DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

CNN —The world has passed a clean energy milestone, as a boom in wind and solar meant a record-breaking 30% of the world’s electricity was produced by renewables last year, new data shows. The planet is reaching “a crucial turning point” toward clean energy, according to the Global Electricity Review published Wednesday by climate think tank Ember. Record-breaking renewablesIn 2000, renewables made up less than 19% of the global energy mix. It made up nearly twice as much new electricity generation as coal last year. Electricity demand is set to soar from 2024 onward, Ember’s analysis found.

Persons: It’s, Dave Jones, Ember, ” Jones, “ We’re, Jones, “, ”, Niklas Höhne, Nancy Haegel Organizations: CNN, Global, NewClimate Institute, European Union, EU, National Renewable Energy Laboratory Locations: China, India, Chile, Australia, Netherlands, California, United States

The world is heading for considerably less warming than projected a decade ago, but that good news is overwhelmed by much more pain from current climate change than scientists anticipated, experts said. Even though emissions of heat-trapping gases are still rising every year, they’re rising more slowly than projected from 2000 to 2015. “It requires the tearing out the poisoned root of the climate crisis: fossil fuels,” said United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Guterres, numerous climate scientists and environmental activists all say what’s needed is a phase-out — or at the very least a phase-down — of coal, oil and gas. “This is throwing the global energy transition and humanity’s future into question.”___Read more of AP’s climate coverage at http://www.apnews.com/climate-and-environment.

Persons: That’s, It’s, ”, Niklas Hohne, Bill Hare, Rob Jackson, Ani Dasgupta, ” Dasgupta, Hare, Anne Olhoff, “, ” Jackson, Melanie Robinson, that’s, Johan Rockstrom, Antonio Guterres, Sultan al, Jaber, Greta Thunberg, Adnan Amir, ’ ’, Majid Al Suwaidi, we’ve, Institute’s Hohne, Al Jaber, ” Hohne, Dasgupta, can’t, Inger Andersen, ” ___ Read, Seth Borenstein Organizations: United Nations, United Nations Environment, NewClimate, Stanford University, Project, Resources, UNEP, World Resources Institute, Potsdam Institute, Climate Research, Center for Biological Diversity, Biden Administration, Twitter, AP Locations: Dubai, Paris, Europe, Pakistan, Libya, Arab Emirates, ”, al, greenwashing, Russia, Ukraine

Carbon emissions from the burning of coal, oil and gas rose 1.2% last year, the report said. Through the end of September, the daily global average temperature exceeded 1.5 degrees Celsius above mid-19th century levels on 86 days this year, the report said. On Friday, the globe hit 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees) above pre-industrial levels for the first time in recorded history, according to Copernicus Deputy Director Samantha Burgess. That sounds like a lot, but the world in 2022 spewed 57.4 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases and to limit warming to the 1.5 degree mark emissions in 2030 have to be down to 33 billion metric tons. Because the world has already warmed nearly 1.2 degrees Celsius (2.2 degrees Fahrenheit) since the mid-19th century, the report’s projections would mean another 1.3 to 1.7 degrees Celsius (2.3 to 3.1 degrees Fahrenheit) warming by the end of this century.

Persons: Samantha Burgess, ”, Anne Olhoff, Olhoff, hasn’t, Antonio Guterres, ” Olhoff, Niklas Hohne, Bill Hare, Guterres, “ It’s, ___ Read, Seth Borenstein Organizations: United, United Nations, New Climate Institute, Twitter, AP Locations: United Nations, Paris, United States, Europe, Germany

☆ The EV industry is the only sector in the world on track to meet global climate goals
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Electric vehicles is the only industry on track to meet climate goals by 2030, a new report found. But a report published Tuesday found that the EV sector is on track to meet 2030 targets aimed at averting the worst impacts of the climate crisis. There's no indication that any other industry — including power, buildings, agriculture, and finance — will curb greenhouse-gas emissions enough to meet 2030 targets. People still need to drive less and take more buses and trains to reduce emissions, Hecke added. The report found that, collectively, countries would need to build the equivalent of three New York City transit systems a year until 2030 to meet climate goals.

Persons: we've, Kelley, Hecke, Biden Organizations: Service, General Motors, Ford, EV, NewClimate Institute, European Union, EU, New, UN, Climate Action Locations: China, Norway, Canada, Chile, New York City, Europe

☆ Greenland Glaciers Melt Five Times Faster Than 20 Years Ago
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Johannes BirkebaekCOPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Global warming has increased the speed at which glaciers in Greenland are melting by fivefold over the last 20 years, scientists from the University of Copenhagen said on Friday. Greenland's ice melt is of particular concern, as the ancient ice sheet holds enough water to raise sea levels by at least 20 feet (6 meters) if it were to melt away entirely. "I believe we can prepare for those glaciers to continue to melt at increasing speeds," Olesen said. Glaciers in Greenland are often used to anticipate the effects of climate change on Greenland's ice sheet. The Greenland ice sheet contributed 17.3% of the observed rise in sea level between 2006 and 2018 and glaciers have contributed 21%.

Persons: Johannes Birkebaek COPENHAGEN, Anders Anker Bjork, Bjork, Jørgen Eivind Olesen, Olesen, William Colgan, Johannes Birkebaek, Barbara Lewis Organizations: University of Copenhagen, geosciences, Reuters, European Union, Climate Institute, Aarhus University, Geological Survey Locations: Greenland, Denmark

☆ Greenland glaciers melt five times faster than 20 years ago
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Johannes Birkebaek | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Valleys cut by glaciers of the Greenland Ice Sheet along the mountains of Greenland, August 3, 2022. Greenland's ice melt is of particular concern, as the ancient ice sheet holds enough water to raise sea levels by at least 20 feet (6 meters) if it were to melt away entirely. "I believe we can prepare for those glaciers to continue to melt at increasing speeds," Olesen said. Glaciers in Greenland are often used to anticipate the effects of climate change on Greenland's ice sheet. The Greenland ice sheet contributed 17.3% of the observed rise in sea level between 2006 and 2018 and glaciers have contributed 21%.

Persons: Jim Urquhart, Anders Anker Bjork, Bjork, Jørgen Eivind Olesen, Olesen, William Colgan, Johannes Birkebaek, Barbara Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, University of Copenhagen, geosciences, Reuters, European Union, Climate Institute, Aarhus University, Geological Survey, Thomson Locations: Greenland, Denmark

Of those to set a target, just 37% had one that covered their Scope 3 emissions, or those tied to a company's value chain. "A clear line in the sand on net zero has surfaced. Countless net zero targets are credibility light, but now we can say for certain that most of the world's largest listed companies are on the right side of the line on net zero intent," said John Lang, Project Lead, the Net Zero Tracker. As well as companies, the Net Zero Tracker tracks pledges made by nations, states and regions, and cities using machine and human data analysis. Alongside Oxford Net Zero, the consortium includes The Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU); Data-Driven EnviroLab (UNC) and the NewClimate Institute.

Persons: Wolfgang Rattay, John Lang, Simon Jessop, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, Nations, Dubai LONDON, Oxford University, Dubai, Oxford, The, Climate Intelligence, UNC, NewClimate Institute, Thomson Locations: Niederaussem, Germany, Dubai

Last year was 1.26 degrees Celsius (2.27 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer and this year is likely to blow past that, according to scientists. Even though the carbon budget looks to run out early in the year 2029, that doesn’t mean the world will instantly hit 1.5 degrees warmer than pre-industrial times. People should not misinterpret running out of the budget for 1.5 degrees as the only time left to stop global warming, the authors said. “If we are able to limit warming to 1.6 degrees or 1.65 degrees or 1.7 degrees, that’s a lot better than 2 degrees. Lamboll said limiting warming to 1.5 degrees is technically possible, but politically is challenging and unlikely.

Persons: that’s, “ It’s, we’re, ”, Robin Lamboll, Lamboll, Valerie Masson, Christopher Smith, Bill Hare, Glen Peters, Norwegian CICERO, Piers Forster, ” ___ Read, Seth Borenstein Organizations: United Nations, Imperial College of London, University, Leeds, University of Leeds, Twitter, AP Locations: Paris, Delmotte, Dubai, Norwegian

Governors of California, which has an economy larger than most countries, have a long history of climate collaboration with China. “It’s going to be very difficult to tackle the climate crisis just here in California,” Sanchez said. California Republicans said Newsom shouldn’t be visiting China at a time of tensions over international conflicts and the suppression of free speech. But climate experts said California has a significant role to play in advancing global climate policy. “There’s a natural role for California and the California governor.”___Megerian reported from Washington.

Persons: Gavin Newsom, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, Jerry Brown, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Brown, Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, John Kerry, Xie Zhenhua, Xie, David Victor, ” Victor, ”, Newsom, Kerry, Lauren Sanchez, ” Brown, Sanchez, “ It’s, ” Sanchez, Biden, Ron DeSantis, Newsom shouldn’t, James Gallagher, “ Newsom shouldn’t, It’s, Nathaniel Keohane, ” ___ Megerian, Ken Moritsugu Organizations: —, Governors, China Climate Institute, University of California, U.S, ., U.S ., White, Democrats, Republican, Florida Gov, California Republicans, Center, Climate, Energy Solutions, Associated Press Locations: SACRAMENTO, Calif, — California, China, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, Jiangsu, He'll, Israel, California, Berkeley, United States, Taiwan, Dubai, Indonesia, U.S, San Diego, ” California, U.S . West Coast, Washington

☆ California governor Newsom to visit China next week to discuss climate action
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Gavin Newsom, governor of the State of California, speaks at the 2023 Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., May 2, 2023. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 19 (Reuters) - California governor Gavin Newsom will visit China next week to discuss climate cooperation, promote bilateral economic development and tourism and encourage cultural exchanges, his office said in a statement on Thursday. "California and China hold the keys to solving the climate crisis," Newsom said. California has played a major role in maintaining climate ties between China and the United States, the world's two biggest greenhouse gas emitters. China and the United States relaunched top-level bilateral climate talks earlier this year after a hiatus triggered by the visit of former House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan, the democratically governed island that China claims.

Persons: Gavin Newsom, Mike Blake, Newsom, Donald Trump, Xie Zhenhua, Jerry Brown, Nancy Pelosi, Xie, John Kerry, David Stanway, Christopher Cushing Organizations: of, Milken, Global Conference, REUTERS, China Climate Institute, Beijing's Tsinghua University, United States, U.S, Dubai, Thomson Locations: of California, Beverly Hills , California, U.S, California, China, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Guangdong, . California, United States, Paris, Taiwan, Singapore

Yet Amin said that while an agreement ridding the world of fossil fuels doesn't look likely, a “phase-down of fossil fuels is inevitable." In 10 years when critics and others look back at the talks, Amin wants to hear amazement. They say a phase-out of fossil fuels is the only way to curb warming to a manageable level. He pointed to the desire by some African countries to use fossil fuels to develop. Amin said upcoming climate talks aim to be the most inclusive ever, but that also includes the at-times vilified fossil fuel industry.

Persons: Adnan Amin, Amin, Sultan al, Jaber, Greta Thunberg, ” Amin, Antonio Guterres, it’s, Mohamed Adow, Adow, Niklas Hohne, Bill Hare, ” Hare, Nigel Purvis, “, Seth Borenstein Organizations: of Parties, United, Associated Press, petrostate United, petrostate United Arab Emirates, New Climate Institute, Analytics, U.S . State Department, AP Locations: Dubai, United Nations, petrostate United Arab, Kenya, UAE, Africa, Russia, China, Saudi Arabia

☆ Record heat meets record wildfires in Canada, and scientists say this is the new reality
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

"This is the new reality, not the new normal, because we're on a downward spiral," Flannigan told CNBC. "The current wildfire season in Canada has been astounding and record breaking," Dahl told CNBC. "I'm not sure where we're going to end up with this because it keeps keeps on burning," Flannigan told CNBC. "The warmer it gets, the atmosphere gets more efficient at sucking the moisture out of the fuels," Flannigan told CNBC. For example, the mountain pine beetle is killing trees and turning them into fuel for wildfires, Burch told CNBC.

Persons: Kristina Dahl, Michael Flannigan, it's, Flannigan, Dahl, We're, I'm, Hope, we've, I've, Sarah Burch, Burch, David Dee Delgado, It's, You've, we're Organizations: BC, Service, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Union of Concerned, CNBC, Thompson Rivers University British Columbia, Natural Resources, Canadian Interagency Forest Fire, Fort, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Canadian Forest Service, University of Waterloo, Waterloo Climate Institute Locations: Lake, British Columbia, Canada, Natural Resources Canada, South Carolina, Massachusetts, Maine, Northwest Territories, North America, Alberta, Waterloo, New York City, United States

☆ U.S. officials say risk of locally acquired malaria remains low as nationwide cases jump to seven
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

Joe Raedle | Getty ImagesU.S. public health officials say the risk of locally transmitted malaria in the country remains low as seven new cases in Florida and Texas raise questions. "Despite these cases, the risk of locally acquired malaria remains extremely low in the United States," the agency added. The seven are the first known cases of "locally acquired" malaria in the country since 2003. Health experts say the new locally acquired cases shouldn't warrant panic about widespread malaria transmission in the U.S. Here's what you need to know about the locally acquired malaria cases in the U.S. – and why the risk of transmission remains low right now.

Persons: Barrington Sanders, Joe Raedle, it's, vivax, Daniel Parker, –, Parker, Sadie Ryan, Ryan, Chandan Khanna, UC Irvine's Parker, we're, Rajiv Chowdhury, Chowdhury, Stephane de Sakutin Organizations: Miami - Dade Mosquito Control, Getty, Florida Department of Health, Centers for Disease Control, CDC, CNBC, UC Irvine, University of Florida, Florida Climate Institute, Local, Sarasota County Mosquito Management Services, AFP, UC, Florida International University Locations: Miami, Miami , Florida, Florida, Texas, Sarasota County, United States, U.S, Florida , Texas, Sarasota, Sarasota , Florida

☆ Canada’s Wildfires Have Been Disrupting Lives. Now, Oil and Gas Take a Hit.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Hiroko Tabuchi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The damage to oil and gas production was likely to significantly surpass current tallies, Thomas Liles, vice president of Rystad’s upstream research, said in a note. The disruptions from the fires in Canada, a major oil- and gas-producing nation, have helped push oil prices higher. Chevron said it had shut down all production at its Kaybob Duvernay oil and gas fields in central Alberta. Paramount temporarily shuttered a natural gas processing plant along with production in several gas fields, the company said in its latest update on Sunday. It isn’t the first time Canada’s oil and gas fields have been hit by fires, and the shutdowns, for now, affect a small proportion of the country’s total oil and gas output.

[1/2] The processing facility at an oil sands operations near Fort McMurray, Alberta, September 17, 2014. The company joins Canada's biggest oil producers in urging policymakers to boost public funding for the costly technology that is seen as key to cutting emissions from the carbon-intensive oil sands. Until then, the company will pay Canada's carbon tax, set to rise to C$170 a tonne by 2030, Nicholson said. Canada's oil sands produced a record 3.15 million bpd in 2022 and are forecast to hit 3.7 million bpd by 2030, according to S&P Global. "The oil sands are long-life, low-decline assets," said Wood Mackenzie analyst Scott Norlin.

☆ Corporate Climate Plans Fall Well Short of Targets, With a Few Bright Spots
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Dieter Holger | Carbon Market Watch S Executive Director Sabine Frank | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

The climate plans of major companies continue to fall short—but there are some bright spots. The net-zero plans of Holcim and H&M have also won approval from the Science Based Targets initiative. Decent disclosureWhile scope 3 emissions can be challenging to calculate and control, having net-zero plans that cover the complete value chain is best practice. Apple, iPhone manufacturer Foxconn Technology Co. and H&M were all noted for helping their suppliers to access renewable energy either with financial support, advice or connecting deals. The retailer has worked with suppliers to reduce packaging waste and to adopt farming practices that sequester greenhouse gases, as well as helping them access renewable energy.

☆ COP27: Cities with net zero promises falling short on tracking, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Gloria Dickie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt, Nov 15 (Reuters) - More than half of cities with pledges to reach net zero emissions have no plan for how they'll track and report progress, an analysis published Tuesday said. A United Nations high-level expert group last week issued guidelines for how to avoid greenwashing on net-zero pledges. "Over half of cities with net zero pledges currently have no form of reporting mechanism." The expert group recommended non-state actors include interim goals ahead of achieving their net zero targets, which are typically set for 2050. The Net Zero Tracker analysis found just 10% of cities and 20% of companies currently include interim targets - though this number has grown slightly since 2021.

☆ World's dash for natural gas endangers climate goals -report
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Germany's future LNG terminal is under construction amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in Lubmin, Germany, September 19, 2022. Among the projects are new gas drilling in Canada and liquefied natural gas (LNG) import capacity in Germany and Vietnam. By October, Russian gas had plummetted to 7.5% of Europe's gas imports, down from 40% in recent years. The dash to replace those supplies has bolstered plans to expand fossil fuel infrastructure, even as the European Union has proposed higher renewable energy targets to attempt to mostly replace Russian fuel with clean energy. The International Energy Agency has said no new oil and gas fields should be opened if the world is hit the 1.5C goal.

☆ India and climate change: Can Modi deliver what the world needs?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Tara Subramaniam | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

By 2030, Modi wants half of India’s energy to come from renewables. The state is fast becoming a hotbed of solar energy, yet is also home to at least seven coal-fired power plants. “Even during Covid it hasn’t stopped.”At COP26, Modi outlined a series of targets for India’s efforts to combat climate change. It’s also a question of funding – investing in renewable energy and other climate change mitigation efforts is expensive. And your other burning questions answered 03:37 - Source: CNNIf India doesn’t receive the financial support it needs, maintaining its pace on developing renewable energy will be difficult.

Some, like fossil fuel-burning Saskatchewan and Alberta, say the federal government's plan for a 2035 net-zero grid is unrealistic. The challenges Canada faces underline how difficult meeting net-zero electrification goals will be globally. Reuters GraphicsUnlike Canada, the United States has a federal electricity regulator and mostly delivers power through regionally integrated systems, which may make it more nimble to transform the grid. Provinces regulate Canada's electricity utilities, but the federal government has some jurisdiction over the environment. The Alberta Electric System Operator in June estimated it would cost an additional C$44 billion to C$52 billion ($38.18 billion) to meet Ottawa's 2035 net-zero mandate.

☆ After Fiona, climate experts urge Canada to fix flagship adaptation strategy
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Nia Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Sept 28 (Reuters) - Canada's first national climate adaptation strategy needs to be improved to include near-term targets and specific solutions ahead of its November release to mitigate worsening global warming impacts, experts advising the government told Reuters in the wake of devastation caused by storm Fiona. The destruction comes weeks before Ottawa releases its first ever National Adaptation Strategy (NAS) in early November. A 2020 report from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities estimated Canada needs to spend C$5.3 billion a year to adapt to climate change but the country is at least a decade behind Europe in developing a national strategy, experts said. Britain released its first national adaptation program in 2013, with five-year targets, and is currently developing a third version. "Our first adaptation strategy needs to be a home run," said Ryan Ness, adaptation research director for the Canadian Climate Institute (CCI).

Search resuls for: "Climate Institute"

21 mentions found