Category:

Climate, Environment, Renewable Energy

Germany pledges to adjust climate law after court verdict

Germany’s Constitutional Court said Thursday that the government must set clear goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions after 2030. The verdict was a victory for campaigners, who had argued that the measures put forward so far are insufficient to meet the Paris climate accord’s goal of keeping global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit), ideally no more than 1.5 C (2.7 F) by 2100.

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Tackling climate change through emerging hydrogen industry: Managing complex risks

Driven by climate change, the possibilities of energy storage, use as a fuel and the long-term intention to replace reliance on coal and oil, hydrogen has the potential to morph from a niche power source into big business.
New bulletin from Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) highlights operational risks that need to be addressed in hydrogen projects, including fire and explosion hazards, impact of embrittlement and business interruption exposures.
AGCS sees increasing demand for insurance coverage for hydrogen solutions in future.

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California Governor seeks ban on new fracking by 2024

Fracking — short for hydraulic fracturing, the process of extracting oil and gas embedded in rock deep underground — accounts for a small portion of the state’s oil and gas production each year. But environmental advocates have long sought its banishment because of its harmful effects on the environment and public health.

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EU publishes rules to help investors decide what’s ‘green’ and what’s not

The EU’s new rules, known as the “sustainable finance taxonomy”, are a list of economic activities and the rules they must meet to be deemed green.

Starting next year, they will decide which activities can be labelled as a sustainable investment in the EU. The Commission published climate-related criteria for green investments ranging from building renovations to the manufacture of cement, steel and batteries, reflecting draft plans previously reported by Reuters.

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Climate change can erase 18% of global GDP , Malaysia, Thailand, India, Philippines and Indonesia most vulnerable:Swiss Re

“Our analysis shows the benefit of investing in a net-zero economy. For example, adding just 10% to the USD 6.3 trillion of annual global infrastructure investments would limit the average temperature increase to 3/4 below 2°C. This is just a fraction of the loss in global GDP that we face if we don’t take appropriate action,“ said Jérôme Haegeli, Swiss Re’s Group Chief Economist

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AIIB launches Sustainable Development Bond framework

Under the framework, annual reporting on the Bank’s overall portfolio level and project level environmental and social benefits will be made available on the AIIB official website.

“Under its mission of Financing Infrastructure for Tomorrow, AIIB will continue to scale up its sustainable and inclusive investments to meet clients’ needs for low-carbon and climate-resilient infrastructure,”said Domenico Nardelli,treasurer,AIIB

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Kenyan insurer Pula offers lifeline to African farmers hit by climate change, to foray into Brazil and India

CEO Thomas Njeru co-founded the company in 2015 with Dutch entrepreneur Rose Goslinga after the pair spotted a gap in the insurance market.
Because of climate change, farmers are having to contend with unpredictable rain patterns, frequent droughts and even the emergence of new pests and diseases, Njeru said.In January, Pula raised $6 million in a funding round led by London-based TLcom Capital, to invest in new markets, strengthen existing products and design new ones. Njeru said the company’s next targets are Brazil and India.

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