UN summit accepts 15-year plan to combat climate change and eradicate extreme poverty
With the bang of a gavel, international leaders approved an ambitious 15-year plan Friday to tackle the world’s biggest problems, from eradicating poverty to preserving the planet to reducing inequality. Now comes the tough part: Drumming up support and money to achieve the goals and transform the world. Pope Francis gave his backing to the new development agenda in an address to the U.N. General Assembly before the summit to adopt the 17-point plan opened, calling it “an important sign of hope” at a very troubled time in the Middle East and Africa. When General Assembly President Mogens Lykketoft struck his gavel to approve the development road map, leaders and diplomats from the 193 U.N. member states stood and applauded loudly. Then, the summit immediately turned to the real business of the three-day meeting – implementation of the goals, which is expected to cost $3.5 trillion to $5 trillion every year until 2030. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon set the stage, saying the agenda “embodies the aspirations of people everywhere for lives of peace, security and dignity on a healthy planet.” The document, titled “Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” not only outlines 17 broad goals but sets 169 specific targets. The non-binding goals succeed the eight Millennium Development Goals adopted by world leaders 15 years ago. Only one of those has been achieved: halving the number of people living in extreme poverty, due primarily to economic growth in China. At least one other is close – cutting in half the proportion of people without access to clean water – and there are still three months until the goals expire. The new goals include ensuring “healthy lives” and quality education for all, clean water, sanitation and reliable modern energy, as well as making cities safe, reducing inequality within and among countries, and promoting economic growth and good governance. Critics say they are too broad, lack accountability and will lead to disenchantment among those most in need of hope. Supporters say there is no choice but to go big in a world of expanding population, growing inequality, dwindling resources and the existential threat from global warming. They note that while the millennium goals were developed by then secretary-general Kofi Annan and his staff, the new goals are the result of years of negotiations by all 193 member states, which means they should all have a stake in their achievement. Sweden announced that a group of nine leaders from different regions will work to ensure implementation of the goals. It includes German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the presidents of Brazil, Colombia, Liberia, South Africa, Tanzania and Tunisia and the prime ministers of Sweden and East Timor. Speaker after speaker pointed to the spread of extremist groups as barriers to development, perhaps none more eloquently than Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousefzai, who was shot in the head by the Taliban in Pakistan in 2012 for campaigning for girls’ education. Standing in the assembly chamber’s balcony surrounded by 193 young people representing every country, Malala told the leaders: “The future generation is raising their voice.” Each teen held a lantern, which she […]
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Energy Transition: A chance to transition from coal to green energy
While these announcements do show advancement, the actual application of JETPs is the ultimate evaluation of their impact. But, they do offer the possibility, provided that their implementation is based on the right guidelines, to expand the scope of climate financing in the past, since they focus more in the social aspects that are part of the transition to renewable energy and permitting a reduction in the use of fossil fuels.The newly released IISD policy document states that a shift from fossil gas to coal by way of JETPs or any other international public financing, would not be a sustainable and legitimate shift which the JETP model is promoting. Although there is pressure from a few of the JETP nations–and this is that is not completely ruled out in the South African JETP IP and Senegal is determined to develop its gas reserves–to create the transition from gas to bridging but this is technically not necessary and economically unfavorable, as well as risky for the environment.Russia’s conflict in Ukraine has resulted in high prices for gas around the world and is a symbol of the general instability of the gas market. Although South Africa, Indonesia, India and Vietnam are the main sources of their coal consumption domestically, the transition to gas could make their economy vulnerable to the volatility. However, a leapfrogging transition away from straight coal to solar and wind could allow them to utilize their natural resources and provide their citizens with a financially reliable energy source.With the advancements in technology for the field of storage and renewable energy and the huge price reductions in these technologies over the past 10 years renewable energy is becoming competitive in price. In certain markets they are less expensive then fossil gas infrastructure, and the running costs associated with it. Concerns over the variability of supply of renewable energy can be addressed with storage of pumps and, more and more battery storage. These strategies are well-suited to grid balancing because they can be switched off or on in a fraction of a second.Each of the JETP countries have significant solar and wind potential. For instance researchers from the International Renewable Energy Agency found that “realistically, and cost-effectively, South Africa could supply 49% of its electricity mix from renewables by 2030” and Indonesia could achieve the 31% renewable energy target, which is the 2050 date as a target in 2030. Yet, Indonesia would need USD 16 billion of investments during that time to do that.Renewable energy sources can be used to satisfy requirements for access to energy and this remains a concern across all JETP countries, with the one exception: Vietnam. Based on World Bank figures, 36.9 million people within the JETP countries do not have access to electricity. Many of those who are not connected to modern energy reside in rural areas, and this limits the modularity and practicality allow energy projects can be implemented without the need for costly grid extension. This makes solar and wind energy the best choice for providing the energy access requirements which hinder nations’ capacity to realize their full potential.Renewable energy can also bring more positive social impacts than fossil gas. According to the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and the […]
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Reduced Usage of Single-Use Plastics in Dubai
4 billion plastic bottles are consumed annually in the United Arab Emirates and 40% of all plastic in the country is single-use. This can be devastating for local wildlife, from sea turtles to camels. To drive change and consumer habits, Dubai has stepped up its commitment towards a more sustainable future, through the launch of ‘Dubai Can’. The move looks to reduce the city’s reliance on single-use plastic bottles, and in its initial stage, encourages residents and tourists to use reusable water bottles across 40 brand new water refill stations around the city. Yousuf Lootah, Executive Director of Tourism Development and Investments at Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, and Vice Chairman of Dubai Sustainable Tourism, told Euronews: “The idea came from His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai, and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai… [an idea that was] built with the private sector… focusing on eliminating plastic bottles from our lives. Air to Water Technology Yousuf Lootah revealed the initiative embraces the latest in advanced water technology, by using drinking water from air. He noted, “Air to water as a technology, in general, has been around for many years… and the technology got to the point where it became quite efficient to convert humidity in the air and condense it into water. We have a couple being implemented by our partners in different locations.” Partnerships Over 500 public and private sector companies have partnered with the Dubai-based campaign, with many sponsoring their own water fountains. These include international hotel groups such as Accor, who are also making big changes internally. Marc Descrozaille the Chief Operating Officer for the IMEA region at Accor told Euronews: “[The Dubai Can] coincided with our commitments on a global level to completely reduce and stop single-use plastic in all our hotels in the world… and it is something which also is very, very important for employees here. So, yeah, it’s a great partnership.” Yousuf Lootah highlighted Dubai as a base for partnerships with companies in green energy. He revealed, “There are companies that are introducing new formulas to convert the traditional plastics into real biodegradable plastic and not microplastics. So there is plenty of global movement on that. We’re seeing a lot of companies in green energy, in green technology, cleantech and agritech, looking at Dubai to be the base for their growth doors, their talent to connect with the world.” Recycling Another entity looking to make a difference is a free, recyclable, waste collection app called RECAPP by Veolia. Along with a local partner, the group is recycling plastic PET bottles into fabric fibre, used to fill pillows. The app also uses an incentive reward system to help encourage the community to recycle more. Jérôme Viricel, the General Manager of RECAPP by Veolia ME told Euronews, “By providing this reward system we encourage the population [and] we want to be able to educate people as well. That’s why we are using a different channel of communication in order to spread more, [and] giving tips in terms of recycling. This is also why we decided to […]
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How our oceans may help us ensure a future that benefits people, environment, and the climate
When we look at our stunning deep blue world from the space, it seems we are able to see no boundaries. There is no distinction between our environment and nature, or between people and nature. We only see our one fragile, shared home in all the space. But when we attempt to manage the Earth’s resources, ensure its diversity of life and secure our futures, we often do not understand the environment, climate, and human health as if they operate independently. They are not. It’s time we recognize and leverage these fundamental connections in order to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and build a nature-climate-people-positive future. World Oceans Day, June 8th, is at the end of an important year for the earth and for humans. In the next few weeks, delegations from more than 200 countries will meet in Nairobi to further refine an international biodiversity plan for post 2020 within the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and then in Lisbon to host the 2nd UN Ocean Conference, aiming to increase commitments and goals to protect the environment, sustainably utilization and investments in a healthy global ecosystem. These are crucial discussions in which businesses, governments and civil society are expected to define goals and strategies to stop and stop the decline of nature and create the opportunity to create radical and integrated solutions that encompass oceans, biodiversity and climate accords. These goals will establish an outline. If they’re ambitious and supported by concrete promises to achieve them the human race can restore its natural balance and ensure a sustainable future. If they do not meet the mark and only offer incremental changes then we’ll end up lost in the rough seas. Our ocean could be an ally of immense power when we take the right route. Through all the time of humanity the ocean has maintained our climate balanced and fed communities, facilitated the development of trade and economic growth as well as provided habitat for an amazing range of species. It will continue to provide all these benefits by integrating ocean protection and management into the global frameworks on biodiversity and climate that were established through the Paris Agreement and CBD, and ensure the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. As co-focals for the UN Community of Ocean Action for the Marine and Coastal Ecosystems Management We strive to advocate for a range of different, region-based actions that are able to sustainably manage, safeguard the marine ecosystems. With the help of the creation of a new global biodiversity framework that we are hoping to ensure that there is a clear recognition of the benefits ocean ecosystems provide to an efficient, happy as well-being society. Habitats like mangroves coral reefs, seagrass along with coastal wetlands play an important part to ensure the stability of the economic as well as natural systems when faced with extreme events as well as the other effects of climate changes. Estimates of the worth of mangroves for flood risk reduction are more than $65 billion annually and, if mangroves were to disappear or were destroyed fifteen million more people would be affected by flooding each year all over the world. The ocean is the world’s largest carbon storage. For […]
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Earth in a state of flux: The key to the global green revival and planet health lies in our interaction with the land
In the last two years over the past two years, over the past two years, COVID-19 pandemic has altered the way we live as we know it across the globe. Evidence from research shows that the COVID-19 pandemic results from the zoonotic virus, one that is transmitted between humans as well as animals. The new causes of zoonotic illnesses are all connected to human interactions with natureparticularly the alteration and conversion of ecosystems and land. As we face a growing number of crisis, further amplified by the war in Ukraine We are facing the end of our window to confront the interconnected planetary issues of climate change, biodiversity and degradation of the land. Our responses to these crises should be based on the idea that they are not or require our resources or time. We need to rise up to face anycrises urgently. 2022 is a crucial year in this regard. This week, I am among participants and delegates from 196 nations located in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, to attend the 15th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification with the theme “Land. Life. Legacy from scarcity to prosperity”. This is the beginning of three important sessions on global health this year. It will be then COP15 about biodiversity issues in China and the COP27 on climate change in Egypt. It is essential that the first meeting about land degradation and desertification sets the stage for the remainder of the year and inspires commitments to take decisive actions in order to restore the health of our planet. There is no shortage of issues: 40 percent of land used by humans is being destroyed, affecting more than half of the world’s inhabitants and at risk of affecting fifty percent (US$44 trillion) of the world’s GDP. More than 1.3 billion of people that depend on the land for their livelihoods are forced to live on degraded agricultural land. In addition, an estimation suggests that 5 million worldwide suffer from droughts each year and this is threatening the security of food and the livelihoods of pastoralists, farmers communities of the forest, Indigenous Peoples and local communities across the globe. of the globe. However the act of restoring ecosystems and land can bring huge benefits for all of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The announcement of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030) is an important signal to rally for action in restoration. From now until 2021, estimates suggest that the restoration of 350 million hectares degraded land in the Bonn Challenge, one of the most important global restoration goals, can take up to 26 gigatons greenhouse gases from the atmosphere . That’s nearly half the global emissions in 2019 – and provide 9 trillion dollars in ecosystem benefits. In addition, preventing the degradation of land by implementing sustainable restoration and land management could yield up to 1.4 trillion annually in economic gains. The investment in restoration will help to create jobs and ensure secure living in a time where more than 100 million job opportunities that were lost in 2020 as a result of the pandemic has not yet been reclaimed. Africa is the most important factor in solving many of these issues. The vast landmass of Africa forested land grasslands, rivers and wild […]
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What’s the real toll of plastics on the environment?
Plastics are useful, cheap, and extremely popular. Global demand for them has quadrupled in the last forty years and is expected to continue to rise, with negative consequences for the environment and human health. The public is aware of the environmental harm caused by plastics, particularly at the end of their life cycle, such as when they release greenhouse gases and air pollutants when burned, or pollute water and soil in the form of microplastics. Research into the global environmental impact of plastics has also focused primarily on the disposal phase. There are few studies about the production of plastics, which also affects the climate and air quality. However, such an in-depth analysis requires detailed information about supply chains and processes in order to trace the relevant material and energy flows. “So far, the simplistic assumption has been that the production of plastics requires roughly the same amount of fossil resources as the amount of raw materials contained in plastics—particularly petroleum,” says Livia Cabernard, a doctoral student at the Institute of Science, Technology and Policy (ISTP) at ETH Zurich. The problem here is that the relative significance of production versus disposal has been significantly underestimated. Through painstaking detective work, the researchers analyzed the climate and health impact of the global plastics supply chain over a 20-year period. In a study recently published in Nature Sustainability, the researchers reveal that the global carbon footprint of plastics has doubled since 1995, reaching 2.2 billion tons of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) in 2015. This represents 4.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and is more than previously thought. Over the same period, the global health footprint of plastics from fine particulate air pollution has increased by 70%, causing approximately 2.2 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in 2015. For their study, the team determined the greenhouse gas emissions generated across the life cycle of plastics—from fossil resource extraction, to processing into product classes and use, through to end of life, including recycling, incineration, and landfill. The researchers identify booming plastics production in coal-based, newly industrialized countries such as China, India, Indonesia, and South Africa as the main cause of the growing carbon footprint of plastics. The energy and process heat needed for the production of plastics in these countries comes primarily from the combustion of coal. A small amount of coal is also used as a raw material for plastics. “The plastics-related carbon footprint of China’s transport sector, Indonesia’s electronics industry and India’s construction industry has increased more than 50-fold since 1995,” explains Cabernard. Globally, coal-based emissions from plastics production have quadrupled since 1995 and now account for nearly half of the global carbon footprint of plastics. When coal is burned, it produces extremely fine particles that accumulate in the air. Such particulate matter is very harmful to health and can cause asthma, bronchitis, and cardiovascular disease. As more and more coal is used for process heat and electricity, and as a raw material in plastics production, the negative consequences for health are also increasing. In contrast to earlier estimates, which assumed the use of equal amounts of fuel and raw materials in the production of plastics, the researchers have now […]
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Environmental protection must be at core of socio-economic development targets: experts
Predictions on the intensity and impacts of environmental issues on various socio-economic aspects must be highlighted in the draft documents to be submitted to the 13th National Party Congress, said deputy head of the Vietnam Environment Administration (VEA) Nguyen Hung Thinh. Hanoi (VNS/VNA) — Predictions on the intensity and impacts of environmental issues on various socio-economic aspects must be highlighted in the draft documents to be submitted to the 13th National Party Congress, said deputy head of the Vietnam Environment Administration (VEA) Nguyen Hung Thinh. Feedback from experts on the Party Congress documents emphasise the harmonisation of socio-economic development and environmental protection. To do this, environmental protection goals “must be at the core of the socio-economic growth target and determines the country’s sustainable development,” according to the VEA. As environmental issues are affecting various aspects of the socio-economy, it will take a long time to recover from the impacts of pollution as a result of industrialisation and modernisation. In many documents, Vietnam has highlighted the determination of “not sacrificing environmental protection for economic development”. Among socio-economic targets in the 2021-25 period, one of the notable goals is to have 100 percent of polluting facilities treating their waste and emissions. This target seems to be hard to achieve and the country needs to focus all resources to meet the goal as currently only 66.4 percent of the facilities are able to address the problem, experts from VEA said. Thinh said the national development orientations for the 2021-30 period mentioned in the draft Party Congress documents focus on land management but there are no solutions for pollution management as well as environmental protection and response. Besides completing a legal framework for the mid- and long-term, Vietnam needs to have an appropriate and effective management model as well as materials, resources and finance to effectively respond to climate change, he said. He urged more solutions on investing in and promoting renewable energy technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. “We should call for private investment in treating urban solid waste to reduce the State budget on the work,” he said. Some comments suggest preferential policies for production establishments or people who take environmental protection measures. Thinh said in the next five years, the practical solution to respond effectively to climate change and prevent natural disasters is to promote solutions on resource management. He recommended investment and comprehensive planning of waste treatment infrastructure concentrated in big cities, using recycling technologies, energy recovery and electricity generation. Source: VietnamPlus
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China vows to combat climate change.
Much of China’s effort to reduce emissions will translate into greater use of cleaner energy sources, while reducing the country’s reliance on coal, Citi analysts said in a report. That means companies in the renewable energy space will likely benefit in the long term, while those related to the coal and oil industries would be “major losers,” they added. Citi listed in the report the specific stocks that it thinks will be winners and losers of China’s ambition to become carbon neutral by 2060. SINGAPORE — China, the world’s largest carbon-emitting country, has doubled down on its pledge to go green and fight against climate change — and investors have an opportunity to cash in on this long-term development, analysts from Citi said. Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a speech at the United Nations General Assembly last month that his country aims to become carbon neutral by 2060. That means China would become a net-zero carbon emitter, which researchers in Reuters report said could slow global warming by 0.2-0.3 degrees Celsius this century. Citi analysts said in a recent report that much of China’s effort to reduce emissions will translate into greater use of cleaner energy sources, while reducing the country’s reliance on coal. That means companies in the renewable energy space will likely benefit in the long term, they added. “Solar- and wind-related companies should be the biggest and most obvious beneficiaries from the shift to cleaner energy,” the report read. “Beyond these, we like gas distributors …, electric auto manufacturers and certain related industrial entities,” it added. Citi’s top “buy” ideas are five such Chinese companies: Solar glass firm Xinyi Solar; Wind turbine manufacturer Goldwind; Gas distributor ENN Energy; Electric vehicle maker BYD; and Ganfeng Lithium, a supplier of lithium hydroxide that’s used to make batteries in electric vehicles. Losers of China’s green goals China is currently reliant on coal for energy, but it “emits the most carbon among the various energy sources,” said the Citi analysts. So, coal’s share among China’s energy mix is set to significantly decline in the coming decades for the country to reach its carbon neutral goal, they added. Citi estimated that the proportion of coal could fall from around 57.6% in 2019 to 15% in 2060, while that of oil could decline from 19.7% to 12.1% over the same period. Meanwhile, the share of natural gas and renewable sources are likely to increase, according to the projections. That means that businesses related to the “traditional energy types” would be “major losers” as demand for their products and services decline, said Citi analysts. “These include coal-fired power generators, oil producers, coal-fired power equipment companies as well as companies involved in rail transport,” they explained. The bank listed several companies with close links to the coal sector among its top “sell” ideas. Those include: Shenhua, a mining company; CR Power, a power supplier that uses coal as one of its energy source; Dongfang Electric, which manufactures power generators, including coal-fired ones; and Daqin Railway, which transports coal across China. Oil and gas firm Sinopec was also featured on Citi’s list of major losers of China’s energy transition. […]
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The key to sustainable growth in MENA?
As organisations work to harness and develop their people’s skills in order to prepare for the future, no investment is more crucial for our region than supporting women throughout their careers and driving gender diversity within the workforce. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) says the Middle East and North Africa are collectively losing an estimated $575 billion a year due to the legal and social barriers that exist around women’s access to jobs and careers. Progress has been slow; less than a quarter of women in the region are employed. But diversity is integral to businesses’ sustainability and overall success. Boosting the number of women in work is not just a moral imperative – it also has a measurable impact on the bottom line. Government policy and regulation have an important role to play. Legislative frameworks should be up-to-date and fit for purpose, and should include labour and family laws as well as efforts to improve women’s access to finance. Governments in our region are doing what they can. For example, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been pushing for gender diversity and has made significant progress over the past 20 years. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), which started this drive more recently, has set an ambitious target of 30% female participation in the labour force by 2030 as part of its National Vision 2030. Through government support, women now make up 66% of public-sector workers in the UAE, with 30% in leadership roles. But this isn’t necessarily reflected in private sector companies, which bring overall female participation in the workforce down to 40.6%. As part of PwC’s Women in Work Index – Insights from MENA survey, 3,000 people from the UAE, KSA and Egypt were asked if they believed governments should intervene in private companies and set targets for gender diversity. A resounding 66% agreed. This isn’t about positive discrimination, it is about setting targets to call out unconscious bias and drive equity in the workforce. But our region cannot rely on its governments to drive this alone. This falls on each of us to create equal opportunities for female professionals across all industries. Pay equality is important, but creating an inclusive culture is about much more than that. PwC’s Women In Work Index – Insights from MENA survey shows that people across the region want gender equality in terms of opportunity and access to leadership positions, as well as support for employees. Organizations can provide this by openly discussing and raising awareness of both conscious and unconscious bias, and ensuring the right tone is set from the top – by tying diversity to business goals, for example, and setting up mentorship programmes. As countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council work to diversify their economies, adding more female employees expands the talent pool that companies can tap into as they seek to accelerate their industrial diversification away from oil and gas. Despite challenges including lack of support after a career break, deep-seated social norms and gender stereotypes and bias, however, the gender equality agenda overall is progressing across the region. But it is not moving fast enough. Governments and companies alike […]
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Final Statement of the First Forum of the Economic Forum for Sustainable Development
The first forum of the Economic Forum for Sustainable Development was held in Cairo during the period from the first to the third of April of this year, with the participation and attendance of members of them forum.
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