Introduction
In Post 59 we asked our Country Managers to describe the most important climate event that took place in their countries in 2022. The event could be related to climate policies, programs, weather events, political happenings and more. Our Country Managers described this event and why it was important to their country’s ability or inability to mitigate its greenhouse gas emissions.
We also asked them to suggest the most important climate event that will take place in their countries in 2023 and what will be its significant indicator. Table 1 below summarizes the events, past and forward, that our Country Managers proposed.
Full country reports for each of the 19 leading greenhouse gas emitting countries that we follow, are provided below. Complete Country Reports follow.
Table: IMPORTANT CLIMATE EVENTS IN 2022 AND THOSE PREDICTED FOR 2023
| Country | Events Past and Forward |
| Australia |
|
| Brazil |
|
| Canada |
|
| China |
|
| European Union |
|
| France |
|
| Germany |
|
| India |
|
| Indonesia |
|
| Mexico |
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| Nigeria |
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| Saudi Arabia |
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| Spain |
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| Turkey |
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| United Kingdom |
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| United States |
|
Country Reports
Australia: A Climate Look Past and Forward
Looking Back 2022: Elections Result in a Pro-Science Government / Looking Forward 2023: Hopeful Cancellation of Proposed Fossil Fuel ProjectsIn 2022 Australians took the opportunity to vote in a new Federal government that expressed belief in climate science and a commitment to legislate emissions reduction targets. After almost a decade of entrenched climate denial by…
Brazil: A Climate Look Past and Forward
Looking Back 2022: Brazil’s Presidential Election/ Looking Forward 2023: Promised Efforts to Cleanup the Amazon The 2022 presidential elections were undoubtedly the most important event of the year and its impact toward mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.On November 18, 2022, Brazil, along with Russia and the United States, was highlighted as a “dishonourable mention” in…
Canada: A Climate Look Past and Forward
Looking Back 2022: the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan/ Looking Forward 2023: Implementation of the National Adaptation StrategyOn March 29, 2022, Canada’s first 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan under the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act was released by Hon. Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change (MECC), this is a critical federal climate mitigation policy that…
European Union: A Climate Look Past and Forward
Looking Back 2022: The Introduction of the REPowerEU Plan/ Looking Forward 2023: Increasing investment in Existing Climate Mitigation Funds Russia’s war on Ukraine created significant uncertainty within the EU regarding how it is going to produce enough energy to power itself through winter while still maintaining its ambitious climate goals. The EU’s previous reliance on…
France: A Climate Look Past and Forward
Looking Back 2022: Summer of Extreme Weather Events/ Looking Forward 2023: France’s Embrace of the Bridgetown InitiativeArguably the most important climate event that took place in France in 2022 was a summer of extreme weather events. These weather events – including successive heatwaves, forest fires, droughts, and storms – gave France a foreboding preview of…
Germany: A Climate Look Past and Forward
Looking Back 2022: The Energy Crisis Looking Forward 2023: The Threat of Recession and Its Impact on Energy Use Without a doubt, the most transformative climate change event in Germany this year was the energy crisis – triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This initial conflict and Putin’s refusal to back down in the…
India: A Climate Look Past and Forward
Looking Back 2022: Climate pledges decreed by Indian Parliament Looking Forward 2023: Push for green hydrogen for a clean energy transitionThe Government of India articulated climate concerns at the 26th and 27th sessions of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The Indian Parliament also decreed as…
Indonesia: A Climate Look Past and Forward
Looking Back 2022: Floods, Droughts, and Other Extreme Weather Events Looking Forward 2023: To Make Substantial Progress in Eliminating DeforestationBackground information and weather events in 2022 Indonesia has been experiencing changes in rainfall patterns over the last several years. From July to September 2022, rainfall higher than the thirty-year-long…
Mexico: A Climate Look Past and Forward
Looking Back 2022: The Sembrando Vida Program Looking Forward 2023: Implementing Improvements in Energy Efficiency and Greater Use of Renewable Energy In 2022, the Government of Mexico proposed more than 30 measures that will allow a reduction in the annual emissions of greenhouse gases, especially CO2. Among them stands out the “Sembrando Vida” program….
Nigeria: A Climate Look Past and Forward
Looking Back 2022: Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan Looking Forward 2023: Identify Needed Financial Support for the Energy Transition Plan Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan (ETP) was launched in August 2022. This plan chronicles how energy poverty and climate change will be addressed to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. This is arguably Nigeria’s biggest and most…
Saudi Arabia: A Climate Look Past and Forward
Looking Back 2022: Saudi’s Green Initiative Forum 2nd Edition Looking Forward 2023 Conference and a Plan to Transition from Fossil Fuels to Renewable Energy The second edition of the Saudi Green Initiative Forum, launched in October 2021, was held from November 11th through the 12th of this year in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, alongside the…
Spain: A Climate Look Past and Forward
Looking Back 2022: Extreme Weather Strains Energy Resources Looking Forward 2023: Plan to Secure 74% of Electricity with Renewable Energy Resources After a turbulent year setting off with the wettest march in 61 years, the earliest heatwave in over 40 years, and complete with the warmest New Year’s Day in over 20 years, 2022 has…
Turkey: A Climate Look Past and Forward
Looking Back 2022: An increase in the use of renewable energy Looking Forward 2023: Looking Forward (Predictive) 2023 Presidential Election 2022 has been a difficult year for Turkey in many aspects. The local currency, Turkish Lira, has lost significant value against all the hard currencies and inflation has exceeded 100% per year. In addition…
United Kingdom: A Climate Look Past and Forward
Looking Back 2022: Climate Action Summit Looking Forward 2023: Proposed Local Government and Regional Council SummitThe Climate Action Summit 2022 organized by the UN Global Compact Network UK was one of the most important climate events in the United Kingdom in 2022. The summit, with the main theme of “Delivering a Net Zero Future,” took…
United States: A Climate Look Past and Forward
Looking Back 2022: The Passing of the Inflation Reduction Act Looking Forward 2023: Passing the New Farm BillThe passing of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in 2022 was a welcome step in combating climate change in the United States. This bipartisan supported legislation, signed into law on August 16th, has given some hope that the…