This weekly round-up brings you key climate news from the past seven days, including new controversies surrounding the European Union’s anti-deforestation law and a new report unveiling the killing of nearly 200 land and environmental defenders in 2023.
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1. Nearly 200 Land and Environmental Defenders Killed in 2023, Mostly in Latin America, Global Witness Report Reveals
196 defenders were murdered in 2023 while exercising their right to protect their lands and the environment, a new report has revealed, adding that the number of casualties is likely much higher.
This brings the total number of killings to 2,106 since Global Witness began reporting data in 2012, the environmental watchdog group said in its latest report published Tuesday.
Latin America made up 85% of all killings last year. Weak legal protections, high levels of corruption, and intense conflicts over land and resource exploitation make the region one of the most dangerous to operate in for environmental defenders.
Colombia topped the list of the deadliest countries for environmental defenders for the second year in a row with 79 murders – 40% of the total. In 2022, 60 defenders were killed in the country, which is preparing to host the year’s most important biodiversity meeting next month.
In neighbouring Brazil, home to the world’s largest rainforest, 25 defenders were murdered, while Mexico and Honduras each saw 18 killings. The latter has the largest per capita killing rate.
“Every killing leaves the world more vulnerable to the climate, biodiversity and pollution crises,” the report read.
Read more here.
2. Tens of Thousands in Seoul Protest Government’s Climate Inaction Following Landmark Court Victory
More than 30,000 people took to the streets in South Korea’s capital Seoul on Saturday demanding more action on climate change, days after a top court ruled that the government’s climate policies violate fundamental human rights.
Protesters from all walks of life marched in Seoul’s Gangnam District under the slogan “Let’s Change the World, Not the Climate,” many holding handmade cardboard banners reading “Climate Justice” and “Change Now.” In a joint statement seen by The Korea Times, 611 civic and environmental groups said they were marching to “address the climate disaster and global injustice, and to protect a life of equality and dignity.”
The protest came just little over a week after a group of young climate activists scored a landmark victory at the Constitutional Court of Korea. The court late last month ruled that the government’s measures to fight climate change are insufficient for protecting the rights of its citizens. It was Asia’s first climate litigation ruling of its kind.
Read more here.
3. Italy’s Marmolada Glacier Set to Disappear By 2040 As Temperatures Rise, Researchers Warn
The Marmolada glacier, the highest glacier of the Dolomites and an UNESCO World Heritage site, is disappearing and could melt away completely by as early as 2040.
The 3,343-meter glacier, located in the Alps mountain range in northeastern Italy and also known as the “Queen of the Dolomites,” is disappearing at a rate of between 7 and 10 centimeters a day, a recent assessment has revealed. It lost around 50% of its original surface in the past century and another 50% in the past decade. Since 2019, the glacier shrank by an additional 70 hectares or the equivalent of 98 football pitches.
Scientists have repeatedly warned that the largest glaciers in the Alps, namely the Adamello and Forni, are experiencing similar challenges. The Forni Glacier is losing ice at a rate comparable to that of the Marmolada. Meanwhile, long-term measurements of the 3,539-meter Adamello indicate that its current surface is primarily composed of snowfall from the 1980s, highlighting the significant and ongoing decline in glacial mass.
Read more here.
4. ‘From the City to the Countryside’: Greenpeace Raises Alarm After Microplastic Found in 85% of Hong Kong Wild Mammal Feces Samples
A new study published Monday revealed the presence of microplastics in the feces of five wild mammals – buffalo, boar, macaque, porcupine, and cattle – with the latter having the highest concentration. Greenpeace collaborated with research teams from universities in Hong Kong and Taipei to collect 100 samples of feces in Hong Kong’s countryside between June and August 2022. They found a total of 2,503 microplastics pieces in 85% of the 100 samples collected.
The Greenpeace investigation revealed that microplastics commonly found in single-use plastic packaging, takeaway containers, and disposable utensils – also known as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) – were the predominant types mammals ingested.
“The findings of this study are important, proving that wild animals can ingest microplastics in the countryside, where it is away from urban areas and human activities,” said Christelle Not, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Hong Kong.
Previous Greenpeace research conducted in 2021 confirmed the presence of microplastics in many of Hong Kong’s countryside streams, though Monday’s study marks the first evidence of microplastics reaching wild animals.
Read more here.
5. Brazil Urges EU to Postpone and Reassess ‘Unilateral’ Anti-Deforestation Law Over Fears It Will Affect Trade Relations
In a letter to the European Commission seen by Reuters, the Brazilian government said the law was an “unilateral and punitive instrument” that discriminates against countries whose economies rely on forest resources such as Brazil.
“Brazil is one of the main suppliers to the EU of most of the products covered by the legislation, which correspond to more than 30% of our exports to the community bloc,” the letter, signed by the Minister of Agriculture Carlos Fávaro and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mauro Vieira, said. “In order to avoid impact on our trade relations, we request that the EU not implement the EUDR (EU Deforestation-free Regulation) at the end of 2024 and urgently reassess its approach to the issue.”
Government calculations suggest the legislation could affect some $15 billion-worth of exports. According to Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade figures, as reported by Reuters, Brazil’s exports of products covered by the EUDR in 2023 amounted to $46.2 billion.
In April, European Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius said the law will come into force at the end of 2024 as initially planned in response to calls by an Austria-led coalition of 20 of the 27 EU member states to review the law. They argued that the new rules would hurt European farmers, who are also subject to the new rules.
Read more here.
