Category:

Climate, Environment, Renewable Energy

Global leaders at UN meet: If virus does not kill us, climate change will

With Siberia seeing its warmest temperature on record this year and enormous chunks of ice caps in Greenland and Canada sliding into the sea, countries are acutely aware there’s no vaccine for global warming.

“We are already seeing a version of environmental Armageddon,” Fiji’s Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama said, citing wildfires in the western US and noting that the Greenland ice chunk was larger than a number of island nations.

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Bihar CM shares state’s sustainable development efforts at UN climate roundtable

Despite having one of the highest population density in the world, we are promoting food forestry to ensure food security along with enhanced green cover. We have allocated additional USD 3.5 billion from the state budget for this cause. Work is being executed in mission mode, he said.

This would significantly contribute to the global efforts to achieve the 1.5 degrees Celsius target, he said.

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India plans $4.6 billion in incentives for battery makers in electric vehicle push – document

Though keen to reduce its oil dependence and cut down on pollution, India’s efforts to promote electric vehicles have been stymied by a lack of investment in manufacturing and infrastructure such as charging stations. Just 3,400 electric cars were sold in the world’s second-most populous nation during the last business year, compared to sales of 1.7 million conventional passenger cars.

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Munich Re issues first-ever green bond

Munich Re will use the raised capital to finance or refinance sustainable projects in accordance with the company’s Green Bond Framework. Projects include investments of equity and debt in renewable energy, energy efficiency, clean transportation, green buildings, sustainable water and wastewater management, the eco-efficient and/or circular economy, and the environmentally sustainable management of living natural resources and land.

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Steady rise in heavy rainfall events during 3 last years: Harsh Vardhan

Earth Sciences Minister Harsh Vardhan said studies show that the frequency of severe cyclones in the Arabian Sea has increased in recent years.

The data shows that there is a steady increase in the number of heavy rainfall events during the last three years, Vardhan said.

The frequency of cyclones too has seen a rise, he noted.

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A fifth of countries worldwide at risk from ecosystem collapse as biodiversity declines, reveals pioneering Swiss Re index

39 countries have ecosystems in a fragile state on more than a
third of their land – Malta, Israel, Cyprus, Bahrain and Kazakhstan
have the lowest Biodiversity and Ecosystems Services (BES) ranking
• 55% of global GDP depends on high-functioning BES
• Major economies in Southeast Asia, Europe and the US exposed to
BES decline
Christian Mumenthaler, Swiss Re’s Group Chief Executive Officer, said: “There is a clear need to assess the state of ecosystems so that the global community can minimise further negative impact on economies across the world. This important piece of work provides a data-driven foundation for understanding the economic risks of deteriorating biodiversity and ecosystems. In turn, we can inform governmental decision-making to help improve ecosystem restoration and preservation. We can also support corporations and investors as they fortify themselves against environmental shocks. Armed with this information, we can also ensure the provision of stronger sustainable insurance services.“

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