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By Sharon Kimathi, Energy and ESG Editor, Reuters Digital

Hello,

It’s World Press Freedom day!

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will be hosting the 31st World Press Freedom Day Conference in Santiago, Chile, dedicated to the importance of journalism and freedom of expression in the context of the current global environmental crisis.

Unfortunately, this year’s World Press Freedom Day is tarnished with devastating news as a recent report by UNESCO highlighted that journalists who report on environmental issues face increasing violence around the world from both state and private actors.

The report noted that 44 environmental journalists have been murdered between 2009 and 2023.

More than 70% of the 905 journalists the agency surveyed in 129 countries said they had been attacked, threatened or pressured, and that the violence against them had worsened – with 305 attacks reported in the last five years alone.

The U.N. cultural agency listed in its report physical attacks such as injuries, arrests and harassment, as well as legal actions, including defamation lawsuits and criminal proceedings, among others.

At least 749 journalists, groups of journalists and media outlets have been attacked in 89 countries across all regions, its report said. “State actors – police, military forces, government officials and employees, local authorities – are responsible for most of the attacks for which perpetrator information is available,” the report said.

The private sector was responsible for at least a quarter.

These journalists were covering a wide range of topics, including protests, mining and land conflicts, logging and deforestation, extreme weather events, pollution and environmental damage, and the fossil fuel industry.

1. Death toll from rains in southern Brazil climbs to 29, Lula visits region

The death toll from heavy rains in Brazil’s southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul rose to 29, local authorities said, as the state government declared a state of public calamity. The storms, which have caused the greatest devastation in the state in recent years, also left 60 people missing and 10,242 displaced in 154 cities, according to Rio Grande do Sul’s civil defense.

People walk in a flooded area next to the Taquari River during heavy rains in Encantado, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. REUTERS/Diego Vara

2.  Parts of India record hottest April as heatwave kills nine

Eastern India experienced its hottest April on record as a heatwave scorched parts of the country, killing at least nine people, and the weather office on Wednesday forecast above normal temperatures for May too.

3. Residents fear for safety as Indonesia’s Mount Ruang volcano erupts

Antelmus Paulus, 67, is in despair after the eruption on Tuesday of Indonesia’s Ruang volcano rendered his home on Tagulandang island uninhabitable and prompted authorities to evacuate more than 12,000 people. Antelmus’ zinc-roofed house, about 7 km (4.35 miles) from the 725-meter (2378.61 ft) high volcano, was heavily damaged by the ejected material. 

4. Greek summer wildfire threat nears, outpacing plans to contain it

When firefighters arrived at a blaze in a pine forest on the Greek island of Rhodes last July, flames were already leaping above the trees into the night sky. The volunteers needed to act fast, but dense vegetation on the forest floor blocked access. 

As another summer approaches, and as wildfires become ever more deadly across southern Europe, Greece has developed a new doctrine to contain the damage, including deploying an extra fire truck to each new blaze, speeding up air support and clearing forests. Click here for the full Reuters feature about the new steps Greece is taking to combat wildfires.

5. US appeals court says kids’ climate lawsuit must be dismissed

A U.S. appeals court said a lawsuit filed by 21 young people claiming the U.S. government’s energy policies violate their rights to be protected from climate change must be dismissed, this time for good.

At least four people died and scores were injured in Oklahoma last weekend after dozens of twisters swept the U.S. Southern Plains, while weather alerts put more than 7 million Americans under tornado warnings. Click here or on the image for more. 

Breakingviews: Storms later this year might just blow down an important line of defense for U.S. homeowners. Warmer ocean surfaces and weaker trade-wind patterns are setting the stage for an especially fierce hurricane season. Two states already are propping up their insurance industries. A wave of insolvencies would be problematic, but not as much as unaffordable premiums and declining property values. Click here for the full comment by Breakingviews’ Robert Cyran.

98%

Five of the world’s largest carbon credit programs have now been given initial approval by the Integrity Council for Voluntary Carbon Markets (ICVCM), a body tasked with raising standards in the market for carbon offsets. 

The latest additions to the ICVCM’s approved list –  Verra and Architecture for REDD+ Transactions (ART) –  means its governance and transparency standards now cover programmes which have a 98% share of the market, based on carbon credits retired in 2023.

Allowing companies to buy credits from projects that lock carbon away, such as mangrove restoration, and use them to offset their emissions is seen as an important way to help developing countries protect the environment.

Sustainable Switch Climate Focus was edited by Susan Fenton

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