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Tobacco control efforts protect 6.1bn people – WHO report

Michael Simire
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Tobacco control efforts protect 6.1bn people – WHO report

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Monday, June 23, released its report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic 2025 at the World Conference on Tobacco Control in Dublin, warning that action is needed to maintain and accelerate progress in tobacco control as rising industry interference challenges tobacco policies and control efforts.

tobacco smoking
According to scientists, tobacco smoking is dangerous to health

The report focuses on the six proven WHO MPOWER tobacco control measures to reduce tobacco use, which claims over 7 million lives a year:

  • Monitoring tobacco use and prevention policies;
  • Protecting people from tobacco smoke with smoke-free air legislation;
  • Offering help to quit tobacco use;
  • Warning about the dangers of tobacco with pack labels and mass media;
  • Enforcing bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship; and
  • Raising taxes on tobacco.

Since 2007, 155 countries have implemented at least one of the WHO MPOWER tobacco control measures to reduce tobacco use at best-practice level. Today, over 6.1 billion people, three-quarters of the world’s population, are protected by at least one such policy, compared to just 1 billion in 2007.

Four countries have implemented the full MPOWER package: Brazil, Mauritius, the Netherlands (Kingdom of the), and Türkiye. Seven countries are just one measure away from achieving the full implementation of the MPOWER package, signifying the highest level of tobacco control, including Ethiopia, Ireland, Jordan, Mexico, New Zealand, Slovenia and Spain.

However, there are major gaps. Forty countries still have no MPOWER measure at best-practice level and more than 30 countries allow cigarette sales without mandatory health warnings.

“Twenty years since the adoption of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, we have many successes to celebrate, but the tobacco industry continues to evolve and so must we,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “By uniting science, policy and political will, we can create a world where tobacco no longer claims lives, damages economies or steals futures. Together, we can end the tobacco epidemic.”

The WHO Global Tobacco Epidemic 2025 report, developed with support from Bloomberg Philanthropies, was launched during the 2025 Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards for Global Tobacco Control. The awards celebrated several governments and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) making progress to reduce tobacco use.

“Since Bloomberg Philanthropies started supporting global tobacco control efforts in 2007, there has been a sea change in the way countries prevent tobacco use, but there is still a long way to go,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies and WHO Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries. “Bloomberg Philanthropies remains fully committed to WHO’s urgent work – and to saving millions more lives together.”

The WHO Global Tobacco Epidemic 2025 report reveals that the most striking gains have been in graphic health warnings, one of the key measures under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), that make the harms of tobacco impossible to ignore:

  • 110 countries now require them – up from just 9 in 2007 – protecting 62% of the global population; and
  • 25 countries have adopted plain packaging.

WHO warns, however, that enforcement is inconsistent, and smokeless tobacco packaging remains poorly regulated. The new report is accompanied by a new data portal that tracks country-by-country progress between 2007–2025.

Despite their effectiveness, 110 countries haven’t run anti-tobacco campaigns since 2022. However, 36% of the global population now lives in countries that have run best-practice campaigns, up from just 19% in 2022. WHO urges countries to invest in message-tested and evaluated campaigns.

Taxes, quit services and advertising bans have been expanding, but many improvements are needed:

  • Taxation: 134 countries have failed to make cigarettes less affordable. Since 2022, just three have increased taxes to the best-practice level.
  • Cessation: Only 33% of people globally have access to cost-covered quit services.
  • Advertising bans: Best-practice bans exist in 68 countries, covering over 25% of the global population.

Around 1.3 million people die from second-hand smoke every year. Today, 79 countries have implemented comprehensive smoke-free environments, covering one-third of the world’s population. Since 2022, six additional countries (Cook Islands, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sierra Leone, Slovenia and Uzbekistan) have adopted strong smoke-free laws, despite industry resistance, particularly in hospitality venues.

There has been a growing trend to regulate the use of e-cigarettes or ENDS – Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems. The number of countries regulating or banning ENDS has grown from 122 in 2022 to 133 in 2024, a clear signal of increased attention to these products. However, over 60 countries still lack any regulations on ENDS.

WHO is calling for urgent action in areas where momentum is lagging.

“Governments must act boldly to close remaining gaps, strengthen enforcement, and invest in the proven tools that save lives. WHO calls on all countries to accelerate progress on MPOWER and ensure that no one is left behind in the fight against tobacco,” said Dr Ruediger Krech, Director of Health Promotion.

Bonn climate talks: Civil society, Indigenous Peoples’ groups urge reform ahead of COP30

Michael Simire
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Bonn climate talks: Civil society, Indigenous Peoples’ groups urge reform ahead of COP30

As climate negotiators gather in Bonn for the second and last week of talks leading up to COP30 in Brazil in November 2025, more than 200 civil society and Indigenous Peoples groups have put forward bold reform proposals to make the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) more effective at tackling the climate crisis.

Bonn Climate Change Conference
Deliberations at the Bonn Climate Change Conference 2022

After more than 30 years of climate negotiations, the UNFCCC process appears to have consistently fallen short of achieving climate justice. In these three decades, global greenhouse gas emissions have steadily increased, intensifying the climate crisis and inflicting growing devastation on people and the planet, particularly in the Global South.

The United Call for an Urgent Reform of the UN Climate Talks presented on Monday, June 23, 2025, centres around five pillars, including one that urges the 198 UNFCCC Parties “to embrace the possibility of majority-based decision-making to break deadlocks when attempts at securing consensus have failed.”

The United Call also urges an end to the “trade show” that COPs have become, including through the establishment of an accountability framework to address conflicts of interest and curbing the undue influence of fossil fuel and other polluting industry lobbyists on the climate talks. In addition, the reform proposals aim to ensure inclusivity, increase transparency and accountability, and uphold human rights in the context of the climate negotiations.

The five pillars of the United Call for an Urgent Reform of the UN Climate Talks are: 

  1. Restore Power and Equity
  2. End the Trade Show and Stop Corporate Capture
  3. Move Away from Accountability-Free Blackbox Negotiations
  4. Respect and Protect Human Rights
  5. Align and Strengthen International Climate Governance

United Call Endorsers

The set of proposals is endorsed by four major networks: Climate Action Network (CAN), the Global Campaign to Demand Climate Justice (DCJ), the Children and Youth Constituency (YOUNGO), the Women and Gender Constituency (WGC), and over 200 organisations, including the Centre for International Environmental Law, Corporate Accountability, Amnesty International, Oxfam, and Greenpeace.

Lien Vandamme, Senior Campaigner, Centre for International Environmental Law (CIEL), said: “For 30 years, the climate negotiations have systematically failed to deliver climate justice, undermined international law and allowed the fossil fuel industry to write the rules. The absence of agreed procedures for decision-making allows big polluting countries to hold the negotiations hostage. The lack of accountability gives a false sense of impunity. Yet, effective multilateralism is the only way out of the multiple global crises.

“This year is key, including with several international courts working on climate advisory opinions. The time is now for the UNFCCC to become the climate regime it should have been for the past decades: one centered around international obligation to prevent dangerous climate change and remedy related harm. All Parties must come together and radically choose fossil-free climate multilateralism rooted in justice.”

Camila Mikkie, Officer at social environmental programme at Conectas Direitos Humanos, said: “Brazil has placed itself at the centre of an important and necessary debate on reforming our climate regime at a pivotal moment of paradigm shift so that it can truly deliver on the implementation of the Paris Agreement and subsequent decisions, and ensuring justice for those most affected. The world now expects Brazil to lead the necessary changes.” 

Rachitaa Gupta, Global Coordinator, Global Campaign to Demand Climate Justice (DCJ), said: “For 30 years, the UNFCCC has failed to catalyse meaningful climate action. Every single year. Inside the halls of the UNFCCC, it may seem as though it is just another year of business as usual, or as if there is no urgency. But outside these halls, this could not be further from the truth. At home, our communities are enduring incalculable loss and damage from the compounded impacts of the climate crisis.

“At home, emissions are reaching record highs year after year. At home, for many, the climate crisis is a fight for life and death. For the UNFCCC to become legitimate, it must fundamentally reimagine itself. It must reform. Anything short of this is continued complicity in the climate crisis.”

An Lambrechts, Biodiversity Politics Expert at Greenpeace International, said: “Thousands of people converge on climate COPs annually, hoping for decisions that will keep 1.5°C in sight, but that’s impossible if we don’t act to end nature destruction and fossil use at the same time. This means bridges with the CBD and other multilateral environmental agreements must be strengthened with urgency so that we can tackle the polycrisis the world is facing from all angles. This could then help ensure big polluters and nature destroyers who obstruct such decisions can be made to pay for the damage they’re inflicting instead of allowing them to block the changes we need.”

Foundation plants 500 trees in Ebonyi to tackle climate change

Michael Simire
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Foundation plants 500 trees in Ebonyi to tackle climate change

The Neighbourhood Environment Watch Foundation (NEW-F) has planted 500 tree seedlings to tackle climate change challenges in Ogada-Edda and Ohatekwe-Edda communities in Abakaliki Local Government Area of Ebonyi State in Nigeria.

Tree planting
Tree planting

Dr Kelechi Okezie, Executive Director of the foundation, who made the disclosure in an interview on Monday, June 23, 2025, in Abakaliki, said the tree planting exercise was part of the foundation’s “Strengthening Local Advocacy Against Climate Change” or SLACC programme aimed at promoting forest conservation and sustainable environmental practices in the state.

Okezie said the initiative mobilises community action against climate change while encouraging the protection of indigenous tree species and biodiversity.

“The communities donated land for the trees, showing their commitment to forest conservation. We urge them to nurture these trees for their economic, social, and environmental benefits,” he said.

The executive director, who decried the indiscriminate cutting down of trees in parts of the state, said that most trees had gone extinct.

He urged communities and governments at all levels to take concerted efforts against deforestation.

Okezie said that the UN in recognition of the importance of forestry in maintaining biodiversity had designated March 21 annually as International Day of Forests.

“This day is recognised annually to raise awareness about the importance of all types of forests and to promote their sustainable management, conservation and development.

“There should be a commitment to protecting the environment; a local tree called “akparata” in one of the communities has gone into extinction due to the activities of Chinese people who deceived the people in cutting and selling to them this hard wood.

“Today, the akparata tree is no longer seen in any part of the community and same is the fate of most other local trees in many of our forests,” he added.

Okezie also spoke on the 2025 World Environment Day, which is observed annually on June 6, and called for the protection of the environment.

He urged the people to shun activities likely to cause environmental abuse, degradation, and pollution.

By Douglas Okoro

Indigenous solutions said to be vital for Nigeria’s emission reduction goal 

Michael Simire
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Indigenous solutions said to be vital for Nigeria’s emission reduction goal 

Group Managing Director of Alfa Designs Nigeria Ltd. (ADNL), Mr. Fatai Quadri, says Nigeria possesses the inherent capacity to effectively manage fugitive emissions within its borders.

Mr. Fatai Quadri
Group Managing Director of Alfa Designs Nigeria Ltd. (ADNL), Mr. Fatai Quadri

He said this during the inauguration ceremony and media facility tour of the company in Lagos on Monday, June 23, 2025.

Quadri emphasised the critical need to cultivate local expertise and infrastructure to address the challenges posed by greenhouse gas (GHG) and fugitive emissions, particularly those escaping from industrial equipment and facilities.

Quadri said that fugitive emissions, which are often unintentional leaks of gases such as methane and carbon dioxide, represent a significant yet addressable environmental concern in Nigeria’s oil, gas, and industrial sectors.

He stressed that, with proper investment in technology, training, and regulation, Nigeria could become a leader in emission monitoring and mitigation across West Africa.

“There is no need to rely solely on foreign interventions.

“We have the technical talent and innovation potential to manage these emissions right here in Nigeria,” he said.

Highlighting the company’s role in advancing sustainable environmental practices, Quadri called for stronger collaboration between government, the private sector, and academia to develop a robust local capacity for fugitive emission detection and management.

He also urged policymakers to create enabling laws and incentives that support indigenous solutions.

“What we need now is commitment, both from government and industry players, to prioritise environmental integrity through locally driven solutions,” he added.

He said that the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) guidelines on GHG emissions are aimed at reducing environmental and social impact, caused by the emissions of components of natural gas including methane and other compounds.

The expert explained that embracing cleaner technology would help to mitigate carbon output, especially carbon soot being emitted by a fuel engine, contributing majorly to environmental pollution and health hazards.

”As it is now, we are supposed to be winding down on all diesel-powered engines in the country, based on the GHG emissions statement.

”Nigerian government had already pledged that by 2030 we are going to cut down our methane emissions, stop flaring completely and also do away with carbon soot formation, a bye-product from diesel-fired engines.

”We have to do away with all these things because they normally absorb infrared radiation that comes from the outer space.

“Once they absorb it, they keep the earth warmer than what is anticipated and that’s the effect on the climate change,’’ he said.

Quadri explained that, in view of high cost of diesel and the abundance of an alternative energy (gas) in the country, there was need to be economically wise and encourage usage of CNG.

”However, staring us in our face is a solution of an alternative that all of us are supposed to come out and really agitate to see how this can be implemented as soon as possible to reduce impact, ” he said.

He added that, in the bid to promote cleaner and affordable energy in the country, the Alfa Designs Nigeria Ltd., a leading oil and gas company, would soon begin conversion of diesel-powered engines to CNG in the country.

He said that Nigeria signed on to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change in Sept. 2016; and, consequently, began the implementation of several initiatives aimed at reducing emissions from all sectors of the economy.

“As part of Nigeria’s commitment on the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the Paris Agreement, in 2021, it committed to reducing GHG emissions by 47 per cent in 2030, conditional on international support.

The pledge followed the signing into law of the country’s first climate bill after the UN Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP26) in Glasgow in 2021, having set an ambitious global net zero targets by 2060.

To achieve Nigeria’s emission reduction targets of the NDCs, the key abatement measures are: elimination of routine gas flaring (100 per cent gas flaring eliminated by 2030) and fugitive emissions/leakages control (60 per cent Methane Reduction by 2030).

These measures were established under the NUPRC operators’ guidelines on the actions and mechanisms for the management of fugitive methane/GHG emissions from the upstream oil and gas operations.

He said that the company had invested between $17 million to $18 million in infrastructures and equipment to enhance greenhouse gas emission control.

Ouardri said that the company had selected 13 Nigerians from six geopolitical zones to undergo a “train-the-trainers” course on greenhouse gas (GHG)/fugitive emission detection and quantification, using the EyeCGas 2.0 Optical Gas Imaging Camera.

Also, Mr Mubarak Abdul, Chief Operating Officer of ADNL, advised the Federal Government to actively encourage indigenous companies to enhance local capacity in environmental management.

Abdul urged both the government and oil and gas companies to engage the services of in-country companies like Alfa Designs Ltd. to address the nation’s emission challenges.

He also highlighted ADNL’s partnership with OPTGAL Optronics Manufacturer in Israel to detect and address gas leakages in facilities, noting their extensive work with major companies in Nigeria.

Accordinging to him, they icluding Chevron, NNPCL, ND Western, and Seplat.

Miss Louisa Kpohearor, one of the trainers, commended Alfa Designs training and certification programmes, which aim to further retrain more Nigerians.

She confirmed that they were now verified in Optical Gas Imaging and are capable of conducting investigations and surveys in any oil and gas facility.

Miss Oghobi Sandra, another OGI trainer, emphasised that the training provided by Alfa Designs clearly demonstrates their status as the only authorised and certified trainers for detecting gas leakages in facilities.

ADNL is an indigenous Engineering, Procurement, Installation, Commissioning & Asset Integrity Management (EPICA) Company, incorporated on July 20, 2006.

The company is dedicated to continuously identifying and exceeding client needs in technical expertise through total service delivery.

lt also focuses on clear communication, superior performance, talent, teamwork, professional integrity, and cost-effective solutions for its private, government, and energy engineering clients.

By Yunus Yusuf

Mayor of London appointed Special Envoy, Fossil Free Cities for Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative

Michael Simire
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Mayor of London appointed Special Envoy, Fossil Free Cities for Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative

As London Climate Action Week kicks off, Mayor of London and C40 Co-Chair, Sadiq Khan, has been appointed as the Special Envoy, Fossil Free Cities for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative. The new role is aimed at accelerating the global transition away from fossil fuels and amplifying the voice of cities in the fight against the climate crisis.

Sadiq Khan
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan

Cities are on the frontlines of the climate emergency, and they are also where the most innovative solutions are being pioneered.

As Special Envoy, Mayor Khan will champion the role of cities and subnational governments in shaping global climate policies, ensuring they have a seat at the table in the urgent effort to phase out fossil fuels equitably, and finance a more just, sustainable future.

Over 135 cities and subnational governments, including London, California, and 17 national capitals, have already endorsed the Fossil Fuel Treaty proposal.

Mayor of London and Co-Chair of C40 Cities, Sadiq Khan, said: “Cities are on the frontlines of the climate crisis, but they are also where the solutions are being forged. As Special Envoy, I am committed to ensuring that cities and subnational governments are not just heard but actively involved in shaping the global response to this crisis. The Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative represents an important step toward a sustainable, healthier future for all.”

Mayor Khan’s appointment comes at a pivotal moment. Mayors have long been at the forefront of progressive change, holding the line on climate action amid global instability. At COP28, cities secured a seat at the table in UN climate negotiations for the first time in history, marking a significant shift in recognising the power of local leadership.  

Tzeporah Berman, Co-Chair and Founder of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, said: “Cities are the beating heart of climate action, and Mayor Khan’s leadership in London has set a gold standard for what is possible when bold, visionary leadership meets unwavering commitment. As Special Envoy, he will amplify the voice of cities on the global stage, ensuring the Fossil Fuel Treaty is not just a framework but a catalyst for transformative change that reflects the urgent needs and aspirations of local communities. This is more than a step—it’s a leap toward a more just, sustainable, and fossil-free future for all.”

Fossil fuels are seen as a direct threat to urban health, with cities bearing the brunt of air pollution. Forty-one percent of cities worldwide have air pollution levels seven times higher than the World Health Organisation’s recommendations, and 97% of cities in low- and middle-income countries face unsafe air quality. With three-quarters of global energy consumed in cities, a just transition away from fossil fuels is essential to safeguarding public health and well-being.

Mark Watts, Executive Director of C40 Cities, welcomed the announcement: “Mayor Khan’s leadership in London has demonstrated that bold climate action is not only possible but transformative. His appointment as Special Envoy is a testament to the critical role cities must play in the global effort to phase out fossil fuels.

“At C40 Cities we have placed ending the use of fossil fuels at the very core of what we do, and we are proud to stand with Mayor Khan and the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative. Cities are the doers of climate action and now is our time to create a better, safer future for urban residents everywhere.”

London has emerged as a global model for urban sustainability. Initiatives like the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) have drastically reduced air pollution, putting the city on track to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. These policies have not only protected the environment but also improved public health, created green jobs, and built a more resilient city.

Mayor Khan has also led efforts to divest from fossil fuels, working with the London Pension Fund Authority (LPFA) to implement a climate change policy covering nearly £10 billion in assets. This includes no new active investments in fossil fuel companies and scaling up green investments. As co-chair of the C40 Cities network, Mayor Khan has helped expand fossil fuel divestment globally, sharing tools and knowledge to accelerate the transition.  

Equity is at the heart of the fossil fuel phase-out. Mayor Khan is committed to ensuring that the benefits of this transition – cleaner air, sustainable jobs, and resilient infrastructure – are shared by all, particularly vulnerable communities.  

As Special Envoy, Mayor Khan will advocate for the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative on the global stage, engaging with national, regional, and international forums to build momentum for this critical initiative.  

The Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative is now supported by 17 countries, actively participating in discussions on a global, binding mechanism to address fossil fuels.

They’re joined by over 130 cities and subnational governments, including the State of California, alongside a massive coalition: over 1 million citizens, nearly 4,000 civil society organisations, 3,000+ academics and scientists, hundreds of health professionals and institutions like the WHO, faith leaders including the World Council of Churches, 850+ elected officials, the European Parliament, 101 Nobel laureates, 25 banks, unions representing 35 million workers, businesses, youth advocates, and Indigenous peoples.

They are all coming together to demand a just, equitable and financed transition through the negotiation of a Fossil Fuel Treaty.

New data exposes private finance failure to meet energy transition needs

Michael Simire
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New data exposes private finance failure to meet energy transition needs

A report released on Monday, June 23, 2025, by Oil Change International and 17 other civil society organisations, including Climate Action Network International and 350.org, exposes the failure of the current approach to financing a transition away from fossil fuels, posing a grave threat to global efforts to combat the climate crisis.

Energy transition
Energy transition

The report, titled “Private Fantasies, Public Realities: Why private finance isn’t delivering an energy transition and the case for public sector leadership”, analyses a new decade-long dataset on blended finance, a key energy finance tool that rich countries and international institutions like the World Bank, International Energy Agency, and International Monetary Fund, promote. It finds that every public dollar of this concessional (subsidised) money is bringing in 4-7 times less private investment than anticipated.

These unrealistic assumptions about blended finance are a key driver behind massive shortfalls in energy transition finance in the Global South, said the CSOs, adding that Global North countries and China are getting the biggest share of just energy transition finance, with the remaining 69% of the world’s population receiving just 15% of finance in 2023–2024.

Meanwhile, the report shows that, in every region, even in the Global North and China, critical sectors like public transit, universal energy access, 100% renewable-ready electricity grids, and fair fossil fuel phase-out programmes are dangerously behind.

An analysis of the last 15 years of major international energy finance pledges and policies finds that the core problem is that governments are relying too heavily on weak financial incentives to attract private finance to green projects. Looking across some of the strongest examples of financing for a just energy transition, the report finds a much wider policy toolkit in use including regulating private banks, sector-wide subsidies, building community- and publicly owned projects directly, and setting fair policies for industry to follow.

But the report also warns that amidst the worst-ever global debt crisis and unfair financing rules, these options are out of reach for many of the most climate-vulnerable countries.

The report is being released right as Global South-led diplomatic pushes for fair climate finance and debt workout rules are coming to a fore in Bonn, Germany at the midyear climate negotiations and in Seville, Spain ahead of the once-in-a-decade United Nations Financing for Development conference (FfD4).

Bronwen Tucker, Global Public Finance lead at Oil Change International, said: “A just energy transition is dramatically more affordable than continued fossil fuel dependence. But unfortunately, affordable doesn’t mean ‘attractive to banks and hedge funds’. It is clear from the data that private investors are not fit to lead the way to the fossil free future we need, and that governments must step in.

“To start with, we need the rich countries who are most responsible for the crisis, and have an outsized say in global financial rules, to stop pushing dodgy models on the rest of the world and start taking accountability. That means paying up their fair share of public, grant-based climate finance and cancelling unfair debts so that every country can transition.”

Shereen Talaat, Director, MenaFem Movement for Economic, Ecological Justice and Development, said: “This report confirms what communities across the Global South have been saying for years: the private finance-first model is failing us. It doesn’t serve people, it serves profit. Women and marginalised communities carry the heaviest costs – through unpaid care work, lost livelihoods, and exposure to climate disasters – while rich governments continue to push failed models. A just transition must be public-led, rooted in care, and funded through grants, not debt. At FfD4 and beyond, we demand climate finance that repairs harm, not deepens inequality.”

Bonn climate talks: Africa has eyes on $1.3tr climate finance roadmap

Michael Simire
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Bonn climate talks: Africa has eyes on $1.3tr climate finance roadmap

Many developing countries, particularly in Africa, are proposing more ambitious climate targets as they prepare to submit their updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the UNFCCC in September.

Dr. Richard Muyungi
AGN Chair, Dr. Richard Muyungi

However, a recurring challenge persists. Countries lack sufficient financing to implement climate action at the scale required, as international financial support has not been fully realized.

More than 70% of African climate commitments are conditional – they rely on external finance to be realized. Without tangible funding commitments from developed countries, these NDCs risk remaining aspirational rather than actionable.

The African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change (AGN) is therefore concerned about the ongoing UN Climate Conference in Bonn, Germany, delivering on climate finance.

During COP 26, rich countries pledged to double the amount of adaptation financing they provide by 2025 compared to 2018. At COP 30, the question of whether this has been met will be crucial.

The Bonn negotiations present a special moment to set an ambitious expectation of adaptation finance for the UN climate talks in Brazil later this year.  

AGN Chair, Dr. Richard Muyungi, says going back to the $1.3 trillion climate finance deliverable is critical, taking into account both the historic imbalances and urgent development and resource needs.

“We need resources because impacts are increasing; we need resources because we are committed to work with the international community, and we can’t do that without resources on the ground. Therefore, for us the realization of the $1.3 trillion roadmap is very important,” he emphasized at a press conference in Bonn.

The delivery of the Just Transition – a shift towards low carbon climate resilient economies – is another essential area of interest to the AGN.

Dr. Muyungi believes the Just Transition is a transformative approach with inherent opportunities in the shift, but the AGN is also looking at the prioritizing issues that impact on the daily lives of people in Africa, including connectivity and energy security and clean cooking and impacts on women and children.

“We do understand that is not an easy task; it is not just a negotiating process, but a life transforming process. The Just Transition pathways must be informed by the realities of Africa on the ground, they must be informed by the needs and what Africa contributes to the just transition,” he stated.

The mid-year UN climate talks kicked off in Bonn amid an increase in climate impacts globally, yet many of the world’s biggest polluters have not submitted their updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). In response, African countries are calling on big emitters to submit ambitious emissions reduction plans to achieve the 1.5°C temperature goals.

In this year’s conference, the COP Presidencies of Azerbaijan and Brazil will jumpstart discussions between countries on delivering the $1.3 trillion goal. The roadmap offers the opportunity to address finance questions that went unanswered at COP 29.

African countries have continually emphasized the need for grants for adaptation and loss and damage, and concessional finance for the just transition.

As negotiators get to work, COP30 President, André Aranha Corrêa do Lago, has prevailed on governments to deliver on what they agreed to do under the Global Stocktake.

By Kofi Adu Domfeh

CITES: Countries devise strategies to tackle poaching, trafficking in rhinoceroses

Michael Simire
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CITES: Countries devise strategies to tackle poaching, trafficking in rhinoceroses

Although progress has been made in combating crimes affecting rhinoceroses, poaching and trafficking continue to represent a significant threat to their populations. These crimes are largely driven by the demand for rhinoceros horn in illegal markets and further exacerbated by the involvement of transnational organised crime groups, which makes addressing these crimes increasingly complex.

Rhino
The West African black rhino

Traffickers exploit weaknesses in border controls, corruption, and enforcement gaps and use violence or threats of violence to achieve their goals – often moving specimens through complex international routes. Rhinoceros horn seizures over the last decade have also revealed shifting trends in illegal trade, with new trafficking hotspots emerging as criminals adapt their strategies to avoid detection.

Coordinated international enforcement is critical to respond to these ongoing threats from poaching and trafficking. In support of this, the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), in collaboration with the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment of South Africa, convened a Rhinoceros Enforcement Task Force meeting. The five-day meeting brought together 70 participants, including national CITES authorities, wildlife officers, Customs, police and others from 21 countries from May 26 to 30, 2025 in Pretoria, South Africa, the country which is home to the world’s largest population of rhinoceroses.

Convening this Task Force meeting was possible thanks to financial support from the European Union, South Africa and Switzerland, and a financial contribution to the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC) by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Representatives from law enforcement and other governmental agencies, along with ICCWC partner agencies, a range of international experts, inter-governmental and non-governmental organisations, worked to develop strategies to further strengthen responses to address rhinoceros poaching and rhinoceros specimen trafficking.

“This year as we mark 50 years since CITES entered into force in 1975, we are reminded that the fight against rhino poaching and trafficking cannot be won in isolation,” said Ivonne Higuero, CITES Secretary-General. “It demands deep collaboration across countries and sectors. Enforcement must be intelligent, adaptive and relentless – and that’s exactly what this Task Force is designed to support.”

The Task Force meeting tackled matters related to rhinoceros poaching and trafficking head on, as participants shared first-hand experiences, analysed recent trends and discussed enforcement challenges and best practices. The meeting featured a series of thematic sessions covering international and regional cooperation, case investigation and prosecution, risk management practices, the use of forensic applications, addressing illicit financial flows and mobilizing financial crime investigations, as well as demand reduction approaches.

“As a country on the front line of rhino conservation, South Africa is committed to building stronger enforcement networks across borders through collaboration and innovation. We are also progressing a number of Memoranda of Understanding with destination countries to form a firm basis for this continued collaboration. We are very alive to the fact that no one country can take on this massive task alone, and the important connections delegates have made during this Task Force Meeting will directly contribute to protection of our global rhino populations across Africa and Asia,” said Dr Dion George, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries & the Environment.

The meeting further provided an opportunity for representatives to directly engage with their counterparts from other countries, forge new professional relationships and further strengthen existing ones – fostering joint collaborative action.

Convened in accordance with a Decision adopted by the Conference of the Parties to CITES at its 19th meeting (CITES CoP19) in Panama City, 2022, the meeting concluded with the consolidation and agreement of proposed strategies and follow-up actions to guide future work to address crimes affecting rhinoceroses.

The Task Force meeting agreed on measures and activities to:

  • Strengthen national-, regional- and international-level collaboration, including through stronger bilateral engagement using new or existing platforms to facilitate this;
  • Improve the sharing of information, including on seized specimens, to assist Parties affected by crimes involving rhinoceros to identify, locate and prosecute the offenders involved;
  • Strengthen the use of forensic applications in the fight against rhinoceros poaching and trafficking;
  • Put in place or draw upon existing legislation so that wildlife crime, including crimes that involve rhinoceros specimens, are treated as serious, allowing for the use of specialised investigation techniques to address them and making provisions for strong deterrent penalties against offenders;
  • Work with the judiciary to increase awareness regarding the serious nature of wildlife crime, including crimes involving rhinoceroses;
  • Promote the presentation of evidence in judicial processes to highlight factors that make the crime more deserving of harsher penalties;
  • Promote penalties that provide for restitution of environmental damage and the recovery of costs incurred by the investigation and prosecution;
  • Increase sharing of information on investigation methodologies, tools and best practices regarding crimes affecting rhinoceroses among authorities responsible for addressing these crimes;
  • Promote increased use of tools and capabilities available through INTERPOL and the World Customs Organisation, including tools such as the INTERPOL Silver Notice designed to assist in locating, identifying and obtaining information about criminal assets, such as properties, vehicles, financial accounts and businesses linked to illicit activities;
  • Engage the private sector, including the banking sector to facilitate strengthened responses and collaborative action to address illicit financial flows associated with wildlife crime, in particular crimes associated with rhinoceroses;
  • Develop and implement strategies to counter corruption, including corruption prevention policies and whistle blower policies;
  • Strengthen collaboration with civil society organisations and research institutions to improve understanding about high-priority areas to address regarding demand for illegal rhinoceros’ specimens; and
  • Encourage financial and technical support where needed, for the implementation of the measures and activities agreed by the Task Force.

As the Convention gears up for the 20th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES (CoP20) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan (November 24 to December 5, 2025), the outcomes and agreed actions from the Rhinoceros Enforcement Task Force meeting will guide Parties in enhancing their responses to poaching and trafficking affecting rhinoceros’ species.

UNFCCC accused of censoring Palestine solidarity at Bonn climate talks

Michael Simire
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UNFCCC accused of censoring Palestine solidarity at Bonn climate talks

Civil society organisations participating in the United Nations climate negotiations have condemned what they describe as the UNFCCC Secretariat’s censorship of expressions of solidarity with Palestine.

UN Climate Change Talks
UN Climate Change Talks in Bonn, Germany

On Friday, June 20, 2025, CAN International reportedly distributed a special edition of its ECO newsletter at the Bonn venue, focusing on the UNFCCC Secretariat’s demand for the removal of the phrase “End the Siege” from a planned peaceful civil society action highlighting the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza – despite a similar protest which went ahead on Monday in front of the Bonn venue which was allowed to use the phrase “End the Siege”.

The newsletter also set out the detailed history of the past two years of struggle during which “the UNFCCC Secretariat has systematically censored and suppressed advocacy for Palestine, even as a genocide unfolds”.

The situation in Gaza is said to have been described as a “siege” by a string of UN leaders, agencies and international human rights bodies – including UN Secretary-General António Guterres; Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner‑General; Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner Human Rights; Martin Griffiths, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs; Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on Palestine; and WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

In an email sent by the UNFCCC, CAN International was informed that: “the phrase ‘end the siege’ cannot be authorised for use in the banner or any accompanying text.”

Civil society groups describe this demand as not only baseless, but a grave moral and political failure. In light of this explicit censorship, civil society groups have taken the unprecedented step of suspending all future applications for Palestine solidarity actions within the UNFCCC framework.

Rachitaa Gupta, from Global Campaign to Demand Climate Justice (DCJ), said: “For the past two years, the UNFCCC Secretariat has tried to silence our movement’s unwavering solidarity with Palestine. We have been censored, edited, erased – while a genocide unfolds in Gaza. Let’s not pretend this is about procedure. This is political. The UNFCCC secretariat is choosing to censor words like genocide, occupation, and siege – as Israel starves, bombs, and massacres an entire population.”

The climate justice movements engaging within the UNFCCC process have historically used the space inside Blue Zone, a region administered by the UNFCCC Secretariat and under the UN rules, to hold “actions” – peoples-led demonstration and protest – as a tactic to raise their demands.

In the past two years the UNFCCC Secretariat has increasingly brought new rules to censor phrases like “From river to the sea, Palestine will be free” and in its latest attempt the word “siege” in the demand “End the Siege” for an action being registered by activists.

Hajar al-Betalji, from Alliance of Non Governmental Radical Youth (ANGRY), said: “Two days ago we were told that within these halls it would be inappropriate to call to ‘End the Siege’. Because according to the UNFCCC, objecting to the enforced starvation of Palestinian children is not politically sensitive enough, not related enough to the climate. How many times must we explain that colonialism and climate injustice are inseparable? How many times must we explain before you understand that white supremacy is killing us?”

Activists highlighted the approach that UNFCCC Secretariat has taken on the ongoing genocide in Palestine compared to the other UN bodies and UN Rapporteurs that have named this siege for what it is and have urgently called for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza.

Jacobo Ocharan, Climate Action Network International, said: “A red line was crossed this week. The UNFCCC claims to stand for climate justice, but how can there be justice when it silences the voices of those being annihilated? When a Palestinian cannot even say ‘I am Palestinian’ in a UN space during a genocide, we are not dealing with neutrality – we are witnessing erasure.  The same powers driving the climate crisis are driving this genocide – and now they are trying to silence civil society for speaking the truth. We will not be silenced. We will not back down. Justice for Palestine is justice for all.”

The UNFCCC Secretariat is also accused of repeatedly trying to hide behind the words and phrases like “neutrality”, “party driven process”, and “this is a climate conference, and this action is not related to climate”.

Gina Cortés, representing the Women and Gender Constituency (WGC), said: “Censoring us to call things by their names is not protecting neutrality – it is protecting impunity. It prioritises the comfort of perpetrators over the survival of impacted. This is not neutrality. This is not what the secretariat calls ‘a constructive environment’. This is censorship, cowardice, and failure – in the face of military occupation, siege warfare, and systematic environmental destruction.”

New science-policy panel marks big win for multilateralism – Andersen

Michael Simire
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New science-policy panel marks big win for multilateralism – Andersen

Closing remarks by Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), at the Intergovernmental meeting to establish a science-policy panel to contribute further to the sound management of chemicals and waste and to prevent pollution, in Punta del Este, Uruguay, on Friday, June 20, 2025

Inger Andersen
Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Today we made history. By agreeing to this critical science-policy panel on chemicals, waste and pollution prevention, we showed that multilateralism is alive and well. Even in deeply complex times we showed that, yet again, environmental multilateralism is delivering. 

You have demonstrated that you know that global problems require global solutions. That you are determined to act in this regard. That you recognise each of the elements of the triple planetary crisis needs independent and inclusive science. Therefore, you have established this critical panel, completing the “trifecta” of science panels under the UN system.

Today is a momentous day. Let it be said that today was the first major step we collectively took to usher in a new future on the sound management of chemicals and waste and pollution prevention.

Every voice mattered in this journey. Each country, scientists, Indigenous people, youth, business, non-governmental organizations and all Major Groups have made their voice heard. We know that your voice is critical. We see you all and I thank you all. 

And let me say that UNEP is honoured to provide the secretariat for this important panel – an honour we do not take lightly or for granted. We are already hosting the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and – together with our friends at the World Meteorological Organisation – the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). We are proud to also host this new panel

Let me also take this opportunity to thank so many people involved. The Chair of the Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) that put forward the proposals for the panel, Gudi Alkemade. The OEWG Bureau and negotiators. Our two Intergovernmental Meeting co-chairs, Ambassador Madame Laura Dupuy Lasserre and Vice-Minister Yutaka Matsuzawa. My brilliant UNEP colleagues, who have been working tirelessly. Our UN colleagues from across the UN family, who also have been working on this since the UN Environment Assembly resolution requesting this panel. And finally, the staff working hard here in this venue, from service staff to the interpreters. 

Now we move on from this historic day to the hard work of making our decisions here in Punta del Esta a reality – a journey we will take together. One that will be inclusive, transparent and deliver the best independent science that this panel can provide. 

I do believe that the beautiful setting here has inspired us. By the kindness of Uruguay, that has generously given us the diversity of seeing all the seasons every single day. By the morning fog that reminds us that things are at times not as clear as we might wish. By the blue skies that give us warmth and hope. And by the ocean that hugs us all and encourages us all to reach for the endless horizon.

Now our focus turns to operationalising the panel so that it can quickly and effectively support countries with the science they need, safeguard our environment, and protect generations to come.

The world wanted this panel.

The world needed this panel.

And, thanks to you all, the world now has this panel.

We look forward to seeing you in Nairobi in December for the seventh session of the United Nations Environment Assembly, where we will surely celebrate this win.

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