Page 35 - Climate Change

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

What is carbon capture and why does it keep coming up at COP28 summit?

The future of fossil fuels is at the centre of the United Nations climate summit in Dubai, where many activists, experts and nations are calling for an agreement to phase out the oil, gas and coal responsible for warming the planet. On the other side: energy companies and oil-rich nations with plans to keep drilling well into the future. In the background of those discussions are carbon capture and carbon removal, technologies most, if not all, producers are counting on to meet their pledges to get to net-zero emissions. Sceptics worry the technology is being oversold to allow the industry to maintain the status quo. The industry needs to commit to genuinely helping the world meet its energy needs and climate goals which means letting go of the illusion that implausibly large amounts of carbon capture are the solution, International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol said before the start of talks. WHAT EXACTLY IS CARBON CAPTURE? Lots of industrial facilities like ...

COP28 summit: Activists plan 'day of action' to press negotiators

Protests aimed at pressuring nations to move decisively to stop climate change were expected to be their most intense yet on Saturday, a Global Day of Action with events at United Nations-led talks in Dubai and around the world. If activists needed any additional energy, they may have gotten it with reports that OPEC's chief had urged its oil-producing members to reject any agreement that targets fossil fuels for a speedy phase-out. It's the central issue as talks head into their final days, as activists and experts have warned that the world must quickly reduce use of the oil, gas and coal that is causing dangerous warming. Mohamed Adow, director of Power Shift Africa, called the Dec. 6 letter from OPEC Secretary-General Haitham Al Ghais, reported by several news organizations, shameful and said the writing is on the wall for dirty energy. The reality is if the world is going to save itself, it cannot be held back by a small band of countries that control the world's oil supply, Ad

India ranked 7th in climate change performance index, up one spot this year

India ranked 7th in this year's Climate Change Performance Index, up one spot from the previous one, and also remained among the highest performers, according to the report released here during the global climate talks COP28 on Friday. Monitoring Climate Mitigation Efforts of 63 Countries plus the EU covering more than 90 per cent of the Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions, India has received a high ranking in the greenhouse gas Emissions and Energy Use categories, but a medium in Climate Policy and Renewable Energy, as in the previous year. While India is the world's most populous country, it has relatively low per capita emissions, the index said. Our data shows that in the per capita GHG category, the country is on track to meet a benchmark of well below 2 degrees Celsius. While it shows a slightly positive trend in the share of renewable energy, this trend is advancing too slowly, the report based on the index said. The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) country experts repor

COP28: New GST draft text gives four options for move towards clean energy

A new draft of the Global Stocktake released on Friday here at the COP28 has four options for the move towards clean energy ranging from phase out of fossil fuels to no mention of the phase out at all. The Global Stocktake is a fundamental component of the Paris Agreement of 2015 which is used to monitor its implementation and evaluate the collective progress made in achieving the agreed goals of restricting emission to keep temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius as compared to the pre-industrial era. At the ongoing climate change negotiations, called the Conference of Parties (COP28), the Global Stocktake (GST) text is the most crucial document set to be finalised by the negotiators by the end of this two-week long annual meet. Several contentious issues, including proposals to phase out fossil fuels, triple renewables capacity, and double energy efficiency improvement are still unresolved as negotiations continue in the second week. The four options for the move towards clean .

Clear definition of climate finance crucial for trust: India at COP28

India on Friday emphasised the need for countries to establish a clear definition of climate finance, saying the lack of clarity affects transparency and trust. At a high-level ministerial meeting on climate finance during the annual UN climate talks here, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said, I strongly believe this is the most crucial outcome we should all strive for. Yadav said that defining climate finance clearly is essential for creating trust and transparency among nations. He said that current estimates from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and Oxfam reports (a transnational NGO) vary significantly and create uncertainty about the actual amount of climate finance provided. OECD estimated about USD 83 billion provided by developed countries in 2020, while Oxfam's Climate Finance Shadow Report suggests an amount ranging between USD 21 to 24.5 billion, he said. Yadav said a clear definition of climate finance should ensure it is ...

Global warming threshold could be hit temporarily in 2024: UK's Met Office

The average global temperature for 2024 is forecast to be between 1.34C and 1.58C above the average for the pre-industrial period of 1850-1900, it said

COP28 climate summit: Negotiators turn back to future of fossil fuels

The United Nations climate conference on Friday began its final week with negotiators expected to zoom in on the future of fossil fuels on a dangerously warming planet. Thursday was a rest day, a bit of quiet before talks at COP28 grow even more intense. Negotiators will work to finalize a key document called the Global Stocktake. It evaluates the world's climate change progress since the 2015 Paris agreement and what needs to be done now to avoid blowing past its goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) compared to preindustrial times. You start off very hopeful, euphoria, COP28 CEO Annan Amin said. Things are happening. Then the negotiations get hard and people start spreading rumours and conjecture and a little bit of depression, and then things start to come up again. And the clarity of the negotiations process becomes clearer. Then you have the political engagement, and that's where the real intensity and excitement comes from. A draft of the Global ...

US firm KKR to raise up to $7 bn for first global climate fund: Report

The fund will scout for opportunities across the United States, Europe and Asia Pacific for investments of between $300 million and $750 million each, the source added

COP28 secures $83 bn in climate pledges; India skips energy, health pledges

The first week of the COP28 global climate talks concluded with a significant milestone with the operationalisation of the Loss and Damage Fund, pledges of over USD 83 billion and the draft text for Global Stocktake mentioning phasing out of all fossil fuels for the first time in years. However, even as over USD 83 billion was mobilised in pledges questions persist about the voluntary nature of these commitments and the actual fulfilment by the participating nations. Amidst the discussions, the issue of fossil fuels emerged as a focal point, with a new draft text of the Global Stocktake proposing options for the phase-out of unabated coal and an orderly and just transition away from fossil fuels which might be a contentious point for India. India has repeatedly stressed that phasing out or phasing down coal language is something that it can't support. India even skipped signing the pledge to commit to tripling the global renewable energy capacity by 2030 over this. Over the reducti

Climate change impacts human rights, poor suffer most: NHRC chief

NHRC chairperson Justice Arun Mishra on Tuesday said climate change impacts human rights in a big way and the poorest of the poor suffer the most. He was addressing a session on 'Empowering those most affected by Climate Change' at the NHRI COP28 Symposium organised by the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) in Dubai. There is a need for a safeguard information system for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, Mishra said. Climate change impacts human rights in a big way, with melting polar ice, rising sea levels, increased drought, high-density rainfalls, cyclones, floods, landslides and forest fires, and the poorest of the poor suffer the most, the chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said. Besides other stakeholders, National Human Rights Institutions have to work to protect the environment and address the needs of people impacted by climate change-induced displacements resulting in violation of human rights

Humanity on the verge of crossing 5 climate 'tipping points', warns report

An international team of more than 200 researchers identified 26 natural processes or features at risk of being suddenly and irreversibly disrupted by climate change, including ice sheets

COP28: UN says 63 countries have backed pledge to curb cooling emission

The Global Cooling Pledge marks the world's first collective focus on climate-warming emissions from cooling, which includes refrigeration for food and medicine and air conditioning

Carbon emissions in India to increase by 8.2%, 4% in China in 2023: Study

Carbon emissions in India are projected to increase in India by 8.2 per cent in 2023, and by 4 per cent in China, according to an international research. Global emissions from coal, oil and gas are all projected to increase by 1.1, 1.5 and 0.5 per cent, respectively, even as they are predicted to decline in the EU and the USA by 7.4 and 3 per cent, respectively, the research team that included the University of Exeter, UK, and 90 other institutions globally said in its report. The Global Carbon Budget report, produced by more than 120 scientists, provides an annual, peer-reviewed update, building on established methodologies, the researchers said. The report projects total global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, arising out of both fossil fuels and land-use change, to be 40.9 billion tonnes in 2023. Of these, 36.8 billion tonnes would be from fossil fuels, up 1.1 per cent from 2022. Atmospheric CO2 levels are projected to average 419.3 parts per million in 2023, more than 50 per cen

310 districts in 28 states, UTs highly vulnerable under NICRA: ICAR report

Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of districts where agricultural land may be vulnerable to climate change

Whether to phase out or phase down fossil fuels is the question at COP28

After days of shaving off the edges of key warming issues, climate negotiators on Tuesday zeroed in on the tough job of dealing with the main cause of what's overheating the planet: fossil fuels. As scientists, activists and United Nations officials repeatedly detailed how the world needs to phase-out the use of coal, oil and natural gas, the United Arab Emirates-hosted conference opened energy transition day with a session headlined by top officials of two oil companies. Negotiators produced a new draft of what's expected to be the core document of the UN talks, something called the Global Stocktake, but it had so many possibilities in its 24-pages that it didn't give too much of a hint of what will be agreed upon when the session ends next week. Whatever is adopted has to be agreed on by consensus so it has to be near unanimous. The central issue of this COP, the global stocktake, is to reach a conclusion about the phasing out of fossil fuels, said climate scientist Bill Hare, CEO