Welcome to Carbon Brief’s DeBriefed. An essential guide to the week’s key developments relating to climate change. This week UN climate focus PACT FOR THE FUTURE: The UN general assembly meeting in New York signed off on a plan for countries to work together to tackle large global challenges, “with climate change one of the headline topics”, EuroNews reported. The agreement reaffirmed global pledges to transition away from fossil fuels, but did not raise global ambitions, the outlet noted. ACTION OVER WORDS: Amid the summit, developing countries “pleaded” with richer nations to end the “lip service” and take more action on climate change, Reuters reported. Samoan environment minister Cedric Schuster told reporters that “we need all countries, but particularly the G20, to lead the way” on emissions cuts and climate finance, the outlet said. AMAZON BLAZES: Brazil’s president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva mentioned Amazon fires in his UN general assembly opening speech, but “not the fact they’re adding to criticism of his administration’s own environmental stewardship”, the Associated Press said. The country’s portion of the Amazon rainforest recorded 38,000 fires last month – the highest in August since 2010, the newswire said. Around the world ‘LIFE-THREATENING’: At least three people were killed and 1.3m left without power in “dangerous” Hurricane Helene, which made landfall over Florida on Thursday, CBS News reported. Sea surface temperatures have been “exceptionally warm” in the Gulf of Mexico – about 2C above normal for this time of years, BBC News said. COAL POWER: The Australian government cleared the way for three coal mines to extend their operations for a further 30-40 years in a move that has been criticised as “counter to action on climate change”, ABC News reported. BIG JOB: Former World Bank climate chief Rachel Kyte was appointed as the UK’s […]