Inside the Greenhouse is a monthly update on FCNL’s environmental advocacy and the climate crisis.
U.N. Environment Assembly Calls for Stronger Action
Scientists and represenatives of U.N. member states, civil society organizations, and private sector groups gathered in Nairobi, Kenya, Feb. 26-March 1, for the sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6).
As the world’s highest environmental decision-making body, the assembly focused on strengthening multilateral cooperation to address climate change, nature loss, and pollution.
Effective climate action will require an inclusive global effort that includes youth, indigenous peoples, and local communities.
Leila Benali of Morocco, president of UNEA-6, said that effective climate action will require an inclusive global effort that includes youth, indigenous peoples, and local communities. “We must accelerate multilateral action to strengthen the environmental foundation of sustainable development,” she said.
The assembly negotiated resolutions on several issues. This includes improving global air quality, managing hazardous pesticides, and the sustainable use of minerals and metals needed for the transition to a green economy transition
New Energy Projects Will Be Fueled by Clean Sources
Fossil fuel still generates 40% of the electricity the U.S. uses each year. But according to the latest federal forecast, natural gas will contribute just 4% of the new electric capacity that will added in 2024.
Communities around the country are looking at renewables as the most competitive option to meet their power needs. Solar power is forecasted to comprise 58% of all new power capacity this year, while wind power will contribute 13%. These numbers will continue to rise, partly thanks to the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (P.L. 117-169), which provided tax incentives for companies to install clean energy capacity.
This trend will allow the U.S. to stop relying on fossil fuels and switch to renewable energy in the long-term while creating new jobs. The U.S. must continue to invest in sustainable energy at home while also helping less developed countries make their own energy transitions through international climate assistance.
News and Updates
Global Methane Tracking Satellite Hits Orbit
Last week, the nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) launched a refrigerator-sized satellite into space to measure global methane emissions. Known as “MethaneSAT,” the satelite will provide the most comprehensive monitoring of global methane emissions to date. “For the first time we have a tool that is not only going to be able to hold industry accountable, but also for the first time hold governments accountable,” said Mark Brownstein of EDF.
“For the first time we have a tool that is not only going to be able to hold industry accountable, but also hold governments accountable.”
MethaneSAT’s capabilities are granular enough to zoom into specific projects or areas emitting high levels of these greenhouse gases, like oil and gas drilling, large livestock operations, and landfills.
U.S. Government to Invest $366 Million for Rural Renewable Energy
The federal government will invest $366 million in expanding access to renewable energy on Native American reservations and in rural areas, where electricity is often costly and unreliable. The funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58) will go toward solar, battery storage, and hydropower projects. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said they awarded the largest investments to tribes for energy projects.
What We’re Reading:
- Latest from Daren: The Sun Is Setting on the Fossil Fuel Era. What Comes Next Is Up to Us
- Latest from Carla: International Climate Assistance Can Reduce Conflicts and Forced Migration
- USAID’s Climate Strategy in Action: Using Digital Data to Catalyze Clean Energy Transitions
- U.N. Climate Chief Calls For $2.4 Trillion In Climate Finance
- Ukraine’s Green Fightback: Wind Farms, Solar Schools And Counting The Cost Of ‘Destroying Nature’
