DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

The deal, announced during the COP28 climate talks in Dubai on Sunday, is the first under the ADB's Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM) programme, which aims to help countries cut their climate-damaging carbon emissions. "If we don't address these coal plants, we're not going to meet our climate goals," David Elzinga said on the sidelines of the conference. "By doing this pilot transaction, we are learning what it takes to make this happen," David Elzinga said. ADB also has active ETM programmes in Kazakhstan, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Vietnam, and is considering transactions in two other countries, it said. Reporting by Simon Jessop and David Lawder; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: we're, David Elzinga, Simon Jessop, David Lawder, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Asian Development Bank, Reuters, Transition, ADB, PT PLN, PT, Indonesia Investment Authority, INA, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, Indonesia, Dubai, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesian, Jakarta

REUTERS/Thaier Al Sudani/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDec 3 (Reuters) - Brazil will never join the OPEC+ group of oil-producing nations as a full member and instead only seeks to participate as an observer, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Sunday. Lula's remarks to reporters at the U.N. COP28 climate summit in Dubai clarified his statements a day earlier that Brazil would "participate" in OPEC+. "Brazil should join OPEC+, it could be an observer," Lula said on Sunday. "Brazil will never be a full member of OPEC, because we don't want to be. Petrobras will continue to do what it needs to do to help Brazil grow, but will expand beyond just oil to all energy, Lula added.

Persons: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Al Sudani, Lula's, Lula, Jake Spring, Will Dunham Organizations: United Nations, Change, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, OPEC, Petrobras, PETR4, São Paulo, Thomson Locations: Dubai, United Arab, Brazil, OPEC, Africa, Latin America, Berlin, São

☆ Climate summit leader said there’s ‘no science’ behind need to phase out fossil fuels, alarming scientists
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —The president of the COP28 climate summit, Sultan Al Jaber, recently claimed there is “no science” that says phasing out fossil fuels is necessary to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, in comments that have alarmed climate scientists and advocates. The future role of fossil fuels is one of the most controversial issues countries are grappling with at the COP28 climate summit. Al Jaber was asked by Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland and current chair of the Elders Group, an independent group of global leaders, if he would lead on phasing out fossil fuels. While some argue carbon capture will be an important tool for reducing planet-heating pollution, others argue these technologies are expensive, unproven at scale and a distraction from policies to cut fossil fuel use. “They are not going to get any help from the COP Presidency in delivering a strong outcome on a fossil fuel phase out,” he said in a statement.

Persons: Sultan Al Jaber, Al Jaber, Mary Robinson, Robinson, ”, Al Jaber’s, what’s, Romain Ioualalen, Al, ” Joeri, Mohamed Adow, Angela Dewan, Rachel Ramirez Organizations: CNN, ”, Guardian, Elders Group, Abu, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, UN, International Energy Agency, IEA, Stockholm Environment Institute, Change, Imperial College London Locations: Paris, “, Abu Dhabi, Stockholm, UN, UAE

One of the people said the Justice Department case accuses Rocha of working to promote the Cuban government’s interests. The Justice Department declined to comment. It was not immediately clear if Rocha had a lawyer and a law firm where he previously worked said it was not representing him. Following his retirement from the State Department, Rocha began a second career in business, serving as the president of a gold mine in the Dominican Republic partly owned by Canada’s Barrick Gold. Foley & Lardner said Rocha left the law firm in August.

Persons: —, Manuel Rocha, Rocha, Fidel Castro’s, Evo Morales, “, ″ Rocha, Morales, Rocha’s, ” Rocha, Karla Wittkop Rocha, ”, Canada’s Barrick, he’s, Foley, Lardner, ” Dario Alvarez, ____ Tucker Organizations: MIAMI, Associated Press, Justice Department, AP, Democratic, Republican, Yale, Harvard, Georgetown, Bolivian, National Security Council, State Department, Canada’s, Clover Leaf, Llorente, Cuenca’s Locations: American, Bolivia, Miami, Cuban, America, Cuba, U.S, Colombia, New York City, Argentina, Washington, United States, Italy, Honduras, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Pennsylvania, Spanish, Cuenca, “, Investigative@ap.org

"Since then, the United States has turned ambition into action." On the sidelines of the conference, the United States also unveiled new measures to curb emissions of the powerful greenhouse gas methane from oil and gas operations. That awkward coincidence underscores one of COP28's most contentious questions: Can the world's response to climate change involve continuing use of fossil fuels? Harris told the conference that the United States supports phasing out of "unabated coal" use, but she did not mention other fossil fuels. "We're in a context in which we need to reduce production of fossil fuels and ... we need to be on a path of lower consumption.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, Harris, haven't, aren't, Catherine Abreu, John Podesta, Richard Valdmanis, Valerie Volcovici, Sarah McFarlane, Simon Jessop, Katy Daigle, Kevin Liffey, Diane Craft Organizations: Climate Fund, OPEC, United, UAE, Saturday, Exxon Mobil, Saudi Arabia's Aramco, Oil, Climate Initiative, Reuters, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, United States, Dubai, COP26, America, China, Texas, New Mexico, United Arab Emirates, U.S, Saudi, Ukraine

Signing on to the pledge were major national oil companies such as Saudi Aramco, Brazil's Petrobras and Sonangol, from Angola, and multi-nationals like Shell, TotalEnergies and BP. The pledge is a “smokescreen to hide the reality that we need to phase out oil, gas and coal,” said a letter signed by more than 300 civil society groups. Still, Mena said that self-reporting didn't go far enough to push oil and gas companies to make changes. Earlier this year, European Union negotiators reached a deal to reduce methane emissions from the energy industry across the 27-member bloc. In his speech, al-Jaber said oil and gas companies needed to do more to research solutions to Scope 3 emissions.

Persons: Sultan al, Jaber, ”, Jean Su, Fred Krupp, Bill Hare, Hare, Marcelo Mena, Mena, John Podesta, Abu Dhabi’s ADNOC Organizations: United Arab Emirates, Associated Press, Abu Dhabi National Oil Co, Saudi Aramco, Brazil's Petrobras, Sonangol, Shell, Center for Biological Diversity, Environmental, Environmental Defense Fund, U.S . Environmental Protection Agency, European Union, Gas, United Arab, Aramco, AP Locations: DUBAI, United Arab, United Nations, Abu Dhabi, Saudi, Angola, COP28, al, fracking, philanthropies, Chile, U.S, United States, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia

☆ 'The narrowboat life': 3 women in the UK share what it's like to ditch land and live on the British canals
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Manseen Logan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Business Insider spoke with three women in the UK who live on narrowboats full time. One of the women lives on a narrowboat that's less than 7 feet wide. For those who want to live alone, moving onto a narrowboat and cruising along the British canals has proven to be a good option. Three women who gave up their homes on land to live in narrowboats spoke to Business Insider about their experiences. Advertisement"Whenever I was walking down the path near the canal, I'd always look at the narrowboat community," Woodley said.

Persons: it's, —, narrowboats, Elizabeth Earle, Earle, Laura Woodley, Woodley, Read, Kathryn Clover, Marty, Clover, I've Organizations: Service, Grand Locations: South Africa, Brazil, England

☆ 2 filmmakers with an underwater drone accidentally found a 128-year-old shipwreck at the bottom of Lake Huron
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Michelle Mark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Filmmakers shooting footage of invasive mussels in Lake Huron found a shipwreck from 1895. The wreck is covered in invasive quagga mussels that are altering the Great Lakes' ecosystem. AdvertisementA pair of filmmakers who spent two years shooting footage for a documentary about invasive mussels in the Great Lakes accidentally discovered a 128-year-old shipwreck that vanished in 1895. Every inch of the "Africa" is covered with invasive quagga mussels, which have been plaguing the Great Lakes for years. AdvertisementThe couple's documentary, "All Too Clear: Beneath the Surface of the Great Lakes," will be released in early 2024.

Persons: —, Yvonne Drebert, Zach Melnick, Melnick, Drebert, they're Organizations: Service Locations: Lake Huron, Africa, Ohio, Ontario, Great

U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during the Transforming Food Systems in the Face of Climate Change event on the sidelines of the COP28 climate summit at Dubai Expo, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates December 1, 2023. SAUL LOEB/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSummary COP 'side deals' have boomed in recent yearsVoluntary climate pledges yield mixed resultsSome have led to tougher CO2-cutting policiesDUBAI, Dec 2 (Reuters) - While the world's climate diplomats huddle over draft decisions to be made at the end of this year's U.N. climate summit, governments at COP28 are firing off a flurry of new promises for action. Among the expected pledges at COP28 are a goal to triple renewable energy capacity and initiatives on methane and coal power. These voluntary side deals have proliferated in recent years, even as global temperatures and greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise. "They go much further than what you can do multilaterally," said Marc Vanheukelen, a former EU official who led the bloc's work on an international methane emissions pledge launched at the COP26 climate summit in 2021.

Persons: Antony Blinken, SAUL LOEB, Marc Vanheukelen, Jonathan Banks, Laurie van der, OCI, It's, Erin Matson, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Matson, Kate Abnett, Tommy Wilkes, Katy Daigle, Jon Boyle Organizations: Food Systems, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS Acquire, EU, Global, Air Task Force, Reuters, Bank, U.S, Change, WWF, Rainforest Alliance, Climate, Thomson Locations: Dubai, United Arab, DUBAI, COP28, Glasgow, U.S, Nigeria, Canada, The U.S, China, Russia, COP26, Britain, France, United States, Italy, Germany, Brazil

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United States committed Saturday to the idea of phasing out coal power plants, joining 56 other nations in kicking the coal habit that's a huge factor in global warming. U.S. Special Envoy John Kerry announced that America was joining the Powering Past Coal Alliance, which means the Biden Administration commits to building no new coal plants and phasing out existing plants. The amount of coal burned in the United States last year is less than half what it was in 2008. The Powering Past Coal Alliance started six years ago and had 50 country members until Saturday when the United States and six others joined, said alliance spokeswoman Anna Drazkiewicz. "Joining the Powering Past Coal Alliance reiterates Kosovo’s clear commitment and ongoing efforts towards a socially just and clean energy sector.”___Read more of AP’s climate coverage at http://www.apnews.com/climate-and-environment.

Persons: John Kerry, Biden, “, ” Kerry, ”, Alden Meyer, mell, ” Meyer, Anna Drazkiewicz, Artane Rizvanolli, ___ Read, Seth Borenstein Organizations: United Arab Emirates, Special, America, Past Coal Alliance, Biden Administration, U.S . Department of Energy, U.S . Energy Information Administration, The U.S, Past, Alliance, Twitter, AP Locations: DUBAI, United Arab, United States, U.S, China, India, pell, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Kosovo

☆ Kamala Harris announces new $3 billion US pledge to global climate action at Dubai summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Kyle Feldscher | Ella Nilsen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Harris said the US would pledge another $3 billion to the Green Climate Fund – the main finance vehicle to help developing nations adapt to the climate crisis and cut fossil fuel pollution. “Today we are demonstrating through action how the world can and must meet this crisis,” Harris said. Harris’ attendance at the summit in Dubai is in line with her recent steps to ramp up public messaging on climate change. We must treat the climate crisis as the existential threat it truly is. In what represented an early success, several countries pledged millions of dollars to help nations hit hardest by the climate crisis.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Harris, ” Harris, Coal, “, Joe Biden, Biden, Donald Trump, –, CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez, Sam Fossum, Ella Nilsen Organizations: DC CNN —, US, Environmental Protection Agency, Past Coal Alliance, Energy Information Administration, UAE, Japan, Biden, Republican, Washington Post, University of Maryland Locations: Washington, Dubai, United States, Israel, Gaza, Germany, Paris

A general view of a wind turbine at Westmill Wind Farm & Solar Park, which is owned by the community and supports local renewable energy, at Watchfield, near Swindon, Britain, September 24, 2021. "More than 110 countries have joined already," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the COP28 summit on Thursday of the renewables pledge. A draft of the renewable energy pledge, seen by Reuters, called for "the phase down of unabated coal power" and ending the financing of new coal-fired power plants. Africa receives just 2% of global investments in renewable energy. Somalia has the highest onshore wind power potential of any African country, yet one of the lowest electrification rates in the continent, according to the International Energy Agency.

Persons: Andrew Boyers, Ursula von der Leyen, Najib Ahmed, Kate Abnett, Richard Valdmanis, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, European Union, United Arab, BP, Reuters, International Energy Agency, ___, Thomson Locations: Watchfield, Swindon, Britain, United States, United Arab Emirates, China, India, South Africa, Vietnam, Australia, Japan, Canada, Chile, Barbados, COP28, Africa, Somalia

☆ The world may be close to getting its first cargo ship that emits almost no carbon dioxide
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

According to the International Maritime Organization, shipping accounts for close to 3% of global annual emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases. Yara International, one of the world’s biggest fertilizer makers, has joined forces with its subsidiary Yara Clean Ammonia and Norway’s North Sea Container Line to work on the ship, which will transport goods between Norway and Germany. However, Yara Clean Ammonia plans to provide a mix of “blue” and “green” ammonia for the Yara Eyde. In “blue” ammonia production, CO2 emissions are captured at the source and stored underground, while “green” ammonia is made using renewable electricity. In August last year, the company said it would launch the first carbon-neutral vessel by the first quarter of 2024.

Persons: Svein Tore Holsether, ”, Norway Victoria, It’s, Faïg Abbasov Organizations: London CNN, Yara, CNN, International Maritime Organization, International Energy Agency, Norway Victoria Klesty, Transport & Environment, Maersk Locations: Norwegian, decarbonization, Norway, Germany, Porsgunn, Brussels

☆ Benko's complex web at Signa - from Chrysler building to Berlin landmark
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

SIGNA PRIME/PROPERTY PORTFOLIOAccording to Signa, Prime is the group's largest company in its real estate division, valued at around 20.4 billion euros ($22.23 billion). Since 2019 Signa Holding has also been a co-owner of New York's iconic Chrysler Building. TRADING/RETAIL COMPANIESBenko has bundled his trading interests under the divisions Signa Retail and Signa Premium. In Switzerland, Benko's trading investments are bundled into Signa Retail Selection AG, which filed for bankruptcy protection on Wednesday. In 2018, Signa Holding bought around 24% stake in Austrian daily newspapers "Krone" and "Kurier" from Funke media group.

Persons: Lisi Niesner, Rene Benko, Ernst Tanner, Hans Peter Haselsteiner, Torsten Toeller, Arthur Eugster, SIGNA, Signa, Otto Wagner, Benko's, Klaus, Michael Kuehne, Kuehne, Hamburg's, Chirathivat, Benko, Frasers, Kaufhof, Karstadt, Galeria, Alexandra Schwarz, Goerlich, Mattias Inverardi, Victoria Farr, Emma, Rachel More, Elisa Martinuzzi, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Signa, REUTERS, Chrysler, Bank Austria, Femina, Chrysler Building, . Central Group, Globus, Selfridges, Central Group, Funke, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, New, Britain's Selfridges, Innsbruck, Swiss, Vienna, Hamburg, KaDeWe, Oberpollinger, Munich, Vienna's, Tyrol, Essen, Duesseldorf, London, Switzerland

☆ Europe's clean energy boom cuts forward prices to pre-Ukraine invasion levels
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Gavin Maguire | Thomson Reuters | Gavin Maguire Is The Global Energy Transition Columnist. He Was Previously Asia Commodities | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

... Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreLITTLETON, Colorado, Dec 1 (Reuters) - A boom in clean power electricity generation has helped push Europe's forward power prices to their lowest levels since before Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 severed natural gas pipeline flows and sent the region's power prices surging. CLEAN POWER CONVICTIONA major driver behind the subdued power price outlook has been the sharp rise in clean power capacity development across Europe in recent years, and widespread confidence that much further clean power development will emerge in the years ahead. EXTENDED LEADEurope's clean power share ranks second behind Latin America (65%) among major regions, and sharply exceeds the clean power share in North America (47%), Asia (33%) and Africa (25%). Clean power supply expansions are planned throughout every region, but strong government and societal support for an accelerated energy transition means Europe will likely be the largest clean power developer outside China for the remainder of this decade, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). If those expected clean power expansions materialise, Europe's power prices may decline further and could help the region fulfil its ambitions of becoming a major clean energy hub to rival China.

Persons: Gavin Maguire, Miral Organizations: America, International Energy Agency, European Union, South East, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Cestas, France, Europe, LITTLETON , Colorado, Ukraine, Germany, North America, Asia, Africa, China, United States, Saharan Africa, South, South East Asia

☆ A Tense Climate Summit Begins Against a Backdrop of War and Record Heat
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( David Gelles | More About David Gelles | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

With dire warnings of planetary catastrophe and urgent pleas to protect vulnerable populations, world leaders on Friday implored one another to stop burning fossil fuels and swiftly reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that are `dangerously heating the planet. “We cannot save a burning planet with a fire hose of fossil fuels,” António Guterres, the U.N. secretary general, said. “We must accelerate the just, equitable transition to renewables.”The annual meeting, known as COP28, comes near the end of what scientists forecast will be the hottest year in recorded history. Greenhouse gas emissions, mainly driven by the burning of fossil fuels, have now warmed the planet by about 1.2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. Floods, fires, droughts and storms made worse by climate change are unleashing destruction around the world.

Persons: António Guterres, “ Organizations: United Nations Locations: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

☆ For eastern Ukrainians, the ordeal of war is entering its second decade
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Max Hunder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

It is now close to the front line between Ukrainian and Russian forces, and many of its buildings are damaged or destroyed. Like most people from Chasiv Yar, Tkachov has moved further from the fighting though some remain. All of them have lived through nearly a decade of war, a reminder that for millions in eastern Ukraine the conflict has rumbled on since 2014, long before Russia's full-scale invasion in February last year grabbed the world's attention. BUILD-UPUkraine and its Western allies say Russia infiltrated eastern Ukraine with fighters and intelligence operatives to stage a coup in Donbas in 2014 which Moscow subsequently supported with regular troops. FULL-SCALE WARThe U.N. human rights office estimated that more than 14,000 military personnel and civilians were killed in eastern Ukraine from early April 2014 to the end of 2021.

Persons: Tkachov, Alina Smutko, CHASIV, Chasiv Yar, Vladimir Putin, Viktor Yanukovych, Yanukovych, Max Hunder, Mike Collett, White Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Russian, Russia, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Kostiantynivka, Ukraine, Donetsk region, Donbas, CHASIV YAR, Chasiv, Russian, Russia, Moscow, Donetsk, Luhansk, Soviet Union, Ukrainian, CRIMEA, Kyiv, Crimea, Sloviansk, Soviet

☆ Trump’s avalanche of dishonesty: Fact-checking 102 of his false claims from this fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Daniel Dale | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +111 min

Below is a fact check of 102 of Trump’s false claims from the 12 speeches. But contrary to Trump’s claim, it’s not true that people had been attempting for decades to create such an initiative. Trump’s aid to farmersIn speech after speech, Trump claimed that he had given US farmers $28 billion from China. Even if the poll result is off, it’s clear that Trump’s claim that “nobody wants them” is not true. He said he was an airline pilot.”Facts First: Trump made a false claim while mocking Biden for making false claims.

Persons: Donald Trump, –, Trump, Joe Biden, Biden, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, “, ”, Mexico’s, ‘ Trump, Defense Department –, ” Theresa Cardinal Brown, CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez, ” Trump, I’ve, Todd Harrison, Harrison, It’s, Trump’s, ” Ben Cahill, Nobody, Jimmy Carter’s, Barack Obama, isn’t, El Salvador –, Obama, we’d, Obama’s, Webster, Covid, Wuhan ”, They’d, they’d, you’d, Scott Gottlieb, ” Gottlieb, Trump Trump, it’s, Abraham, Aaron David Miller, Miller, Dana El Kurd, Qasem Soleimani, they’ve, we’re, We’re, ’, Iran haven’t, ” Matt Smith, Biden’s, Smith, Ali Vaez, Kpler, Biden Trump, Iran “, Democrats ”, that’s, Jimmy Carter, Carter “, Carter, ‘, Hillary Clinton, Kari Lake, Bill Gates, Gates, ” Chris Wallace, Chris Wallace, Hunter Biden, “ Chris Wallace, ‘ He’s, ‘ ” Trump, Wallace, “ you’re, “ Biden, ‘ You’re, Wallace interjected, Rather, you’ve, ’ ” Pavel Molchanov, Raymond James &, ” Molchanov, Tim Woody, Woody, autoworkers, CNN’s Ella Nilsen, Joe Biden’s, Erin Mellon, Gavin Newsom, Mellon, ” Vonette Fontaine, Biden “, CNN’s Matt Egan, Egan, ” Biden, Europe Trump, United Kingdom “, Brent, Pavel Molchanov, Raymond James, Patrick De Haan, GasBuddy, De Haan, Matt Smith, Matt Egan, Afghanistan Trump, we’ve, Krista Wiegand, Wiegand, ” Netanyahu, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Qasem, Bibi, Netanyahu, Soleimani, Asad, Mark Milley, Hezbollah Trump, Steven Cheung, John Kirby, Cheung, Kirby, Iran’s, ” Ali Vaez, Joseph Amon, Washington –, Faiq Zidan, Zidan’s, Zidan, Abu Mahdi al, China Trump, Ukraine Trump, Letitia James, James, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Matthew Colangelo, You’re, Bragg, Colangelo, Tanya Chutkan, I’m, Jack Smith, Bill Clinton, That’s, everybody’s, Letitia James –, Al Capone’s, Al Capone, Capone, Brad Schwartz, CNN couldn’t, Schwartz, Eliot Ness, MAGA, “ MAGA, …, White, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, Inflation Trump, Bacon, Joe, PolitiFact, Trump . Howard Gleckman Organizations: Washington CNN —, CNN, Republican, Trump Trump, Republican Jewish Coalition, Department, ISIS, Trump’s, Democratic, Congress, Defense Department, former Defense Department, Center, US Customs, Trump, American Enterprise Institute, Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Strategic Petroleum Reserve, Energy Security, Center for Strategic, International Studies, US, IHS, Islamic, The State Department, Customs Enforcement, Policy Institute, ICE, El Salvador, ”, Merriam, The New York Times, Food and Drug Administration, FDA, Abraham Accords, United Arab Emirates, West Bank, Hezbollah, State Department, Carnegie Endowment, International, Arab Center Washington DC, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force, Obama, US International Trade Commission, Washington Post, U.S . International Trade Commission, New England lobstermen, England lobstermen, Americas, Crisis, government’s Energy, Administration, Washington Free Beacon, Energy Information Administration, Democrats, Biden, Electoral, Georgia, Michigan, Carter, Democrats can’t, Republicans, Alabama, Arizona, Fox News, ” Energy, Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, Wildlife, Alaska Industrial Development, Export Authority, Raymond James & Associates, Wilderness Society, Cox Automotive, Pew Research Center, New York Times, National Oceanic, California Gov, California, American Petroleum Institute, Union, West, Energy, American Automobile Association, AAA, GasBuddy, New Hampshire, Houston, Keystone XL, Obama administration’s State Department, –, Foreign, Military, DoD, Afghan, Defense, Policy, Taiwan News, “, University of Tennessee’s Center for National Security, Foreign Affairs, Israeli, NBC, Jerusalem Post, Yahoo, Pentagon, ” CNN, Joint Chiefs, Staff, Post, National Security, Group, US government’s Defense Intelligence Agency, Narcotics Bureau, Global Health, Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health, Justice Department, Washington, Judicial, Popular Mobilization Forces, Customs and, Middle East, Customs, Protection, CBP, Border Protection, Kiel Institute, European Union, New York, New, ExxonMobil, Trump University, Trump Foundation, Manhattan, Attorney, federal Justice Department, Department of Justice, Washington DC, Presidential Records, Presidential, Mar, Biden White, MAGA Republicans, Inflation, Heritage Foundation, Trump ., Brookings Tax, Urban Institute Locations: New Hampshire, New York City, Saudi, Florida, al Qaeda, New York, Texas, Iowa, Mexico, “, U.S, Houston, Iraq, Israel, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Nord, Germany, Russian, Trump’s, Russia, Ukraine, Europe, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, El, Washington, ”, ” In Texas, Covid, China, Wuhan, Italy, France, Abraham, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Yemen, Libya, Palestine, Afghanistan, Somalia, Pakistan, New England, England, Kpler, Malaysia, Oregon, Alabama, Maricopa County, Arizona, Arizona’s, Moscow, Alaska, East, South Carolina, California, “ California, West Virginia, Virginia, United Kingdom, West Texas, “ U.S, Los Angeles, Venezuela, Mississippi , Louisiana, Canada, United States, Paris, Taiwan, “ China, Iranian, that’s, –, Singapore, Iraqi, San Diego, Kiel, York, Manhattan, York’s, Chicago, Philadelphia, Georgia, Qaeda

☆ COP28 Lines up New Climate Pledges - but Do They Work?
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Dec. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

By Kate AbnettDUBAI (Reuters) - While the world's climate diplomats huddle over draft decisions to be made at the end of this year's U.N. climate summit, governments at COP28 are firing off a flurry of new promises for action. Among the expected pledges at COP28 are a goal to triple renewable energy capacity and initiatives on methane and coal power. These voluntary side deals have proliferated in recent years, even as global temperatures and greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise. Unlike official summit decisions, which must be passed by consensus among the nearly 200 countries, voluntary pledges can be made quickly, and boldly, without the worry of one party objecting. "They go much further than what you can do multilaterally," said Marc Vanheukelen, a former EU official who led the bloc's work on an international methane emissions pledge launched at the COP26 climate summit in 2021.

Persons: Kate Abnett DUBAI, Marc Vanheukelen, Jonathan Banks, Laurie van der, OCI, It's, Erin Matson, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Matson, Kate Abnett, Tommy Wilkes, Katy Daigle, Jon Boyle Organizations: Reuters, EU, Global, Air Task Force, Bank, U.S, Change, WWF, Rainforest Alliance, Climate Locations: COP28, Glasgow, U.S, Nigeria, Canada, The U.S, China, Russia, COP26, Britain, France, United States, Italy, Germany, Brazil

[1/2] World leaders and delegates walk at Dubai's Expo City ahead of the World Climate Action Summit during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 1, 2023. Away from the main stage, delegations and technical committees set to work on Friday with the mammoth task of assessing their progress in meeting global climate targets, specifically the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to within 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial temperatures. The United Nations on Friday published its first draft for what could serve as a template for a final agreement from the COP28 summit, which ends Dec. 12. The summit also clinched an early victory by adopting a new fund to help poor nations cope with costly climate disasters. ___For daily comprehensive coverage on COP28 in your inbox, sign up for the Reuters Sustainable Switch newsletter here.

Persons: Thomas Mukoya, Britain's King Charles, Antonio Guterres, William Ruto, Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Sultan Ahmed al, Jaber, Valerie Volcovici, William James, Katy Daigle, Miral Organizations: United Nations, Change, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, Rights, Saudi, United Arab, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Dubai, United Arab, Paris, United Arab Emirates

Delegates use wonky terms like “NDCs” “1.5 degrees” and “loss and damage,” not exactly conversation starters at parties. Currently, temperatures have increased about 1.2 degrees Celsius (2.2 degrees Fahrenheit). As extreme weather events driven by climate change have increased and intensified, climate scientists have pushed to limit warming to 1.5. Last year’s climate talks, COP27 in Egypt, produced a landmark agreement for rich countries to contribute to a fund to help developing nations adapt to climate change. The wonky speeches, lots of discussion and disagreements will continue, all with the hope of combatting climate change.

Persons: FOSTER, —, ___ Peter Prengaman Organizations: United Arab Emirates, of, Delegates, Biden, Associated Press, AP Locations: DUBAI, United Arab, Dubai, Paris, United States, COP27, Egypt

☆ Japan to stop building unabated coal power plants, PM Kishida tells COP28
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Thaier Al Sudani Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Japan will stop building new coal power plants that do not have emission reduction measures in place, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told the COP28 climate summit in Dubai on Friday. "In line with its pathway to net-zero, Japan will end new construction of domestic unabated coal power plants, while securing a stable energy supply," Kishida said. Japan will also try to decrease its reliance on currently operational coal plants, he said, without elaborating further. The official, who declined to be named, said Japan may build abated coal power plants should the technology emerge. About 25% of Japan's electricity was generated by nuclear power in 2010, a year before a giant earthquake and tsunami caused a triple-core meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear power plant and initially displaced some 470,000 people.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Al Sudani, Kishida, Ember, Sakura Murakami, Ekaterina Golubkova Organizations: Japan's, United Nations, Change, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Dubai, United Arab, Japan, United States, China, India, Tokyo

WHAT'S HAPPENED SINCE THE LAST ONEThe world has gotten hotter since last year’s conference in Egypt. Burning fossil fuels that sends carbon into the atmosphere remains the main cause of global warming, and production continues to grow. Climate campaigners say efforts to develop wind, solar and other alternative energies are not going fast enough. Global warming has vast implications: It can upend local economies, worsen weather patterns, drive people to migrate, and cause havoc for Indigenous peoples who want to retain their traditional cultures, among many other impacts. Many want to know if oil-rich Gulf states will pony up more money to help developing countries adapt to climate change and switch to greener technologies.

Persons: ”, Petteri Taalas, Daniel, Hurricane Otis pummeled, King Charles, Narendra Modi, John Kerry, Olaf Scholz, Pope Francis, Sultan al, Jaber, Antonio Guterres Organizations: United Arab Emirates, Hamas, United, 28th “ Conference, Hurricane Otis, Indian, Cargill, AP Locations: DUBAI, United Arab, Israel, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, COP28, WHAT'S, Egypt, Brazil, India, Libya, Hurricane Otis pummeled Mexico, Europe, Paris, Abu Dhabi, Tokyo, Tegucigalpa, Timbuktu, Ukraine, Gaza, Antarctica, Argentina, Uruguay, ___

Chartbook: India electricity generationTotal electricity demand met increased by 24 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) (+21%) in October compared with the same month a year earlier. Wind increased by 0.3 billion kWh (+10%) while solar was up 1.3 billion kWh (+16%). Instead the electricity system turned to gas (1.6 billion kWh, +103%) and especially coal (28 billion kWh, +33%) to meet demand. Coal-fired generators produced a seasonal record of 111 billion kWh in October 2023 up from 84 billion kWh in October 2022. Over the same period, coal generation capacity has increased by just 9 million kilowatts (1% per year) and gas-fired capacity has been essentially unchanged.

Persons: Adnan Abidi, John Kemp, Barbara Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, UN, Central Water Commission, Thomson, Reuters Locations: New Delhi, India, Dubai, Himalayas, Tibet, baseload

The assessment could become politically divisive as it sets the stage for the next few years of global action in cutting planet-warming emissions. Based on the results, countries may be pressed to set more ambitious climate policies or to contribute more financing to help developing countries adopt clean energy. In September, the United Nations offered an early stocktake assessment that revealed countries were far behind in meeting climate goals. HOW WILL THE STOCKTAKE DRIVE CLIMATE ACTION? What then needs to be decided... what do we then do from here," Dan Jorgensen, Denmark's Global Climate Policy Minister, told Reuters.

Persons: Alex Flores, Claudia Morales, Dan Jorgensen, Kate Abnett, Katy Daigle, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, United Nations, European Union, Policy, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Lake Titicaca, Bolivia, Rights DUBAI, Dubai, Paris

Search resuls for: "Coal"

25 mentions found