Page 2 - Climate Change

Worsening climate change main culprit behind India's extreme heat: UN

The ongoing extreme heat across large parts of India is primarily driven by worsening climate change caused by the massive burning of coal, oil, and gas, UN climate chief Simon Stiell said on Wednesday. He also highlighted the severe human and economic impact of the heatwave, particularly on people living in homes without cooling facilities and those working long hours outdoors. "These extremes drive home the importance of measures to adapt to climate impacts, globally," said Stiell, the executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), in a statement. His remarks came as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday said heatwave to severe heatwave conditions were likely to persist over central and northwest India for the next two to three days. The soaring temperatures have also led to a record-breaking power demand across the country. Peak power demand touched 257.3 GW on May 18, 260.4 GW on May 19, 265 GW on May 20, and a record

Urban heat islands: Why Indian cities are becoming unliveable after dark

Indian cities are warming faster at night, turning homes into heat traps and exposing gaps in housing, planning and cooling access as AC demand rises

India's scorching nights strain power grid, raise health concerns

Higher heat means increased power consumption, and India has seen demand driven to repeated records, not only during the day but at night, resulting in occasional shortfalls

India's extreme heat spell giving parametric insurance a longer season

Extreme heat and erratic weather fuel sharp rise in demand for parametric insurance covers

New AI study flags 12% of Odisha in high flood susceptibility zone

A study using AI, machine learning and GIS tools has identified coastal districts and major river basins in Odisha as highly vulnerable to flooding

A strong El Nino could be coming; countries are already preparing

Scientists warn that one of the strongest El Nino events on record could intensify global heat, disrupt agriculture and trigger extreme weather events

India abstains on UNGA climate vote, cites concerns over treaty framework

India abstained from voting on a UN General Assembly resolution calling on countries to comply with their obligations on climate change, voicing concern that the draft "undermines" the "sacrosanct architecture" of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The resolution was adopted in the 193-member General Assembly on Wednesday with 141 votes in favour, eight against and 28 abstentions, including by India. India said it had engaged constructively during negotiations on the resolution and clarified its concerns and positions at every stage. "We are therefore disappointed that our concerns were not addressed, despite our best efforts to find common ground," it said. In the Explanation of Vote, First Secretary in India's Permanent Mission to the UN, Petal Gahlot, said adoption of the resolution by the General Assembly does not create binding commitments for India. "Our obligations arise only from outcomes adopted under the UNFCCC process. Hence, in line with our sta

Nights are getting warmer in India: Why this trend will only worsen

From climate change to concrete heat traps, rising night-time temperatures are reducing cooling hours and making heatwaves more dangerous across Indian cities

Chouhan finds functional gaps at ICAR's grape research institute in Pune

Calls for quick action in developing new varieties; highlights slow progress in clean plant programme

Road construction, hill cutting driving Western Ghats landslides: Study

Researchers found nearly 72 per cent of landslides in the Western Ghats occurred within one kilometre of roads, highlighting the impact of human-induced terrain changes

Microplastics found to trap heat, play role in global climate change

New research finds airborne microplastics trap heat and may amplify global warming, challenging earlier assumptions about their climate impact

Polar Wars: Arctic tensions overshadow climate urgency and cooperation

Polar War reflects the current reality of security considerations overwhelming all others, including the threat of climate change

India submits revised targets for 2031-35 to UN's climate change body

India has submitted its revised climate targets for 2031-2035 to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), committing to attain at least 47 per cent reduction in the emission intensity of its GDP (emission per unit of GDP) from the 2005 baseline by 2035. The development comes after the Cabinet in March approved the nationally determined contributions (NDC) -- the non-binding, voluntary climate action plans that every country is obligated to decide upon and implement under the 2015 Paris Agreement. In the document submitted to the UNFCCC on Friday, India also committed to "achieve about 60 pc cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2035 with the help of transfer of technology and low-cost international finance". It promised to "create a carbon sink of 3.5 to 4.0 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through forest and tree cover by 2035 as compared to the baseline year of 2005" as well. Note that this is India's third NDC,

India pulls out of hosting COP33, but committed to climate goals: MEA

The MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said there were several issues that were taken into account, but "India remains fully committed to meeting its climate change commitments"

India's poverty map bends under climate pressure, finds NISER study

NISER study finds climate shocks like floods, droughts, and rising temperatures are deepening poverty, especially in agriculture-dependent and vulnerable regions

Climate crisis or health emergency? WMO links rising heat to dengue surge

As heat intensifies, dengue is spreading faster and reaching new regions, with climate change reshaping transmission patterns and increasing global health risks

Rising temperatures to kill more people in poor countries than rich ones

The new report projects that by 2050, vulnerable countries will see an increase in heat-related deaths equivalent to current fatalities from common diseases

Climate change may make millions too inactive to exercise by 2050

Rising global temperatures may push millions into physical inactivity by 2050, leading to up to 700,000 extra premature deaths and billions in economic losses, a Lancet Global Health study finds

Physical activity aligned with climate action offers great benefits: Study

Well-designed physical activity initiatives that support walking, cycling and public transport can simultaneously contribute to climate mitigation and adaptation and promote health and equity, according to a study. Researchers, including those from the Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand, have developed a 'physical activity and climate change' model, a conceptual framework offering a practical basis for integrated, equitable and sustainable solutions. "Aligning physical activity and climate change agendas is more powerful than addressing them separately, offering greater combined benefits for population and environmental health," authors wrote in the paper describing the model published in the journal Nature Health. The paper is among a series of three indicating that current efforts directed at promoting engagement in physical activity are insufficient, and a coordinated action is required to ensure that physical activity contributes towards public health and society .

Climate change hits women hardest, funding support inadequate: UNGCNI

Climate change has serious impacts from a gender perspective, yet the capital flowing toward supporting women affected by it represents only a small fraction of what is required, a top representative of the United Nations Global Compact Network India (UNGCNI) said. In an interview with PTI Videos, Vaishali Nigam Sinha, president of UNGCNI, emphasised the need to recognise the vital role women play in climate-related disaster management and to reduce the impacts of climate change on their lives through targeted investment. "During climate-related disasters, women are significantly more likely to be affected. It is important to protect and support women when addressing climate-related impacts. However, when we look at the capital flowing toward helping women affected by climate change, it is only a small fraction of what is required -- about 10 per cent," Sinha told PTI. In 2025, a UN women report warned that under a worst-case climate scenario, up to 158.3 million more women and girl