Climate and environment updates: October was 2nd warmest month on record, NOAA says

As the world's nations try to decide on a plan of action for limiting the impacts of climate change, the head of the United Nations Environment Programme says reducing methane emissions could be the "emergency brake" the world needs.

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas responsible for about 30% of the rise in global temperatures since industrialization, according to the International Energy Agency.

"Reducing methane emissions this decade is our emergency brake in the climate remit," Martina Otto, head of the Secretariat, Climate and Clean Air Coalition at the UNEP, said at a press conference with the COP29 presidency.

"To cut the emergency we need to harness the fact that methane has a much higher global warming potential and is shorter lived in the atmosphere, which means we can curb near-term warming."

Tuesday is food, water and agriculture day at COP29 – an occasion marked this year by a new agreement to cut methane emissions from food waste.

Over 30 countries have already committed to the Declaration on Reducing Methane from Organic Waste, which targets methane emissions from organic waste like food. The move complements additional global efforts to tackle methane emissions, including the Global Methane Pledge, which aims to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030.

"Urgent work is needed to help the agricultural sectors adapt to a warming planet," COP29 lead negotiator Yalchin Rafiyev said.

Rafiyev explained that the Baku Harmoniya Climate Initiative for Farmers — an effort launched by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the COP29 presidency — will give farmers tools for building climate resilience and secure funding.

"We are also committed to taking every opportunity for mitigation, particularly on methane," Rafiyev said, noting previous COP's progress on methane emissions. "We must address all the major sources of methane emissions, including fossil fuels, agriculture and organic waste."

"Transforming agriculture and food systems is going to be critical if we are to achieve the Paris Agreement, whether it's on the side of adaptation and building resilience, or indeed on the side of mitigation," Kaveh Zahedi, director of the Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment at the FAO, said. "And on this food, agriculture and water day, we're so delighted that the cop 29 presidency has been shining a light on this."

-ABC News Climate Unit's Kelly Livingston

As COP29, the annual U.N. global climate conference, heads into its second and final week, the United Nations' top climate representative is reminding delegates of what's at stake if they fail to act now.

During his opening remarks on Monday, Simon Stiell, the U.N. climate change executive secretary, chastised the delegates, warning them that they are losing sight of the forest because they are "tussling over individual trees" and that "bluffing, brinksmanship and pre-mediated playbooks burn up precious time."

"So let's cut the theatrics and get down to real business," he said.

Later in the day, Stiell urged climate leaders and public officials to unite on adaptation policy and finance.

"This year, we saw how every bit of preparation – every policy, every plan – is the difference between life and death for millions of people around the world," Stiell said.

Stiell emphasized that we know how to adapt to our changing climate technologically but need the will to act.

"We have the tools, the science, the ability to achieve these outcomes," he said.

The biggest roadblock, he said, is ensuring countries have enough money to do the work.

"Of course, we cannot ignore the adaptation elephant in the room: there is a stark financial gap we must bridge," Stiell said.

According to Stiell, the expenses associated with adaptation are rapidly increasing, especially for developing nations. By 2030, these expenses could amount to $340 billion annually and soar to $565 billion annually by 2050.
Without proper funding, he said billions of lives are on the line.

"The IPCC's Working Group II report told us that almost half the human population live in climate vulnerable hotspots, where people are 15 times more likely to die from climate impacts," Stiell said.

Stiell encouraged public and private sector funders to rise to the occasion and meet global needs in new ways.

"Think beyond traditional grants and loans," Stiell said. "Philanthropies, the private sector, and bilateral donors must step up with the urgency that this crisis demands."

He added, "The funding exists. We need to unlock and unblock it."

-ABC News' Charlotte Slovin

Cities, counties and government agencies use air quality monitors to measure the pollutants and particulates that can cause significant health problems. However, according to a new report, hundreds of counties across the United States lack these essential measurement tools.

According to the American Lung Association’s 2024 State of the Air report, more than two-thirds of U.S. counties do not have official ground-based air quality monitoring stations. As a result, dangerous levels of pollution are going undetected and unaddressed.

The association used satellite data to estimate that 300 of the 2,700 U.S. counties with incomplete or no air monitoring data had potentially failing grade levels of fine particulate matter between 2020 and 2022.

Lexi Popovici, lead report author and a senior manager of the American Lung Association, said satellite data could help fill the data gap left by the missing air monitors and help people and officials, particularly in rural areas, take protective measures. She said the technology could also supplement existing ground monitors and ultimately create a more comprehensive air quality monitoring system.

"Using satellite data actually helps fill in those gaps to identify pollution in places that might otherwise go undetected, and this can help millions of Americans understand what air quality they are breathing," Popovici said.

Earlier this year, the Environmental Protection Agency introduced a more stringent national annual average standard based on the risk to human health.

Fine particulate pollution is a mix of solid or liquid particles suspended in the air – smaller than a strand of human hair – that can be present even in air that looks clean, according to the EPA. These pollutants are considered the most dangerous forms of air pollution and are linked to asthma, lung and heart disease, and other respiratory health issues.

Popovici said subsequent reports will focus more on the potential of community air quality resources and ways to mitigate environmental injustices.

--ABC News' Gaby Vinick

As COP29, the annual U.N. global climate conference, concludes its first week, the United States energy secretary, spoke out about a post-Biden energy future. The message to conference delegates: We will be here tomorrow.

President-elect Donald Trump has said he will withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement, reducing the country's influence and participation in global climate negotiations. However, U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said that other leaders, like governors, mayors and community groups, will continue to work on climate challenges.

"The future of U.S. climate policy may be less certain than it was last week, but this moment is not unprecedented," said Granholm in a press conference on Friday. "We've been here before and this time we are feeling even more bullish."

"The economy around the clean energy transition, the actual economics of this transition, is inexorable," she said.

The energy secretary touted the country's work in clean energy, highlighting the 400,000 workers hired and 900 clean energy factories opened in the U.S. since the passing of the bipartisan infrastructure law in 2021. She also highlighted the work done across the political aisle and the significant clean energy investments in red and blue districts.

"The absence of leadership in the White House does not mean that this energy transition is stopped," Granholm said, referring to the Trump administration.

At another COP29 event, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee echoed the secretary's sentiments, saying he's confident climate work will continue thanks to state leadership and multistate coalitions.

"We know that despite the election of Donald Trump, the incredible momentum, the incredible dynamic growth, the incredible support that has preexisted his administration will continue and continue unabated through the administration," Inslee said. "The reason I came here is to make sure people's ambition, ability to work together and aggressive actions are not slowed down at all because of that election."

"We know in the states that our destiny is in our hands and the tools are in our toolbox. And we cannot be stopped," he added.

-ABC News' Charlotte Slovin