Category:

Climate, Environment, Renewable Energy

Time running out for countries on climate crisis front line

The Secretary-General reminded that the climate impacts we are seeing today – currently at 1.2 degrees above pre-industrial levels – give the world a glimpse of what lies ahead: prolonged droughts, extreme and intensified weather events and ‘horrific flooding’.

“Science has long warned that we need to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees. Beyond that, we risk calamity… Limiting global temperature rise is a matter of survival for climate vulnerable countries”, he emphasized.

read more

Asia-Pacific Climate week 2021 sends strong signal to COP26

The Asia-Pacific regions emits more than half of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions and is one of the most rapidly developing regions of the world, with a significant proportion of the global population. And it is home to most of the world’s low-lying cities and vulnerable small island states.

read more

Paris climate targets not possible without a carbon removal industry the size of oil & gas: Swiss Re study

Christoph Nabholz, Chief Research Officer at Swiss Re Institute, “Carbon removal will need to evolve into a multi-trillion-dollar industry akin to the value of the oil and gas industry today if we are to hit the climate targets set out by the 2015 Paris Agreement. Serious investment in this nascent industry must start now. Failing to tackle climate change could result in global GDP loss of 18%, which we showed earlier this year. No action is not an option.”

read more

ECB tweaks inflation target, carves out climate role

In perhaps the biggest change, the central bank said it will do more to help the fight against climate change and will include climate change considerations in monetary policy operations in the areas of disclosure, risk assessment, collateral framework and corporate sector asset purchases.

“The ECB will adjust the framework guiding the allocation of corporate bond purchases to incorporate climate change criteria, in line with its mandate,” it said.

read more

Yamuna pollution: Rs 12 cr fine imposed on 12 CETPs for not meeting wastewater standards

Untreated wastewater and poor quality of effluent discharged from CETPs and sewage treatment plants is the major reason behind pollution in the river in Delhi, according to experts. These 12 CETPs are in industrial areas in Jhilmil, Badli, Mayapuri, Mangolpuri, Nangloi, Okhla, Narela, Bawana, Naraina, GTK Road, Keshav Puram. These CETPs do not comply with the requisite standards with respect to biological oxygen (30 mg/litre), total dissolved solid (2,100 mg/l), sulphate (1,000 mg/l), Sulphide (2 mg/l) etc.

read more

Brutal Summer’s record-high temperatures flare up extreme events in Northern Hemisphere

Extremes are piling up in what’s poised to be a brutal summer as the planet warms. Climate change is intensifying many unusual weather patterns to the point that scientists are able to detect its influence nearly in real time. That’s been the case during the heatwave that’s boiled Canada and the U.S. northwest this season, as well as the heatwave that hit Siberia last year.

read more

Global financial regulators attempt to align rules on climate risks

The Financial Stability Board (FSB), which coordinates financial rules for the G20 group of nations, said its “roadmap” seeks to coordinate approaches to disclosures by companies and plug gaps in the data needed to spot financial stability “vulnerabilities” and develop tools to address them.

The roadmap attempts to align rules still in the planning stage between now and 2023 to avoid more divergences between various measures for the same activity.

read more

Swiss Re’s Nina Arquint receives `The 2021 Geneva Association Women in Insurance Award”

Jad Ariss, Managing Director of The Geneva Association, said: “I congratulate Nina Arquint on winning this award, which recognises her leadership role in reducing the underwriting of coal, the most polluting and carbon-intensive fuel, and her great dedication to tackling environmental risks. Ms Arquint and her team have made demonstrable contributions to reducing the financial viability of coal and contributing to accelerating its phase-out globally. This work is in alignment with The Geneva Association’s mission to promote the use of insurance to create a better, more resilient, and more sustainable world.” 

read more

Unveiling its last petrol car, Lotus sets off in pursuit of Porsche

The Emira, which will start at around 60,000 pounds ($83,000), is the first new petrol Lotus model in more than a decade but it will be the last powered by fossil fuels.
Lotus is currently developing an electric sports car platform in partnership with Renault for the French company’s Alpine brand, and that framework will also be available to other carmakers.
Lotus and its Chinese owner Geely want to transform what is now a tiny company making some 1,500 sports cars a year into an electric powerhouse churning out tens of thousands of high-end saloons and sports-utility vehicles (SUVs) as well.

read more