Category:

Climate, Environment, Renewable Energy

China, India miss UN deadline to submit plans for cutting emissions

The world’s two most populous countries are among dozens that failed to provide an update on their targets for curbing the release of planet-warming gases to the UN climate change agency by July 31, they said on Saturday.

China is the country with the world’s highest emissions, while India is third. The United States (US), which submitted its new target in April, is the second-biggest global emitter.

read more

Need to create awareness on zonotic diseases: Mandaviya

Zonotic diseases pass from animal or insect to humans.

The minister also launched the National Health Adaptation Plan on Air Pollution and National Health Adaptation Plan on Heat along with infographics and the first newsletter under the “National Programme on Climate Change and Human Health” developed by Centre of Environmental and Occupational Health, Climate Change and Health at NCDC.

read more

Intensity of severe cyclonic storms increasing in North Indian Ocean region: Study

The increasing intensity of severe cyclonic storms with major socioeconomic implications was due to atmospheric parameters like higher relative humidity, especially at mid-atmospheric level, weak vertical wind shear as well as warm sea surface temperature (SST).

This indicates the role of global warming in bringing about this increasing trend, the study suggests.

read more

Regulators turn spotlight on company sustainability ratings

The International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO), which groups market regulators from the United States, Europe and Asia, recommended in a consultation paper on Monday that its members consider formally regulating an industry that has so far largely been left to its own devices. 

This lack of regulation has prompted concerns among some investors, who say methods of calculating ESG ratings are opaque, and environmentalists, who fear “greenwashing” – or that companies might sometimes get an ESG rating they don’t deserve.

read more

India urges G20 countries to fulfill emission targets

The Indian delegation in the G 20 meeting said that India has already achieved an emission reduction of 28 per cent over 2005 levels and is all set to exceed its NDC(Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC)) commitments before 2030, the press release further stated

India has achieved 38.5 per cent installed capacity from renewables, said the Indian delegation.

read more

Decommissioning coal power plants older than 25 yrs can save Rs 37K cr: Study

The CEEW study also recommends considering 30 GW of India’s coal-based (power generation) capacity for accelerated decommissioning.In fact, it stated that relegating these inefficient plants would additionally result in a one-time saving of Rs 10,000 crore (USD 1.37 billion) on account of avoided pollution control retrofits.

read more

Scientists update forecasts on extreme weather and climate change 

“It’s not so much that climate change itself is proceeding faster than expected — the warming is right in line with model predictions from decades ago,” said climate scientist Michael Mann of Pennsylvania State University. “Rather, it’s the fact that some of the impacts are greater than scientists predicted.”

That suggests that climate modeling may have been underestimating the “the potential for the dramatic rise in persistent weather extremes,” Mann said.

read more

IFC lends USD 250 mn to HDFC to promote affordable green housing finance

Green and energy-efficient housing can help cut emissions, as residential housing accounts for about 24 percent of the nation’s electricity consumption, IFC said.

”Green housing is largely regarded as a luxury market in the country, but given its climate benefits, IFC intends to challenge that perception and help boost green affordable housing by partnering with HDFC, with its deep penetration in the Indian housing market and significant commitment to promoting green,” IFC said.

read more