In Laikipia County, Kenya, the use of compressed earth blocks in housing construction is highlighted as a sustainable and climate-friendly alternative to traditional building materials. Initiatives like the Cement and Concrete Breakthrough Initiative and the Belém Call for Action for Sustainable and Affordable Housing are aiming to decarbonize the industry and promote sustainable building practices. The International Coalition for Building Climate Resilience (ICBC) emphasizes the importance of affordable, resource-efficient, low-carbon housing in achieving climate goals and sustainable development. This traditional building approach is gaining renewed attention in low-income communities facing the impacts of climate change, such as extreme heat. Additionally, buildings in West Africa, like the Museum of West African Art in Benin City, Nigeria, are being constructed using eco-friendly methods such as compressed earth blocks and rammed earth architecture, offering low-cost and energy-efficient solutions to reduce the carbon footprint of buildings in the region.
Author: Climatechangenews
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From Baku to Belém and beyond: How we turn a climate finance roadmap into reality
Mukhtar Babayev, COP29 President, emphasizes the urgency of accelerating climate action and introduces the Baku Finance Goal to increase support for developing countries. The Baku-to-Belém Roadmap, aiming for $1.3 trillion, engages non-traditional actors and offers practical steps for implementation, addressing challenges like data gaps and continuity in climate efforts. Countries have embraced this collaborative approach, signaling a shift towards more innovative solutions in climate finance. Donors, especially developed nations, are urged to meet financial commitments, with a focus on accountability and innovative strategies to secure $300 billion annually by 2035 for climate finance. The Roadmap is seen as a potential model for enhancing the COP process and driving tangible progress in addressing climate change.
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IEA: Slow energy transition would cost millions of jobs
The International Energy Agency (IEA) warns that a slower shift to clean energy could result in 1.3 million fewer energy sector jobs by 2035, with continued growth in oil and gas demand until 2050 under the Current Policies Scenario (CPS). However, a faster energy transition could create more jobs in construction, electricians, solar panel installers, and transition mineral miners. The IEA also highlights potential shortages of skilled workers in key areas like electricity grids and the nuclear industry, urging governments to train workers for these roles to ensure a smooth transition to clean energy. Additionally, the establishment of the Belém Action Mechanism at COP30 aims to make the energy transition fairer for workers in industries like oil and gas, giving trade unions a role in shaping just transition policies for the first time. This is seen as a decisive win for the union movement and workers in transition industries.
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Colombia seeks to speed up a “just” fossil fuel phase-out with first global conference
24 countries, including major fossil fuel producers like Australia and Mexico, have backed a global conference in Colombia next April to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels. The conference aims to bring together governments, experts, industry leaders, and Indigenous people to develop a roadmap for a fair phase-out of fossil fuels, considering national circumstances and supporting workers and vulnerable communities. This initiative demonstrates growing support for a just transition away from fossil fuels, with a focus on promoting diversified economies and addressing the existential threat of rising sea levels. Colombia's 2026 conference is seen as a step towards international cooperation to tackle the climate crisis, emphasizing a time-bound plan to curb fossil fuel production and use, end new licensing and subsidies, and mobilize finance for developing countries.
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COP30: Spain’s unions say just transition means renewing communities beyond jobs
Unions in Spain are advocating for a just transition strategy that goes beyond plant closures to revitalize affected regions by linking public services with jobs and investment, successfully managed through negotiated territorial pacts. Job creation alone has not been enough to sustain rural life, highlighting the need for a social transition alongside the energy transition. The government has implemented various policies and actions to minimize the impacts of decarbonization and optimize outcomes through participation and social dialogue, emphasizing the importance of anticipation and adaptation to different territorial realities. The article also discusses the global effort towards a just transition to renewable energy, focusing on creating a sustainable future for future generations and ensuring that people can envision a better future through climate solutions.
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COP30 draft text includes energy transition minerals in UN climate first
Countries attending COP30 in Belém, Brazil are discussing the implications of extracting minerals for clean energy technologies, with a focus on the social and environmental risks of scaling up supply chains. The UN panel report emphasizes the importance of putting human rights at the core of mineral value chains, particularly for minerals like copper, cobalt, and lithium that are in high demand. Developing countries, including African nations, are advocating for fair and sustainable mineral supply chains for the energy transition, highlighting the need for strong social and environmental safeguards, sustainable consumption patterns, and the rights of Indigenous Peoples. There is debate over the inclusion of language on transitioning away from fossil fuels, with developing countries calling for technical assistance and international cooperation for a just energy transition, while developed countries are exploring alternatives to creating a new institution.
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What do African countries want from COP30?
African government negotiators at COP30 are prioritizing fair sharing of the bill for climate change, seeking finance solutions to help them become more resilient to climate disasters and transition to cleaner energy without adding to their debt loads. Several African countries have lowered emissions cutting ambitions in their latest national climate plans due to lack of funding. The goal is to ensure practical solutions are recognized for African countries experiencing global warming, with a focus on debt-free finance and increased provision of climate cash from public and private sources. African negotiators are pushing for $1.3 trillion in annual financial support by 2035, with the majority being grant-based resources to avoid increasing the continent's debt burden. Africa's total external debt has risen to $1.15 trillion by the end of 2023, with debt servicing reaching $163 billion in 2024. African negotiators are aiming to unlock cash to implement national adaptation plans and adopt metrics tailored to Africa's circumstances. Discussions are ongoing to finalize a set of around 100 indicators for adaptation progress. African countries are eager to see national adaptation plans become a reality on the ground, with a focus on building resilience and capacity for emergency response. The Congo Basin is receiving limited international forest-related financing, and African delegates are interested in the Tropical Forest Forever Facility launched by Brazil at COP30. African civil society groups are calling for COP30 to recognize the Congo Basin as a vital global climate asset and ensure equitable finance flows for its protection. They also want support for Africa-led initiatives like the Great Green Wall and AFR100 to strengthen nature-based solutions. Activists are pushing for a Just Transition Work Programme to ensure social justice and equity in job creation and finance during the global shift to cleaner energy sources. African countries are also advocating for discussions at COP30 on critical minerals to focus on powering Africa's transition and supporting their development. Loss and damage costs in Africa due to climate impacts are estimated to be between $280 billion-$440 billion a year from 2020 to 2030. Africa is facing "irreplaceable loss" due to climate change impacts, including damage to cultural heritage sites, shrinking farmlands, and worsening health. The country is calling for international support to cope with these challenges. At COP30, African civil society groups are advocating for the new global Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) to provide grants for climate-vulnerable nations in Africa. The fund should offer assistance for both sudden and slow-onset crises, such as losses from rising seas or desertification. Africa's COP30 envoy emphasizes the need for an efficient fund that can address loss and damage on an emergency basis, criticizing the slow progress and lack of significant donations to the FRLD.
https://www.climatechangenews.com/2025/11/10/what-do-african-countries-want-from-cop30/
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A just transition for renewables: Why COP30 must put people before power
Communities around the world are pushing back against renewable energy projects that fail to deliver direct benefits, leading to protests and cancellations in various countries. The challenge now is to ensure that new investments in renewable energy serve local people first and avoid replicating past mistakes. A Just Transition mechanism is being called for at COP30 to address barriers hindering renewable energy development in developing countries, aiming to unlock public finance for worker upskilling and community-led renewable systems. Fair and people-centered renewable energy projects are emerging globally, highlighting the importance of equity in the transition to clean energy. A global just transition mechanism could scale up these efforts and ensure that decarbonization is equitable and accessible to all.
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For Indian women workers, a just transition means surviving climate impacts with dignity
SEWA, a women-led organization, focuses on a just transition by prioritizing resilience for poor women facing climate shocks like heatwaves and floods. With 3.2 million informal workers, SEWA fights for rights and recognition for women on the frontlines, as more than 90% of women workers report livelihood losses from climate shocks. Their initiatives, such as a heat insurance scheme and Livelihood Recovery & Resilience Fund, provide fast relief for women impacted by climate change. SEWA has partnered with the Clinton Global Initiative to launch the Global Climate Resilience Facility (GCRF) to support women's organizations in running funds, expanding insurance, and scaling clean-energy solutions. The article emphasizes the importance of finance in implementing climate solutions, particularly for women in vulnerable communities, and highlights the effectiveness of women-led initiatives in designing and scaling climate solutions. The Belém Action Mechanism is proposed as a way to bridge the gap in funding and support for grassroots initiatives, showing that the transition to a more sustainable future has already begun for many women like SEWA's members.