Daily News Brief

October 26, 2022

Top of the Agenda

The world is on track to warm by up to 2.9℃ (5.2℉) above preindustrial temperatures by the end of the century if countries do not increase the ambition of their current climate pledges, according to a new report from the UN climate change body [PDF]. That temperature increase is significantly higher than the 1.5°C (2.7°F) goal set by the Paris Agreement on climate. At last year’s UN climate conference, 193 countries pledged to adopt more ambitious pledges within a year, but only 26 have done so (NYT).

Ahead of next month’s conference in Egypt, the European Union (EU) said disagreements among member states are delaying updates to the bloc’s emissions-reduction targets. Meanwhile, climate talks between the United States and China, the world’s top emitters, remain stalled. Yesterday, The Lancet published a study on the health impacts of climate change that showed heat exposure led to 470 billion potential labor hours lost globally in 2021.

Analysis

“War in Europe, an international energy crisis, global inflation and political turmoil in countries like Britain and Brazil have distracted leaders and complicated cooperative efforts to tackle climate change,” the New York Times’ Max Bearak writes.

“Until we know how to remove emissions from the atmosphere and do something with them, even this past perilous year may well prove to be better than almost any year ahead of us unless we repair the planet at the pace that science demands and strengthen our adaptive capacity,” U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry says at a CFR event.

This Backgrounder looks at the successes and failures of global climate agreements.

Pacific Rim

Authorities in the Netherlands are investigating (The Guardian) claims that at least two Chinese police stations are illegally operating in the country after media outlets RTL Nieuws and Follow the Money reported that they were used to survey and threaten dissidents.

Singapore: Seeking to increase oversight of the digital assets sector, financial regulators proposed a ban on credit (Nikkei) issued for the purpose of buying cryptocurrency.

South and Central Asia

Bangladesh is the third South Asian country this year to seek support (Nikkei) from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), after Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

CFR’s Brad W. Setser discusses the debt crisis facing emerging markets.

Pakistan: Former Prime Minister Imran Khan announced that he and his supporters will begin a protest march (Reuters) from the eastern city of Lahore to the capital, Islamabad, on Friday to call for early elections.

Middle East and North Africa

Tomorrow, Israel and Lebanon are set to sign (Al Jazeera) a UN-brokered deal ending their longtime dispute over maritime borders and offshore natural gas rights.

Saudi Arabia: State oil company Aramco launched a $1.5 billion fund (Reuters) to support the global transition from fossil fuels to clean energy. The company’s director said continued investment in fossil fuels is needed until alternative sources can meet energy demands.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Rwanda accused the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) of ignoring diplomatic options (Bloomberg) to resolve its conflict with the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group after the DRC’s military began a new offensive against the rebels. UN and DRC experts say Rwanda has been backing the group.

For the Africa in Transition blog, CFR’s Michelle Gavin discusses the DRC’s role in regional security.

Sudan: The Central Committee of Sudan Doctors said a security force vehicle ran over and killed a demonstrator (AFP) yesterday as thousands of pro-democracy protesters in and around the capital, Khartoum, demonstrated on the anniversary of last year’s coup.

Europe

The German government will allow (FT) Chinese firm COSCO SHIPPING Lines a 25 percent stake in a container facility in the port of Hamburg. The company originally aimed for a 35 percent stake but agreed to compromise following criticism from German security officials.

Ukraine: Ukrainian forces advanced against the Russian military (WaPo) in the southern Kherson region and recaptured territory from Russian mercenaries in the city of Bakhmut. 

Americas

Election authorities will give social media platforms one hour to take down content (AP) ruled as false ahead of and immediately after Brazil’s presidential runoff on Sunday. Failure to comply could result in hefty fines.

This In Brief explains what’s at stake in Brazil’s elections.

Argentina: In a visit to Buenos Aires, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell talked up the possibility (MercoPress) of the bloc ratifying a trade deal with the Mercosur trade bloc, which comprises Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. 

United States

The federal government and two irrigation districts are objecting to the deal that Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas proposed (AP) to end their yearslong dispute over water management of the Rio Grande. Droughts in recent years have strained the river’s water supply, which Mexico also relies on.

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