Page 6 - Climate Change

The Story of CO2: The story of human civilisation is a story of energy

Peter Brannen's sweeping book argues CO₂ is the hidden force behind evolution, civilisation, fossil fuels, and today's climate crisis - the story of everything

Europe battles record wildfires in 2025 as climate change fuels devastation

More than one million hectares have been destroyed by wildfires in the European Union so far this year, a surface area larger than the entirety of Corsica

Net-Zero Banking Alliance halts activities as global banks exit membership

The reality is NZBA "never truly challenged the fossil fuel-oriented business models of major banks," said Lucie Pinson, the founder of climate nonprofit Reclaim Finance

Climate change drives rise of 'coolcations' as tourists flee heatwaves

Heatwaves forced closures of sites like the Acropolis and Eiffel Tower, with Europe facing a growing tourism divide as climate change impacts north and south differently

'Mango: A Global History' explores the global appeal of 'bathroom fruit'

Often called a 'full-body experience' to eat, this book on the mango's history can be enjoyed just as much by those raised on fresh fruit as by those who first tasted it in preserved form

Powering farms: Scaling up PM-KUSUM is smart climate and energy strategy

With about ₹34,000 crore earmarked, the scheme envisages the setting up of 1.4 million standalone solar agricultural pumps and the solarisation of 3.5 million grid-connected agriculture pumps

Global climate failure: COP30 must push developed nations on mitigation

At COP 30 this November, the primary goal must be to increase pressure on developed countries to move faster and more credibly on climate mitigation

Foreign firms linked to up to 30% of China's carbon emissions, says study

Foreign companies drove a quarter of China's corporate emissions over two decades, with poorer inland provinces shouldering most of the environmental costs

Extreme heat has cut tropical bird populations by 38% in 70 years: Study

Birds in tropical regions are now experiencing dangerously hot days about ten times more often than they did in the past

Scientists challenge flagship study that saw 62% climate hit to GDP

A review of an April Nature paper finds data anomalies from Uzbekistan skewed results, overstating the potential economic impact among 83 countries analysed in the original study

July cooler than last 2 yrs, but extreme weather impacts seen: Scientists

The world experienced its third-warmest July on record this year, the European Union agency that tracks global warming said Thursday, with temperatures easing slightly for the month as compared with the record high two years ago. Despite the slightly lower global average temperature, scientists said extreme heat and deadly flooding persisted in July. Two years after the hottest July on record, the recent streak of global temperature records is over for now. But this doesn't mean climate change has stopped, said Carlo Buontempo, director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service. We continued to witness the effects of a warming world. The EU monitoring agency said new temperature records and more climate extremes are to be expected unless greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere are brought down. On July 25, Turkey recorded its highest-ever temperature of 50.5 degrees Celsius as it battled wildfires. While not as hot as July 2023 or July 2024, the hottest and second-hottest o

Govt may fine carmakers missing fuel efficiency targets under new rules

The government reportedly plans to fine carmakers that do not meet fuel efficiency rules; Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) will check compliance

Parliamentary panel pitches for ESG oversight body to combat greenwashing

The corporate affairs ministry should set up an ESG oversight body to actively combat greenwashing activities and also put in place penal provisions for fraudulent ESG claims, according to a Parliamentary panel. Generally, greenwashing refers to claims by companies about any product or service having a climate-friendly impact. ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) principles are part of the Companies Act, 2013. In its report tabled in Parliament on Monday, the Standing Committee on Finance mentioned the ministry's demurral against establishing a dedicated ESG oversight body, citing that the prevailing disclosure-based regime, underpinned by a company board's accountability and extant penal provisions, constitutes an adequate monitoring mechanism. Against this backdrop, the panel urged the ministry to "establish a dedicated ESG oversight body for actively combating greenwashing through specialised forensic expertise" as well as formulate sector-specific guidelines and extend .

Frequent disasters expose climate risks to infrastructure in South Asia

Floods that damaged hydropower dams in Nepal and destroyed the main bridge connecting the country to China show the vulnerability of infrastructure and need for smart rebuilding in a region bearing the brunt of a warming planet, experts say. The flooding of the Bhotekoshi River on July 8 also killed nine people and damaged an inland container depot that was being built to support increasing trade between the two countries. The 10 damaged hydropower facilities, including three under construction, have a combined capacity that could power 600,000 South Asian homes. Another smaller flood in the area on July 30 damaged roads and structures, but caused less overall destruction. Nepal's location in the Himalayan mountains makes it especially vulnerable to heavy rains, floods and landslides because the area is warming up faster than the rest of the world due to human-caused climate change. Climate experts say the increasing frequency of extreme weather has changed the playbook for assessin

A Billion Butterflies: This book drops truth bombs on climate change

How an old deal over a supercomputer explains the politics behind climate science today

Pak launches remote sensing satellite from China to tackle climate woes

Pakistan on Thursday launched a new remote sensing satellite from China aimed at enhancing its capacity to monitor and respond to climate change-related threats. The satellite was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in China with technical support from Pakistan's Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), which played a key role in the launch. The Satellite is expected to play a critical role in addressing pressing challenges including floods, landslides, glacier melt and deforestation, according to state-run Radio Pakistan. Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal hailed the development in a social media post: Today marks another proud moment for our nation as Pakistan successfully launches its fourth Earth Observation Satellite under the URAAN (flight) Pakistan Space Program from the XiChang Space Centre, China. Iqbal praised SUPARCO's contribution and said the achievement reflects the growing strength of PakistanChina space cooperation. This ...

Small coalitions could unlock $66 bn a year to fight climate change: Study

Small coalitions of fossil fuel-importing nations can raise $66 billion annually through cooperative levies to help low-income countries cut emissions and fight climate change

Honolulu lawsuit against fossil fuel firms leads climate change legal fight

Honolulu is not alone in its effort to sue fossil fuel companies to hold them accountable for climate change harms, but the city's lawsuit is further along than similar litigation across the country. A hearing on Tuesday will indicate how these fights play out in court. In 2020, Hawaii's capital city sued major oil companies, including ExxonMobil, Shell and Chevron, arguing they knew for nearly half a century that fossil fuel products create greenhouse gas pollution that warms the planet and changes the climate. The companies have also profited from the consumption of oil, coal and natural gas while deceiving the public about the role of their products in causing a global climate crisis, the lawsuit says. Honolulu's lawsuit blames the companies for the sea level rise around the island of Oahu's world-famous coastline. It also warns that hurricanes, heatwaves and other extreme weather will be more frequent, along with ocean warming that will reduce fish stocks and kill coral reefs tha

Onion, potato prices went up over 80% in 2024 due to climate change: Study

Food prices in India saw a sharp rise in 2024 due to an unusually severe heatwave, with onion and potato prices jumping by more than 80 per cent in the second quarter of the year, according to a new study. The study, led by Maximilian Kotz of the Barcelona Supercomputing Centre and involving researchers from the European Central Bank, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and the UK's Food Foundation, investigated 16 extreme weather-driven food price shocks across 18 countries between 2022 and 2024. It found that many of these events exceeded all historical precedents before 2020 and were strongly influenced by global warming. "In India, the price of onions and potatoes jumped by over 80 per cent in the second quarter of 2024 after a heatwave in May, a 'largely unique event' that was made at least 1.5 degrees Celsius warmer by climate change," the researchers said. The year 2024 was the hottest on record and the first with a global average temperature 1.5 degrees Celsius ab

Europe, China agree to take action on climate change during Beijing summit

China and the European Union have issued a joint call to action on climate change during an otherwise tense bilateral summit in Beijing on Thursday riven with major disagreements over trade and the war in Ukraine. The two economic juggernauts issued a joint statement on climate change, urging more emission cuts and greater use of green technology and affirming their support for the Paris Climate Agreement as well as calling for strong action at the upcoming COP30 climate summit in Brazil. In the fluid and turbulent international situation today, it is crucial that all countries, notably the major economies, maintain policy continuity and stability and step up efforts to address climate change, the joint statement said. Their climate agreement was a silver lining on a stormy day where European leaders demanded a more balanced relationship with China in talks with President Xi Jinping. They highlighted trade in their opening remarks, calling for concrete progress to address Europe's