Environment

Air pollution levels across India well above global standards: WHO official

Strategies like LPG subsidies and a switch to cleaner cooking fuels could help India become a leader in meeting this challenge, says Dr Maria Neira, director of environment and health at WHO

Is your pet dog leaving a bigger carbon pawprint than you know?

From predators to polluters: A study by researchers at Curtin University, Australia argues that pet dogs might be a greater threat to the wildlife and environment, and they're getting a free pass

Maharashtra's Dharavi plan to shift thousands to toxic landfill sparks row

Maharashtra clears Adani-backed plan to relocate over 50,000 Dharavi residents to Deonar landfill, which may violate CPCB guidelines

World's largest deforestation: Indonesia to clear forests size of Belgium

Indonesia's planned deforestation threatens the world's third-largest rainforest, home to endangered species like orangutans, elephants, and rare giant forest flowers

'My Head For A Tree' offers rare insight into the Bishnoi way of life

The author has approached the subject with curiosity, rigour and emotional depth

World Sparrow Day 2025: The silent disappearance of a once-familiar bird

World Sparrow Day is celebrated every year on March 20. The population of sparrows has declined significantly in the last two decades and this day highlights the need to protect sparrows

Atmospheric CO2 reaches 800,000-year high at 420 ppm in 2023: WMO

Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels reached 420 parts per million in 2023, the highest in the last 8,00,000 years, according to the World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) State of the Climate report published on Wednesday. The report said long-term global warming is currently estimated to be between 1.34 and 1.41 degrees Celsius compared to the 1850-1900 baseline. It said that tropical cyclones, floods, droughts and other disasters in 2024 led to the highest number of new displacements recorded in the past 16 years. These events also worsened food crises and caused massive economic losses. Carbon dioxide levels in 2023 (the latest year with complete global data) were 420.0 0.1 parts per million (ppm), 2.3 ppm higher than in 2022 and 151 per cent of the pre-industrial level (1750). The WMO said 420 ppm corresponds to 3,276 gigatonnes (or 3.276 trillion tonnes) of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The report said the past 10 years (2015-2024) were the warmest on record, with each o

ICMR should study air pollution, suggest ways to handle effects: Parl panel

In the report, the panel stated that the efforts initiated by ICMR to study the health implications of air pollution are taken note of

Strengthen NDCs, int'l cooperation to reduce climate change effects: Yadav

This comes as global temperatures continue to rise. After 2024, January was the warmest month on record, with temperatures 1.75°C higher than pre-industrial levels

India advocates tech transfer between Global South and North: Yadav

India, as a voice of Global South, believes that to fight climate change, developing countries need financial assistance, said Union minister for environment, forest and climate change Bhupendra Yadav

Delhi gets 1st electric gramin sewa vehicle as part of green mobility push

In a step towards promoting environmentally friendly transportation, the first electric Gramin Sewa vehicle was officially registered in the national capital on Tuesday. The new vehicle, designed for last-mile connectivity, has a seating capacity of six passengers plus a driver. Gramin Sewa, launched in 2011, is a para-transit system operating high-capacity three-wheelers in rural areas, unauthorized resettlement colonies, and JJ clusters. These vehicles play a crucial role in providing affordable transport to Delhi's underserved regions. The Delhi government has mandated the replacement of all CNG-powered Gramin Sewa vehicles, originally registered under the 2010-11 scheme, with electric variants. This move is part of a broader strategy to reduce pollution and promote clean mobility. Chandu Chaurasia, President of Delhi's Gramin Sewa Union, expressed enthusiasm over the milestone and said, "The registration of the first six-plus-one electric Gramin Sewa vehicle in Delhi is a matter

Environment, carbon emission neglected in sustainable development: Study

Environment, carbon emission, biodiversity and malnutrition are among the issues that remain neglected by certain groups of countries, according to a recent study that analysed the trajectories of 166 nations towards attaining sustainable development. In 2015, member states of the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Aimed at achieving human progress, economic prosperity, and planetary health, the framework outlines 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), including no poverty, zero hunger, quality education and gender equality. Questions, however, remain as to how different nations navigate their own paths toward these goals, said an international team of researchers from different countries, including Australia, China and Israel. Their study, published in the journal Nature Communications, found a "polarised global landscape" with systematically neglected SDG targets, potentially leaving behind millions of people. "Our results reveal a polarised glob

Best of BS Opinion: Union Budget 2025 aims to clear multiple hurdles

From nuclear power generation to agri reforms, from a noisy middle class to central bank's moves on interest rates, the government must jump over many obstacles to achieve its objectives

US Senate confirms Lee Zeldin to lead Environmental Protection Agency

The Republican-controlled Senate on Wednesday confirmed Lee Zeldin to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, a key role to help President Donald Trump fulfil his pledge to roll back major environmental regulations, including those aimed at slowing climate change and encouraging use of electric vehicles. The vote was 56-42 in Zeldin's favour. Zeldin, a former Republican congressman from New York, is a longtime Trump ally and served on Trump's defense team during his first impeachment. He voted against certifying Trump's 2020 election loss to President Joe Biden. Zeldin, 44, said during his confirmation hearing that he has a moral responsibility to be a good steward of the environment and pledged to support career staff who have dedicated themselves to the agency's mission to protect human health and the environment. Zeldin repeatedly declined to commit to specific policies, however, promising instead not to prejudge outcomes before arriving at EPA. When asked by Republican Sen.

SC mulls setting up panel to vet permission for felling trees in Delhi

The bench referred to Section 7(b) of the 1994 Act which says the tree authority shall be responsible for carrying out the census of existing trees and obtaining

Hafele India to Showcase Cutting-Edge Solutions at Acetech 2024

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Fossil emissions to hit record this year, India's share to rise: Report

India's fossil fuel emissions are projected to rise by 4.6 per cent in 2024, while China could see a marginal rise of 0.2 per cent, according to new research by a group of international scientists. The report, unveiled during the UN climate conference or COP29 in Azerbaijan's Baku on Wednesday, stated that global carbon emissions from fossil fuels could reach 37.4 billion tonnes, an increase of 0.8 per cent from 2023 levels. Atmospheric CO2 levels are projected to reach 422.5 parts per million in 2024, which is set to become the warmest year on record. This is 2.8 parts per million higher than in 2023 and 52 per cent above pre-industrial levels. "The impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly dramatic, yet we still see no sign that burning of fossil fuels has peaked," said Professor Pierre Friedlingstein of Exeter's Global Systems Institute, who led the study. According to a UN report released last month, India's greenhouse gas emissions surged by 6.1 per cent in 2023, ...

COP-16: World's 1st global ecosystem atlas unveiled; how will it help biz

The new initiative aims to help governments, businesses, financial institutions, and local communities to make informed decisions, support sustainability and manage risks

RBI move to slow down gold loan growth, lead to uptick in default: CRISIL

The National Green Tribunal has sought a response from the Centre and nine state pollution control boards along with the Delhi Pollution Control Committee on a study cited by a newspaper alleging severe impact of poor air quality on mortality rates across 10 major Indian cities. The green body was hearing a matter where it had taken suo motu cognisance of a newspaper report, which quoting a Lancet study said that approximately 33,000 deaths annually were linked to air pollution levels that exceed the World Health Organization guidelines. The report examined the cities of Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, Shimla, and Varanasi. In an order passed on October 15, a bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava said, "As per the news item, the study's findings show that even cities previously considered less polluted, such as Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, and Chennai, are significantly affected and it is alleged that this is largely due to ...

Strike over: Environment must be created for early end to labour disputes

To build a global manufacturing base, which is desirable, India will need to build large-scale production facilities