Climate Change Solutions Update

Category: Food, Agriculture, Land & Ocean (FALO)

Cut Emissions:
– Curb Growing Demands
– Restore & Manage Ecosystems
– Shift Agriculture Practices

  • Securing rights: Why Tara Bandu matters for fisheries, food and livelihoods

    Customary systems, like Tara Bandu in Timor-Leste, are key to thriving coastal communities as they empower local fishers to become stewards of their own future. By revitalizing traditional governance with modern science, communities are seeing recovering fish stocks, healthier reefs, and improved income stability. Secure rights, recognized by the national government, give communities confidence to protect their resources, leading to stronger food security and sustainable fisheries management. This blend of traditional and modern approaches demonstrates how conservation and culture can reinforce each other, creating a pathway towards resilience and prosperity for coastal communities. Recognizing and supporting systems like Tara Bandu is key to ensuring prosperity and sustainable management of marine resources in coastal communities.

    https://blueventures.org/securing-rights-why-tara-bandu-matters-for-fisheries-food-and-livelihoods/

  • Blue State Steps Up To Save Farmers With Solar Power

    New Jersey has launched a Dual-Use Pilot program to demonstrate the benefits of agrivoltaics, combining solar power and farming to maximize land use efficiency and provide new revenue streams for farmers. Rutgers University is leading the initiative, aiming to install 200 megawatts of solar power on farmland. Despite challenges like navigating state incentives and land conservation regulations, the program could lead to more farms adopting solar power in New Jersey. The state's innovative approach to solar development, including rooftop capacity and emerging trends like gas station and balcony solar, is helping progress towards renewable energy goals. Dual-use solar power offers a promising solution to support farmers and generate additional revenue while addressing the shrinking farm size in New Jersey.

    https://cleantechnica.com/2025/11/23/blue-state-steps-up-to-save-us-farms-with-solar-power/

  • Environmental News Network – Creating an Extension-Driven Vision for Smarter Farming

    Luan Oliveira, a researcher in agricultural engineering and precision agriculture, utilizes machines, drones, artificial intelligence, and robots to improve farming operations. His work, influenced by his family's farming background in Brazil, directly supports Georgia's agriculture industry. Oliveira's passion for machinery and agriculture led him to focus on utilizing robotic equipment in the field to enhance agricultural practices. His research at the University of Georgia highlights the potential for technological advancements to revolutionize farming methods and increase efficiency in the agricultural sector.

    https://www.enn.com/articles/77455-creating-an-extension-driven-vision-for-smarter-farming

  • Brazil creates new Indigenous territories after COP30 protests

    Brazil has created 10 new Indigenous territories, including one in the Amazon, to protect culture and environment, with calls for more lands to be legally recognized. Indigenous peoples protect biodiversity and traditional ways of life help tackle global warming, with past recognition of Indigenous reserves preventing deforestation and potentially reducing carbon emissions by 26% by 2030. The Brazilian government has announced the creation of new protected areas for indigenous peoples, crucial for regulating the global climate and storing carbon, with efforts at COP30 to limit global temperature rises and address the impacts of climate change. Indigenous groups face attacks when defending their land, with protests at COP30 demanding land demarcation to ensure the protection of Indigenous territories and their vital role in climate solutions.

    https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1d0vekq12ro

  • From waffle gardens to terraces, Indigenous groups revive farming heritage in America’s deserts

    Native American farmers in the southwestern United States, such as Clayton Brascoupe, Roxanne Swentzell, and Lilian Hill, are leading efforts to revitalize traditional weather-adaptive techniques like dry farming, terracing, and seed saving. These age-old farming methods are being shared to help communities in dry regions worldwide, promoting cultural identity, self-sufficiency, and better health through better food and traditional farming practices. By incorporating animals and insects into their farming practices, they create sustainable food systems that minimize waste and maximize resources. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased interest in these practices as access to fresh food became limited, highlighting the importance of spreading ancient agricultural wisdom globally to address concerns about climate change and drought.

    https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/from-waffle-gardens-to-terraces-indigenous-groups-revive-farming-heritage-in-americas-deserts/

  • Data centers can stack sustainability, energy innovations

    State laws are reshaping how data centers are built in the US, with a focus on fast-tracking power build-out and microgrids to address increasing electricity use that is putting pressure on grids and water resources. Communities are raising concerns over noise, water draw, and job creation related to new data centers, highlighting the need for creativity in planning to address sustainability, efficiency, and community benefits. Some data centers are exploring innovative solutions, such as using server heat and CO2 to fuel nearby greenhouses for food production. Emerging technologies can convert emissions into clean hydrogen, while integrating data centers with agriculture and carbon-utilization operations can create durable jobs and deeper community roots, prioritizing energy and water sustainability and community resilience for a win-win solution.

    https://www.utilitydive.com/news/data-centers-can-stack-sustainability-energy-innovations/805193/

  • Keeping cool on a hotter planet: COP30 pushes for sustainable cooling and AI innovation

    AI is being utilized to aid farmers in predicting droughts and managing crops efficiently, but concerns arise regarding the environmental cost of training large models and running data centers. Cooling is identified as a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions, with sustainable alternatives gaining momentum. Initiatives like the Technology Implementation Programme at COP30 and the Beat the Heat Implementation Drive are working to promote sustainable solutions and bridge gaps in finance, policy, and delivery for vulnerable communities. Researcher Alisa Luangrath's AI-powered irrigation system in Lao People's Democratic Republic won the UNFCCC "AI for Climate Action" Award, integrating soil moisture sensors, groundwater monitors, and meteorological data to assist farmers in planning planting and irrigation cycles more efficiently. However, the environmental footprint of AI, including data centers, is a growing concern, with potential strain on water resources as countries like Brazil race to attract data centers.

    https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/11/1166332

  • 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/

  • Hydrogen, Measured Properly: What 2,000 Projects Reveal About Its Climate Value

    A study in Nature Energy has found that hydrogen makes sense in a few industrial applications but little else, with most of today's hydrogen being used for fertilizer, refining, and methanol. The study examined about 2,000 existing and planned hydrogen projects and found that if all were built, they would produce about 110 million tons of hydrogen per year with significant emissions. The researchers suggest that hydrogen should replace dirty hydrogen in existing markets rather than creating new applications. Sectors like steel, biofuels, and ammonia have the best climate returns per kilogram of hydrogen used, but alternatives like electric arc furnaces and biomethane based DRI may be cheaper and easier to scale. Ammonia fertilizer produced with green hydrogen can support the generation of biofuel through increased crop yields, while carbon capture has a narrow role in low-carbon options, with the focus shifting towards more efficient use of renewable energy.

    https://cleantechnica.com/2025/11/10/hydrogen-measured-properly-what-2000-projects-reveal-about-its-climate-value/

  • Ceres applauds launch of Tropical Forest Forever Facility, urges more government and private sector support

    The Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) was launched at COP30 Leader's Summit with $5.5 billion in investment commitments to protect tropical forests, aiming to safeguard over 1 billion hectares by paying nations to keep them standing. Endorsed by 34 tropical forest countries, the fund mandates at least 20% of payments go to Indigenous Peoples and local communities, using a blended finance model to generate returns for investors and create an enabling environment for companies to close supply chain gaps. Ceres will release a report analyzing corporate progress on deforestation and offering pathways for business action in at-risk sectors.

    https://www.ceres.org/resources/news/ceres-applauds-launch-of-tropical-forest-forever-facility-urges-more-government-and-private-sector-support