COP24 negotiations: Why reaching agreement on climate action is so complex
New York, Dec 12 (IBNS): From Tuesday on, close to 100 Government ministers are due be involved in negotiating a final deal on moving forward with climate action here at the United Nations COP24 conference in Poland. So, what is the goal? To agree a concrete plan to implement the historic 2015 Paris climate deal by mid-century. The stakes are high with numerous different pressure points.
Several recent weather extremes linked to climate change: Study
Washington, Dec 11 (IBNS): The U.S. Northern Plains and East Africa droughts of 2017, floods in South America, China and Bangladesh, and heatwaves in China and the Mediterranean were all made more likely by human-caused climate change, according to new research published today in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society (BAMS).
‘Going green’ is good business says private sector at UN’s COP24 climate conference
New York, Dec 11 (IBNS): Businesses across the world should no longer be viewed solely as greenhouse gas emissions culprits, but more as indispensable partners for climate action, who stand to increase profits from “going green”. That was the key message as the United Nations COP24 climate change conference went into its second week in Katowice, Poland.
COP24: Huge untapped potential in greener construction, says UN environment agency
New York, Dec 8 (IBNS): Noting some progress in greening the global construction industry, the United Nations environment agency (UNEP) co-released a report on Friday at the COP24 climate conference in Katowice, Poland, sounding the alarm on the need for “dramatic action” to reduce the sector’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Taking fast road to ‘e-mobility’ central to a sustainable future: COP24
New York, Dec 7 (IBNS): As the transportation sector continues to be a major culprit in the global rise in temperatures, the urgent need for clean solutions – in particular, powered by electricity or “e-mobility” – is being highlighted at the two-week United Nations climate change conference ‘COP24’ in Katowice, Poland.
Greenland ice sheet melt 'off the charts' compared with past four centuries: Study
Washington, Dec 7 (IBNS): Surface melting across Greenland’s mile-thick ice sheet began increasing in the mid-19th century and then ramped up dramatically during the 20th and early 21st centuries, showing no signs of abating, according to new research published Dec. 5, 2018, in the journal Nature.
Tunisia coastline in need of climate cash boost
New York, Dec 6 (IBNS): Efforts to mobilize the cash needed to ensure that climate change does not lead to the irreversible damage of Tunisia’s coastline are being undertaken by the North African country’s government, with the support of the UN Development Programme (UNDP).
Air pollution bigger killer than smoking: Study
New Delhi, Dec 6 (IBNS): Air pollution in India makes more people ill than smoking, The India Express, citing The Lancet Planetary Health estimate on deaths, disease burden, and life expectancy reduction associated with air pollution, said.
Soil pollution ‘jeopardizing’ life on Earth, UN agency warns on World Day
New York, Dec 6 (IBNS): Soil is a “treasure beneath our feet,” essential to human lives and well-being, a senior United Nations official has highlighted, warning, however, that this invaluable resource is under constant threat from the little-understood phenomenon of soil pollution.
COP24: A million lives could be saved by 2050 through climate action, UN health agency reveals
New York, Dec 6 (IBNS): Taking bold climate action now, could help save a million lives and a lot of money by the middle of the century, said the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday, launching a special report as part of the ongoing COP24 climate conference in Katowice, Poland.
Assembly President launches new initiative to purge plastics and purify oceans
New York, Dec 5 (IBNS): The President of the UN General Assembly launched a new global call to action on Tuesday, to help end the scourge of plastic pollution in the ocean.
New York, Dec 5 (IBNS): With thousands gathered in Katowice, Poland, for the ‘COP24’ meeting to chart the way forward for climate action, United Nations chief António Guterres presented his longer-term vision on Tuesday for the 2019 Climate Change Summit.
Climate risk Index shows increased impacts of tropical cyclones: Study
New York, Dec 4 (IBNS): Tropical cyclones have heavy impacts on an increasing number of countries. In 2017, the hurricane season in the Caribbean Sea was particularly strong and left several islands destroyed.
UN launches Facebook Messenger-powered bot to take on climate change
New York, Dec 4 (IBNS): As world leaders and decision-makers get to work on mitigating climate change at the COP24 conference in Katowice, Poland, renowned broadcaster and natural historian Sir David Attenborough launched a new UN campaign to give individuals their say on the key global issue, via social media.
COP24: green, gender focus, as UN's crucial climate change conference gets underway
New York, Dec 3 (IBNS): COP24, the two-week 24th conference of the parties of the United Nations Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC), started on Sunday in Katowice, Poland, with a special focus on carbon neutrality and gender equality.