Jesse Chase-Lubitz

China's big development projects are getting smaller China’s shift from massive infrastructure projects to smaller, self-sustaining initiatives marks a strategic pivot in its foreign aid approach, raising questions about its true motivations.

Check out @jessechaselubitz.bsky.social's full story.⬇️

🔴HAPPENING NOW: We are in Rome for COP16 and are waiting as heads of delegations negotiate a new draft on resource mobilization.

📸Photo credits: @jessechaselubitz.bsky.social

Final day of #COP16.2 in Rome today and basically everything is still on the table.

It’s a tight deadline. Based on meeting rules, everything has to be finished within 13 hours. So either delegates find a middle ground by 11pm or parties would have to agree on yet another extension.

@devex.com

Following along at the resumed #COP16 meetings today in #Rome on biodiversity.

These are expected to be a streamlined version of the official meetings in October. The pressure is on delegates to conclude the unfinished business of Colombia.

Today’s focus: resource mobilization

@devex.com

NGOs in Afghanistan left guessing on waivers as humanitarian aid stalls A 90-day USAID funding freeze is crippling Afghanistan's health care, education, and basic services, with NGOs left scrambling for clarity on waivers and facing operational chaos amid a collapsing eco...

#Afghanistan still relies on the U.S. for aid. Since the #USAID stop-work order, its currency has devalued, its hospitals are struggling to function, and NGOs are panicking trying to figure out what the #waivers cover.

Read our coverage on the reverberations of the USAID freeze @devex.com

Trump freeze on USAID-funded climate program could worsen migration USAID’s SERVIR program, which uses NASA satellite data to help countries manage climate disasters, has been suspended. Experts say that could lead to more migration to the U.S.

One of the many fatalities of the USAID order is a #climate program, SERVIR, which has spent the last 20 years helping countries foresee and prepare for #disasters. It has saved lives and, experts say, helped stave off migration into the U.S.

Read more @devex.com 👇

www.devex.com/news/trump-f...

What the aid funding freeze means for climate change The Trump administration’s funding freeze on USAID sent shockwaves through the climate and development sector, triggering layoffs and long-term uncertainty.

With #USAID frozen, #climate programs will undoubtedly suffer. 🌍

Under the last Trump administration, organizations were able to "fly climate under the radar" but some humanitarian officials say "it’s not going to be as easy to just tweak the language this time around."

@devex.com

USAID-funded famine early warning system goes offline due to aid freeze A key food insecurity data tool used by humanitarian groups worldwide has been taken down due to the Trump administration's stop-work order on USAID, raising alarm among aid workers.

On Thursday, a USAID-funded resource that provides early warning alerts on famines went offline and company emails bounced back. Officials are outraged, nervous, and sad.

“Holy shit. FEWS NET is like the Bible," one official told us. "We rely on them."

@devex.com

www.devex.com/news/usaid-f...

Map titled "Which countries met the UN's target of giving 0.7% of national income to foreign aid in 2023?" showing countries in three categories: "No data" (white), "Below the UN target" (tan), and "Meeting the UN target" (blue). Only Sweden is shown in blue, meeting the UN's foreign aid target. Countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and various European nations appear in tan, indicating they fall below the target. The map notes that the UN’s 0.7% target is intended for developed countries and references data from the OECD (2024).

Five developed countries met the UN’s target for foreign aid in 2023

The climate development milestones to watch in 2025 This year’s key climate milestones — from conferences to key deadlines — will shape global development efforts leading up to COP30 in Belém. Here’s a month-by-month guide to what’s happening, why it m...

It's big year for climate action and there's a lot to keep track of. I’ve broken down the key milestones to watch — from Trump's #inauguration to #COP30 in Brazil. Take a look 👇

devex.shorthandstories.com/the-climate-...

Climate change may not feature in elections as high a priority, but it's clear that the world's global elite are certainly worried. www.weforum.org/stories/2025...

‘Forgotten’: How one Mexican city struggles against big industry for water A Coca-Cola plant pumps millions of litres of water in San Cristóbal de las Casas. But locals say their faucets run dry.

Excellent investigation (as always) by @peter-yeung.bsky.social into how water is flowing to companies like Coca-Cola rather than to residents. This is keeping residents reliant on the sugary drink while restricting their access to safe water. www.aljazeera.com/news/longfor...

My latest for @devex.com, summarized for me by @felixfinkbeiner.bsky.social!

The French seem to be meeting the moment. They are sending air and sea convoys, a field hospital, and materials to rebuild. But the island was not prepared to deal with this, and #climatechange is only going to make these disasters more frequent.

Some island experts say that these "subnational island jurisdictions" known, charmingly, as SNIJs, don't get the right preparation and support because they are ruled by big developed continental nations that don't understand island vulnerability.

In Mayotte, 3/4 of the population live below the national poverty line. But because they are a French jurisdiction, most of its needs must be met by, or approved by, the French government.

The #cyclone in #Mayotte has left dozens dead and tens of thousands without water.

The disaster brings up the question of how island jurisdictions that are ruled by rich continental states (France, in this case) receive aid and prepare for these kinds of disasters.

Nations turn to ICJ for clarity on climate accountability The International Court of Justice has concluded historic hearings with over 100 participants seeking legal clarity on states’ obligations to combat climate change and address its consequences.

Almost 100 countries & 12 international organizations appeared before the International Court of Justice, seeking to clarify the duties that high-emitting countries have to fight climate change.

It’s the largest case the UN has ever seen, Devex climate reporter @jessechaselubitz.bsky.social writes.

Systematic assessment of the achieved emission reductions of carbon crediting projects - Nature Communications Carbon markets are key in climate strategies, but only 16% of carbon credits represent real emission reductions, based on a study of 2,346 projects. Reforms are needed to improve the effectiveness of ...

Good morning. Carbon markets don’t work.

Just 16% of carbon credits correspond to actual emissions reductions, per new research

COP29 formalised a Wild West market that might make some consultancies rich but which is going to doom our planet
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

I feel like @nytimes.com is having a little fun with this now.

www.nytimes.com/2024/11/27/u...

Agreed. A few big falsehoods here that @theguardian.com let through

The European Union has begun speaking in response to NCQG, as well. They highlighted that "all countries that have ability to contribute should do so," referring to an an article that enhances MDB accounting. Demonstrators seem to be coughing (?) in reaction. It didn't catch on.

Nigeria is up next, calling the agreement an "insult" and a "joke." "It's 3am and we're going to clap our hands and say this is what we're going to do? I don't think so."

Bolivia is joining India in "rejecting" the deal. We don't know what this means yet, as the decision has been gavelled in.

India say “this has been an unfortunate incident” and “we are extremely, extremely disappointed.”

The delegate from Cuba was quick to follow up, saying that the total ultimately gives less to developing countries than before due to inflation.

2:40am and we have a deal: $300 billion will flow from north to south countries…with a few new caveats. Keep an eye out for @Devex’s coverage.

We’re still here. It’s 1am. No new text but Panama delegation head says there have been some good conversations and that “he sees the light”

Man, now Saudi Arabia has apparently been caught editing official COP29 drafts, maybe granted edit access by the COP presidency, Azerbaijan. Rough.

“We are in the midst of a geopolitical power play by a few fossil fuel states.” -a German minister in Baku