Tropical Storm Sara formed Thursday in the Caribbean and is delivering "potentially catastrophic" rainfall in Honduras.
Threat level: The storm, which also poses a threat to Belize, is not likely to make it into the Gulf of Mexico. It's instead expected to weaken over the Yucatán Peninsula.
A group of high-level climate diplomats — including Christiana Figueres, who led the UN climate talks in Paris in 2015 — released an open letter Friday in the midst of COP29 calling for urgent reform of the summit process.
Why it matters: It is rare to have so many luminaries and COP veterans, including former UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon and former Irish president and climate advocate Mary Robinson, to call for rethinking COPs while in the middle of negotiations.
What they're saying: The letter, endorsed by prominent climate scientists, calls for COPs to shrink in size and focus on implementation and accountability.
"Its current structure simply cannot deliver the change at exponential speed and scale, which is essential to ensure a safe climate landing for humanity," it states.
"Whilst the Paris framework was intended to operate in "delivery mode", it is not working because governments are not held to account to ensure that national action plans align with the latest scientific evidence."
Between the lines: Azerbaijan, where COP29 is taking place, is the second petrostate in a row to host the talks.
The letter calls for eligibility criteria that might prevent such nations from hosting the talks if they do not "support the phase out/transition away from fossil energy."
Zoom out: The new letter follows an initial one sent in February 2023, which followed COP28. The new one goes much further, however, in its recommendations.
The signatories are not the only ones advocating for reforms. Former vice president Al Gore has been pushing for the consensus voting process at COPs to be changed to allow measures to pass with two-thirds support.
This might give more vulnerable nations more sway over the process, compared to fossil fuel producing countries.
Americans are divided about what role scientists should play in crafting public policies, with Democrats far more likely than Republicans to say they should play an active part, according to a new survey by the Pew Research Center.
Why it matters: Partisan differences in trust of scientists could influence who helps devise policies in the new Trump administration — and beyond — as the world faces climate change, new pathogens, AI and other complex challenges.
As UN global climate negotiations close out the first week in Baku, Azerbaijan, even small climate players are showcasing their contributions to cutting emissions and raising more money.
Why it matters: The COP29 summit aims for a new target for financial flows from mainly developed countries to the developing world.
The world's largest coral has been found in the southwest Pacific Ocean, and scientists say the massive organism is visible from space.
The big picture: The "mega coral" near the Solomon Islands, believed to be about 300 years old and measuring 105 feet long by 111 feet wide, was discovered by the National Geographic Pristine Seas team, per an emailed statement from the group.
Regardless of how President-elect Trump changes the Biden administration's long-term climate policies, automakers are already panicking about state-level electric vehicle mandates just around the corner.
In California and 11 other blue states that follow its lead, 35% of new cars must be electric starting with 2026 models — some of which will be in showrooms as early as next spring.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody sued FEMA officials Thursday for allegedly neglecting hurricane victims in households supporting President-elect Trump.
Driving the news: The lawsuit comes after a series of claims that the federal agency has a bias against Republicans and is diverting funds meant for natural disaster cleanup to house migrants.
The Trump administration is reportedly expected to pursue the demolition of electric vehicle tax credits that provide discounts of up to $7,500 on new EVs.
Why it matters: Those incentives have encouraged EV adoption at a time when climate advocates say it's critical to transition away from fossil fuels. But Trump has bashed the credits, which were included in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.
Well into the first week of the latest UN climate summit in Azerbaijan, there are signs of movement — and hints of the arduous task ahead for diplomats.
Why it matters: Countries at COP29 are in no mood to fork over large increases in traditional public funds to contribute to a new, globally agreed goal for climate finance.
