The global push for net zero emissions has gained unprecedented momentum in recent years, driven by the urgent need to address climate change and its far-reaching consequences. As nations, industries and organizations around the world commit to ambitious carbon reduction goals, chemistry plays a critical role in achieving these goals.

Net zero country

The Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, set the stage for global climate action to limit global warming to well below 2°C, preferably 1.5°C, compared to pre-industrial levels. As of 2023, more than 70 countries, including major economies such as the US, China and the EU, have set net zero targets, with many committing to achieve net zero emissions by the middle of this century. (AJIT SHARMA, more at chemistryworld.com)

Carbon dioxide removal is essential to achieving net zero emissions as any residual CO emissions need to be neutralized ₂ . The scientifically accepted definition of carbon dioxide removal requires that atmospheric CO be removed ₂ stored "permanently"; however, what is meant by durability remains unclear, and interpretations have varied from decades to millennia. Using a reduced-complexity climate model, we investigated here the effect of carbon dioxide removal with different storage lengths _CO2 . We found that storage time significantly affects whether net zero emissions achieve the desired temperature results. With typical 100-year storage, they lead to net zero CO emissions _{2 with residual emissions of 6 Gt CO 2} per year to an additional warming of 1.1 °C by 2,500 compared to permanent storage, putting internationally agreed temperature limits at risk. Our findings suggest that the storage period of CO ₂ less than 1000 years is insufficient to neutralize the remaining fossil CO emissions ₂ with net zero emissions. These results reinforce the principle that credible claims of neutralization by carbon dioxide removal within net zero require balancing emissions with removals of similar atmospheric residence time and storage, e.g. geological or biogenic. (Cyril Brunner , Zeke Hausfather & Reto Knutt, more at nature.com)

Welcome to the NOAA Carbon Cycle Greenhouse Gases group information website! The central site for global greenhouse gas monitoring and is in charge of operating the global air sampling network that continues to monitor the air we breathe.

November 11 424.02 ppm

Safe concentration: 350 ppm

ppm – the number of particles of carbon dioxide per million particles of air.

More on gml.noaa.gov

Quantifying fair national shares of the remaining global carbon budget has proven challenging. Here, we propose an indicator – additional carbon liability – that quantifies the responsibility of countries to mitigate and remove CO ₂ while achieving their own goals. Taking into account carbon debts since 1990 and future claims based on individual countries' emission trajectories, the indicator uses the same cumulative per capita emissions approach to allocate responsibility for closing the mitigation gap between countries with a positive total excess carbon claim. The carbon budget is exceeded by 576 gigatons of fossil CO ₂ when warming is limited to below 1.5 °C (probability 50 %). The additional carbon liability is highest in the United States and China, and highest per capita in the United Arab Emirates and Russia. Assumptions about the carbon debt significantly affect the results in most countries. The ability to pay for this responsibility is difficult for Iran, Kazakhstan and several BRICS+ members, unlike the G7 members. (Thomas Hahn, Johannes Morfeldt, Ingo Fetzer, more at nature.com)

The Slovak Environment Agency, in cooperation with the Slovak Ministry of the Environment, launched a platform dedicated to adaptation to climate change. The goal is to use this platform as a communication and information channel. It contains sections for experts, but also for curious citizens, who can find here, for example, infographics or the latest adaptation news. Summary information is available in English

Assessing compliance with the anthropogenic warming target of the Paris Agreement requires transparent, reliable and timely metrics. Linearity between increases in atmospheric CO ₂ and temperature offers a framework that appears to meet these criteria and produces estimates of anthropogenic warming that are at least 30 % more certain than alternative methods. Here, for the year 2023, we estimate that humans have caused a global increase of 1.49 ± 0.11 °C relative to the pre-1700 baseline. (Andrew Jarvis & Piers M. Forster, more at phys.org) 

Document "240807-faqs-corporate-sustainability-reporting_en" contains an extensive list of questions and answers (FAQs) regarding the implementation of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). Below you will find all the questions and answers organized, divided into sections by topic.

Section I: Glossary of relevant terms and applicable legislation

This section does not contain any questions and answers. It serves as a glossary with definitions of key terms and a list of relevant legislation.

Section II: Overview of the sustainability reporting requirements introduced by the CSRD Directive

This section does not contain any questions and answers. It provides a general overview of the new sustainability reporting requirements introduced by the CSRD Directive.

Section III: Frequently asked questions about sustainability information to be provided under Articles 19a/29a of the Accounting Directive (individual and consolidated sustainability statement)

Scope and dates of application

1. Question: Which fiscal year determines when a business falls into a certain business size category: the reporting fiscal year or the fiscal year prior to the reporting year?

Answer: The rules for determining the size of an enterprise for sustainability reporting purposes are based on existing financial reporting rules applied to an enterprise based on the Member State in which it is established. These rules are laid down in national measures transposing the previous accounting directive.

2. Question: If an enterprise develops during a given accounting year in such a way that it meets the criteria for inclusion in a different category of enterprises, it must start reporting on sustainability information according to the rules that apply to this new category already in the same accounting year, or only after meet the criteria for two consecutive accounting years?

Answer: If an enterprise fulfills the criteria for inclusion in a different category of enterprises during a given accounting year, the sustainability reporting rules applicable to this category will only apply to it from the following accounting year. In other words, a business must meet the criteria for a new category for two consecutive accounting years in order to be subject to the sustainability reporting rules for that new category.

3. Question: How is the average number of employees calculated for the purposes of business categorization under the Accounting Directive?

Answer: The legal regulations of the Union do not regulate the calculation of the average number of employees for the purpose of categorizing the company according to the accounting directive. However, Member States could adopt national rules or provide guidelines on this matter. In the absence of national rules or guidelines, businesses can use Article 5 of the Commission's Recommendation of 6 May 2003 on the definition of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises as a guideline for measuring the number of employees.

4. Question: Do SMEs without securities admitted to trading on an EU regulated market have to report on sustainability information under Articles 19a/29a of the Accounting Directive?

Answer: SMEs without securities admitted to trading on an EU regulated market are not required to report sustainability information at an individual level under Article 19a of the Accounting Directive (individual sustainability statement). However, they are required to report sustainability information at a consolidated level under Article 29a of the Accounting Directive (consolidated sustainability statement) if they are parent companies of a large group. Article 29a of the Accounting Directive applies regardless of the size of the parent company.

5. Question: Are credit institutions and insurance companies required to report sustainability information under Articles 19a and 29a of the Accounting Directive regardless of their legal form?

Answer: Yes. According to article 1 par. 3 of the Accounting Directive are credit institutions and insurance companies, including cooperatives and mutual insurance companies, included in the scope of Article 19a of the Accounting Directive (individual sustainability statement), regardless of their legal form, if they are large enterprises or SMEs (with the exception of micro-enterprises) with securities accepted for trading on a regulated EU market. They are also included in the scope of Article 29a of the Accounting Directive (consolidated sustainability statement), regardless of their legal form, if they are the parent company of a large group.

6. Question: Are financial institutions – apart from insurance companies and credit institutions – required to report on sustainability information under Articles 19a/29a of the Accounting Directive?

Answer: Yes, financial institutions - except insurance companies and credit institutions - are obliged to report on sustainability information according to Articles 19a/29a of the Accounting Directive, if they meet the conditions of legal form according to Article 1 para. 1 of the Accounting Directive and if they meet the company size criteria according to Articles 19a and 29a of the Accounting Directive.

7. Question: If a small and non-complex institution (SNCI) is currently required to report non-financial information under Directive 2014/95/EU (NFRD), it must continue to report non-financial information in accordance with the provisions of the NFRD until the CSRD regime applies to small and non-complex institutions (ie from accounting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2026)?

Answer: Yes. On the basis of Article 5 par. 2 of the CSRD, a small and non-complex institution that is a large enterprise or an SME (excluding micro-enterprises) with securities admitted to trading on an EU regulated market will be required to report on sustainability information in accordance with the ESRS (or alternatively the LSME ESRS) from accounting period 2026. A small and non-complex institution that is currently required to submit non-financial information according to Article 19a of the Accounting Directive, as introduced by Directive 2014/95/EU (NFRD), would have to continue to report under the NFRD regime until the CSRD regime applies to small and non-complex institutions (ie from the accounting period 2026).

8. Question: If a small and non-complex institution (SNCI) is the parent company of a large group, this SNCI can use the exemption under Article 19a, paragraph 6 of the Accounting Directive and prepare sustainability reports in accordance with LSME ESRS?

Answer: If an enterprise (regardless of size or specific type, e.g. including SNCI) is the parent enterprise of a large group, it must publish a consolidated sustainability statement according to Article 29a of the Accounting Directive, which is prepared in accordance with the ESRS. Possibility to use LSME ESRS in accordance with article 19a par. 6 of the Accounting Directive applies only to SMEs (with the exception of micro-enterprises) with securities listed on an EU regulated market and to small and non-complex institutions, captive insurance companies or captive reinsurance undertakings (provided that they are either large enterprises or SMEs - with the exception of micro-enterprises – with securities listed on a regulated EU market) to develop their individual sustainability statement.

9. Question: If a small and non-complex institution (SNCI) is the parent company of a large group, when does it have to start reporting on sustainability information?

Answer: If SNCI is the parent company of a large group, it must publish a consolidated sustainability statement using the ESRS either from the accounting period 2024 (if SNCI is a public interest entity which, on the balance sheet date, exceeds on a consolidated basis the average number of employees during the accounting period of 500) or from period 2025 (in all other cases).

10. Question: If SNCI is the parent company of a large group but is not required to issue consolidated financial statements because all its subsidiaries are insignificant, is this SNCI still required to prepare and publish a consolidated sustainability statement?

Answer: If a parent company is not required to publish consolidated financial statements (for example because it meets the conditions of the exemption set out in Article 26 of the Accounting Directive), that parent company is not obliged to prepare and publish a consolidated sustainability statement. However, if such a parent company is itself a large company within the meaning of Article 3 par. 4 of the Accounting Directive and therefore would fall within the scope of Article 19a of the Accounting Directive, this enterprise must prepare and publish an individual sustainability statement in accordance with Article 19a of the Accounting Directive. This individual sustainability statement would have to be prepared in accordance with the ESRS or, if the business is an SME with securities admitted to trading on an EU regulated market, alternatively with the LSME ESRS.

Continuation of the overview of questions and answers from the document "240807-faqs-corporate-sustainability-reporting_en (1).pdf"

Section III: Frequently asked questions about sustainability information to be provided under Articles 19a/29a of the Accounting Directive (individual and consolidated sustainability statement)

Scope and dates of application

11. Question: Do the sustainability reporting requirements under Articles 19a and 29a of the Accounting Directive also apply to companies that manage investment funds or other financial products?

Answer: It depends on the type of managed financial product. According to article 1 par. 4 of the Accounting Directive, the requirements for reporting on sustainability according to Articles 19a and 29a of the Accounting Directive they do not apply to the businesses they manage Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities (UCITS) or Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs).

However, the businesses they manage other types of investment funds or financial products, which fall within the scope of the accounting directive, will have to to report on sustainability, if they meet the size criteria according to Articles 19a and 29a.

12. Question: Do undertakings managing UCITS and AIFs have to report on sustainability information under Articles 19a and 29a of the Accounting Directive?

Answer: Nope. Article 1 par. 4 of the Accounting Directive aims to exclude UCITS and AIFs from the sustainability reporting requirements under Articles 19a and 29a of the Accounting Directive.

However, businesses that managed by UCITS and AIF, would fall within the scope of the Accounting Directive if they meet the conditions legal form referred to in article 1 par. 1 of the directive on accounting. If such a company also meets size criteria according to Articles 19a and 29a of the Accounting Directive, it will have to in its management report include a sustainability statement.

13. Question: Do pension funds have to report on sustainability under the Accounting Directive?

Answer: Yes. If the pension fund meets the conditions legal form according to article 1 par. 1 of the Accounting Directive and falls within the scope of Articles 19a and 29a of the Accounting Directive, it will have to include in its management report include a sustainability statement. Unlike UCITS or AIF with pension funds do not apply to the exclusion from the sustainability reporting requirements set out in Article 1 par. 4 directives on accounting.

14. Question: Do the sustainability reporting requirements under the Accounting Directive also apply to companies that are established outside the EU (so-called third-country companies) but have subsidiaries in the EU?

Answer: Yes, if the company from a third country meets conditions referred to in Article 40a of the Accounting Directive. Specifically, if a company from a third country achieves net turnover more than EUR 150 million in the Union (for each of the last two consecutive accounting periods) and has subsidiary in the Union, which is subject to Articles 19a/29a of the Accounting Directive, or in the absence of such a subsidiary, branch in the Union, which achieved net turnover more than EUR 40 million (in the previous accounting period), then the subsidiary or branch will have to disclose and make available information on sustainability at the group level of the parent company from the third country.

15. Question: Is a sustainability statement published as part of a management report by the issuer of securities admitted to trading on a regulated EU market considered "regulated information" according to Article 2, paragraph 1 letter k) directives on transparency?

Answer: Yes. According to article 2 par. 1 letter k) transparency directives are considered to be regulated information, among other things, "all information that the issuer or any other person who has applied for the acceptance of securities for trading on a regulated market without the issuer's consent, is obliged to disclose according to this directive [ie the transparency directive ] […]“. Article 4 par. 5 of the Transparency Directive obligates publishers to publish a sustainability statement, which therefore considered "regulated information"

16. Question: Can small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with transferable securities admitted to trading on an EU regulated market choose not to report on sustainability for a certain period?

Answer: Yes. According to Article 19a paragraph 7 of the Accounting Directive, SMEs (with the exception of micro-enterprises) with transferable securities admitted to trading on an EU regulated market may decide that they will not report on sustainability according to Article 19a of the Accounting Directive for accounting periods beginning before January 1, 2028 (e.g. for accounting periods 2026 and 2027). In such cases, the SME must in its management report to state briefly, why sustainability reports were not provided.

This exception also applies to small and non-complex institutions, as well as on capital insurance companies and reinsurance companies, provided they are SMEs (excluding micro-enterprises) with transferable securities admitted to trading on a regulated EU market.

Exemption rules

17. Question: If the parent company reports on sustainability at a consolidated level according to Article 29a of the Accounting Directive (consolidated sustainability statement), it must provide information on key performance indicators in accordance with Article 19 para. 1 third subparagraph of the Accounting Directive in its consolidated management report?

Answer: Nope. Article 19 par. 1 third subparagraph of the Accounting Directive, which regulates the individual management report, requires the disclosure of information on key performance indicators within the individual management report. Article 29 par. 1 of the Accounting Directive, which governs the consolidated management report, requires the disclosure of information that enables the development, performance and position of the companies included in the consolidation to be assessed as a whole.

Due to the fact that Article 29a para. 7 of the Accounting Directive stipulates that a parent company that meets the requirements set out in Article 29a, paragraph 1 to 5, is considered to be an enterprise that has met the requirements set forth in Article 19 par. 1 third subparagraph and in article 19a, and since the content of the consolidated management report according to article 29 par. 1 also includes the information required under Article 19 par. 1, exemption from duty would also apply to consolidated report on business management according to Article 29a.

18. Question: If an SME with securities admitted to trading on an EU regulated market decides to voluntarily prepare and publish a consolidated sustainability statement under Article 29a of the Accounting Directive, will it be exempted from the obligation to prepare and publish its individual sustainability statement under Article 19a of the Accounting Directive?

Answer: Yes. An SME with securities admitted to trading on an EU regulated market that voluntarily publishes a consolidated sustainability statement referred to in Article 29a of the Accounting Directive is exempted from the obligation to prepare and publish an individual sustainability statement referred to in Article 19a of the Accounting Directive, provided that the consolidated sustainability statement is prepared in accordance with European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS).

19. Question: What are the conditions for a subsidiary within the scope of Articles 19a/29a of the Accounting Directive to be exempted from the obligation to submit sustainability reports under Articles 19a/29a of the Accounting Directive (sustainability statement)?

Answer: According to Article 19a paragraph 9 and article 29a par. 8 of the Accounting Directive, a company that is a subsidiary is exempt from the obligations set out in Article 19a, paragraph 1 to 4 of the Accounting Directive (or Article 29a, paragraphs 1 to 5 of the Accounting Directive, if the subsidiary is itself the parent company of a large group), if certain conditions are met conditions referred to in Article 19a paragraph 9, second subparagraph of the Accounting Directive (or Article 29a, paragraph 8, second subparagraph of the Accounting Directive, if the subsidiary is itself the parent company of a large group).

Specifically the report on the management of the exempted enterprise must contain:

• the name and registered office of the parent undertaking reporting the information at group level;
• web link(s) to the consolidated management report or consolidated sustainability reporting of the parent company; a
• information that the company is exempt from the obligation to publish an individual sustainability statement (or a consolidated sustainability statement if the subsidiary is itself the parent company of a large group).

If the parent company is established in a third country, its consolidated sustainability reporting a auditor's conclusion must be published in accordance with the legal regulations of the member state governing the subsidiary, and disclosures set out in Article 8 of the Taxonomy Regulation (which relate to the activities carried out by the subsidiary) must be included either in the subsidiary's governance report or in the consolidated sustainability reporting carried out by the parent company established in a third country.

If the Member State requires it translation of the consolidated management report or consolidated reporting on the sustainability of the parent company, this translation should be either verified (for example by a translator or the authority responsible for the verification of translations in the relevant Member State), or should contain statement, stating that it has not been verified.

According to Article 19a paragraph 10 and article 29a par. 9 of the directive on accounting large companies with securities admitted to trading on a regulated EU market – including cases involving small and non-complex institutions, capital insurance and reinsurance companies, and including cases involving undertakings from third countries – they cannot claim this exemption.

20. Question: Does the parent company's consolidated governance/consolidated sustainability reporting have to be already published by the time its subsidiary publishes its own governance report in order for the subsidiary to be exempt from publishing its own sustainability statement?

Answer: Nope. In order for the subsidiary to be exempted from the obligation to publish its own sustainability statement in accordance with Article 19a par. 9 or Article 29a par. 8 of the Accounting Directive, the management report published by the subsidiary must include a web link to the consolidated management report or consolidated sustainability reporting of the parent company. If this consolidated governance report or consolidated sustainability reporting is not yet available at the time of publication of the subsidiary's governance report, the subsidiary seeking exemption may include in its governance report a link to a general web link, at which the relevant documents will be available in the future. A Union subsidiary could, for example, consider obtaining a declaration from the parent company guaranteeing the commitments entered into by the subsidiary and publishing this declaration together with its management report within the deadline set by its own Member State.

21. Question: Must the consolidated management report or consolidated sustainability reporting of the parent company be available in a language accepted by the Member State whose national law governs the subsidiary in order for the subsidiary to be exempt from the obligation to publish its own sustainability statement?

Answer: The Member State whose national law governs the subsidiary may require that the consolidated management report (or, where appropriate, the parent company's consolidated sustainability reporting) be published in a language accepted by that Member State and that any necessary translation be provided into this language. In this case, these requirements must be met in order for the subsidiary to be exempt from the obligation to publish its own sustainability statement.

22. Question: How should an exempt subsidiary report that it is exempt?

Answer: On the basis of Article 19a para. 9 and article 29a par. 8 of the Accounting Directive, the exempted subsidiary must include in its management report the information that it is exempt from the obligations set out in Article 19a, paragraph 1 to 4 (or in Article 29a paragraphs 1 to 5, if the subsidiary is itself the parent company of a large group). In addition, the exempted subsidiary continues to be subject to the other provisions of the Accounting Directive that apply to undertakings within its scope, including the obligation to submit a management report to the National Business Register pursuant to Article 30 of the Accounting Directive in conjunction with the provisions in Chapter III of Title I of the Directive on the law of commercial companies. The digital sustainability reporting requirements set out in Article 29d of the Accounting Directive do not apply. If a subsidiary using the exemption from the obligation according to article 19a par. 9 or article 29a par. 8 of the Accounting Directive has transferable securities accepted for trading on a regulated market, must continue to comply with the provisions of the Transparency Directive, in particular with regard to the publication of the management report.

23. Question: If a subsidiary publishes a consolidated sustainability statement of the parent company that does not include disclosures under Article 8 of the Taxonomy Regulation regarding the activities carried out by that subsidiary, must the subsidiary disclose this information in its own governance report?

Answer: Yes. If the subsidiary is located in the territory of the Union and its parent company is established in a third country and publishes consolidated sustainability reporting, the disclosures under Article 8 of the Taxonomy Regulation that relate to the activities carried out by the subsidiary company established in the Union and its subsidiaries must be included either in the subsidiary's governance report or in the consolidated sustainability reporting carried out by the parent company established in a third country.

24. Question: Can large companies with securities admitted to trading on a regulated EU market benefit from the exemption from the obligation to submit sustainability reports under Article 19a, paragraph 9 and article 29a par. 8 directives on accounting?

Answer: Nope. Large firms with securities admitted to trading on an EU regulated market - including small and non-complex institutions, capital insurance and reinsurance companies, and including third-country firms - cannot benefit from this reporting exemption about sustainability. They must therefore report on sustainability according to Article 4, paragraph 5 of the Transparency Directive and Articles 19a/29a of the Accounting Directive.

25. Question: How can a company fulfill the obligation to prepare and publish an individual or consolidated sustainability statement when it is not obliged to prepare and publish a consolidated management report under Article 29 of the Accounting Directive?

Answer: An enterprise that must prepare and publish an individual or consolidated sustainability statement, but is not required to prepare and publish a consolidated management report, may include the individual or consolidated sustainability statement in a separate document to be published in accordance with Article 30 of the Accounting Directive.

However, this separate document – which contains an individual or consolidated sustainability statement – must comply with the format and labeling requirements set out in Article 29d of the Accounting Directive.

26. Question: How can a company fulfill the obligation to prepare and publish a consolidated sustainability statement when it is exempt from the obligation to prepare consolidated financial statements?

Answer: An enterprise that is required to prepare and publish a consolidated sustainability statement but is exempt from the obligation to prepare consolidated financial statements should nevertheless prepare and publish a consolidated sustainability statement. The consolidated sustainability statement should state that the company is not required to prepare consolidated financial statements and, where appropriate, refer to the additional information included in the management report and to the amounts reported in the individual financial statements.

 

 

 

This document provides answers to frequently asked questions regarding the interpretation of legal provisions that relate to sustainability reporting. The document aims to clarify the requirements that apply to different types of companies in the European Union, as well as the obligations of auditors and other assurance service providers. The document contains information on the scope and date of application, exemptions, value chain assessment, digitization and publication requirements, as well as other aspects related to sustainability reporting.

frequently asked questions (FAQ)

On opening day, Baku scored what it saw as an early goal by forcing countries to adopt rules on some of the key building blocks of the UN's new Article 6.4 global carbon market, which last month accepted supervisory body of the mechanism.

This document presents a proposal for a sustainable development instrument to be used under the mechanism set out in Article 6, paragraph 4 of the Paris Agreement. The aim of the tool is to ensure that projects and programs within this mechanism do not harm the environment and support sustainable development and the 17 goals of sustainable development. The document describes in detail the process of assessing risks and impact on the environment and society, as well as monitoring and reporting results in accordance with the requirements for sustainable development. The proposal of the instrument was submitted to the supervisory body of the mechanism in Article 6, paragraph 4 and, after a comment procedure, it is expected to be approved and start to be applied in 2024.

Short summary of the document "Instrument for sustainable development according to Article 6.4"

This document presents a revised draft of the Instrument for Sustainable Development under Article 6.4 (hereinafter referred to as "Instrument A6.4 SD"). The main objective of this instrument is to ensure that projects and programs of activities under Article 6.4 of the Paris Agreement (hereinafter referred to as "A6.4 activities") promote the principle of "do no harm", promote sustainable development and contribute to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)..

Development and approval of the A6.4 SD Tool

The A6.4 SD tool was developed gradually based on instructions from the supervisory authority of the Article 6.4 mechanism. During this process, the comments of stakeholders and other relevant instruments and systems of safeguards used in existing market-based mechanisms were taken into account. Instrument A6.4 SD is expected to be approved at the fourteenth meeting of the Supervisory Authority in 2024.

Using the A6.4 SD Tool

Use of the A6.4 SD Tool is mandatory for all proposed A6.4 activities, including Clean Development (CDM) activities that seek to transition to the Article 6.4 mechanism. The tool provides a structured approach for activity participants to:

• They carried out a risk assessment in order to identify risks and potential impacts, evaluate them and, if necessary, avoid them. Where risks cannot be completely avoided, A6.4 SD instructs participants to minimize impacts and mitigate any remaining negative environmental and social impacts and risks by establishing environmental and social indicators at the activity level.
• They identified and assessed potential positive and negative impacts on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and priorities of sustainable development of the host country and set indicators for monitoring sustainable development at the level of activities.
• They monitored and reported the monitoring results against the established environmental and social indicators and indicators of sustainable development at the level of activities.

Structure of the A6.4 SD Tool

The A6.4 SD tool is divided into three key parts:

• Environmental and social protection measures: This part focuses on the elements and criteria that serve as a basis for the participants of the activities to identify, evaluate, prevent, minimize and mitigate the potential negative environmental and social impacts and risks that may arise during the implementation and operation of the activity A6.4.
• Impacts on sustainable development: This part focuses on identifying the positive and negative impacts of activity A6.4 on the sustainable development of the host country.
• Validation and verification: These parts set out additional requirements for the validation and verification standards of the Article 6.4 mechanism for projects and programs of activities that Designated Operating Entities must take into account during the validation and verification phases.

Stakeholder engagement

Stakeholders may submit comments and questions regarding compliance with the A6.4 SD Tool during local stakeholder consultations and global consultations prior to registration of the A6.4 activity. After registration of an A6.4 activity under the mechanism of Article 6.4, the participants of the activities must establish and maintain a mechanism of continuous engagement of stakeholders to comment on the compliance with the A6.4 SD Tool until the end of the valid project crediting period.

Conclusion

A6.4 SD is an important tool to ensure that activities under the Paris Agreement Article 6.4 mechanism contribute to sustainable development while minimizing potential negative environmental and social impacts. (Co2AI)

 

 

The UN Climate Change Conference began in November. One contentious issue will be at the center of attention: negotiating new payments from industrialized countries to their less wealthy counterparts - particularly using profits from oil and gas companies.

The debate over the financing of these payments is, to put it mildly, heated. But now, the revelation of a study led by the Technical University of Munich (TUM) could change everything.

It turns out that the windfall gained by oil and gas companies during the 2022 energy crisis was enough to meet the existing obligations of industrialized countries for almost five years. The researchers' solution? Tax on these so-called windfalls. (Sanjana Gajbhiye, more at earth.com)

Governments at COP29 on Monday approved new UN standards for international carbon markets, a key step towards allowing countries to trade credits On the opening day of UN climate talks in Azerbaijan, nearly 200 countries agreed after nearly a decade of complex discussions to several fundamental basic rules for setting the market in motion.

Other key aspects of the overall framework have yet to be negotiated, experts said, but the decision brings a long-sought UN-backed high-quality credit trading market closer.

"It's hugely important," Erika Lennon of the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) told AFP in Baku, saying it would "open the door" to a full-fledged market. (More on phys.org)

The aid sector loves its acronyms. Mix in some climate science and the political language of global treaty negotiations, and you have a recipe for a (rapidly heating) pot of alphabet soup. Here's our updated guide to some language abbreviations, acronyms and initialisms that help make the language of climate change a little more concise, if not entirely clear.

We also mix in some key concepts that underlie climate action and summit negotiations. (Irwin Loy, Will Worley, more at thenewhumanitarian.org)

The 29th UN Climate Change Conference (COP 29) will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan from 11 to 22 November 2024. This year, the EU pavilion will serve as an information and networking hub. We invite you to explore what the EU is doing at home and around the world to meet its climate commitments. Visit the pavilion and find out how the EU is driving change through policies, projects and international partnerships to protect the planet and its people. (More on climate.ec.europa.eu)

Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) 2022/2464 is a new directive of the European Union, which was created in response to increasing demands for reliable and transparent information about the sustainability of companies. (more…)

Greenwashing, also known as "greenwashing," refers to the practice of companies and organizations pretending to be green or promoting sustainability in order to improve their image, but without actually making fundamental changes. The behavior may include the use of advertising slogans, false claims about the greenness of products, or misleading labels that create the impression that the company is acting green, although its main activity and approach are still harmful to the environment.

Greenwashing creates the impression that consumers are contributing to conservation with their purchases, but they are often only contributing to the environmental profits of higher-ups who exaggerate their claims. Here are 10 examples of greenwashing to help you better understand the problem and how to spot it.

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1. "Bioplastic" products

Many companies have started using terms like "bioplastic" or "biodegradable" to describe their products, giving consumers the impression that plastic is greener. However, the truth is that many bioplastics are actually created from petroleum derivatives, and some only break down under certain conditions, such as in industrial composting facilities, which are not normally available. In practice, such plastic can end up in landfills, where it is not broken down, thus still polluting the environment.

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2. "Ecological" 

Names such as "eco-bottle" or "natural bottle" are becoming increasingly common when selling bottled water. These names may seem ecological, but they are often plastic bottles that are only partially recyclable. Indeed, the ecological impact of bottled water, including the production and transportation of bottles, is very large compared to the use of tap water.

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3. Cosmetics with "natural ingredients"

Cosmetic brands label their products as “natural,” “organic,” or “chemical-free.” These claims highlight a few natural ingredients, no products may contain harmful chemicals or ingredients that are not good for the environment. Terms such as "natural" are not regulated by legislation, which means that a brand can use these claims even if the product is not fully organic.

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4. Car companies promoting "low-emission vehicles"

Many automakers promote "low-emission" or "eco-friendly" vehicles that have only slightly reduced emissions compared to traditional models. Although these vehicles produce fewer emissions, they are still powered by fossil fuels and contribute to pollution.

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5. Fashion brands with "ecological collections"

Some fashion brands have started to offer collections marked as "sustainable" or "eco-friendly," which appear ecological. These collections may contain materials such as organic cotton or recycled polyester, but this is only a small part of the brand's offer. Continuing production is another fast fashion that consumes large amounts of resources and contributes to the destruction of the planet. These brands can thus gain an image of ecological responsibility, even if most of their activities are still unsustainable.

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6. Energy company with renewable energy programs

Energy giants often highlight their investments in renewable sources such as wind and solar power. While these investments do help the development of clean energy, they can only provide a small portion of their business, while the majority of revenue still comes from fossil fuels. These companies can thus present a green image, but their carbon footprint remains high.

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7. Food with "eco" or "bio" packaging

Some food companies use labels such as "eco" or "bio" on the packaging of their products, even if the product itself or the process of its production is not environmentally friendly. An example can be the use of cardboard packaging instead of plastic packaging, which, however, contains a thin plastic layer, which makes it impossible to recycle it. This procedure looks ecological, but in reality it can create a similar impact as classic plastic packaging.

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8. "Sustainable" aviation fuels

In recent years, airlines have started promoting the use of "sustainable" aviation fuels (SAFs), which promise lower emissions. However, these fuels often contain only a small proportion of sustainable components, while most fuels come from fossil sources. This will not significantly reduce the overall emission during the flight, but the company gets the impression that it is ecological.

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9. Banks promoting "green" investment funds

Some banks offer clients "green" investment funds or "sustainable investment funds." These funds may contain shares in renewable resources, but none may also include investments in fossil fuels or unsustainable industries. Banks thus use marketing to support an ecological image, even if they finance projects that are not sustainable.

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10. Recycled plastics in the automotive industry

Car companies have started using recycled plastics in the interiors of their vehicles and present it as an ecological innovation. Although the use of recycled materials is a positive step, it is a small shift in the overall context of car manufacturing.

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How to recognize greenwashing and why is it important?

Green deployment can be confusing for consumers and lead them away from truly sustainable options. If we want to minimize our impact on the planet, we should be critical when making decisions and check companies' claims about their "greenness."

• Verify certificates : Look for certified labels such as eco-certificates or brands such as Fair Trade and Energy Star.
• Explore transparency : Green companies regularly provide detailed information about their processes and impacts. If the company does not provide this data, it may be a signal of greenwashing.
• Watch your words : Claims like "natural," "green," or "sustainable" are often just marketing terms with no real basis.

Greenwashing undermines efforts to protect the environment because it distracts from real solutions and sustainable options. It is therefore important that we as consumers approach 'green' claims with a critical eye and support only those brands and products that have a real environmental benefit. Spring

RECORD heat, extreme weather events, air pollution and the spread of infectious diseases: climate change poses an already huge but ever-growing threat to human health around the world, experts warn.

The latest round of UN climate talks begins next week in what is expected to be the hottest year on record - and in the shadow of climate skeptic Donald Trump's re-election as US president.

COP29 will take place in Azerbaijan as the world continues to release increasing amounts of planet-warming fossil fuels, even as many nations suffer from devastating floods, droughts, heatwaves and storms. (More on businesstimes.com.sg)

Just a few weeks ago, massive rainfall caused by storm "Boris" led to chaos and flooding in Central and Eastern Europe. Analysis by the Alfred Wegener Institute shows that in a world without current levels of global warming, Boris would deposit roughly nine percent less precipitation. Such conclusions can be drawn thanks to a new modeling approach called "storylines". How it can be used in near real time has just been presented in the journal Nature Communications Earth & Environment. The AWI team also released a freely available online tool that allows users to identify the fingerprints of climate change in current extreme weather events and create their own comparison graphics. (More on eurasiareview.com)

The world has just reached an alarming new milestone: average global temperatures in 2024 are o 1.55 °C higher as in the pre-industrial era. This figure, published this week by the European Climate Service Copernicus , represents the first ever crossing of the 1.5°C limit set by the Paris Agreement. This milestone is considered to be breaking point in the fight against climate change - this is a moment that can decide the future of our planet and which should act as to take stricter measures at the COP29 climate conference .

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What does the tipping point mean for global temperature?

"It is a tipping point for global temperature," the Copernicus climate service said in a press release published this week. If we exceed 1.5°C above pre-industrial values, we will reach the highest limits that can become irreversible and threaten many aspects of our planet - from natural ecosystems to the economy and human health. It is this tipping point that is leading scientists, climate activists and politicians to increase the urgency in the fight against climate change.

The temperature threshold of 1.5 °C is not just a symbolic goal. This limit has been set by scientists as the threshold beyond which the likely catastrophic climate change increases sharply. Exceeding this threshold signals that current efforts to mitigate climate change are unnecessary and that the world must focus not only on reducing emissions, but also on urgent adaptation to climate change.

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Why is crossing the 1.5°C threshold a tipping point?

With an increased global temperature of more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, we are in danger of reaching the so-called climatic tipping points – irreversible changes in natural systems that can have catastrophic consequences. The most frequently discussed body fractures include:

• Decay of Arctic sea ice : Arctic sea ice extent lasts longer than warmer temperatures, exposing a dark ocean that absorbs more sunlight and warms even faster. This phenomenon causes accelerated melting of ice and contributes to the further increase of sea level ice.
• Melting of permafrost : In the northern regions of the planet, permafrost is breaking down - frozen soil that contains a huge amount of greenhouse gases, especially methane. By heating, these gases are released into the atmosphere, which further increases the temperature and increases global warming.
• Collapsing Amazon forest : The Amazon rainforest, which is one of the largest carbon reservoirs, may lose its ability to absorb CO₂ at higher rates and become a net producer of emissions. Destruction of the Amazon rainforest would reduce biodiversity, leading to the loss of habitat for many species.

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Threat of disaster and call for immediate action

If the current warming trend continues, it is very likely that this tipping point for global temperatures will trigger a chain reaction that will have global and long-lasting consequences. Scientists warn that without immediate and consistent action, what awaits us disaster in the form of increasingly extreme manifestations of weather, drought, flooding, the destruction of ecosystems and unpredictable impacts on human society.

This milestone is not just another record, but a warning of the real risks of the climate crisis. It is intended to serve as a challenge to world leaders to step up their roles in climate policy. At the next COP29 climate conference in Baku, one of the reduced agenda items will be new targets to reduce and introduce more effective adaptation measures.

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How can COP29 contribute to solving this crisis?

Exceeding the temperature threshold of 1.5 °C should motivate the country to take concrete measures and existing obligations at the COP29 conference. This conference represents an important opportunity to increase the financing of adaptation measures that regulate the most vulnerable countries that are preparing for the consequences of climate change.

At COP29, follow these simple steps:

1. Increase in target emissions : Countries must meet the following risks to reduce current warming trends. This means, for example, increasing the share of renewable energy sources and limiting fossil fuels.
2. Financing adaptation measures : Financing for developing countries is key to mitigating the impacts of climate change. COP29 should find commitments to provide financial and technical assistance to these countries.
3. Support for natural solutions : Preserving forests, wetlands and other natural ecosystems can help absorb carbon from the atmosphere and slow global warming. Nature is one of the best ways to protect the environment while protecting emissions.
4. Development of new technologies : Investing in technologies that enable capture and carbon, by helping to store emissions where they can be completely eliminated.

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Conclusion: Crossing the tipping point as an opportunity for change

Exceeding the 1.5°C limit is not a numerical milestone – it is only a warning signal and a demand for action. This cost tipping point, that we are approaching a limit beyond which the return to a stable climate may be more difficult and costly. The world is at a crossroads: either we choose to act and move on, or we face a future that may affect the future of the planet.

As stated by the Copernicus service, the crossing of this limit was intended to serve as an effective response to the increase in load and the adoption of effective measures. COP29 is a unique opportunity for world leaders to take decisions that can reverse the current trend and ensure a sustainable future for the next generation. Spring