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☆ HIGHLIGHTS-What world leaders said at the Paris finance summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, June 22 (Reuters) - Following are highlights of what world leaders said at a summit in Paris on Thursday to boost crisis financing for poor countries, reform post-war financial systems and free up funds to tackle climate change. ON REFORM"Even with the capital that the World Bank and the MDBs (multinational development banks) have, there is clearly potential ...to increase financing capacity," said U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, whose country is the World Bank's biggest shareholder. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen delivers her speech at the U.S embassy to France, ahead of the Global Climate Finance conference, in Paris, France June 22, 2023 World leaders, heads of international organizations and activists are gathering in Paris for a two-day summit aimed at seeking better responses to tackle poverty and climate change issues by reshaping the global financial system. ON FAILURE OF INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL ARCHITECTURE"It is clear that the international financial architecture has failed in its mission to provide a global safety net for developing countries," said U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Reporting by Leigh Thomas, John Irish, Elizabeth Pineau, Silvia Aloisi; Editing by Christina FincherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Yellen, Lewis Joly, Emmanuel Macron, General Antonio Guterres, Leigh Thomas, John Irish, Elizabeth Pineau, Silvia Aloisi, Christina Fincher Organizations: World Bank, Treasury, U.S . Treasury, U.S, Global Climate Finance, Bank, Thomson Locations: Paris, U.S, France

☆ World Bank should add disaster clauses to debt agreements- Yellen
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Such clauses could be part of a broader reform of the World Bank to free up more funds, Yellen told journalists in the French capital. "We would also like to see the World Bank offer borrowers the option to add climate resilient debt clauses to their loan agreements. These clauses would help ease pressures on countries if a natural disaster strikes," she said. Yellen, whose country is the World Bank's biggest shareholder, added multilateral development banks should be reformed to become more efficient before shareholders think of injecting more money into them. "Even with the capital that the World Bank and the MDBs have there is clearly potential ...to increase financing capacity," she said, adding an additional 200 billion dollars could be unlocked over a decade.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Read, Yellen, Leigh Thomas, Silvia Aloisi, Toby Chopra Organizations: . Treasury, U.S, Global Climate Finance, World Bank, Bank, Thomson Locations: France, Paris, PARIS

☆ Opinion: If a 16 year old can drive, work, pay taxes – why can’t they vote?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Opinion Paul Hockenos | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

In Germany, this age group can vote in European elections, and the same goes for Belgium, on request. And, when Scotland held its referendum on Scottish independence back in 2014, it lowered the voting age from 18 to 16. In the US, some cities in the states of Maryland and California have lowered the voting age to 16 in certain local elections. The US-based NGO National Youth Rights Association argues that 16- and 17-year-olds should participate on decision making on medical autonomy, curfew, drinking age and age discrimination. “They work and are subject to taxation without representation: income tax, sales tax, payroll taxes and more… The US should continue its democratic tradition of extending voting rights,” he added.

Persons: Paul Hockenos, ”, Paul Hockenos Hayyan, –, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Grace Meng, Meng, ” Linda Kastrup, Neil Bhateja, Greta Thunberg, they’ll Organizations: CNN, New Democracy Party of Greek, YouTube, Facebook, European Union, Scotland, Scottish, Youth, Youth Rights Association, –, National Youth Rights Association, Twitter Locations: Berlin, Europe, New Berlin, Greece, Austria, Malta, EU, Germany, Belgium, Estonia, Maryland, California, New York, London, Bogota, Nairobi

Leaders are set to back a push for multilateral development banks like the World Bank to put more capital at risk to boost lending, according to a draft summit statement seen by Reuters. Citing the war in Ukraine, climate crisis, a fledgling pandemic recovery, widening disparity and declining progress, Banga said it was time the World Bank adopted a new vision. The summit aims to create multifaceted roadmaps that can be used over the next 18-24 months, ranging from debt relief to climate finance. Wealthy nations have yet to come good on climate finance that they promised as part of a past pledge to mobilize $100 billion a year, a key stumbling block at global climate talks. Though binding decisions are not expected, officials involved in the summit's planning said some strong commitments should be made about financing poor countries.

Persons: Ajay Banga, Banga, Mia Mottley, John Irish, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Glasgow, Summit, New Global Financial, World Bank, United Nations, Bank, Reuters, Barbados, Bridgetown Initiative, Bretton, International Monetary Fund, International Maritime Organization, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, PARIS, Africa, Ukraine, Banga, Bridgetown, French

☆ From ice cream to cattle feed: Here are the winners and losers as the summer heat bears down
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

With temperatures hitting all-time highs, consumers are turning to ice cream and chilled drinks to beat the heat — and analysts say some sectors could benefit. Several Southeast Asian cities hit record high temperatures in May as global climate change exacerbates heat waves and air pollution in the region. A street vendor selling bottles of chilled water amid high temperatures in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Tuesday, June 6, 2023. "Use of air-conditioning will skyrocket, benefiting the HVAC industry but leading to extremely high levels of energy usage," said Allison Malmsten, public research director at Daxue Consulting. Cattle feeding at a cattle farm on December 13, 2020 in Pingliang, Gansu Province of China.

Persons: Bain, Zara Lightowler, Kuo, David Kuo, Allison Malmsten, Daxue, Rice Organizations: Getty, Company's, Vitasoy, Cola, PepsiCo, Bloomberg, Unilever, Smart Investor ., Daxue Consulting, Visual China, Co's, Sustainability Locations: Srinagar, Indian, Kashmir, Asia, El, Southeast Asia, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Pingliang, Gansu Province, China, Laos, Malaysia

TOKYO, June 13 (Reuters) - Toyota (7203.T) faces an unprecedented challenge at its annual shareholder meeting on Wednesday, with some pension funds voting against Chairman Akio Toyoda on governance issues, while seeking more disclosures on the Japanese automaker's climate lobbying. Two prominent U.S. proxy advisers have flagged concern about Toyota's board independence. The step comes as companies across Japan face more pressure from investors, especially on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. The strong financial performance has meant concerns about board independence have largely been shrugged off, said Kazunori Suzuki of Waseda Business School. He enjoys strong support from individual investors and the many suppliers and Toyota group companies among its shareholders.

Persons: Akio Toyoda, Toyoda, Kentaro Shibata, Kazunori Suzuki, Anders Schelde, Denmark's, AkademikerPension, AkademikerPension's Schelde, Nicholas Benes, Benes, that's, Makiko Yamazaki, Maki Shiraki, Daniel Leussink, David Dolan, William Mallard, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Toyota, Nikkei, Waseda Business School, Tokyo, Exchange, Services, International Paralympic Committee, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Training, of Japan, Nissan, Honda, Reuters, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, New York, Japan, Toyota

☆ Climate change: The world's biggest companies have made almost no progress on limiting greenhouse gas emissions since 2018
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —The vast majority of the world’s biggest companies have done almost nothing in the past five years to cut their planet-heating pollution enough to avoid catastrophic climate change. Large companies are either more likely to contribute to extreme levels of warming or are not disclosing their greenhouse gas emissions at all, according to a new report from ESG Book, seen by CNN. Slow progressIn its analysis, ESG Book assigned “temperature scores” to companies based on publicly reported emission data and factors such as emission reduction targets to determine firms’ contribution to global climate goals. It accounted for direct emissions from operations as well as indirect emissions from use of the companies’ products. Still, slightly more than $1 trillion is expected to flow toward oil, gas and coal this year, significantly above the level consistent with the world reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, the IEA said.

Persons: ”, Daniel Klier, we’re, ” Klier, Fatih Birol Organizations: London CNN, CNN, Shell, BP, European Union, EU, International Energy Agency, World Meteorological Organization Locations: Paris, United States, United Kingdom, China, India

☆ Brazil Is Key to Slowing Global Warming. But Its Carbon Market Has Struggled.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Paulo Trevisani | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +8 min

With Brazil struggling in its efforts to create a regulated carbon market, the country’s new president is moving to scrap his predecessor’s approach and start anew. Financing carbon-capture projects such as reforestation could also generate carbon credits. For example, a local regulated carbon market could help exporters avoid the carbon border adjustment mechanism the EU plans to charge on some imported products from 2026. Exporters also hope a regulated market would help repair Brazil’s abysmal environmental reputation, a product of its history of deforestation. The da Silva administration plans to have a carbon market operating in a couple of years, Toni said.

Persons: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Jair Bolsonaro, ”, Gustavo Pinheiro, Luiz Gustavo Bezerra, Mayer Brown, Pelerson Penido Dalla Vecchia, Antônio Queiroz, Bezerra, Ana Toni, Silva, Toni, da Silva, Marina Silva, Annie Groth, “, Paulo Trevisani Organizations: Brazil, Climate, Society, Union, Vale, Agence France, group’s, International Chamber of Commerce, EU, Sustainable Business, National Secretariat, Street, Brazil’s Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade, Services, Environmental Ministry, United Nations Locations: Brazil, Paris, Braskem, Brazilian, Pennsylvania, Peru, Dubai

☆ Exxon and Chevron investors shoot down climate proposals after a year a record profits
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Investors shot down proposals urging Exxon and Chevron to set more ambitious climate targets. Climate-minded investors blame Big Oil's soaring profits and Republicans' criticism of ESG. "It's incomprehensible why investors are accepting this when they have more to worry about than the profits of Big Oil. Exxon in December said more than 70% of its capital investments in the coming years would flow to fossil-fuel development. "To be fair, we have seen change at Exxon in the last two years.

Persons: Big, Mark van Baal, Critics, Andrew Logan Organizations: Exxon, Chevron, Service, ExxonMobil, BlackRock, Vanguard, Big, Big Oil Locations: Ukraine

☆ Arnold Schwarzenegger: 'No one gives a s--- about' climate change — this is what it should be called instead
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Arnold Schwarzenegger says the global effort to mitigate the effects of climate change is being crippled by its fundamental communication problem. "As long as they keep talking about global climate change, they are not gonna go anywhere. 'Cause no one gives a s--- about that," Schwarzenegger told CBS' "Sunday Morning" correspondent Tracy Smith in a profile that aired Sunday. Pollution creates climate change, and pollution kills," Schwarzenegger said. The 75-year-old bodybuilder, actor, and former governor of California has become a public voice about climate change through his role as the host of the Austrian World Summit, a global climate change conference.

It would see the IMF and other MDBs "cut the excessive macro-risk premia on developing countries with $100 billion per year of foreign exchange guarantees", for financing in more volatile domestic currencies rather than the dollar or euro. A report by the World Bank and other big multilateral lenders said they gave $51 billion in 2021 alongside $13 billion from private finance. Outlines of the proposals have been sent to the key groups preparing the discussions over the last couple of weeks. "This is a call to arms" the source said, referring to the document and its intention to galvanise more concrete action from the IMF and multilateral lenders. The proposals put forward in the April document, which also include redistributing other IMF money, are likely to form a key part of the negotiating position of developing countries at the next round of annual climate talks in Dubai later this year.

PREVIEWBirol pointed to a “powerful alignment of major factors,” driving clean-energy spending higher, while spending on oil and other fossil fuels remains subdued. The Covid-19 pandemic appears to have marked a turning point for global energy spending, the IEA’s data shows. While clean-energy spending has boomed, spending on fossil fuels has been tepid. Investments in clean energy and fossil fuels were largely neck-and-neck in the years leading up to the pandemic, but have diverged sharply since. “If there is not enough investment globally to reduce the oil demand growth and there is no investment at the same time [in] upstream oil we may see further volatility in global oil prices,” Birol said.

The European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE), hosted in Geneva, kicks off on Tuesday and brings together everyone from brokers, planemakers to engine producers. CO2 emissions from private jets in Europe grew by 31% between 2005 and 2019, according to environmental group Transport and Environment. Protesters are expected to gather on Tuesday outside the conference location in Geneva to highlight the rising number of private jet flights amidst a worsening global climate crisis. "The big innovations are usually deployed first in our industry," Kok said. Business jet flights have dropped in Europe by around 6% compared with the same time in 2022, WINGX data showed.

Its oil deals with Russia are seen as undermining Western sanctions by allowing Russia to continue benefiting from energy revenues. A French presidential source told reporters that Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva would also meet Zelenskiy while in Hiroshima. [1/9] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrives at Hiroshima airport for attending the G7 leaders' summit in Mihara, Hiroshima prefecture, western Japan May 20, 2023., in this photo released by Kyodo. A Chinese foreign ministry statement accused the G7 of attacking China and interfering in its internal affairs, including Taiwan. Reporting by Reuters G7 team in Hiroshima; Writing by David Dolan; Editing by Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ahead of financing summit, France lobbies G7 over Africa debt, climate impact
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( John Irish | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

France will host on June 22-23 the "Summit for a New Global Financial Pact", which will tackle reform of multilateral development banks (MDB), the debt crisis, financing for green technologies, the creation of new international taxes and financing instruments, and special drawing rights. "It's urgent for us to act and rethink collectively the international financing architecture," a French presidential official said, adding that Paris had lobbied its G7 partners ahead of next month's conference. "Today we have a network of development banks in the world which finance international solidarity and which find themselves limited in their capacity to act." "Africa is heavily indebted and we are paying the price of crises that have followed, including now the Ukraine crisis, so the G7 has a responsibility," one French official said. Wealthy nations have yet to come good on climate finance that they promised as part of a past pledge to mobilize $100 billion a year, a key stumbling block at global climate talks.

The April meeting of G7 climate ministers eventually agreed, despite tussles between Japan and European nations, that gas investments "can be appropriate to help address potential market shortfalls" following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the disruption it has caused in global energy markets. Saturday's G7 leaders statement at their summit in Japan's Hiroshima changed the language - eventually formulated by Germany, sources say - to include gas investments again, with the G7 saying it was "necessary to accelerate the phase-out of our dependency on Russian energy". DEFENDING THE STANCEGerman government officials rejected that criticism, saying investments are needed to get away from Russian gas and find a replacement. The G7 pledged to achieve a net-zero emissions goal by 2050 and to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Max Lawson, head of inequality policy at activist group Oxfam, said the G7 had maintained a loophole for new fossil gas investments using the Russian military conflict with Ukraine "as an excuse."

☆ Charm Industrial is getting $53 million for turning agricultural waste into oil that can be pumped underground to lock away carbon dioxide for 1 million years
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The company says the oil hardens within days and it estimates the carbon dioxide is locked away for 1 million years. That's far more than the 6,055 tons that Charm Industrial has removed to date under pilot programs. Meeting that global climate goal will likely require billions of metric tons of carbon dioxide to be removed from the atmosphere by 2050. Startups like Climeworks are using fans to suck carbon dioxide out of the sky, while others are using enhanced weathering that speeds up the natural ability of minerals to store carbon dioxide. For its part, Charm Industrial buys agricultural waste from farmers and heats it to high temperatures in a contraption called a pyrolyzer.

Japan's insistence on continuing to rely on gas may delay reaching global climate change goals, especially as its energy companies reap large profits from their investments in the sector, climate activists say. "But I think Japanese companies will generally hesitate to be involved in gas projects in the future, especially those with long lead times. Japan's support for gas clashes with findings that new investments in gas, which is mainly composed of the greenhouse gas methane and produces CO2 emissions when burned for energy, would undermine climate goals. But, gas investments have been lucrative for Japan's energy companies resulting in record profits. But, Japan's stated intention to lower its carbon emissions may mean these gas investments carry some risk.

☆ Southeast Asia hit with record-breaking heat and heavy air pollution
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Emma Newburger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Several cities in Southeast Asia experienced sweltering temperatures over the weekend, with some areas hitting new all-time highs as global climate change intensifies both heat waves and air pollution in the region. Luang Prabang, a city in Laos, saw a record-high temperature of 110.3 degrees Fahrenheit (43.5 degrees Celsius) Saturday, according to the Thai Meteorological Department. Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand, also experienced a record-high temperature of 105.8 degrees Fahrenheit (41 degrees Celsius) over the weekend. Singapore hit 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius) Saturday, matching its all-time record, which was recorded 40 years ago, the National Environment Agency said. Southeast Asia is one of the regions most vulnerable to climate change, which has fueled more frequent and severe heat waves and worsened the region's air pollution.

☆ Inside Canada's polar bear 'jail' where bears go without food and are kept behind bars — but it's not what you might think
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Crystal Raypole | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

The town's Polar Bear Holding Facility, aka "jail", helps bears and humans live harmoniously. It's the only town in the world where people and polar bears live in close proximity — and the only town that has a polar bear "jail", aka the Polar Bear Holding Facility. Humans generally don't make up part of a polar bear's diet, but a starving bear won't be picky. Its second main goal is protecting polar bears, currently classified as a vulnerable species. What to do if you encounter a polar bearA polar bear on one of the last shards of ice in Hudson Bay.

☆ Even if Erdogan Loses the Election, Turkey Is in Trouble - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Cihan Tugal | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Two of the opposition parties are headed by high-profile former members of the A.K.P. The other, Ahmet Davutoglu, is widely credited with its approach to foreign policy. The shift away from Mr. Babacan’s market-friendly policies was effectively enforced by a contraction in world markets a decade ago. In power, the shaky but real benefits of the A.K.P.’s ever-shifting mix and match of market-oriented and statist policies cemented these ties with the people. Without a clear alternative to the status quo, many people will stick with the political leadership they know.

☆ China says imperative to stabilise Sino-US relations
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BEIJING, May 8 (Reuters) - China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang said on Monday it is imperative to stabilise Sino-U.S. relations after a series of "erroneous words and deeds" threw ties back into a deep freeze. In response, Beijing severed formal communications channels with the United States including one between their militaries. "A series of erroneous words and deeds by the United States since then have undermined the hard-won positive momentum of Sino-U.S. relations," Qin told Burns, the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement. "The top priority is to stabilise Sino-U.S. relations, avoid a downward spiral and prevent any accidents between China and the United States," Qin said. Last month, China staged war games around Taiwan after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met with U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles.

☆ El Niño, Global Weather Pattern Tied to Intense Heat, Is Expected by Fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Elena Shao | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Forecasters from the World Meteorological Organization are reporting increased chances that the global climate pattern known as El Niño will arrive by the end of summer. With it comes increased chances for hotter-than-normal temperatures in 2024. While there is not yet a clear picture of how strong the El Niño event will be or how long it might last, even a relatively mild one could affect precipitation and temperature patterns around the world. “The development of an El Niño will most likely lead to a new spike in global heating and increase the chance of breaking temperature records,” said Petteri Taalas, the secretary general of the meteorological organization, in a news release.

BERLIN, May 3 (Reuters) - U.S. climate envoy John Kerry said on Wednesday China has invited him to visit "in the near term" for talks on averting a global climate change crisis even as diplomatic relations between the world's two biggest greenhouse gas emitters remain tense. The United States and China must work together to address climate change, Kerry said in an interview with Reuters on the sidelines of a conference on global warming in Berlin. China, for example, first must issue its plan to reduce methane emissions and advance in the transition away from coal, Kerry added. "We're not pointing fingers and we're not out there trying to, you know, make this part of the other issues that are out there" between the United States and China, Kerry added. "This (climate change) is a free-standing issue which affects China as it affects the United States."

☆ Exclusive: India, China propose 'multiple pathways' on cutting use of fossil fuels-sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Sarita Chaganti Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Multiple pathways for energy transition would enable countries to choose resources, even coal, while working towards plans on net zero emissions. Officials said it was the first time India used the phrase 'multiple pathways' in global climate negotiations against repeated demands by Western nations to end coal usage. At the G20 meeting last month, India kept the focus on fossil fuels, rather than singling out coal, the third official said. India and China, the world's two most populous countries, have often taken common positions at international climate change negotiations, despite long-standing border disputes. The G20 includes the G7 countries as well as Russia, China, India, Brazil, Australia and Saudi Arabia, among other nations.

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