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John Kerry: Relying on technology to remove carbon dioxide 'dangerous'

Relying on technology to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is "dangerous" and cause for "alarm", John Kerry has warned. The US president's special climate envoy said in an interview that new technologies may not prevent the world from crossing "tipping points," key temperature thresholds that could trigger a cascade of unstoppable physical effects. "Some scientists are suggesting that it's possible that there could be an overshoot [of global temperatures above the 1.5°C threshold above pre-industrial levels that governments are aiming for] and you could go back, so to speak - you've got the technology and stuff, that allow you to come back,” Kerry told the Guardian. "The danger with this, which worries me and motivates me the most, is that according to the science and the best scientists in the world, we may be at or beyond several tipping points that we've been warning about for some time," he said. "That's the danger, the irreversibility." He called on governments to roll out renewable energy faster, along with related technologies such as electric vehicles. These are already available for large-scale deployment and could prevent the world from reaching the high levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide that would cause temperatures to exceed the 1.5°C threshold. "Part of the challenge we're facing now is that the countries that have the technology are not necessarily deploying it at the pace they should be," he said. “Fatih Birol [the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency] has been making it very clear for some time that all you need to meet the 2030% target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 45 worldwide is the deployment of renewable energy sources at the current state of technology, and that's not happening."

The fight against climate change is a "fundamental duty" of central banks - Villeroy of the ECB

LONDON, April 24 (Reuters) - French central bank governor François Villeroy de Galhau pushed back on criticism of central banks' growing involvement in the fight against climate change, calling the issue "inevitable." "Climate-related risks are clearly among the long-term risks that financial institutions are exposed to: monitoring these risks is not a 'nice to have' or part of a CSR (corporate social responsibility) policy, but a 'must have,'" said Villeroy, who is also a member The Board of Governors of the European Central Bank, speaking at the City Week conference in London. Addressing some recent concerns expressed by a number of leading central bankers, he added that central bankers should not waste too much time in legal and political debate about central bank mandates. "The main mandate of central banks around the world is price stability, and climate change is already affecting price levels and activity," Villeroy emphasized. “It's not mission creep, it's not politicizing our mandate — it's our core business and our core duty.” The debate over how much influence central banks can have on climate change has become increasingly divisive this year. In January, US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said she should "stick to her business" because she "is not a climate policy maker and never will be". Since Republicans took control of the House of Representatives, the Fed's balancing act has become more nuanced, although both Belgian ECB policymaker Pierre Wunsch and former Bank of England chief Mervyn King have also said the fight against global warming is primarily the job of governments. But Villeroy, who has long been a strong advocate for doing more, urged central banks and others to come up with better models of how climate change is likely to alter economies. He said recent "pilot stress tests" had been carried out and pointed to the need for shorter five-year scenarios as climate change accelerates. The Greening the Financial System Network, which includes most of the world's central banks and multilateral lenders such as the International Monetary Fund, would therefore publish a "conceptual framework" later this year, he added. It also aims to publish short-term climate change scenarios by the end of 2024, which should show more adverse developments, incorporate harsher "shocks" and directly examine the potential effects of climate change on inflation. (Marc Jones, REUTERS)

The recent rapid warming of the oceans ahead of El Niño has scientists worried

The recent rapid warming of the world's oceans has alarmed scientists, who fear it will contribute to global warming. This month, the global sea level reached a new record temperature. He never warmed up so fast, so fast. Scientists do not fully understand why this happened. But they fear that, combined with other weather events, the global temperature could reach a new level by the end of next year. Experts believe that a strong El Niño weather phenomenon - a weather system that warms the ocean - will also kick in over the coming months. Warmer oceans can wipe out marine life, lead to more extreme weather and raise sea levels. They are also less effective at absorbing planet-warming greenhouse gases. An important new study, published with little fanfare last week, points to a disturbing development. Over the past 15 years, Earth's stored heat has increased by 50 %, with most of this heat entering the oceans. This has real-world consequences – not only did the overall ocean temperature reach a new record in April this year, but in some regions the difference from the long-term record was huge. In March, sea surface temperatures off the east coast of North America were up to 13.8°C higher than the 1981-2011 average. "It is not yet well known why such rapid changes and such huge changes are happening," said Karina Von Schuckmann, lead author of the new study and an oceanographer at the Mercator Ocean International research group. “Over the last 15 years we've doubled the heat in the climate system, I don't want to say that this is climate change, natural variability or a mixture of both, we don't know yet. But we are seeing this change.” “ One factor that could affect the level of heat flowing into the oceans is an interesting reduction in pollution from shipping. In 2020, the International Maritime Organization introduced a regulation to reduce the sulfur content of fuel burned by ships. This had a rapid impact and reduced the amount of aerosol particles released into the atmosphere. But the aerosols that pollute the air also help reflect heat back into space—removing them could have caused more heat to enter the waters. What are the consequences of ocean warming? The average surface temperature of the world's seas has increased by about 0.9 C compared to pre-industrial levels, with 0.6 C coming in the last 40 years alone. This is less than the increase in air temperatures over land - which have increased by more than 1.5°C since pre-industrial times. This is because it takes much more energy to heat water than it does on land, and the oceans absorb heat deep below their surface. (Matt McGrath and Mark Poynting, BBC Climate and Science team)

EU carbon border tax will disrupt trade and derail climate talks

Tough days ahead for global trade and climate negotiations. The shock comes from developed countries and affects poor countries the most. The European Parliament approved the introduction of a carbon border tax (CBT) on 18 April. The CBT will become law after approval by the EU Council next month. It will allow the EU to charge a new tax on imports of steel, aluminium, cement, fertilisers, hydrogen and electricity from 1 January 2026. However, Indian exporters must share company-level emissions data with the EU from 1 October. However, the EU is not alone in making such a decision. The UK, Canada, Japan and the US are also preparing to levy CBT on imports. Most developed countries will implement some form of CBT between 2026 and 2028. CBT rates will vary by product and production process. CBT rates are not fixed, they would be calculated for each consignment. The rates will depend on the intensity of the product's emissions, including built-in emissions. These may vary for different manufacturing units spread across the globe. For example, the CBT for cement can be 90 percent of the product value. For blast furnace steel, the rate can be around 20 percent of the product price. The average rate will be 20-35 percent of the value of the product. The following table shows the CBT product estimate. Targeted emission reductions The EU aims to achieve 55 percent lower carbon emissions by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. It wants to be carbon neutral by 2050. In 2005, it created the Emissions Trading System (EU-ETS) to achieve its climate goals. The EU-ETS monitors emissions from more than 10,000 power plants, oil refineries, iron, steel, aluminum, cement, paper and glass plants and civil aviation. The ETS system works through European emission allowances (EUAs). Let's call it a license or permit that allows one metric ton of CO2 emissions for a certain period of time. The EU-ETS sets an upper limit on the amount of greenhouse gas emissions (mainly carbon dioxide) that each installation can emit. Each participating company will receive a limited number of annual EUA quotas. At the end of each compliance cycle, all EU-ETS participants must surrender enough EUA allowances to cover all their emissions in that cycle. The EU-ETS system lowers the cap gradually to reduce emissions. Businesses are expected to achieve lower emissions by investing in better technologies, fossil fuel alternatives and energy efficiency. The EU-ETS is thus a cap-and-trade system that uses market forces to reduce emissions. The system allows the market to set a carbon price, and this price drives investment decisions and drives innovation in the market. However, the EU-ETS gave the most polluting industries, such as steel or aluminum, a free ride by granting them free emission allowances to cover all their emissions. This was done to prevent their resettlement to cheaper destinations such as China or India.

Boj proti zmene klímy si vyžaduje väčšiu spoluprácu

Fórum tichomorských ostrovov vypracovalo stratégiu Blue Pacific 2050, ktorá predstavuje odvážny plán rastu pre náš región. Stanovuje dôkladnú a všestrannú stratégiu na riešenie mnohých zložitých problémov, ktorým čelíme, ako je zmena klímy. Manoa Kamikamica, podpredseda vlády a minister obchodu hovorí, že investície do pripravenosti na katastrofy a prispôsobenia sa klimatickým zmenám možno implementovať smerom k budovaniu odolnosti našich ekonomík a spoločností, aby sme zaistili, že budeme schopní prispôsobiť sa meniacim sa okolnostiam. Kamkamica dodáva, že tichomorský región musí spolupracovať a preorientovať svoje stratégie, ak má byť udržateľný. „V rámci stratégií do roku 2050 existuje niekoľko kľúčových príležitostí, ak niečo len preorientuje našu pozornosť na potrebu spolupráce, ale je to spolupráca, v ktorej vyhráva každý.“ Pri štarte bolo počuť, že tichomorský región by sa mal chopiť tejto príležitosti, pretože je mimoriadne citlivý na vonkajšie otrasy, ako sú prírodné katastrofy a zmena klímy. (Sivaniolo Lumelume, Multimediálny novinár iTaukei Desk, FBC News)

Climate change: Recent rapid ocean warming alarms scientists

The recent rapid warming of the world's oceans has alarmed scientists, who fear it will contribute to global warming.

This month, the global sea level reached a new record temperature. He had never warmed up so much, so quickly. Scientists do not fully understand why this happened. However, they fear that, combined with other weather events, the global temperature could reach a new level by the end of next year. Experts believe that a strong El Niño weather phenomenon - a weather system that warms the ocean - will also kick in over the coming months. Warmer oceans can wipe out marine life, lead to more extreme weather and raise sea levels. They are also less effective at absorbing planet-warming greenhouse gases. An important new study, published with little fanfare last week, points to a disturbing development. Over the past 15 years, Earth's stored heat has increased by 50 %, with most of this heat entering the oceans. This has real-world consequences – not only did the overall ocean temperature reach a new record in April this year, but in some regions the difference from the long-term record was huge. In March, sea surface temperatures off the east coast of North America were up to 13.8°C higher than the 1981-2011 average. "It is not yet well known why such rapid changes and such huge changes are happening," said Karina Von Schuckmann, lead author of the new study and an oceanographer at the Mercator Ocean International research group. “Over the last 15 years we've doubled the heat in the climate system, I don't want to say that this is climate change, natural variability or a mixture of both, we don't know yet. But we are seeing this change.” One factor that could affect the level of heat flowing into the oceans is an interesting reduction in pollution from shipping. In 2020, the International Maritime Organization introduced a regulation to reduce the sulfur content of fuel burned by ships. This had a rapid impact and reduced the amount of aerosol particles released into the atmosphere. But the aerosols that pollute the air also help reflect heat back into space—removing them could have caused more heat to enter the waters. (Matt McGrath and Mark Poynting, BBC Climate and Science team)

EU measures in the field of climate change

Financovanie klimatickej transformácie EÚ. Prechod na hospodárstvo šetrné ku klíme si bude vyžadovať veľké verejné a súkromné investície. Krajiny EÚ sa zaviazali, že 30 % dlhodobého rozpočtu EÚ na roky 2021 – 2027 a nástroja Next Generation EU vynaložia na projekty súvisiace s klímou.

S cieľom zabezpečiť spravodlivosť klimatickej transformácie EÚ zaviedla Mechanizmus spravodlivej transformácie, ktorého cieľom je poskytovať finančnú a technickú podporu regiónom, ktoré sú najviac postihnuté prechodom na nízkouhlíkové hospodárstvo. Na tento účel sa má mobilizovať až 90 miliárd EUR.

30 % celkových výdavkov EÚ bude do roku 2027 smerovať na projekty súvisiace s klímou

Tips for your home

European Commission logo By taking small steps at home, you can save energy and money and help protect the climate by reducing emissions. Households produce roughly a quarter of all direct CO2 emissions that occur in the EU today.

Wash smartly

  • Fill the washing machine. Do not wash if you only have a few items of clothing. Wait until you have a full load - but do not exceed the maximum weight allowance.
  • Select the lowest suitable temperature. Nowadays, detergents are so effective that they clean most clothes at low temperatures.
  • Skip the cycle before washing, if your clothes are not very dirty.
  • If possible, do not use a dryer. One dryer cycle can use twice as much energy as an average washing machine cycle.

Six ways to quickly reduce carbon emissions II.

transportation

Private transport is one of the world's largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions, and in countries such as the UK and US, the transport sector, dominated by cars, trucks, buses and motorcycles, is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than any other. If you have a car, simply reducing how much you use it can be a great first step to reducing your emissions. In many places, most journeys by car are only relatively short distances, and walking or cycling are great alternatives that can also help you stay healthy. For longer journeys (and where available), public transport tends to be a much lower carbon option than driving. (Read more about how we can reduce the carbon footprint of our daily commute.)

10 travel mistakes that increase your carbon footprint

TRavel provides an exciting opportunity to explore different cultures, sample new cuisines and create long-lasting memories. However, with climate change concerns growing, it's important to be mindful of the impact of our holidays on the environment. Travelers are often unaware of the carbon footprint associated with their choices of accommodation, activities, transit and more. Along the way, a combination of big and small decisions can make a significant contribution to the total volume of greenhouse gas emissions. We asked travel and environmental experts to share some of the common mistakes travelers make that add to their carbon footprint. Read on to learn what they are (along with some tips to compensate for this behavior).

(Caroline Bologna)

10 Travel Mistakes That Increase Your Carbon Footprint (msn.com)

Regulačné orgány EÚ predstavili nápady na odstránenie „medzery v poistení“ v oblasti klímy

Vydávanie „katastrofických dlhopisov“ a vytváranie verejno-súkromných partnerstiev by mohlo pomôcť zaplniť „medzeru v poistení“ a lepšie pokryť škody spôsobené klimatickými zmenami, uviedol v pondelok diskusný dokument Európskej centrálnej banky a regulačných orgánov Európskej únie pre poisťovníctvo. Len štvrtina strát súvisiacich s klimatickými katastrofami v EÚ je poistená, čo vytvára riziká pre hospodárstvo a finančnú stabilitu v dôsledku toho, že nepoistené domácnosti a podniky sa nedokážu rýchlo zotaviť z extrémnych udalostí, ako sú požiare alebo záplavy, uvádza sa v dokumente ECB a európskeho dozorného orgánu pre poisťovníctvo EIOPA. Bez opatrení by sa medzera v poistení mohla zväčšiť, keďže častejšie a intenzívnejšie udalosti vedú k vyššiemu poistnému a majú vplyv na ponuku úverov od bánk vo vysokorizikových oblastiach. Priame celkové straty z katastrof v EÚ dosiahli v rokoch 487 až 535 1980 miliárd eur (2020 miliárd dolárov) a poisťovňa Swiss Re odhaduje, že v minulom roku došlo na celom svete ku katastrofickým stratám vo výške 120 miliárd dolárov. Šesť po sebe nasledujúcich rokov nadpriemerných strát viedlo k zvýšeniu cien zaistenia v prípade katastrof pri majetkových katastrofách, pričom európske sadzby sa pri obnovení v januári 30 zvýšili o 2023 %, uviedol medzinárodný maklér Howden. „Aby sme účinne chránili našu spoločnosť, musíme riešiť obavy z rastúcej medzery v poistnom zabezpečení tým, že navrhneme a nájdeme vhodné riešenia,“ uviedla vo vyhlásení predsedníčka EIOPA Petra Hielkema. Opatrenia by mohli zahŕňať stimulovanie ľudí a podnikov, aby zmierňovali následky katastrof súvisiacich s klímou poskytovaním zliav na politiky, uvádza sa v dokumente. Vydávanie katastrofických dlhopisov by mohlo pomôcť poisťovateľom preniesť časť rizika na kapitálový trh, aby udržali poistné pod kontrolou. Prijatím opatrení by sa urýchlilo vyplácanie prostriedkov po katastrofách, aby sa zabránilo zasiahnutiu hospodárstva. Systémy poistenia na národnej úrovni by tiež mohli byť doplnené celoeurópskym verejným systémom, ktorý zabezpečí, že európskym krajinám budú k dispozícii dostatočné finančné prostriedky na rekonštrukciu po zriedkavých rozsiahlych katastrofách súvisiacich s klímou. 
(Reuters )

Zmena klímy je neoddeliteľne prepojená so sociálno-ekonomickou nerovnosťou

Nie je možné oddeliť zmenu klímy od sociálnej a hospodárskej nerovnosti. Okrem skutočnosti, že kapitalizmus je poháňaný masovou spotrebou fosílnych palív, globálna ekonomická nerovnosť vytvorená kapitalistickými praktikami zanechala chudobné krajiny v nevýhode. Ekonomická produkcia v teplých krajinách, ako je India a Nigéria, klesla, pretože teploty stúpajú v dôsledku neúrody alebo extrémnych poveternostných udalostí, ktoré ničia úrodu a zdroje. Zároveň sa s rastúcimi celkovými teplotami zvýšila ekonomická produkcia bohatších krajín, ktoré sú v chladnejšom podnebí, ako je Nórsko a Spojené kráľovstvo. Je zrejmé, že to prehĺbilo globálnu ekonomickú priepasť medzi bohatými a chudobnými národmi. Chudobnejšie krajiny majú tiež väčšie ťažkosti pri zotavovaní sa z extrémnych výkyvov počasia spôsobených zmenou klímy bez zdrojov, ktoré majú bohaté krajiny. Keďže mnohé rozvojové krajiny sa nachádzajú v zónach klimatického rizika, ľudia v krajinách s nízkymi a nižšími strednými príjmami majú päťkrát vyššiu pravdepodobnosť, že budú vysídlení extrémnymi poveternostnými udalosťami, než ľudia v krajinách s vysokými príjmami. Dokonca aj v menšom meradle sú marginalizované komunity najviac postihnuté otepľovaním klímy kvôli nerovnostiam v rase, pohlaví a triede, čo je skutočnosť, ktorú klimatická politika často prehliada.

(ANTONIA KLADIAS)

Carbon footprint calculator

Each of us produces a carbon footprint through our activity. Its size depends on what you do, how you live and how much you travel. This calculator can calculate it based on your answers. Let's do this!

What is a carbon footprint? The carbon footprint is the amount of emissions of such gases released into the atmosphere that have an impact on the Earth's climate, while these emissions are caused by human activity. We produce these gases during most of our activities, for example, during the consumption of fossil fuels in transport or the consumption of heat produced from coal or electricity.

How is the carbon footprint calculated? The first step to calculating the carbon footprint is determining the use of resources in the production and consumption of a unit of product or service. Subsequently, the corresponding emission factor is assigned to these sources, which connects the amount of pollutant released with the activity associated with its release (eg 0.2 g of methane per kilogram of diesel fuel consumed). The resulting emissions are obtained by multiplying the emission factor by the activity rate: 𝐸𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑒𝑥 = 𝐸𝐹𝑥 × 𝑄 × 𝐺𝑊𝑃𝑥, where 𝐸𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑒𝑥 is the emission of pollutant x, 𝐸𝐹𝑥 is the emission factor of pollutant x, 𝑄 is the activity, consumption or production rate and 𝐺𝑊𝑃𝑥 is the global warming potential of the given substance .

In what units is the carbon footprint measured? Since greenhouse gases include several substances (carbon dioxide, methane and others), the emissions of these substances are converted into equivalents of carbon dioxide emissions (CO2e) by multiplying with the potential for global warming (Global Warming Potential - GWP). Greenhouse gas emissions, which are harmful in different proportions, can be compared with each other using CO2e.

Zmena klímy si vyžaduje, aby bol každý deň Deň Zeme

Priepasť medzi klimatickou krízou a politickými krokmi zostáva široká aj po 53 rokoch. Napriek tomu, že viac ako 190 krajín oslavuje Deň Zeme už viac ako pol storočia, zdravie planéty je alarmujúce.

Od roku 1970 si svet pripomína 22. apríl ako Deň Zeme. Veľký únik ropy v Santa Barbare v Kalifornii v roku 1969 viedol k rozsiahlej ekologickej katastrofe. Pri prvom výročí sa senátor za Wisconsin Gaylord Nelson postavil do čela ľudového hnutia, aby presvedčil vládu USA, že planéta je ohrozená a že sú potrebné environmentálne reformy. Na presadenie otázky životného prostredia do národnej agendy bol 22. apríl 1970 oslavovaný ako Deň Zeme a milióny Američanov sa zúčastnili na zhromaždeniach po celej krajine. Hoci myšlienka osláv Dňa Zeme vznikla v USA, v roku 1990 sa stala globálnou a každoročne ju oslavujú miliardy ľudí na celom svete. Deň Zeme sa pravdepodobne stal najväčším svetským podujatím na svete. Tohtoročnou témou Dňa Zeme je „Investujte do našej planéty“, najmä s cieľom poukázať na účinky zmeny klímy a snahy o jej zmiernenie. Pandémia, vojna na Ukrajine a niekoľko zástupných vojen v rôznych častiach sveta odvrátili pozornosť od nebezpečenstva klimatických zmien. Len preto, že zmena klímy nedominuje globálnej bezpečnosti a politickému diskurzu, jej výzvy pre zdravie a blaho planéty a ľudskej civilizácie nezmizli. Pochmúrny obraz sucha, záplav a horúčav. Fyzické a sociálno-ekonomické dopady zmeny klímy sú čoraz ničivejšie bez trvalých, robustných a proaktívnych opatrení. Výročná správa Svetovej meteorologickej organizácie (WMO), „Stav globálnej klímy 2022“, vydaná deň pred Dňom Zeme v roku 2023, vykresľuje veľmi pochmúrny obraz sucha, záplav a horúčav, ktoré ovplyvňujú spoločnosti na celom svete, okrem straty miliardy dolárov. Topenie ľadu a stúpanie hladiny mora tiež zhoršujú problém. Napriek tomu, že viac ako 190 krajín oslavuje Deň Zeme už viac ako pol storočia, zdravie planéty je alarmujúce. Akumulácia troch popredných skleníkových plynov dosiahla v roku 2021 rekordnú úroveň a v roku 2022 sa jeho koncentrácia naďalej zvyšovala. Metán je najnebezpečnejším skleníkovým plynom, pretože zachytáva teplo 25-krát viac ako oxid uhličitý a od roku 2020 do roku 2021 sa jeho ročný nárast bol najväčší v histórii. Planéta sa tiež otepľuje so zvyšujúcou sa koncentráciou skleníkových plynov. Správa WMO uvádza, že priemerná globálna teplota v roku 2022 bola o 1,15 stupňa C vyššia ako priemer z rokov 1850-1900 a posledných osem rokov bolo osem najteplejších rokov od roku 1850.  (Ashok Swain, špeciálne pre Gulf News)

Marcos, aby s Bidenom prediskutoval klimatické zmeny a obranné dohody

MANILA, Filipíny – Dohody o zmene klímy a obrane budú stredobodom rozhovorov medzi prezidentom Ferdinandom „Bongbongom“ Marcosom Jr. a americkým prezidentom Joeom Bidenom budúci týždeň, keď sa stretnú, aby potvrdili „špeciálny vzťah“ Filipín a Spojených štátov. Marcos Jr. bude na oficiálnej pracovnej návšteve USA od 30. apríla do 4. mája, len niekoľko dní po ukončení každoročného vojenského cvičenia medzi filipínskymi a americkými vojakmi a týždne po stretnutí predstaviteľov zahraničných vecí a obrany jednotlivých krajín na 2 + 2 Dialóg ministrov. „Zmena klímy je veľká vec a budeme žiadať o pomoc, čo ešte môžeme urobiť a akú inú stratégiu môžeme použiť,“ povedal Marcos Jr. Dodal, že plánujú prehodnotiť aj Dohodu o hosťujúcich silách a Zmluvu o vzájomnej obrane s tým, že „musíme to rozvinúť“ s ohľadom na vývoj v regióne. Generálny riaditeľ tiež zdôraznil, že filipínska delegácia sa bude snažiť o ďalšie projekty a partnerstvá, o ktoré by sa mohla usilovať s USA.  Marcos mladší a Biden sa prvýkrát stretli v septembri minulého roka stranou Valného zhromaždenia OSN. Potom diskutovali o spojenectve medzi Manilou a Washingtonom, o napätí v Juhočínskom mori, o ruskej invázii na Ukrajinu a o ďalších témach. Bude to 10. oficiálna zahraničná cesta Marcosa mladšieho ako filipínskeho prezidenta od jeho minuloročného nástupu do úradu. Odrazil kritiku svojho častého cestovania a povedal, že Filipíny sa musia osloviť investorov. Kritizovali ho aj za to, že letel do Singapuru v októbri len niekoľko dní po tom, čo krajinu zasiahol tajfún Karding, ktorý zasiahol milióny ľudí a poškodil poľnohospodárstvo v hodnote miliárd. Marcos Jr. súčasne sedí ako šéf poľnohospodárstva krajiny. (Philstar.com)

Klimatickí aktivisti sa lepia na cesty v snahe zastaviť dopravu v Berlíne

NEMECKÍ KLIMATICKÍ AKTIVISTI sa dnes ráno pokúsili zastaviť dopravu v Berlíne tým, že obsadili ulice po celom hlavnom meste. Členovia skupiny Last Generation za posledný rok opakovane blokovali cesty po celom Nemecku v snahe prinútiť vládu, aby prijala razantnejšie opatrenia proti klimatickým zmenám. Niekoľkokrát obsadili cesty, rozzúrili niektorých motoristov a podnietili konzervatívnych politikov k obvineniam z extrémizmu. Okrem blokád na cestách aktivisti uviedli, že dopravu zablokujú aj veľmi pomalým pochodom cez mesto neskôr počas dňa. Ráno bolo naprieč mestom asi 20 cestných záterasov, informovala nemecká tlačová agentúra dpa. „Už nebudeme akceptovať, že vláda nemá v pláne zastaviť ničenie nášho živobytia,“ uviedla Last Generation vo vyhlásení. „Teraz sa bránime.“ Podľa berlínskej polície bude v uliciach mesta celý deň až 500 policajtov, aby zabránili blokádam alebo ich rýchlo ukončili, informovala agentúra dpa. Skupina minulý týždeň uviedla, že jej členovia v najbližších dňoch zintenzívnia svoje kroky a pokúsia sa „pokojne zastaviť mesto“. Last Generation chce, aby Nemecko do roku 2030 prestalo používať všetky fosílne palivá a prijalo krátkodobé opatrenia vrátane zavedenia všeobecného rýchlostného limitu 62 míľ za hodinu na diaľniciach ako spôsobu zníženia emisií z dopravy. (The Journal, o klimatických zmenách)

 

BioMar will receive third-party verification of its carbon reduction plan

BioMar is now the first aquafeed company to meet the ambitious Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) carbon reduction targets. SBTi is a partnership between several environmental groups that encourages corporations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and independently evaluates their plans. More than 2,000 companies have signed up to the initiative, including seafood companies such as Lerøy Seafood, Grieg Seafood and Nomad. In 2022, SBTi released a guide to help seafood companies reduce their carbon footprint. BioMar announced its intention to find a way to reduce carbon through SBTi in June 2022, and now SBTi has confirmed the Danish company's plans. The company has committed to reducing its emissions by around a third by 2030. BioMar has also released a 2022 sustainability report outlining its goals. "With approximately 80 percent of carbon emissions from aquaculture coming from feed, our customers expect BioMar to quickly take ambitious steps to reduce our emissions," said BioMar Group Global Sustainability Director Vidar Gundersen. Gunderson added that applied, science-based sustainability "is a mantra at BioMar, and data quality is key." “We have skilled global and local teams working with cutting-edge tools and methodologies for optimized sustainability solutions. Rather, we will all achieve our goals by working together through the value chain,” Gunderson said. Joining SBTi is only part of the company's efforts to be more environmentally friendly. To celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2022, BioMar has adopted a new corporate strategy that includes new environmental and community projects. "We have undertaken the largest strategic process in BioMar's history," said BioMar CEO Carlos Diaz. "It's an ambitious strategy with exciting opportunities, and sustainability is no longer just part of the strategy – it's the strategy." (Nathan Strout)

The oil boss at the head of COP28? The fossil fuel industry's climate change schizophrenia is in full swing

Environmental activists have condemned the UAE's nomination of Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, the oil company's chief executive, to lead UN climate talks at the end of the year. While al-Jaber is a seasoned diplomat and also runs a renewable energy firm, the environmental track record of the oil industry means skepticism about his role is understandable.

Amid global Earth Day activism and hand-wringing about slow progress towards net-zero carbon targets that are worryingly out of reach, attention turns to the COP28 climate summit at the end of the year - and the UAE's unlikely role as host as well as the nomination of Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber as president of the conference. As a cabinet minister, seasoned diplomat and confidant of the president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zaved al-Nahyan, al-Jaber was welcomed by many. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said he had "both the position and the ability to offer breakthrough leadership at COP28". US special climate envoy John Kerry called him a "great choice". However, as the head of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc), one of the world's largest oil producers, environmentalists see his appointment as a "stunning conflict of interest." That al-Jaber is also chairman of renewable energy company Masdar, which invests mainly in solar and wind power in 40 countries, provides little comfort. While Masdar says it plans to invest $30 billion in renewables by 2030, Adnoc's board has approved a $150 billion five-year plan that includes increasing the company's production capacity to 5 million barrels per day by 2027. As part of the plan, Adnoc will also pursue low-carbon solutions as part of the goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050. However, the company's website makes clear that it has a "mandate to focus on exploring the undeveloped oil and gas potential of the UAE." In a speech last year, al-Jaber warned against trying to transition away from fossil fuels too quickly. He stressed the need for "maximum energy, minimum emissions" and said "the world needs all the energy solutions it can get".

 (Story by David Dodwell)

Väčšina ľudí si už myslí, že zmena klímy je „tu a teraz“, napriek tomu, čo nám bolo povedané

Myšlienka, že zmena klímy je vnímaná ako „psychologicky vzdialená“ – deje sa tak v budúcnosti, na vzdialených miestach, iným ľuďom alebo zvieratám – sa už dlho prezentuje ako hlavná prekážka v boji proti zmene klímy.

Rýchle vyhľadávanie na internete pre „obrázky klimatických zmien“ ľahko poskytne známu fotografiu osamelého ľadového medveďa na zmenšujúcom sa bloku ľadu. Napriek tomu, že tieto obrázky znamenajú blížiacu sa krízu, takéto obrázky spôsobujú, že zmena klímy sa zdá byť abstraktná – odohráva sa veľmi ďaleko (pre väčšinu z nás), zvieratám, s ktorými sme sa pravdepodobne nikdy nestretli. Myšlienka, že zmena klímy je vnímaná ako „psychologicky vzdialená“ – ku ktorej dochádza v budúcnosti, na vzdialených miestach, iným ľuďom alebo zvieratám – sa už dlho prezentuje ako hlavná prekážka boja proti zmene klímy. Napriek intuitívnej príťažlivosti tejto myšlienky, nový výskum, ktorý dnes zverejnili behaviorálni vedci z Univerzity v Groningene v časopise One Earth. Autori tvrdia, že psychologická vzdialenosť klimatickej zmeny bola preceňovaná – podľa ich výsledkov väčšina ľudí považuje zmenu klímy za „psychologicky blízko“. Výskumníci systematicky skúmali dostupné dôkazy, aby zistili, aká je v skutočnosti prevládajúca psychologická vzdialenosť ku klimatickým zmenám – a či to môže zabrániť klimatickým opatreniam. Najprv analyzovali údaje z 27 prieskumov verejnej mienky z celého sveta – vrátane Číny, USA, Spojeného kráľovstva, Austrálie a EÚ – a zistili, že väčšina ľudí vníma zmenu klímy tak, že sa deje teraz a v blízkosti.   (The Conversation)

 

Medzinárodné opatrenia v oblasti zmeny klímy

Logo Európskej komisie Boj proti zmene klímy si vyžaduje opatrenia zo strany všetkých krajín na celom svete. EÚ pracuje na podpore ambicióznych globálnych opatrení prostredníctvom:

LEGISLATION