DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Will guilt-free long-haul flights ever be possible? Here’s what we know
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Jacopo Prisco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, is a type of alternative jet fuel that can curb carbon emissions by up to 80%. The main reason for the slow adoption is that it’s still more expensive – between 1.5 to 6 times pricier than regular jet fuel. Boeing is not out of the race either, but doesn’t see a hydrogen long-haul plane as around the corner. On medium- and long-haul flights, we don’t see it as a direct source of propulsion until 2040. We would need to see magnitude-order changes [in batteries] for us to consider those for long-haul flights.

Persons: ”, Gary Crichlow, Gökçin Çınar, Ryan Faucett, Alexandre Doumenjou, Andreas Schäfer, Britten, “, Artemis, that’s, Boeing’s Faucett, “ You’re, Schäfer Organizations: CNN — Aviation, Boeing, “, Aviation Environment Federation, SAF, Airbus, University of Michigan, CNN, Virgin Atlantic, University College London, Cranfield Aerospace, Norman, Engineers, NASA, Critchlow Locations: London, Bangkok, New York, California, ZeroAvia

☆ Time to say 'the F-words'? A fossil fuel fight takes center stage at the COP28 climate summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Sultan al-Jaber, president of the UNFCCC COP28 climate conference, speaks during day two of the summit on Dec. 2, 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Sean Gallup | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesDubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES — A fight over the future of fossil fuels has been thrust into the global spotlight at the COP28 climate summit. "Unabated" fossil fuels are largely understood to be produced and used without substantial reductions in the amount of emitted greenhouse gases. "[It is] important to say that more fossil fuels equal more loss and damage, so these two issues are actually quite intertwined." Notably, at last year's COP27 conference in Egypt, more than 80 countries supported a fossil fuel phase-out commitment in the final agreement.

Persons: Sultan al, Jaber, Sean Gallup, Johan Rockstrom, There's, Darren Woods, Catherine Abreu, Abreu Organizations: Getty, Getty Images, UNITED, EMIRATES, Potsdam Institute, Climate, Climate Impact Research, CNBC, AG, United Arab, Oil, Exxon Mobil Locations: Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Getty Images Dubai, COP28, Salzgitter, Germany, Russia, Egypt

Summary Ten leading development banks sign joint statementTo deepen collaboration across multiple themesNo mention of phasing out fossil fuel financingDUBAI, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Ten of the world's top development banks pledged to step up their climate efforts at the COP28 summit, yet failed to say anything about halting financing for fossil fuel projects, a document seen by Reuters showed. In a statement to be announced at the event in Dubai, the group, including the World Bank and regional peers, said the window of opportunity to secure a liveable planet was "rapidly closing". A new, joint Long-term Strategies Program, hosted by the World Bank, would coordinate support to help countries and sub-national entities develop plans around issues including decarbonisation and climate resilience. The group also pledged to help countries set up platforms to encourage a "collectively reinforcing combination" of support including around policy reform, finance and technical assistance. The banks planned to scale up finance to help countries adapt to the impacts of climate change, including through boosting support for disaster risk management, disaster preparedness and capacity building.

Persons: Antonio Guterres, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Reuters, World Bank, United Nations, European Investment Bank, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, Dubai, Glasgow

[1/2] Members of the International Federation of Medical Students Associations hold placards during a protest demanding an end to fossil fuels at COP28 World Climate Summit, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 3, 2023. Climate-related impacts "have become one of the greatest threats to human health in the 21st century", COP28 President Sultan Ahmed Al-Jaber said in a statement. The World Bank on Sunday launched a new Climate and Health program to explore possible interventions and public health solutions for developing countries. "We have new tools at the lab level that decimate mosquito populations," said Gates, whose foundation supports public health research and projects for the developing world. Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also spoke on Sunday at COP28, urging reform to the world's insurance system as another key requirement to keep people safe.

Persons: Amr Alfiky, Sultan Ahmed Al, Jaber, COP28, Joseph Vipond, Storm Daniel, Bill Gates, Gates, Hillary Clinton, Clinton, Gloria Dickie, Elizabeth Piper, Alexander Cornwell, Simon Jessop, Kate Abnett, William James, Katy Daigle, Jan Harvey Organizations: International Federation of Medical, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, Rights, Physicians, World Health Organization, Bank, Sunday, Health, World Bank, Microsoft, Former U.S, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Dubai, United Arab, Alberta, Canada, Western, Libya, Pakistan, COP28

Despite the fact that food is a big climate problem, very little has been done so far to address it. Here are some details about the sources of emissions from the food and agriculture sector:HOW MUCH DOES OUR FOOD EMIT? Global food systems accounted for 17 billion metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent or 31% of human-made greenhouse gas emissions in 2019, according to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). That wasted food - including the energy used to produce and transport it, spoilage along the way and the food thrown out after rotting in household fridges - generates half of all global food system emissions, according to a March study published in the journal Nature Food. Food waste makes up about 25% of municipal solid waste in landfills in the United States, according to a recent study by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Persons: Brittany Hosea, Leah Douglas, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, mets, United Nations, Food, Agriculture Organization, FAO, Environmental Protection Agency, Thomson Locations: Vernalis , California, U.S, Dubai, Brazil, United States

☆ 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

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Dec 1(Reuters) - The Ethereum blockchain's historical greenhouse gas emissions before a major software upgrade last year were equivalent to the yearly emissions of Honduras, a University of Cambridge study showed on Friday. From its launch in 2015 until the Merge, Ethereum's greenhouse gas emissions totalled 27.5 million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e), the study showed. Its current yearly emissions are around 2.8 kilotonnes carbon dioxide equivalent, the study found - around the same as five round-trip flights from London to New York. It is generally thought that blockchain is "a highly emitting technology," said Anna Lerner, executive director at the Ethereum Climate Platform, an organisation that seeks to use blockchain tech to accelerate climate finance. The annual emissions of Bitcoin, the largest blockchain and cryptocurrency, are therefore roughly equivalent to those of Cambodia in 2020, according to Climate Watch.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Anna Lerner, Ethereum, Alexander Neumueller, Neumueller, Tom Wilson, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: REUTERS, University of Cambridge, Global, Climate Watch, Reuters, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Honduras, Dubai, London, New York, Bitcoin, Cambodia

[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

CNN —The United States is receiving criticism for contributing an “embarrassing” amount of money to a new climate fund adopted Thursday at the COP28 talks in Dubai, offering a pledge more than five times lower than the United Arab Emirates . Some countries pledged money to the fund right after it was agreed. Money from rich nations must now begin flowing into the fund, they said. Several wealthy nations, including the United States, have been reluctant to tie countries’ obligations to their historic emissions. It’s also been contentious because wealthy nations have expressed concern that paying for such a fund could be seen as admission of climate liability.

Persons: Sultan Al Jaber, ”, Ani Dasgupta, Dasgupta, ” “, ” Dasgupta, Mohamed Adow, ” Adow, “, Biden, John Kerry, ” Tom Evans, ” Evans, “ they’re, It’s, Al Jaber —, ADNOC —, Al Jaber Organizations: CNN, United, United Arab Emirates, World Bank, Japan, World Resources Institute, Republican, Republicans, US Locations: United States, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, United Arab, Germany, UAE, COP28, Egypt

☆ Britain's King Charles in UAE to Urge Action on Climate at COP28
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Alexander CornwellDUBAI (Reuters) - Britain's King Charles began a visit to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, during which he will advocate for greater global action and accountability on climate change at the COP28 summit. It will be his first major speech on climate change since he became monarch in September 2022. Other world leaders including India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak are also expected to attend the talks. After a year of record temperatures, the pressure is on for this year's summit to accelerate action to limit climate change. Countries, however, are divided over the future of fossil fuel - the burning of which is the main cause of climate change.

Persons: Alexander Cornwell DUBAI, Britain's King Charles, Narendra Modi, Rishi Sunak, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, King Charles, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Nahyan, Simon Stiell, Bola Tinubu, Irfaan Ali, Watt, Alexander Cornwell, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Reuters, United Arab Emirates, India's, Britain's, U.S, United Arab, Organization of, Petroleum, UAE Prime Minister, First Nations, Scottish, Heriot Locations: Gulf, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, United Nations, British, UAE

☆ Countries at COP28 approve climate disaster fund deal details in early breakthrough
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A man wearing a thawb walks past flags of nations participating in the UNFCCC COP28 Climate Conference the day before its official opening on November 29, 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES — Countries at the U.N. COP28 summit on Thursday agreed on deal details for a disaster fund to help nations reeling from damages caused by the climate crisis. So far, the pledges to the fund include $100 million from Germany, $100 million from the United Arab Emirates, $17 million from the U.S. and $10 million from Japan. High-income countries, which account for the bulk of historical greenhouse gas emissions, have long opposed the creation of a loss and damage fund to compensate low-income nations. Avinash Persaud, special climate envoy to Barbados, said that the deal reflects "a hard fought historic agreement."

Persons: Friederike Roder, Roder, Avinash Persaud Organizations: United Arab Emirates, UNITED, EMIRATES, United Arab, Bank, Global Citizen Locations: Dubai, United Arab, COP28, United Arab Emirates, COP27, Egypt, Germany, U.S, Japan, Barbados

☆ Emerging world needs climate finance and to burn coal, India says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Mukesh Gupta/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW DELHI, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Emerging economies need climate finance, help with technology and the right to pursue development, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday before leaving for the UN climate summit in Dubai. The COP28 summit opened in Dubai on Thursday for two weeks of talks. Emerging powers, including India and China, often blame the developed world for having used more than its share of the available carbon resources. Earlier on Thursday, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said coal would remain India's main source of energy for years to come. "Coal is, and would, remain an important part of India's energy needs," he told reporters.

Persons: Mukesh Gupta, Narendra Modi, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, Kwatra, Sarita Chaganti Singh, Jacqueline Wong, Miral Fahmy, Barbara Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, India's, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Jammu, DELHI, Dubai, India, China, France, United States, COP28

☆ Britain's King Charles in UAE to urge action on climate at COP28
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Alexander Cornwell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DUBAI, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Britain's King Charles began a visit to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, during which he will advocate for greater global action and accountability on climate change at the COP28 summit. It will be his first major speech on climate change since he became monarch in September 2022. After a year of record temperatures, the pressure is on for this year's summit to accelerate action to limit climate change. Countries, however, are divided over the future of fossil fuel - the burning of which is the main cause of climate change. [1/6]Britain’s King Charles arrives to meet the students at Heriot-Watt University Dubai, during the COP28 summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, November 30, 2023.

Persons: Britain's King Charles, Narendra Modi, Rishi Sunak, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, King Charles, Alexander Cornwell, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Nahyan, Simon Stiell, Bola Tinubu, Irfaan Ali, Watt, Barbara Lewis Organizations: United Arab Emirates, India's, Britain's, U.S, United Arab, Organization of, Petroleum, Heriot, Watt University Dubai, REUTERS, UAE Prime Minister, First Nations, Scottish, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, Gulf, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, United Arab, United Nations, British, UAE

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

☆ Are the COP climate summits working? These countries are going to the courts, instead
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Ella Nilsen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“It is a recipe for permanent climate chaos and suffering.”Yet the UN climate summit, known as COP, is tedious. Even fierce climate advocates who agree COP should be more ambitious still believe the summit is a powerful and worthwhile endeavor. “There is a lot of questioning whether this process will deliver or not,” Ani Dasgupta, president and CEO of international climate nonprofit World Resources Institute, told CNN. In this June 2017 photo, President Donald Trump after announcing his intention to abandon the Paris Agreement in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC. Doug Mills/The New York Times/ReduxStill, former and current US negotiators say climate diplomacy has helped keep the world’s temperature from reaching truly alarming highs.

Persons: António Guterres, ” Guterres, Paris, Payam Akhavan, ” Akhavan, ” Ani Dasgupta, ’ COP’s, ”, Sue Biniaz, John Kerry, Frances F, Denny, Biniaz, ” Biniaz, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Doug Mills, Jonathan Pershing, William, Flora Hewlett, Pershing, ” Pershing, “, Todd Stern, Jens Astrup, Stern, “ It’s, ” Stern, it’s, It’s, Margaretha Wewerinke, Singh, Mitzi Jonelle Tan, Peter Dejong, Hailey Campbell, ’ ”, Campbell Organizations: CNN, United Nations, Law, United, Resources Institute, Yale University, The New York Times, “, ”, White, New York Times, Kerry, Bella Center, Getty, US, Republicans, International Court of Justice Locations: Paris, Small, States, Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Antigua, Barbuda, Dubai, COP28, United States, New Haven , Connecticut, Rose, Washington , DC, Copenhagen, AFP, Europe, Mississippi, Philippines, Sharm el, Sheikh, Egypt, Hawaii, Honolulu

☆ A showdown is brewing over money, oil and carbon. Here's what's at stake at the COP28 climate summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Global temperatures and greenhouse gas emissions continue to break records, with no continent left untouched by more frequent and intense extreme weather events. MoneyClimate finance is always a hotly debated talking point at the U.N. summit and COP28 promises to be no different. She anticipated three main debates around the use of oil, gas and coal — the burning of which is the chief driver of the climate crisis. "So, one is this 'phase out' or 'phase down' [of fossil fuels]. There is no credible scenario where CCS will allow continued use of fossil fuels, let alone expanding oil and gas.

Persons: Sean Gallup, HENRY NICHOLLS, Henry Nicholls, COP28, Alex Scott, Rich, Sultan al, Jaber, LUIS TATO, Luis Tato, Melanie Robinson, Robinson, Sultan Al Jaber, Francois Walschaerts Organizations: AG, Getty, United Arab Emirates, InterContinental, Fossil, Energy Intelligence, Afp, Organization for Economic Cooperation, Development, Getty Images, Abu, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, Climate, World Resources Institute, CNBC, CCS Locations: Salzgitter, Germany, Dubai, Bonn, COP28, London, AFP, E3G, Egypt, COP27, UAE, Garissa, Africa, El Nino, Abu Dhabi, WRI, Brussels

Here's a rough guide to the jargon being used in Dubai at COP28, this year's United Nations climate change conference. The term "climate change" is used more broadly to describe global warming and its consequences, including variable weather extremes. GHGs include a myriad of gases, but the most impactful — methane and carbon dioxide — are also referred to as "carbon emissions" because both molecules contain carbon. The world's excess carbon emissions come mostly from the burning of fossil fuels and other industrial activities. UNFCCC - The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is the treaty adopted in 1992 agreeing to halt climate change.

Persons: Amanda Perobelli, COP21, NDCs, Gloria Dickie, Katy Daigle, Rod Nickel, Aurora Ellis Organizations: United Nations, Paris, Thomson Locations: Amazonia, Nova Xavantina, Mato Grosso, Brazil, Dubai, COP28, United Nations, China, PARIS, Paris, Glasgow, COP27, London

Greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels are the biggest cause of climate change. "We have a world which has more fossil fuels than ever," said Ani Dasgupta, president of the World Resources Institute, a climate NGO. U.S. officials and others are hopeful a recent climate deal between the U.S. and China may also set a positive tone for the talks. Another test is whether wealthy nations announce money for the fund at COP28 - to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. "Speaking from previous experience, unfortunately most of the global agreements, most of the global climate related pledges went uncompleted," said Najib Ahmed, National Consultant at Somalia's Climate Ministry.

Persons: Sultan al, Jaber, ADNOC, Ani Dasgupta, Narendra Modi, Britain's King Charles, Joe Biden, Gayane, Najib Ahmed, Valerie Volcovici, Josie Kao Organizations: OPEC, United Nations, International Energy Agency, BBC, World Resources Institute, Indian, European Union, Reuters, U.S, FINANCE, EU, Climate Ministry, “, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, WASHINGTON, BRUSSELS, Dubai, UAE, U.S, China, India

Scientists have said carbon removal is needed to keep climate goals alive. Otherwise, the enormous price tag for world-scale carbon removal would need to fall to governments if there is any chance of these projects surviving. A major concern is that DAC technology is both expensive and unproven at scale. More mature carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, which traps emissions at a point source like a smokestack, also requires a rapid scale up to make a difference. Their money will be made instead by marketing carbon removal credits to corporations not involved in fossil fuels that wish to offset unavoidable emissions, or to governments seeking to stay on track with climate targets.

Persons: Climeworks, ”, Vikrum Aiyer, Sultan al, Jaber, Vicki Hollub, Mike Avery, Christoph Gebald, Richard Valdmanis, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Occidental Petroleum, BlackRock, U.S ., Occidental, 28th United, OPEC, United Arab, International Energy Agency, IEA, Global CCS Institute, Stratos, DAC, Department of Energy, Thomson Locations: Tracy , California, Texas, In Louisiana, 28th United Nations, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Louisiana, Iceland, California, U.S, UAE, Occidental

☆ Virgin Atlantic plane will fly from London to New York with 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel. Experts say it’s not a fix
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Jacopo Prisco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —For the first time, a transatlantic flight operated by a commercial airline will be powered by 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) — a type of plane fuel that bears the promise of a much lower climate impact than traditional ones. The flight is the latest in a series of recent tests involving 100% SAF. Days earlier, business jet maker Gulfstream completed what it billed as the world’s first transatlantic flight using 100% SAF. Large twin-engine jets have performed flights using 100% SAF on both engines before, but these flights involved military aircraft. “One flight on 100% alternative fuel isn’t going to change the fact that 99.9% of aviation fuel is fossil fuel and there’s no great option for feedstock (raw materials) that can be scaled up sustainably,” she says.

Persons: Virgin Atlantic, Cat Hewitt, Hewitt, we’re, there’s, Giuseppe Cacace, Graham Hutchings, ”, “, ” Matteo Mirolo, ” Hewitt Organizations: CNN, Aviation Fuel, New York’s JFK, Virgin Atlantic, Boeing, Virgin, SAF, UK Civil Aviation Authority, Emirates, Airbus, Gulfstream, International Air Transport Association, Aviation Environment Federation, An, An Emirates Airbus, Getty, Royal Society, European Federation for Transport Locations: London Heathrow, New York’s, An Emirates, AFP

The United States, European Union and many climate-vulnerable countries are insisting on a final COP28 deal that commits countries to phase out fossil fuels. While the International Energy Agency says these emissions-abatement technologies are crucial for meeting global climate goals, they are also expensive and not currently used on a large scale. But the EU and some climate-vulnerable countries insist on pairing this pledge to boost renewables with phasing out fossil fuels, setting up a clash. FINANCING FOR THE COSTS OF CLIMATE CHANGETackling climate change and its consequences will take an astonishing amount of investment - far more than the world has budgeted so far. At COP28, countries will be tasked with setting up a "loss and damage" fund to help with this, which developing nations say should unlock at least $100 billion by 2030.

Persons: Sultan al, Jaber, Kate Abnett, Katy Daigle, Josie Kao Organizations: European, COP28, International Energy Agency, European Union, EU, U.S, United Arab Emirates, Thomson Locations: Dubai, Paris, COP26, United States, European Union, Russia, UAE, EU, China, COP28

Here are some of the main players and negotiating blocs involved in the COP28 conference starting Nov. 30 in Dubai. In climate negotiations, Beijing argues that wealthy developed countries like the United States, the biggest historical CO2 emitter, should move first and fastest in climate policy and finance. Despite having the world's second largest economy after the United States, China considers itself as a developing nation in the climate talks. But U.S. delegates will face pressure for climate finance after Washington pledged no new climate cash to the United Nations this year. AFRICAN GROUP OF NEGOTIATORSAfrican countries will be pushing at COP28 for climate finance and financial mechanisms to speed up green energy projects.

Persons: Rula, Kate Abnett, Katy Daigle, Josie Kao Organizations: Abu Dhabi Sustainability, REUTERS, UNITED, Washington, United Nations, EU, GROUP, Marshall, European Union, Thomson Locations: UAE, Abu Dhabi, Dubai . CHINA China, China, Beijing, United States, U.S, Union, United, United Kingdom, London, Brazil, South Africa, India, Saudi Arabia, CHINA, Kenya, Ethiopia, Senegal, Mozambique, Vanuatu, Costa Rica

☆ How climate change got sucked into the culture wars
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Laura Paddison | Ella Nilsen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

For an example of how climate change is increasingly becoming a flashpoint in the culture wars, Germany is a good place to start. Meanwhile, Spain’s far-right Vox party vowed to defend the country against “the new climate religion.”But to understand why climate change and the culture wars have become so enmeshed globally, experts say the United States probably holds the key. It’s effective, it does scare people.”The origins of the climate culture war in the US lie in the early 1990s, when a new push for global climate action collided with big geopolitical change, McCright said. Lightning rod for right wing mediaConservative media has played an outsized role in fueling culture war narratives, according to experts. Fox has “been laying the groundwork necessary for positioning climate policies as a culture war issue for a long time,” she said.

Persons: —, stoked, ”, Miranda Schreurs, Anger, Green, Kristin Brinker, Jörg, Stephan Lewandowsky, Rishi Sunak, “, ” Sunak, Vox, Ron DeSantis, ” DeSantis, Aaron McCright, McCright, ” McCright, ’, Brandon Bell, Lewandowsky, “ you’d, ” Alec Tyson, Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, Sen, Ed Markey, Allison Fisher, Fisher, Fox, didn’t, Ed Matthew, Matthew said, Jennie King, ” King, Germany —, Matthew of E3G, ” Schreurs, “ it’s Organizations: CNN, Green Party, Technical University of Munich, University of Bristol, British, Justice, Florida Gov, Republican, Michigan State University, Oil, Republicans, Pew Research, Pew, Conservative, Massachusetts, Green, Deal, Fox, Media, Institute for Strategic Locations: Germany, Charlottenburg, Berlin, Europe, United States, West Texas, Florida, American, Kyoto, Soviet Union, Federal, Midland , Texas, Alexandria, Cortez of New York

Michael Regan, the administrator of the EPA, speaks onstage with Daniel Yergin, the vice chairman of S&P Global, during the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston, Texas, U.S., March 9, 2023. The Community Change Grants are the single largest investment in environmental justice that has been made by an administration, and a key measure to achieve the administration's goal of ensuring that 40% of federal clean energy investment benefits flow to disadvantaged communities. The Biden administration's spending on climate and environmental justice measures has been under scrutiny by Republican lawmakers seeking to undercut the president's climate agenda. "This historic, unprecedented funding has the promise to turn disadvantaged and overburdened areas into healthy, resilient, and thriving communities for current and future generations,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said. The EPA will review applications on a rolling basis and encouraged applicants to apply as early as possible.

Persons: Michael Regan, Daniel Yergin, Callaghan O'Hare, Valerie Volcovici, Franklin Paul Organizations: P Global, REUTERS, Rights, Biden, Republican, EPA, Virgin, Franklin Paul Our, Thomson Locations: Houston , Texas, U.S, Alaska, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Guam, Mexico

☆ Spent coffee grounds could make concrete stronger
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Jacopo Prisco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —If your morning can’t start without coffee, you’re not alone: globally, we drink over 2 billion cups of coffee each day, leading to 60 million tons of wet, spent coffee grounds every year. There, like other organic compounds, coffee grounds decompose and release methane, a greenhouse gas 25 times more powerful than carbon dioxide at trapping heat. Now, researchers say coffee grounds could be used as an ingredient in concrete, and they could even make it stronger, according to a recent study. When the biochar is mixed with concrete, Roychand says, its particles act like tiny water reservoirs, distributed throughout the concrete. Roychad points out that waste collection is already mainstream, and that a number of companies in Australia are focusing on recycling coffee waste.

Persons: you’re, ”, Rajeev Roychand, Mohammad Saberian, Shannon Kilmartin, Lynch, Jordan Carter, Carelle Mulawa, “, Kypros, Roychand Organizations: CNN, School of Engineering, RMIT University, University of Sheffield Locations: Melbourne, Australia

Search resuls for: "Climate Impact"

25 mentions found