Environmental Defense Fund

As Floridians confront the devastating impacts of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, a new paper in PNAS co-authored by Carolyn Kousky, Galen Treuer, and Katharine Mach sheds critical light on the intersection of climate risks, property insurance, and policymaking. This timely research, “Insurance and Climate Risks: Policy Lessons from Three Bounding Scenarios,” offers actionable steps for stabilizing insurance markets and protecting vulnerable communities as climate threats grow. The paper identifies four essential steps for policymakers to take: ? Invest in Risk Reduction: Emphasizing long-term solutions like climate adaptation, resilient infrastructure, and improved building standards. ? Align Insurance Prices with Risks: Allowing risk-reflective pricing while supporting affordable options for lower-income households. ? Avoid Systemic Risks: Recognizing the interconnectedness of insurance, housing, mortgage, and bond markets to prevent widespread economic disruptions. ? Equitable Access to Insurance: Ensuring fair access to affordable coverage for vulnerable communities. ?? Read the full paper to understand how policy choices made today can foster resilience and a sustainable insurance market for all Floridians. ?? https://lnkd.in/eXniX9fX? #ClimateRisk #Insurance #PolicyRecommendations #Resilience #Florida??

“Climate impacts are local, but solutions must be global. Our legacy will be measured not in documents, but in communities protected and resilience built," says our Juan Pablo Hoffmaister. In the 30 years since the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was established, the reality of climate change is undeniable—and so is the need for action worldwide. To recognize the framework’s founding anniversary, the Adaptation Committee (AC) launched a publication that takes stock of the progress made on adaptation. Plus, the AC highlights progress by Parties to the Convention and Paris Agreement and will serve as a key resource for international adaptation updates over time. We’re proud to have our Juan Pablo Hoffmaister join the UNFCCC panel at #COP29 to advance the conversation on adaptation solutions.

International cooperation – centred on the #ParisAgreement – is indispensable to climate action. ? Amidst geopolitical divisions and uncertainties, the world needs countries to come together at the #COP29 climate conference to deliver justice in the face of climate catastrophe and move us closer to securing a decent world for all humanity. ? My appeal to negotiators and ministers: Soften hard lines. Navigate a path through your differences. Keep your eyes on the bigger picture. Never forget that the future of humanity is at stake. ? We need a major push to get discussions over the finishing line, to deliver an ambitious and balanced package on all pending issues, with a new finance goal at its heart. ? Climate finance is not a hand-out. It is an investment against the devastation that unchecked climate chaos will inflict on us all. It is a down payment on a safer, more prosperous future for every nation on Earth. ? I urge all countries to step-up, pick-up the pace, and deliver. The need for #ClimateAction is urgent. The rewards are great. And time is short.

When someone shows you who they are, believe them. The first time. Matt Gaetz showed us who he was when he introduced legislation to abolish the EPA. And, in addition to other very serious allegations, that’s why I believe he’s a reckless choice for Attorney General. Matt Gaetz’s position is that no one should protect American families from pollution. If your child has asthma, if there’s lead in your drinking water, if you live near a toxic chemical plant, Gaetz says you’re on your own. If he becomes Attorney General, it will mean dirtier air and water now and a less stable future for our children and grandchildren. Read my full statement: https://lnkd.in/eRSB39dF

The oceans pavilion at #COP29 is swimming with people. EDF has been here for the past week advocating for climate finance for the ocean, a vastly underfunded area, and stressing its importance as a climate solution. We’re also sharing advances in our scientific knowledge of the ocean’s twilight zone—that’s the waters from 200 to 1,000 meters deep, and it stores tons of carbon. The twilight zone is also a vast repository of biodiversity. It’s estimated to include up to 95% of the ocean’s biomass! And the species that live there play a critical role in carbon cycling in the ocean. Many twilight zone species migrate to the ocean’s surface at night and to deep waters during the day. In doing so, they absorb excess CO2 from the atmosphere and lock it away in deep sediments. So, when it comes to carbon sequestration, preserving these species is akin to conserving Amazon forests! But there’s still so much we don’t know about the twilight zone. And that’s why, with the help of UN Special Envoy for the Ocean, Peter Thomson, we’re shedding light on this critical ocean region at COP29.

Billions of dollars are invested annually in water security and conservation initiatives in India, yet groundwater levels in many areas continue to decline. Data-driven solutions, thoughtfully applied, could help reverse this trend. EDF and WELL Labs are leading the development of a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) toolbox that can help refine and guide future investments to improve long-term impact. EDF’s Leah Beaulac shares key insights into MEL approaches and how this new toolbox can play a pivotal role in addressing India’s groundwater crisis: https://www.edf.org/Z6Ez

Healthy livestock ?? healthy people and a healthy planet. Investing in better animal health brings immediate benefits to farmers and the climate by providing: ???? lower-methane livestock farming ???? improved nutrition for people ???? reduced food waste ???? stronger rural economies Solutions are available today, but we need strong science and financing to ensure they can make a lasting impact. EDF is proud to convene a global effort with governments, companies and philanthropies to advance a united strategy for animal health research and implementation. The Aim for Climate animal health innovation sprint launched at COP29 by EDF and our partners is a first-of-its-kind effort to highlight the intersection between animal health, human health and planetary health. Thank you to USAID, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and Global Methane Hub for joining our Aim for Climate sprint. Read more on how healthier animals mean healthier people and a healthier planet: https://lnkd.in/eYWY6qmU

Our food systems are incredible, feeding billions and supporting livelihoods. But they also face serious challenges. So how can we keep 8+ billion people nourished while building resilience in the face of increased flooding, worsening drought and other climate extremes? By taking urgent #ActionOnFood to:? ?? Scale sustainable, regenerative farming? ?? Make healthy, nutritious diets accessible to all? ?? Protect and restore 30% of land, water, and ocean by 2030? ?? Halve food loss and waste by 2030?

Negotiations are kicking into high gear as the second week of #COP29 gets underway. World leaders have to agree on a new climate finance goal in order to meet their Paris Agreement commitments. And businesses, investors and NGOs including Environmental Defense Fund are calling on G20 heads of state to push negotiations in the right direction and lead by example. G20 countries have more than 85% of the world’s wealth. And they have a responsibility to help ensure the global economy is resilient, stable and clean. So, we’re asking G20 leaders for two things: First, we need to see an ambitious climate finance goal that meets the needs of developing countries. And the money needs to be easy for them to access without going into more debt. Second, we need receipts. G20 leaders need to submit national climate plans by February that are 1.5°C-aligned, sector-specific and backed by investment positive policies that can turbocharge sustainable growth.? We need a stable climate to thrive. And we’re all in this together, so let’s get it done!? https://lnkd.in/eesYRpQE?

Do you remember this moment? Instead of just telling COP delegates how much sea level rise was threatening his home, the foreign minister of Tuvalu *showed* them. That was back in 2021. Fast forward to today and the water is still rising around Tuvalu. So, this year at #COP29 island nations are raising their voices. Members of the Alliance of Small Island States, including Tuvalu, are calling for a new climate finance goal that will give them the money they need to make their communities in the face of climate change. Because “In countries where there is low income and high debt, a major hurricane can wipe out 200% of their GDP in a single day.” And these countries have contributed almost nothing to the warming that’s making these storms more powerful. Read more about how island nations are coming together to build resilience: https://bit.ly/3CIiQaO