Category:

Climate, Environment, Renewable Energy

Recognize ‘true value’ of water, UN urges, marking World Day

Secretary-General António Guterres explained that a well-managed water cycle, encompassing drinking water, sanitation, hygiene, wastewater, transboundary governance and other key issues, “means defence against ill-health and indignity”.

Today, about one in three people lack access to safe drinking water, and there are fears that by 2050, as many as 5.7 billion people could be living in areas where water is scarce for at least one month a year.

Furthermore, it is estimated that by 2040, global water demand could increase by more than 50 per cent, putting additional stress on the vital resource.

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UK proposes requiring businesses to disclose climate risks by 2022

Under the TCFD’s(Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure ) recommendations, companies are urged to disclose the actual and potential impacts of climate change on their business, as well as explain how they identify and manage such risks and opportunities.A move to make such disclosure mandatory in Britain is seen as a big step towards a new set of global standards.The ministry said it was backing a move by the IFRS Foundation, which writes global accounting rules, to develop international sustainability-related reporting standards.

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AM Best is the first rating agency to signs up to UN Principles for sustainable insurance

“AM Best and its major affiliates are pleased to become a signatory to the UN’s Principles for Sustainable Insurance. The principles ‘serve as a global framework for the insurance industry to address environmental, social and governance risk and opportunities,’” said Arthur Snyder III, chairman, president & CEO of AM Best Co.

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‘India facing high fossil fuel consumption challenge’

India is a signatory to the Paris Agreement. Under the agreement signed in 2015, India has committed to cut GHG (Green House Gas) emissions intensity of its GDP by 33-35 per cent, increase non-fossil fuel power capacity to 40 per cent from 28 per cent in 2015, add carbon sink of 2.5-3 billion tonnes CO2 per annum by increasing the forest cover, all by 2030.

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Natural disasters occurring three times more often than 50 years ago: new FAO report

The least developed and low to middle income countries have fared worst of all. From 2008 to 2018, natural disasters have cost the agricultural sectors of developing economies more than $108 billion in damaged crop and livestock production.

Over the same period, Asia was the most hard-hit region, with overall economic losses of $49 billion, followed by Africa at $30 billion, and Latin America and the Caribbean at $29 billion.

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63 nations to see ratings downgrades by 2030 for ignoring climate change

The U.S. is projected to lose 20 per cent of its per-capita gross domestic product by 2050 in a worst-case scenario, with nations closer to the equator or with high-carbon economies even more vulnerable, according to the FTSE Russell report.

Malaysia could see the worst economic hit at 31 per cent. The projections, based on trends of greenhouse-gas emissions and countries’ mitigation efforts, show the risk for investors of long-term bets on sovereign bonds.

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