A swell of business action is continuing following the Paris climate agreement.
Presidents Jinping (centre) and Obama (right) have ensured that the Paris Agreement now covers 40% of the world’s emissions, bringing it closer to coming into force.
EPA/How Hwee Young
Unlike the Kyoto Protocol, which languished for years, the Paris climate agreement is rocketing towards the threshold for it to enter into international law – leaving Australia in its wake.
Half a degree could make all the difference for the Great Barrier Reef.
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James Whitmore, The Conversation and Michael Hopkin, The Conversation
A new report published by the Climate Institute says Australia could avoid lengthy heatwaves and help save the Great Barrier Reef by meeting the Paris Agreement’s 1.5C global warming goal.
Turnbull might be hamstrung by his barely-there majority.
AAP Image/Paul Miller
Malcolm Turnbull returns to the helm with a wafer-thin majority and a significant element in his government who still oppose climate action - can he defy the odds and serve up some credible policy?
The UK is letting itself go over budget.
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Britain was among Europe’s most progressive voices on climate policy. Its imminent withdrawal leaves the European Union grappling with voices of dissent from member states such as Poland.
To reach zero emissions by 2050, we need to invest in zero emissions technology now.
Coal power image from www.shutterstock.com
Current climate pledges mean emissions will be too high in 2030 to stop dangerous global warming. But there are a number of things we can do to fix this.
Green progress? The ANU needs to dig deeper on divestment.
Nick-D/Wikimedia Commons
The Paris climate deal has supposedly sent a signal to the wider world that now is the time to pull out of fossil fuel investments. Universities can set the pace – but they need to do more.
The immense coal powerplant in Mundra, India, a controversial CDM project.
DR
After the warm glow of self-satisfaction comes the realisation that this is going to be really, really tough.
A woman in Burkina Faso collects firewood. Developing nations – and particularly women in these nations – are more vulnerable to climate change, and have less ability to adapt.
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Climate justice is becoming an increasingly important part of climate action.
Australia has isolated sustainable development projects, like Adelaide’s Bowden precinct that got Princes Charles’ attention in 2015, but lacks an overarching commitment to sustainability.
AAP
The challenges we face demand profound changes in our thinking and priorities. Replacing the Productivity Commission with a National Sustainability Commission would help us make this paradigm shift.
We still don’t know enough about questions such as where the tipping points are for Arctic ice melt.
Christine Zenino/Wikimedia Commons
The Paris agreement has given us some solid targets to aim for in terms of limiting global warming. But that in turn begs a whole range of new scientific questions.
Is the sun setting on coal investments?
EPA/Federico Gambarini/AAP
Energy companies are realising that, in light of the Paris climate deal, the economics are starting to line up in favour of climate action, not against it.
Will the world resort to ‘solar radiation management’ to slow the Earth’s heating?
Mark Robinson/flickr
Simon Nicholson, American University School of International Service and Michael Thompson, American University School of International Service
Yes, we blunt the effects of climate change by getting off fossil fuels. But countries’ most ambitious targets imply use of climate engineering schemes – and that discussion should be done in public.
Renewable energy is at the more expensive end of the emissions cost curve, but is a vital piece of the bigger picture.
AAP Image/Lukas Coch
Australia’s greenhouse emissions are once again rising, after a decade of consistent declines. But the right policies are already in place to turn things around - they just need to be ramped up.
Bringing down the gavel, and bringing down the house: French Foreign Affairs Minister Laurent Fabius symbolically ended the Paris climate talks, applauded by UN climate chief Christiana Figueres.
Reuters/Stephane Mahe
What’s next, now that the Paris climate summit is over? We’ve created a special report for you, featuring two dozen of our best articles on the scientific, political and economic challenges ahead.