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Ukraine: Civilian Casualties Surge Amid Intensifying Explosive Weapon Attacks
SILVER SPRING, Maryland, Nov. 11 [Category: Health Care] -- Humanity and Inclusion issued the following news release:
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Ukraine: Civilian Casualties Surge Amid Intensifying Explosive Weapon Attacks
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Now in the fifth year of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, civilians continue to endure the catastrophic impact of explosive weapons in populated areas (EWIPA), facing destruction, displacement, and long-term humanitarian consequences. Between July and September 2026, Ukraine experienced some of the highest recorded civilian casualty levels since the beginning of the war, with 8,330
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SILVER SPRING, Maryland, Nov. 11 [Category: Health Care] -- Humanity and Inclusion issued the following news release:
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Ukraine: Civilian Casualties Surge Amid Intensifying Explosive Weapon Attacks
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Now in the fifth year of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, civilians continue to endure the catastrophic impact of explosive weapons in populated areas (EWIPA), facing destruction, displacement, and long-term humanitarian consequences. Between July and September 2026, Ukraine experienced some of the highest recorded civilian casualty levels since the beginning of the war, with 8,330casualties and a 90% rise compared to the same period last year, driven by intensifying missile strikes, long-range drones, glide bombs, artillery shelling, and short-range FPV drone attacks. During the same period, Ukraine also ramped up its deep strike operations against targets inside Russian territory, which were accompanied by reported civilian casualties.
Recent months have been among the deadliest for civilians, bringing immense loss and suffering.
Between July and September 2026, the UN documented unrelenting civilian harm in Ukraine.
In July alone, 437 civilians were killed and 2,610 injured, making it the deadliest month since May 2022. Overall, during the first eight months of 2026, more civilians were killed and injured across Ukraine than in the entire year of 2025, underscoring the severe deterioration in civilian protection and the mounting human cost of the war.
Ukrainian airstrikes on Russian territory have also caused civilian casualties; from January to July 2026, at least 327 civilians were killed in Russia. These figures come solely from official Russian sources and have not been independently verified by international observers or monitoring missions; therefore, they must be treated with caution.
Inna, an HI finance officer, says,
"Life in Kyiv is constant uncertainty: you don't know if you will wake up alive in the morning or reach work safely when there are no shelters nearby, and the power plant next to the metro station is under repeated attack. It is reading Harry Potter with your child in the evening, only to be interrupted by ballistic explosions outside the window and a rush to the corridor. It is watching a high-rise burn just a kilometer away, consoling yourself only with the thought that the playground beneath did not claim children's lives. It is seeing the tears of fear in your child's eyes every day. Life in Kyiv is no longer life; it is survival."
Russian forces' use of explosive weapons continues to generate a consistent pattern of civilian harm. Ukrainian forces have also conducted strikes using drones and missiles, including on Russian territory, raising concerns about the protection of civilians.
Long-Range Drones (Shahed-136/131; Geran-3, Geran-4, Geran-5; Italmas and Gerbera strike drones)
Russia has sharply escalated its use of jet-powered Geran drones against Ukraine, launching heavy-warhead systems deliberately targeting Ukraine's civilian infrastructure and residential areas. Daily attacks in August and September saw hundreds deployed, with some assaults killing civilians in Kyiv and other cities.
Between July and September 2026, Russian forces launched 16,086 long-range drones across Ukraine, marking one of the most intense periods of drone warfare in the conflict. The sheer scale of these attacks had horrific consequences for civilians, with widespread destruction of homes, infrastructure, and disruption of daily life.
On July 2, Russia launched 496 Shahed, Gerbera, and Italmas strike drones in a combined attack on Kyiv, one of the largest episodes of the month; the strikes killed at least 30 civilians, injured more than 97, and caused severe destruction to residential buildings, a hospital, a humanitarian warehouse, and critical city infrastructure.
Short-Range Drones (FPV, Lancet-type, Hornet)
Russian forces continued to use FPV drones that target evacuation buses, humanitarian workers, and frontline towns. July saw the highest monthly civilian casualty toll from short-range drones since the start of the full-scale war: 111 people killed and 710 injured, nearly one in four of the month's civilian casualties. These systems not only strike people, but they can also hunt them: OHCHR has documented drone operators targeting civilians in cars and buses, people evacuating, and clearly marked ambulances, and in July an FPV drone destroyed a Red Cross emergency-response van moments after its crew arrived to treat casualties in Vilniansk, with deaths recorded among humanitarian workers and persons with disabilities, who remain unable to safely relocate in time without proper support.
Russia's use of glide bombs remained at record levels, devastating residential areas in Kharkiv, Sumy and Donetsk. In July 2026, civilian casualties from aerial bombardments rose 143% compared to June, reaching 105 killed and 753 injured.
Cruise and Ballistic Missiles (Iskander-M, S-400/KN-23, Zircon/Onyx anti-ship missiles; Kh-101, Kalibr).
Russia intensified missile attacks in July, with 429 missiles launched. Civilian casualties from missiles and loitering munitions accounted for 38% of all harm (183 killed; 967 injured).
The combined use of cruise and ballistic missiles, glide bombs, Shahed/Geran loitering munitions, and FPV drones by Russian forces has had a devastating impact on civilians. These weapons disproportionately affect the most vulnerable groups - children, persons with disabilities, women, and the elderly- causing extensive destruction of civilian infrastructure, including schools, hospitals, and medical facilities, and severely restricting access to essential services. The use of explosive weapons in populated areas is likely to result in international humanitarian law violations regarding fundamental principles of distinction, proportionality, and precautions.
Long-Range Drones (UAVs and naval drones)
Between July and September 2026, Ukraine intensified its long-range strike drone campaign against Russian energy infrastructure, striking major refineries including Omsk, TANECO, Saratov, Ryazan, and Perm, and warehouse facilities; these operations caused shutdowns, fires, and widespread fuel shortages across Russia, reducing refining output to its lowest level in two decades.
Cruise and Ballistic Missiles (Neptune, Flamingo cruise missile; FP-7 ballistic missile)
Between July-September 2026, Ukrainian forces escalated long-range strikes on Russia using Neptune cruise missiles, Flamingo cruise missiles, and possibly FP-7 ballistic missiles. Targets included oil refineries (Gazpromneft Moscow, Novoshakhtinsk), UAV factories (Atlant-Aero), electronics plants (Karachev Elektrodetal), ports, and Russian Navy vessels. These attacks disrupted Russia's energy infrastructure, forced refinery shutdowns, and weakened its Black Sea Fleet presence, with civilian casualties reported.
The following chronology highlights the most devastating attacks in Ukraine and Russia or territories under Russian control impacting civilians from July to September, underscoring urgent protection needs and accountability gaps.
The vast majority of casualties reported between July and September 2026 occurred in territory controlled by the Government of Ukraine. Civilians were killed or injured across 14 regions of Ukraine and the city of Kyiv.
Humanity & Inclusion (HI) strongly denounces the devastating harm inflicted on civilians by the bombing and shelling of towns and cities in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. HI calls on all parties to respect IHL and its principles to protect civilians and humanitarian and health workers at all times.
HI calls on all governments to urgently endorse and fully implement the Political Declaration on Strengthening the Protection of Civilians from Humanitarian Consequences Arising from the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas, and to uphold their commitments to restrict and refrain from such use when civilian harm is foreseeable.
We further urge the international community to condemn and investigate IHL violations, strengthen accountability mechanisms, and ensure survivor-centered assistance, including mental health support and inclusive rehabilitation services. Protecting civilians and safeguarding essential services must remain a global priority, and states that have already signed the Declaration should lead by example, sharing concrete measures taken to implement its commitments and demonstrating genuine action to reduce civilian harm.
Humanity & Inclusion emphasizes that the use of EWIPA not only causes civilian casualties and the destruction of infrastructure but also leads to long-term contamination of land with explosive remnants of war. This contamination prevents safe returns, blocks access to housing, schools, medical facilities, and livelihoods. HI calls on governments and the international community to prioritize land clearance from ERW as an essential component of civilian protection, recovery, and sustainable development, ensuring compliance with International Mine Action Standards and inclusive principles in program planning and implementation.
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Original text here: https://www.hi-us.org/en/ukraine-civilian-toll-rises-from-use-of-explosive-weapons-in-populated-areas
Natural Resources Defense Council: President Trump Undermines BAAJA As Senate Debate Begins
NEW YORK, Nov. 11 -- The Natural Resources Defense Council issued the following news release:
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President Trump Undermines BAAJA As Senate Debate Begins
November 9, 2026
WASHINGTON - The Senate voted to begin the deliberative process on the permitting reform bill today. While NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) announced opposition to BAAJA as currently written in the Manager's Amendment over the weekend, news today that there will be an amendment process keeps the door open to potential fixes to the bill.
Underscoring concerns about impacts of the bill as written, President Trump
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NEW YORK, Nov. 11 -- The Natural Resources Defense Council issued the following news release:
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President Trump Undermines BAAJA As Senate Debate Begins
November 9, 2026
WASHINGTON - The Senate voted to begin the deliberative process on the permitting reform bill today. While NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) announced opposition to BAAJA as currently written in the Manager's Amendment over the weekend, news today that there will be an amendment process keeps the door open to potential fixes to the bill.
Underscoring concerns about impacts of the bill as written, President Trumpspoke today of his support for BAAJA while noting he would not approve any wind projects, calling wind turbines "total losers" even as the White House put out vote guidance stressing the bill's importance for fossil fuels and data center development.
Following is reaction to the vote from Manish Bapna, president and CEO of NRDC:
"President Trump highlights how important this bill is for fossil fuels and data centers and how it could help clear the way for President Trump's expensive and dirty energy agenda.
"Until President Trump's war on clean energy ends, the permitting bill is thoroughly undercut, leaving the administration free to push new fossil fuel infrastructure projects while bringing new clean energy development to a halt. That is not good for the climate, for the economy, or for public health. The permitting legislation needs to address that dynamic, because even in talking up the bill today, President Trump said he would not approve wind projects. The amendment process gives the Senate a chance to counter the Administration's dangerously limited approach.
"We support the elements of the legislation that help accelerate needed transmission, clean energy deployment, and grid modernization; but the current package goes too far in weakening essential environmental safeguards and public participation requirements. We hope to see those areas improved through a robust amendment process."
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Established in 1970, NRDC (the Natural Resources Defense Council) works to safeguard the earth, its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. Our team of more than 800 lawyers, policy experts, scientists, economists, and communications specialists work across the United States and around the world, from offices in Washington D.C., New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, and Santa Monica, as well as a representative office in Beijing and affiliate offices in New Delhi (through NRDC's wholly owned for-profit subsidiary, NRDC India Private Limited) and London (through its UK-based partner NRDC International).
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Original text here: https://www.nrdc.org/press-releases/president-trump-undermines-baaja-senate-debate-begins
[Category: Environment]
National Endowment for Democracy: Vladimir Kara-Murza to Deliver the 23rd Annual Lipset Lecture
WASHINGTON, Nov. 11 -- The National Endowment for Democracy issued the following news:
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Vladimir Kara-Murza to Deliver the 23rd Annual Lipset Lecture
November 10, 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- On December 14, 2026, Russian pro-democracy leader and Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian Vladimir Kara-Murza will deliver the National Endowment for Democracy (NED)'s 23rd annual Seymour Martin Lipset Lecture on Democracy in the World. The lecture, "No Peace Without Freedom: Why a Safer World Requires a Democratic Russia," is co-hosted by the Embassy of Canada to the United States.
Kara-Murza
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WASHINGTON, Nov. 11 -- The National Endowment for Democracy issued the following news:
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Vladimir Kara-Murza to Deliver the 23rd Annual Lipset Lecture
November 10, 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- On December 14, 2026, Russian pro-democracy leader and Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian Vladimir Kara-Murza will deliver the National Endowment for Democracy (NED)'s 23rd annual Seymour Martin Lipset Lecture on Democracy in the World. The lecture, "No Peace Without Freedom: Why a Safer World Requires a Democratic Russia," is co-hosted by the Embassy of Canada to the United States.
Kara-Murzahas spent decades advancing democracy and human rights in Russia. A longtime colleague of murdered Russian pro-democracy leader Boris Nemtsov, he played a critical role in advocating for Magnitsky sanctions against Kremlin officials. For this work, he was twice poisoned and left in a coma. In 2022, he was arrested and later sentenced by a Russian court to 25 years in prison for his vocal opposition to the war in Ukraine. While Kara-Murza was in prison, he and his wife, Evgenia, launched the 30 October Foundation to advocate on behalf of Russian political prisoners and provide financial support to their families.
"Vladimir Kara-Murza has endured the Kremlin's worst abuses without surrendering his faith in the Russian people or their democratic future," said NED President and CEO Damon Wilson. "As America marks 250 years since its founding, his example affirms a principle at the heart of our democratic tradition, that no people are destined to live under tyranny. Russia's future belongs to its citizens, and those working peacefully to build that future deserve the support of democracies everywhere."
Kara-Murza was released from prison in the 2024 East-West prisoner exchange and has continued his advocacy for democracy and Russian political prisoners. He is the vice president of the Free Russia Foundation and serves as one of the 15 Russian representatives to the Platform for Dialogue with Russian Democratic Forces at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). He is also a contributing writer to the Washington Post and received a Pulitzer Prize for essays on Russia's democratic future written while imprisoned between 2022 and 2024.
Inaugurated in 2004, the Seymour Martin Lipset Lecture on Democracy in the World is a joint initiative of NED, the Embassy of Canada to the United States, and the University of Toronto's Department of Political Science and Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy. Named after celebrated democracy scholar Seymour Martin Lipset, the lecture is delivered both in the United States and Canada by leading thinkers who have made important contributions to the study of democracy.
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About the National Endowment for Democracy: NED is a private, nonprofit foundation dedicated to advancing freedom and democracy worldwide. Established in 1983 as part of President Reagan's vision to foster an "infrastructure of democracy" with a bipartisan Congressional mandate, NED supports grassroots leaders striving for the freedom to think, speak, worship, engage politically, and support their families without fear. It mobilizes key pillars of American democracy, from political parties to business and labor, to support their counterparts abroad through the Core Institutes that form the NED family: the International Republican Institute, the National Democratic Institute, the Center for International Private Enterprise, and the Solidarity Center.
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Original text here: https://www.ned.org/vladimir-kara-murza-to-deliver-the-23rd-annual-lipset-lecture/
[Category: Sociological]
NRDC Reaction to the Defeat of Prop. 45, the Anti-CEQA Bill
NEW YORK, Nov. 11 -- The Natural Resources Defense Council issued the following news release:
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NRDC Reaction to the Defeat of Prop. 45, the anti-CEQA Bill
November 9, 2026
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - California voters overwhelmingly rejected Proposition 45 by a margin of more than a million votes and growing. The measure would have fast-tracked a broad range of polluting projects while reducing stakeholder input and transparency.
The projects eligible for streamlining would have included, but were not limited to geothermal, fuel cells, freeway expansion, small hydroelectric generation, digester
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NEW YORK, Nov. 11 -- The Natural Resources Defense Council issued the following news release:
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NRDC Reaction to the Defeat of Prop. 45, the anti-CEQA Bill
November 9, 2026
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - California voters overwhelmingly rejected Proposition 45 by a margin of more than a million votes and growing. The measure would have fast-tracked a broad range of polluting projects while reducing stakeholder input and transparency.
The projects eligible for streamlining would have included, but were not limited to geothermal, fuel cells, freeway expansion, small hydroelectric generation, digestergas, biomass, landfill gas, ocean wave, ocean thermal, or tidal current, along with their associated transmission lines. Prop 45 would also have made it easier for data centers to bypass CEQA environmental review, leaving Californians with limited information about projects and less oversight.
The following is a statement from Esther Portillo, Western States Environmental Health Director at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):
"The environmental community and our allies worked hard to defeat Proposition 45, while big tech and billionaires spent $56 million campaigning in support of it. Californians made their decision at the ballot box to protect their right to transparency and to ensure their voices are heard in decisions about development projects that could affect their health and environment."
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NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd).
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Original text here: https://www.nrdc.org/reaction/nrdc-reaction-defeat-prop-45-anti-ceqa-bill
[Category: Environment]
COP31: Climate Advocates Demand Governments Commit to Ending Fossil Fuels
BOSTON, Massachusetts, Nov. 11 [Category: Energy] -- 350.org, an organization that works to end the age of fossil fuels and build a community-led renewable energy, posted the following news release:
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November 10, 2026
COP31: Climate advocates demand governments commit to ending fossil fuels
ANTALYA, TURKIYE: Climate advocates gathered outside the Blue Zone at COP31 today, as Energy Day got underway, calling on world leaders to move beyond rhetoric and commit to a rapid and fair phase-out of fossil fuels.
Campaigners from 350.org, APMDD, Climate Action Network (CAN), the Women and Gender
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BOSTON, Massachusetts, Nov. 11 [Category: Energy] -- 350.org, an organization that works to end the age of fossil fuels and build a community-led renewable energy, posted the following news release:
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November 10, 2026
COP31: Climate advocates demand governments commit to ending fossil fuels
ANTALYA, TURKIYE: Climate advocates gathered outside the Blue Zone at COP31 today, as Energy Day got underway, calling on world leaders to move beyond rhetoric and commit to a rapid and fair phase-out of fossil fuels.
Campaigners from 350.org, APMDD, Climate Action Network (CAN), the Women and GenderConstituency, Demand Climate Justice and Oil Change International came together to demand an end to fossil fuel expansion and a just transition to affordable, accessible renewable energy.
The action called on world leaders to deliver concrete commitments to rapidly and fairly phase out fossil fuels, end new fossil fuel expansion and ensure that wealthy polluters pay their fair share of climate finance towards just transition, adaptation and addressing loss and damage.
Gina Cortes, 350.org
"People around the world are demanding an energy system that puts their lives, livelihoods and futures first. We are here to remind governments that the transition cannot happen on the fossil fuel industry's terms. It must be fast, fair and rooted in climate justice. The time for promises is over. We need governments to deliver a real plan to phase out fossil fuels and ensure no one is left behind."
Haneen Hamed, Women and Gender Constituency, said:
"Ending fossil fuels is not simply about changing where our energy comes from. It is about transforming the systems that have created this crisis and continue to put profits before people. Women and frontline communities are already bearing the heaviest costs of fossil fuel dependence. A just transition must put their rights, needs and leadership at its heart. We cannot replace one broken system with another, we need an energy future built on justice, equality and renewable energy that works for everyone."
Joao Cerqueira, 350.org, said:
"Governments cannot claim to be delivering an energy transition while continuing to approve new coal, oil and gas projects. The science is clear: we need a rapid and fair phase-out of fossil fuels, not another round of promises that allow the industry to carry on business as usual. This transition must be powered by renewable energy that is affordable and accessible to all, with public investment and community ownership at its heart. We need to break our dependence on fossil fuels, not simply recreate the same systems of corporate control and inequality under a new name."
Elle Bartolome, APMDD, said:
"Communities across Asia and the Global South have paid the price for an energy system built around extraction, corporate profits and dependence on fossil fuels. We must not allow the energy transition to become another opportunity for corporations to profit at the expense of people and the planet. Clean energy must mean energy justice: affordable electricity, community control, respect for people's rights and an end to destructive extraction. Those who have profited most from the climate crisis must pay for the transition."
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Notes to editors:
The action took place on Tuesday 10 November at 09:00 local time, at Location 1, Blue Zone Entrance, COP31, Antalya, Turkiye.
Participating organisations: 350.org, APMDD, Climate Action Network (CAN), Women and Gender Constituency, Demand Climate Justice and Oil Change International.
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Original text here: https://350.org/press-release/cop31-climate-advocates-demand-governments-commit-to-ending-fossil-fuels/
Appalachian Voices: Davidson County Approves Nation's Largest Liquefied Natural Gas Facility Along Yadkin River Over Unanimous Community Opposition
BOONE, North Carolina, Nov. 11 [Category: Sociological] -- Appalachian Voices issued the following news release:
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Davidson County approves nation's largest liquefied natural gas facility along Yadkin River over unanimous community opposition
November 10, 2026
LEXINGTON, N.C. -- After a hearing that stretched past 11:30 p.m. and drew a standing-room-only crowd in which not a single resident spoke in favor, the Davidson County Board of Commissioners voted 4-3 Monday night to rezone more than 1,600 acres along the Yadkin River for the largest enhanced liquefied natural gas facility in the
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BOONE, North Carolina, Nov. 11 [Category: Sociological] -- Appalachian Voices issued the following news release:
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Davidson County approves nation's largest liquefied natural gas facility along Yadkin River over unanimous community opposition
November 10, 2026
LEXINGTON, N.C. -- After a hearing that stretched past 11:30 p.m. and drew a standing-room-only crowd in which not a single resident spoke in favor, the Davidson County Board of Commissioners voted 4-3 Monday night to rezone more than 1,600 acres along the Yadkin River for the largest enhanced liquefied natural gas facility in thecountry.
The vote approves an application from Duke Energy Carolinas and its subsidiary, Piedmont Natural Gas, to build an Energy Reliability Center and LNG storage facility. It converts rural-agricultural land along the banks of the Yadkin River into a heavy-industrial conditional zoning district.
Residents began arriving at 4:30 p.m., well before the 6 p.m. meeting. They filled the main room and an overflow room, and others sat on the lobby floor of the building listening to an audio stream of the meeting -- there were nearly 250 people in total. Public comment didn't open until 9 p.m., with some residents waiting more than four hours to speak; others had to leave without a chance to speak because of the time. Those who stayed urged the board to weigh the risks to air and water quality and to the local economy. They warned that turning the land over to heavy industry could jeopardize local agriculture and forestry, outdoor recreation and the area's unique cultural heritage.
"We came to this hearing with real questions about our water, our air, and our safety if something goes wrong at this plant, and we didn't get answers," said Danielle Durham, a local resident. "The commissioners voted to turn our farmland and forests into an industrial gas site anyway. We're the ones who will have to live next to it."
"It is not the responsibility of this board to sacrifice the existing land use protections of an agricultural community to accommodate a corporation's desire," said Sarah Weschler, a nearby resident of Davie County. "A corporation's size, influence, and resources should not buy it a different set of rules."
Commissioners Tripp Kester, Chris Elliott, and Matt Mizell voted against the rezoning. One pointed to the county's responsibility for good land stewardship. Another warned that the project would open the door to more industrial development in the rural area, and the third cited the community's overwhelming opposition in person and in direct communication outside the meeting. Karen Watford, Todd Yates, Steve Shell, and Steve Shook voted in favor of the LNG facility.
The decision comes just two months after the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) denied Duke Energy's bid to expand its gas infrastructure in Richmond County. In that September ruling, regulators found that Duke had failed to prove the expansion was necessary.
"The PNG reps can't even answer your questions tonight," said Tai Coates-Wedde, a resident of Davidson County, at the meeting. "This was an open book test, and they failed it as far as I'm concerned, in front of you, in front of all the residents of Davidson County and everybody else who has come to hold them accountable for it."
Statewide organizations and local residents have sounded the alarm about the massive LNG complex's impacts on the local environment, public health, and the region's economic future. Ahead of the hearing, Southern Coalition for Social Justice sent a letter to the Davidson County Board of Commissioners on behalf of Clean Water for North Carolina, Appalachian Voices, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, the Yadkin Riverkeeper and CleanAIRE NC. The letter laid out the groups' concerns about the project and its incompatibility with the site. It urged commissioners to allow more time for a thorough review and for meaningful public participation.
"We are deeply disappointed by the decision to approve this rezoning application," said Crystal Norford, Environmental Organizer and Researcher at Clean Water for North Carolina. "With this decision, Davidson County leaders have fallen short on their duty to preserve and protect water, air and historic resources. We will continue supporting residents in the fight to protect this region from a dirty energy complex that would value data center energy demand more than the impact of higher energy bills, toxic air pollution, and harm to the Yadkin River."
"This decision puts the health of the Yadkin River and the communities that depend on it at risk by supporting a massive, polluting methane gas infrastructure buildout that would forever alter the river and the rural and historic character of Davidson County," said Nicole Eastman, Yadkin Riverkeeper. "We will continue fighting alongside community members to protect the Yadkin River and the right to a clean and safe environment."
"Toxic air pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions from this facility threaten the health of our communities and our state's climate future," said Andrew Whiteman, Senior Policy & Advocacy Manager at CleanAIRE NC. "Local leaders must recognize that fossil fuel power generation carries significant health and environmental costs -- burdens that ultimately fall on the residents they are responsible for protecting."
The Davidson LNG complex is one of many projects in Duke Energy's coordinated push to expand gas infrastructure across North Carolina. Regional and national experts have raised red flags about the shift toward fossil fuels, citing rising natural gas costs and price volatility. Duke's natural gas build-out comes as climate and cost-of-living pressures make reliable and renewable energy a priority for North Carolinians.
Critics say the strategy fails to meet Duke's affordability, reliability, and clean energy goals for its ratepayers. Monday's decision greenlights a project that threatens to deepen the affordability and environmental crises facing residents and ratepayers across North Carolina.
"Duke could have chosen one of its many existing brownfield sites for this giant gas complex, but instead, it chose the beautiful, unspoiled banks of the Yadkin River," said Shelley Hudson Robbins, Senior Decarbonization Manager at Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. "They did not care about the effect this monstrosity would have on Davidson County's rural character, its citizens or its air quality, and they did not see the Yadkin River as anything more than a resource to be exploited. It is stunning and disappointing that the Davidson County Commission is rolling over to Duke and its subsidiary Piedmont Natural Gas by approving this whiplash of a rezoning request and abandoning its duty to protect its citizens and to be wise stewards."
"Duke Energy still hasn't shown North Carolinians why they need this massive gas complex, and just two months ago, state regulators rejected another Duke gas expansion for that very reason," said Aiswarya Murali, Counsel for Environmental Justice at SCSJ. "Davidson County residents will live with the risks of this facility on the banks of the Yadkin River, and ratepayers across the state could end up paying for it. We will keep standing with this community as the fight continues."
"With last night's vote, commissioners are turning their back on a vision for the county's future that prioritizes outdoor recreation, agriculture, tourism and a high quality of life for Davidson County residents," said Juhi Modi, North Carolina Program Coordinator for Appalachian Voices. "Instead, they are embracing a project that poses far more risks than benefits for residents."
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Original text here: https://appvoices.org/2026/11/10/davidson-county-lng-vote/
350.org: COP31 - Global Calls for Fossil Fuel Phaseout Roadmaps Go Unanswered by COP31 Presidencies
BOSTON, Massachusetts, Nov. 11 [Category: Energy] -- 350.org, an organization that works to end the age of fossil fuels and build a community-led renewable energy, posted the following news release:
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November 10, 2026
COP31: Global calls for fossil fuel phaseout roadmaps go unanswered by COP31 Presidencies
Despite calls from countries, UNSG and civil society, COP31 Presidencies risk squandering growing global momentum for a just transition away from fossil fuels, as Energy Day highlights the broad agreement and momentum across parties to pair fossil fuel phase-out with renewable-powered
... Show Full Article
BOSTON, Massachusetts, Nov. 11 [Category: Energy] -- 350.org, an organization that works to end the age of fossil fuels and build a community-led renewable energy, posted the following news release:
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November 10, 2026
COP31: Global calls for fossil fuel phaseout roadmaps go unanswered by COP31 Presidencies
Despite calls from countries, UNSG and civil society, COP31 Presidencies risk squandering growing global momentum for a just transition away from fossil fuels, as Energy Day highlights the broad agreement and momentum across parties to pair fossil fuel phase-out with renewable-poweredelectrification.
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ANTALYA, TURKIYE: Climate organisations at COP31 are calling on the COP31 presidents to turn growing international support for moving away from fossil fuels into a clear commitment at COP31, either through the final agreement or a plan led by the COP Presidencies to keep the work moving towards the next Global Stocktake. Australia and Turkiye will be to blame if this opportunity is allowed to slip away.
Today's high-level events on roadmaps for transitioning away from fossil fuels saw strong support from countries across negotiating blocs, alongside UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, former COP Presidents and ministers, for continuing the initiative launched by Brazil's COP30 Presidency in Belem last year. Critically, these roadmaps for transition must be fair and funded, supporting developing countries to transition away from fossil fuels and to affordable renewables.
The message to the incoming COP31 Presidencies was clear: the roadmap process must move forward. However, while Turkiye indicated it was open to considering the initiative, Australia offered no clear pathway for taking it forward.
On Energy Day, the launch of the Electrify Now Finance Coalition also highlighted growing international recognition that electrification is essential to delivering the energy transition. Climate organisations welcomed efforts to mobilise investment in clean electrification, particularly in developing economies, but stressed that electrification cannot substitute for a clear commitment to phase out coal, oil and gas, and that it must be powered by renewables, displace fossil fuels, support energy access and be underpinned by climate finance.
Fenton Lutunatabua, Pacific and Caribbean Program Manager at 350.org, said:
"Today's discussions have made one thing abundantly clear: the political mandate for a just and equitable transition away from fossil fuels is there. Countries from across negotiating blocs, alongside the UN Secretary-General, have called on Turkiye and Australia to carry this process forward. The ball is now firmly in the COP31 Presidencies' court.
"It is deeply concerning that the two governments responsible for leading these negotiations are failing to show the leadership this moment demands. Australia chose to put up a roadblock rather than offer a pathway forward, while Turkiye stopped short of explaining how it intends to take the roadmap process forward. The world cannot afford another COP where governments acknowledge the need to move beyond fossil fuels but fail to agree on how to make it happen.
"If Australia is unwilling to advance this agenda, Turkiye must lead rather than allow one of the world's most fossil-fuel-dependent governments to hold back progress. The political support is there. What is missing is the leadership to turn it into action."
Fanny Petitbon, Policy Analyst at 350.org said :
"Electrifying our economies and breaking free from fossil fuels are two sides of the same coin. Wiring up more homes, transport and factories achieves little if the grid runs on coal and gas and no country can walk away from fossil fuels without affordable renewable energy to replace them.
"We welcome the momentum COP31 has built behind electrification and efforts to mobilise finance for clean energy, particularly in developing countries. But electrification must be powered by renewables, accessible and affordable for everyone, and rooted in equity and climate justice. It must not leave the countries and communities already hit hardest by the climate crisis with new debts to pay, or reproduce the same inequalities and corporate control that have defined the fossil fuel era."
350.org is calling on all governments to develop national and regional roadmaps to phase out fossil fuels in a just, orderly, equitable and ambitious manner. These must include clear timelines and deadlines against which governments can be held accountable, underpinned by adequate climate finance to enable developing countries to deliver their transitions.
They are urging the COP31 Presidencies to:
* Ensure electrification delivers real emissions cuts in line with the 1.5 C goal, by committing to renewable-powered electrification and accelerating the phase-out of fossil fuel production and use, preventing rising electricity demand from driving a new expansion of fossil gas.
* Connect the process to the second Global Stocktake (GST2): Ensure that political commitments translate into concrete action and stronger national transition plans.
* Put fairness and climate justice at the heart of the transition, with rich countries providing public finance on fair terms, at the scale and speed needed, and making the Just Transition Mechanism operational so workers, people and communities are supported through the change.
Today's Energy Day discussions demonstrated that the international appetite for action is growing. The launch of the Electrify Now Finance Coalition offers an opportunity to accelerate renewable-powered electrification that brings energy access for people, but this must be matched by political leadership to end fossil fuel dependence.
Fanny Petitbon
"COP31 must bring these agendas together: a clear, fair and financed pathway away from fossil fuels, alongside an acceleration of renewable energy and electrification that delivers for people, not polluters."
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Notes to editors:
* The roadmap initiative for transitioning away from fossil fuels was launched by Brazil's COP30 Presidency in Belem in 2025. (opens in a new tab)
* The COP28 Global Stocktake (opens in a new tab)called on countries to transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems in a just, orderly and equitable manner.
* The Electrify Now Finance Coalition l (opens in a new tab)aunched at COP31 on 10 November 2026 to mobilise investment in clean electrification across emerging and developing economies.
* The second Global Stocktake (GST2) (opens in a new tab) is the next assessment of collective progress under the Paris Agreement.
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Original text here: https://350.org/press-release/cop31-global-calls-for-fossil-fuel-phaseout-roadmaps-go-unanswered-by-cop31-presidencies/
