Page 34 - Climate Change

2024: A gloomier world?

As economic woes and geopolitical tensions loom, brace for impact on climate, politics and beyond

UN COP28: Delegates sign deal to 'transition away' from fossil fuels

Negotiators at United Nations COP28 climate talks agreed on Wednesday that the world must transition away from planet-warming fossil fuels, a significant step toward shifting how the world is powered but one filled with questions about how soon and who will pay for the transition. COP28 President Sultan al-Jaber gaveled through the text at a plenary session in Dubai after more than two weeks of discussions that saw nations try and figure out a way for the world to stay in line with limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times. Countries were split between those wanting strong language on a phase-out of fossil fuels and others who wanted some way to continue burning oil, gas and coal. The new compromise had been floated early Wednesday after a global rallying cry stronger than proposed days earlier, but with loopholes that upset critics. The new proposal doesn't go so far as to seek a phase-out of fossil fuels, which more than 100 natio

COP28: Nations inch closer to historic deal on fossil fuel transition

After nearly two weeks of hectic negotiations, countries on Wednesday were on the verge of reaching a historic deal on a 'transition away from fossil fuels' while emerging economies like India and China strongly opposed the targeting of coal. This marks a step back from the earlier proposal of a 'phase-out of fossil fuels' that drew sharp criticism from many countries in the Global South and oil-reliant economies like Saudi Arabia. A draft cover decision of the Dubai climate talks released early in the morning called for a "deep, rapid, and sustained" reduction in planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions in line with 1.5 degree Celsius pathways in a "nationally determined" manner, taking into account the Paris Agreement and their different national circumstances, pathways, and approaches. It lays an eight-point plan to achieve this, including a "transition away from fossil fuels" in energy systems in a "just, orderly and equitable manner", accelerating action in this decade, to achie

COP28: Nations strain for consensus as climate talks stretch into overtime

Hectic negotiations continued behind closed doors at the Dubai Expo City Centre long after the 11 am deadline, with officials trying to find common ground on key sticking points, including finance and fossil fuels. Around 10 pm, a COP28 spokesperson updated the media that consultations will continue until 3 am (Dubai time), which effectively means a plenary session to adopt a deal could be held in the morning. "Overnight and throughout today, the COP28 President and his team have been engaging in extensive consultations with a wide representation of negotiating groups and Parties. This is to ensure everyone is heard, and all views are considered. He is determined to deliver a version of the text that has the support of all Parties," the spokesperson said. Released after 11 days of intense negotiations, Monday's draft deal exposed stark disparities in the expectations of both developed and developing nations. Rich countries, such as the US, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and the ...

Adani Group to invest $100 billion in the next decade for energy transition

The company said Adani portfolio businesses have an active strategy to decarbonise, pledge to plant 100 million trees by 2030, and undertake innovative pilot projects

Climate talks enter last day with no agreement in sight on fossil fuels

Hopes for finishing a critical climate summit on time were fading early on Tuesday as countries were still far apart on key issues, including an agreement on what to do about the fossil fuels that are causing dangerous global warming. The United Nations-led summit known as COP28 was scheduled to end around midday after nearly two weeks of speeches, demonstrations and negotiations. But the climate talks often run long, and Monday's release of a draft agreement angered countries that insist on a commitment for rapid phase-out of coal, oil and gas. Instead, the draft called for countries to reduce consumption and production of fossil fuels, in a just, orderly and equitable manner. Tina Stege, climate envoy for the Marshall Islands, ridiculed the document as a meaningless wish list that questions the science" and said it doesn't address the Paris agreement goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) to stave off the worst effects of climate change. Earth is on its w

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UAE trying nearly 90 detainees on terror charges during COP28: Report

The United Arab Emirates is conducting a mass trial of nearly 90 prisoners on terrorism charges as it hosts the United Nations' COP28 climate summit, including one man whose case was highlighted by demonstrators at the negotiations, an activist organization reported Monday. Emirati authorities did not immediately respond to questions over the report by the Emirates Detainees Advocacy Center, a group run by Emirati Hamad al-Shamsi, who lives in exile in Istanbul after being named on a terrorism list by the UAE himself. The state-run WAM news agency also has not run a report on the trial. Al-Shamsi gathered the information from multiple individuals with direct knowledge of the trial. Those on trial face charges of establishing a terrorist organization, supporting and financing it, the center said in a statement. The center is highly troubled by the UAE's apparent fabrication of new charges to extend the sentences of those already released, reflecting the Emirati authorities' ongoing .

UN officials, activists ramp up urgency as COP28 enters final days

Visibly tired and frustrated top United Nations officials urged climate talks to push harder for an end to fossil fuels. Time seems to be running out both in the talks in Dubai and for action that could keep warming at or below the internationally agreed-upon threshold. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres returned to the summit on Monday and said it was time to go into overdrive, to negotiate in good faith, and rise to the challenge. He said negotiators at the COP28 summit in particular must focus on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and climate justice. He said the global stocktake the part of talks that assesses where the world is at with its climate goals and how it can reach them should phase out all fossil fuels in order to reach the goal of limiting the rise of global temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) compared with pre-industrial times. That phase-out was, he said, a central aspect" for the summit to be considered a success. "We can't k

'COP28 decisions only as strong as what least-ambitious nations accept'

It's the killer detail in international climate talks: Consensus. With nearly 200 nations of different sizes, economies, political systems, resources and needs, they all have to find common ground if they are going to save the one common ground they share planet Earth. Consensus is frequently used to weaken efforts to curb climate change and experts say that's by design, dating back to oil interests and the first United Nations climate negotiations. Some veteran politicians would like to change it, while others embrace it as the only fair way to get things done. Whatever decision is taken can only be as strong as what the least ambitious (nations) are prepared to accept, said climate talks historian Joanna Depledge of Cambridge University. And we've seen that over the years. US Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat from Rhode Island, said the practise of requiring near-unanimity could be fatal: A small, self-interested minority of states cannot be allowed to block the progress ...

Climate change has significant, direct impact on global labour market: ILO

Worldwide employment in renewable energy reached 13.7 million in 2022, an increase of one million since 2021 and up from a total of 7.3 million in 2012

Negotiators, activists ramp up urgency as climate talks enter final days

Delegates at the United Nations climate talks have little time left to decide how the world plans to cap planet-warming emissions and keep the worst of warming at bay, ramping up the urgency as new drafts were expected on key outcomes of the summit. Simon Stiell, the executive secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, told journalists Monday morning that the climate wolves remained at the world's doors as negotiations reach their climax at the summit. We do not have a minute to lose in this crucial final stretch and none of us have had much sleep, Stiell said. He added that the areas where options need to be negotiated have narrowed significantly, in particular how to reduce planet-warming emissions and the transition with the proper means of support to deliver it. When asked directly if it was a possibility that negotiators could leave Dubai without a deal, Stiell did not deny that could happen. One thing is for certain: I win, you lose is a recipe for collecti

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Work faster, be flexible: 11th-hourr push for fossil fuel deal at COP28

Draft paper lists adaptation targets for 2030 but disagreement lingers

COP 28: Changing the narrative

Targeting coal means shifting the burden of the transition to countries that cannot afford even dirty energy to meet the needs of their people

At COP28, sticking points remain on fossil fuels and adapting to climate

Negotiators have been urged to narrow down their options so they can agree on how to save Earth from disastrous levels of warming and help vulnerable societies adapt to weather extremes as the clock runs down on United Nations climate talks. COP28 President Sultan al-Jaber told journalists Sunday afternoon that negotiators were making good progress, just not fast enough. Am I satisfied with the speed and the pace? al-Jaber said, as protesters could be heard nearby calling for the end of fossil fuels. The answer is no. ... Time has come for us to shift gears. Time has come for us to deliver. There some were signs negotiators were moving forward on Sunday: A new draft agreement on global adaptation goals which will determine how poor countries will brace themselves for climate change-fuelled weather extremes like drought, heat and storms was released. The draft text expresses concern over the gap between the money needed for adaptation and how much countries are getting, but it ...

6 dead, nearly 2 dozen injured as Tornado tears through middle of Tennessee

Severe storms that tore through central Tennessee killed six people Saturday and sent about two dozen to the hospital as homes and businesses were damaged in multiple cities. Three people, including a child, were killed after an apparent tornado struck Montgomery County north of Nashville near the Kentucky state line, county officials said in a news release. And the Nashville Emergency Operation Centre said in a post on a social media account that three people were killed by severe storms there. Montgomery County officials said another 23 there were treated for injuries at hospitals. Photos posted by the Clarksvillle fire department on social media showed damaged houses with debris strewn in the lawns, a tractor trailer flipped on its side on a highway and insulation ripped out of building walls. "This is devastating news and our hearts are broken for the families of those who lost loved ones," said Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts in a statement. "The city stands ready to help them in .

India's transport sector's electrification push major opportunity: US envoy

Calling the electrification drive in India one of the most significant opportunities, US Special Envoy on Climate Change John Kerry said the quicker India pursues this initiative, the more it mitigates greenhouse gas emissions, leading to a reduction in pollution and enhancement of the country's overall security. He said embracing rapid electrification not only aligns with environmental goals but also contributes to a cleaner, more sustainable, and secure future for the country. Speaking at an event at the Indian Pavilion during the global climate talks COP28, Kerry said: Electrification in India is one of the biggest opportunities that we have. The faster that India can do this, the more it cuts greenhouse gas emissions and it cuts pollution, it increases India's security." He said supply chains play a critical role in India's booming economy, which is currently witnessing the rapid growth of new urban centres. Embracing Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi's visionary concept of a ...

Climate activists' biggest COP28 protest yet in UN Blue Zone despite ban

Hundreds gathered inside the COP's Blue Zone - officially United Nations territory for the two week of negotiations - alternating between the war in Gaza and climate change to lodge their protest

India at COP: Advocates equity, seeks stronger role from developed nations

New Delhi reduced its GDP emission intensity by 33% between 2005 and 2019, achieving the target 11 years in advance, says Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav