take him to Cambodia and Indonesia

President Joe Biden vowed at UN climate talks on Friday that the United States was on track to slash its carbon emissions, urging all nations to ramp up their own efforts to avert catastrophic global warming.

Biden touted the passage of a massive, $369 billion spending package to green the United States economy as an example for the entire world.

While the US spending on its own renewable energy push has been praised by activists, Washington has come under criticism for falling short on its pledges to financially help developing countries with their own transitions and to cope with intensifying climate-induced impacts.

“The climate crisis is about human security, economic security, environmental security, national security and the very life of the planet,” Biden told an audience at the COP27 in the Egyptian seaside resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

Biden said the United States is “on track” to achieve its pledge of cutting emissions 50-52 percent below 2005 levels by 2030.

“To permanently bend the emissions curve, every nation needs to step up. At this gathering, we must renew and raise our climate ambitions,” he said.

“The United States has acted, everyone has to act. It’s a duty and responsibility of global leadership.”

His speech, which lasted about 22 minutes, was briefly interrupted by unidentified people in the crowd making howling noises and attempting to unfurl a banner protesting fossil fuels.

New research shows just how dauntingly hard it will be to meet the Paris Agreement’s most ambitious goal of capping global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels — requiring emissions to be slashed nearly in half by 2030.

The new study — published on Friday in the journal Earth System Science Data — found that CO2 emissions from fossil fuels are on track to rise one percent in 2022 to reach an all-time high.

Biden’s visit to the COP, lasting only a few hours, came three days after US midterm elections that have raised questions about what the result could mean for US climate policy.

Before his speech, Biden met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on the sidelines of COP27, where he raised human rights issues with his host amid concerns over the health of jailed dissident Alaa Abdel Fattah, who is on a hunger strike.

– War ‘enhances urgency’ –

The lightning visit to Egypt marks the start of a week-long trip abroad that will also take him to an ASEAN regional summit in Cambodia at the weekend, before he travels to Indonesia for G20 talks.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has sent energy prices soaring, has raised concerns that solving the climate problem has dropped on the priority list of many countries.

“Russia’s war only enhances the urgency of the need to transition the world off its dependence on fossil fuels,” Biden said.

In his speech, however, Biden did not mention another issue that has been at the forefront of the COP27 meeting: calls for the United States and other rich polluters to compensate developing countries for the damage caused by natural disasters.

Calling out the United States as “the historic polluter”, Mohamed Adow, founder of the think tank Power Shift Africa, said Washington has been an obstacle to the establishment of a “loss and damage” fund.

The issue was officially placed on the agenda of COP27, with fraught negotiations expected before the meeting ends on November 18.

– ‘Super-Emitter’ –

Germany’s climate envoy, Jennifer Morgan, told reporters that Biden’s attendance at COP27 was a “very good sign” that reassures other countries that “the United States at the highest level takes this issue incredibly seriously”.

US climate envoy John Kerry presented this week a public-private partnership aimed at supporting the transition to renewable energy in developing nations and based on a carbon credit system.

But the plan has been panned by activists wary of firms using these to “offset” their carbon emissions.

The White House announced Friday plans to require federal contractors to set targets to reduce their emissions in line with the Paris Agreement.

It also aims to step up efforts to cut methane emissions — a major contributor to global warming — with a “Super-Emitter Response Programme” that would require companies to act on leaks reported by “credible” third parties.

Biden has also pledged to contribute $11.4 billion to a $100 billion per-year-scheme through which rich countries will help developing nations transition to renewable energies and build climate resilience.

But Democrats may be running out of time to honour that as control of the House of Representatives appears poised to shift to the Republicans from January in the wake of this week’s mid-term elections.

President Joe Biden warned of an "urgent" climate crisis

US President Joe Biden arrived at UN climate talks in Egypt on Friday armed with major domestic achievements against global warming but under pressure to do more for countries reeling from natural disasters.

Biden will spend only a few hours at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, three days after US midterm elections that have raised questions about what the result could mean for US climate policy.

The lightning visit to Egypt marks the start of a week-long trip abroad that will also take him to an ASEAN regional summit in Cambodia at the weekend, before he travels to Indonesia for G20 talks.

Climate action in the United States — the world’s second biggest emitter — was given a major boost this year when Congress passed a landmark spending bill, the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes $369 billion for clean energy and climate initiatives.

Global warming “is an urgent crisis”, Biden said as he met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on the sidelines of COP27, where he said he would address human rights in the country with his host.

Biden, who was due to deliver a speech later, skipped a two-day summit of about 100 world leaders at COP27 that coincided with the US election earlier this week.

– ‘Historic polluter’ –

New research shows just how dauntingly hard it will be to meet the goal of capping global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels — requiring emissions to be slashed nearly in half by 2030.

The new study — published on Friday in the journal Earth System Science Data — found that CO2 emissions from fossil fuels are on track to rise one percent in 2022 to reach an all-time high.

COP27 talks have been dominated by the need for wealthy polluters to stop stalling on helping developing countries green their economies and prepare for future impacts — alongside calls to provide financial help for the catastrophic damage already apparent.

Calling out the United States as “the historic polluter”, Mohamed Adow, founder of the think tank Power Shift Africa, said Washington has been an obstacle to the establishment of a “loss and damage” fund.

“So our test for Biden … is, will he actually set out US commitment in providing effective support on loss and damage for the vulnerable countries?” Adow said.

The United States agreed to have the issue discussed at COP27, with developing countries least responsible for planet-heating emissions seeking what amounts to reparations from rich polluters to cope with accelerating climate impacts.

– Climate-sceptic Republicans –

Germany’s climate envoy, Jennifer Morgan, told reporters that Biden’s attendance at COP27 was a “very good sign” that reassures other countries that “the United States at the highest level takes this issue incredibly seriously”.

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Biden will “underscore the need to go further, faster, to help the most vulnerable communities build their resilience” and push major economies to “dramatically” cut emissions.

US climate envoy John Kerry presented this week a public-private partnership aimed at supporting the transition to renewable energy in developing nations and based on a carbon credit system.

But the plan has been panned by activists wary of firms using these to “offset” their carbon emissions.

The White House announced Friday plans to require federal contractors to set targets to reduce their emissions in line with the Paris Agreement.

It also aims to step up efforts to cut methane emissions — a major contributor to global warming — with a “Super-Emitter Response Programme” that would require companies to act on leaks reported by “credible” third parties.

Biden has also pledged to contribute $11.4 billion to a $100 billion per-year-scheme through which rich countries will help developing nations transition to renewable energies and build climate resilience.

But Democrats may be running out of time to honour that as control of the House of Representatives appears poised to shift to the Republicans from January in the wake of this week’s mid-term elections.

“We’re going to be pressing for passage of the appropriations bills,” US lawmaker Kathy Castor, who chairs the climate crisis committee in the House, told AFP.

US President Joe Biden salutes as he boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland for his trip to the COP27 summit and other summits in Asia

US President Joe Biden arrived at UN climate talks in Egypt on Friday armed with major domestic achievements against global warming but under pressure to do more for countries reeling from natural disasters.

Biden will spend only a few hours at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, three days after US midterm elections that have raised questions about what the result could mean for US climate policy.

Climate action in the United States — the world’s second biggest emitter — was given a major boost this year when Congress passed a landmark spending bill, the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes $369 billion for clean energy and climate initiatives.

“We’re living in a decisive decade –- one in which we have an opportunity to prove ourselves and advance the global climate fight,” Biden said on Twitter, hours before Air Force One flew over the conference venue at the Red Sea resort.

“Let this be a moment where we answer history’s call. Together,” said the US leader, who skipped a two-day summit of about 100 world leaders at COP27 earlier this week that coincided with the US election.

New research shows just how dauntingly hard it will be to meet the goal of capping global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels — requiring emissions to be slashed nearly in half by 2030.

The new study — published on Friday in the journal Earth System Science Data — found that CO2 emissions from fossil fuels are on track to rise one percent in 2022 to reach an all-time high.

COP27 talks have been dominated by the need for wealthy polluters to stop stalling on helping developing countries green their economies and prepare for future impacts — alongside calls to provide financial help for the catastrophic damage already apparent.

– Climate-sceptic Republicans –

“The world needs the United States to be a climate leader in our fight for climate justice,” prominent Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate, a 25-year-old Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, told AFP.

Germany’s climate envoy, Jennifer Morgan, told reporters that Biden’s attendance at COP27 was a “very good sign” that reassures other countries that “the United States at the highest level takes this issue incredibly seriously”.

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Biden will “underscore the need to go further, faster, to help the most vulnerable communities build their resilience” and push major economies to “dramatically” cut emissions.

US climate envoy John Kerry presented this week a public-private partnership aimed at supporting the transition to renewable energy in developing nations and based on a carbon credit system.

But the plan has been panned by activists wary of firms using these to “offset” their carbon emissions.

The White House announced Friday plans to require federal contractors to set targets to reduce their emissions in line with the Paris Agreement.

It also aims to step up efforts to cut methane emissions — a major contributor to global warming — with a “Super-Emitter Response Program” that would require companies to act on leaks reported by “credible” third parties.

Biden has also pledged to contribute $11.4 billion to a $100 billion per-year-scheme through which rich countries will help developing nations transition to renewable energies and build climate resilience.

But Democrats may be running out of time to honour that as control of the House of Representatives appears poised to shift to the Republicans from January in the wake of this week’s mid-term elections.

“We’re going to be pressing for passage of the appropriations bills,” US lawmaker Kathy Castor, who chairs the climate crisis committee in the House, told AFP.

– ‘Loss and damage’ –

Developing countries will look to the United States for support on establishing a “loss and damage” fund through which rich polluters would compensate them for destruction from climate-induced disasters.

Washington has previously resisted that idea, but agreed to discuss it at COP27.

Biden will also use the trip to meet Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and discuss the human rights situation in the country, where the case of jailed dissident Alaa Abdel Fattah was raised by other leaders earlier this week.

Ahead of his trip, the White House expressed “deep concern” for the hunger-striking British-Egyptian activist.

After COP27, Biden will head to an ASEAN regional summit in Cambodia at the weekend before travelling to Indonesia for G20 talks.

He may have a chance to revive cooperation with China when he meets President Xi Jinping at the G20, after Beijing cut off climate talks with Washington due to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in August.

Finnish loggers are rushing to cut before new EU rules may enter into force

Standing next to a freshly cut clearing the size of seven football fields, Finnish forest engineer Matti Jappila pointed to growth rings in a tree stump up to 300 years old.

“I have started to systematically carry out these loggings, sort of in advance,” he said.

Like many Finns, Jappila fears that an upcoming EU biodiversity strategy, which aims to protect 30 percent of the land in the EU, will make his forestry livelihood “completely unprofitable”.

The European Union proposed a new Nature Restoration Law in June that aims to restore by the end of the decade 20 percent of nature areas like forests and wetlands to the state they were in 70 years ago.

In a report last year, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said restoring natural forests and drained peatlands and improving sustainability of managed forests “generally enhances the resilience of carbon stocks and sinks.”

But in Finland, where forests cover around 75 percent of land, the proposals by Brussels have sparked outrage in the forestry industry, as well as a rift in the coalition government.

On Friday, the centre-left government survived a no-confidence motion brought by the main opposition parties over its handling of the issue, with 103 votes in its favour to 73 against.

“This regulation proposed by the Commission is exceptionally unfair to Finland,” Saara-Sofia Siren, an MP in the opposition National Coalition Party, told AFP.

The loud noise of a clearing saw filled the thick boreal forest of spruce and birch, as Jappila prepared another part of his estate to be cut down in December — before the EU can force him to protect it.

– ‘Exceptionally unfair’ –

“It’s better to fell old spruce areas now than wait.” 

He says passing the forest, which has been in his family for three centuries, onto his children would be “impossible” if he has to designate a large area as protected.

“It is very worrying,” he said.

The opposition claims the heavily forested Nordic country will be forced to bear the brunt of the cost of the EU’s plans.

“For Germany the cost is estimated at 190 million (euros), while for Finland, a significantly smaller country, it is close to one billion euros per year,” Siren said.

In 2020, the value of Finnish exports of forest industry products was 10.4 billion euros, amounting to 18 percent of the country’s total exports.

While Siren acknowledged that more environmental protection is needed, it is “important” for Finland that forestry policy is decided at the “national level”, she said.

And Finland is not alone in its concerns: in July 2021, 10 EU member states wrote a joint letter to the Commission expressing “deep concern” over the initiatives.

“We reiterate that the responsibility for forests lies with the Member States,” said the letter signed by Austria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.

France also opposes the move, as does Sweden, which takes over the rotating EU presidency on January 1 and has said it plans to push for forestry issues to be decided at the national level.

– ‘Destruction of biodiversity’ –

The issue has also divided Finland’s five-party government coalition.

The Greens, in favour of the protection measures, have been at odds with the Centre Party, traditionally strong supporters of the forestry industry.

After days of late-night wrangling leading up to Friday’s vote, coalition parties agreed on a critical stance towards the EU measures.

Prime Minister Sanna Marin told parliament on Wednesday the EU proposal was “not acceptable without substantial changes”.

Jaana Back, a Helsinki University forest science professor, said there is “no doubt these measures are needed to curb the loss of nature and the destruction of biodiversity”.

But she said that won’t happen “without active intervention” and noted that after a decade of promoting voluntary measures the European Commission has found forest protection to be “far from adequate”.

Back said intensive utilisation of Finnish forests has led to a decline in the number of species and forest growth has slowed, reducing their ability to absorb carbon.

In May, Statistics Finland estimated that in 2021, Finnish land used primarily for agriculture and forestry became a net source of emissions for the first time as the carbon sink of forests decreased.

“The growth slowdown is one factor in the sink’s decrease, another factor is that logging has increased,” Back said.

US President Joe Biden will arrive at the COP27 climate summit after US midterm elections raised questions about what the result could mean for US climate policy

US President Joe Biden headed to UN climate talks in Egypt on Friday armed with major domestic achievements against global warming but under pressure to do more for countries reeling from natural disasters.

Biden will spend only a few hours at COP27 in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, three days after US midterm elections that have raised questions about what the result could mean for US climate policy.

Climate action in the United States — the world’s second biggest emitter — was given a major boost this year when Congress passed a landmark spending bill, the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes $369 billion for clean energy and climate initiatives.

“We’re living in a decisive decade –- one in which we have an opportunity to prove ourselves and advance the global climate fight,” Biden said on Twitter.

“Let this be a moment where we answer history’s call. Together,” said the US leader, who skipped a two-day summit of some 100 world leaders at COP27 earlier this week that coincided with the US election.

New research shows just how dauntingly hard it will be to meet the goal of capping global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels — requiring emissions to be slashed nearly in half by 2030.

The new study — published on Friday in the journal Earth System Science Data — found that CO2 emissions from fossil fuels are on track to rise one percent in 2022 to reach an all-time high.

COP27 talks have been dominated by the need for wealthy polluters to stop stalling on helping developing countries green their economies and prepare for future impacts — alongside calls to provide financial help for the catastrophic damage already apparent.

– Climate-sceptic Republicans –

“The world needs the United States to be a climate leader in our fight for climate justice,” prominent Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate, a 25-year-old Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, told AFP.

Germany’s climate envoy, Jennifer Morgan, told reporters that Biden’s attendance at COP27 was a “very good sign” that reassures other countries that “the United States at the highest level takes this issue incredibly seriously”.

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Biden will “underscore the need to go further, faster, to help the most vulnerable communities build their resilience” and push major economies to “dramatically” cut emissions.

US climate envoy John Kerry presented this week a public-private partnership aimed at supporting the transition to renewable energy in developing nations and based on a carbon credit system.

But the plan has been panned by activists wary of firms using these to “offset” their carbon emissions.

The White House announced Friday plans to require federal contractors to set targets to reduce their emissions in line with the Paris Agreement.

It also aims to step up efforts to cut methane emissions — a major contributor to global warming — with a “Super-Emitter Response Program” that would require companies to act on leaks reported by “credible” third parties.

Biden has also pledged to contribute $11.4 billion to a $100 billion per-year-scheme through which rich countries will help developing nations transition to renewable energies and build climate resilience.

But Democrats may be running out of time to honour that as control of the House of Representatives appears poised to shift to the Republicans from January in the wake of this week’s mid-term elections.

“We’re going to be pressing for passage of the appropriations bills,” US lawmaker Kathy Castor, who chairs the climate crisis committee in the House, told AFP.

– ‘Loss and damage’ –

Developing countries will look to the United States for support on establishing a “loss and damage” fund through which rich polluters would compensate them for destruction from climate-induced disasters.

Washington has previously resisted that idea, but agreed to discuss it at COP27.

Biden will also use the trip to meet Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and discuss the human rights situation in the country, where the case of jailed dissident Alaa Abdel Fattah was raised by other leaders earlier this week.

Ahead of his trip, the White House expressed “deep concern” for the hunger-striking British-Egyptian activist.

After COP27, Biden will head to an ASEAN regional summit in Cambodia at the weekend before travelling to Indonesia for G20 talks.

He may have a chance to revive cooperation with China when he meets President Xi Jinping at the G20, after Beijing cut off climate talks with Washington due to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in August.

US President Joe Biden will arrive at the COP27 climate summit after US midterm elections raised questions about what the result could mean for US climate policy

US President Joe Biden headed to UN climate talks in Egypt on Friday armed with major domestic achievements against global warming but under pressure to do more for countries reeling from natural disasters.

Biden will spend only a few hours at COP27 in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, three days after US midterm elections that have raised questions about what the result could mean for US climate policy.

Climate action in the United States — the world’s second biggest emitter — was given a major boost this year when Congress passed a landmark spending bill, the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes $369 billion for clean energy and climate initiatives.

“We’re living in a decisive decade –- one in which we have an opportunity to prove ourselves and advance the global climate fight,” Biden said on Twitter.

“Let this be a moment where we answer history’s call. Together,” said the US leader, who skipped a two-day summit of some 100 world leaders at COP27 earlier this week that coincided with the US election.

New research shows just how dauntingly hard it will be to meet the goal of capping global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels — requiring emissions to be slashed nearly in half by 2030.

The new study — published on Friday in the journal Earth System Science Data — found that CO2 emissions from fossil fuels are on track to rise one percent in 2022 to reach an all-time high.

COP27 talks have been dominated by the need for wealthy polluters to stop stalling on helping developing countries green their economies and prepare for future impacts — as well as calls to provide financial help for the damage already being caused by climate-induced catastrophes.

“The world needs the United States to be a climate leader in our fight for climate justice,” prominent Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate, a 25-year-old Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, told AFP.

Germany’s climate envoy, Jennifer Morgan, said Biden’s attendance at COP27 was a “very good sign”.

“I think it reassures countries, people, that the United States at the highest level takes this issue incredibly seriously and we need that,” Morgan told reporters.

– Climate-sceptic Republicans –

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Biden will “underscore the need to go further, faster, to help the most vulnerable communities build their resilience” and push major economies to “dramatically” cut emissions.

“How long do we have to sit around to wait before we say, ‘Hey let’s get really serious’,” US climate envoy John Kerry told a COP27 panel.

Kerry presented this week a public-private partnership aimed at supporting the transition to renewable energy in developing nations and based on a carbon credit system.

But the plan has been panned by activists wary of firms using these to “offset” their carbon emissions.

With Republicans apparently poised to retake the House of Representatives, part of Biden’s climate agenda could take a hit. Democrats have a chance to retain the Senate.

Biden pledged to contribute $11.4 billion to a $100 billion per-year-scheme through which rich countries will help developing ones transition to renewable energies and build climate resilience.

But Democrats would have to rush it through Congress before climate-sceptic Republicans take office in January.

“We’re going to be pressing for passage of the appropriations bills,” US lawmaker Kathy Castor, who chairs a special climate crisis committee in the House, told AFP.

“Hopefully Republicans in the Congress will not block it,” she said.

– ‘Loss and damage’ –

The United States has  for years resisted attempts to establish a “loss and damage” fund in which rich polluters would compensate developing nations for the destruction from climate-related disasters.

Emerging countries successfully put the issue on the official COP27 agenda, with fraught negotiations likely before talks end on November 18.

Biden will also use the trip to meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and discuss the human rights situation in the country, where the case of jailed dissident Alaa Abdel Fattah was raised by other leaders earlier this week.

Ahead of his trip, the White House expressed “deep concern” for the jailed British-Egyptian activist, who is on a hunger strike.

After COP27, Biden will head to an ASEAN regional summit in Cambodia at the weekend before travelling to Indonesia for G20 talks.

Biden may have a chance to revive cooperation with China when he meets President Xi Jinping at the G20.

US-Sino cooperation has been crucial to the fight against global warming, but Beijing cut off climate talks with Washington after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August.