Developed nations should increase the financial and technical support they offer poorer countries so that they can achieve similar decarbonisation aims as wealthier countries, according to a senior official from Japan’s environment ministry. Wealthy countries made commitments in 2009 to transfer $100bn annually between 2020 and 2025 to vulnerable states affected by climate change, but so far this figure has not been met. Japan is committed to funding $70bn over the period. The G7 leaders are expected to reiterate their climate goals during their upcoming summit in Hiroshima, Japan.
A holiday home owner discovered decades-old litter on a Norfolk beach, including pre-decimalisation crisp packets. The longevity of single-use plastics raises concerns about the prospect of the current generation’s plastic trash returning to shore in 60 years’ time. Both crisp manufacturers and environmental experts are working to address the problem, with Fairfields Farm Crisps opting for biodegradable and thinner carbon-zero packaging and Walkers pledging to use 100% recycled or renewable content by 2030. Compostable packaging presents a solution, however the cost could put makers out of business. A compostable Two Farmers bag costs 12.5 pence compared with 1.6 pence for a standard bag.
If a wildfire threatens Yellowknife, what will the city do?
CBC
23-05-17 08:00
The Canadian city of Yellowknife has raised concerns over how it would deal with a wildfire after hundreds of evacuees fled to the city due to a blaze at the Kátł'odeeche First Nation reserve and nearby Hay River. While the city has an emergency management plan, it does not refer specifically to wildfires or include a detailed evacuation strategy. Instead, residents will receive instructions via newspapers, TV news and through the N.W.T.'s emergency alert system. The city would only consider an evacuation plan based on the fire's direction, but has not ensured a specific location for potential evacuees.
Italian authorities have evacuated thousands of people from their homes in the northern Emilia-Romagna region following devastating floods which left at least two people dead. Several rivers broke their banks, forcing people to take refuge on the roofs of buildings where they were rescued by firefighters. The situation remains precarious, however, as Titti Postiglione, the deputy head of the civil protection agency, warned: "Rainfall is not over, it will continue for several hours. We are facing a very, very complicated situation."
UK energy regulator Ofgem is reviewing policies to accelerate the connection of low-carbon energy schemes to the electricity grid. The UK has set a target to decarbonise electricity supplies by 2035 and reach net zero emissions by 2050. However, around 20% of generation capacity is currently due to wait a further 10 years before it will be connected, while more than 40% of such capacity will have to wait until 2030 or later.
Regulator Ofwat has increased demands for water companies in England and Wales to invest more into sewage infrastructure, following public pressure to reduce pollution levels in rivers, lakes, and seas. Despite paying out £1.4bn in dividends last year, water providers have been slow behind on spending targets with only three-fifths of the £2.2bn allocated to wastewater infrastructure for 2025 having actually been spent. The increased demand comes just as construction, finance, energy and labour costs are rising, which threatens the delivery of desired investment. Last month, Ofwat made the proposal to reapportion £1.6bn of expenditure planned for 2025 to 2030 to the next two financial years. More than £1bn of this is aimed at reducing the number of annual average spills from storm overflows, which was 301,091 recorded in 2022. The UK’s investment in water infrastructure is also reported to be lagging behind Europe.
Land O’Lakes’ carbon farming and sustainable agriculture arm Truterra paid US farmers $5.1m in 2022 for generating 262,000 metric tons of carbon savings, up from the $4m paid out in 2021 for 200,000 tons. The program is part of a growing area of business for agribusinesses such as Cargill and Corteva, which analyse satellite and weather data to assess emissions cuts through measures such as reduced tillage. Credits are then sold for companies to offset their own footprints, with Microsoft among Truterra’s largest buyers.
A new report from the World Meteorological Organization suggests there is a 66% chance the world will temporarily surpass the globally recognised temperature cap, outlined in the Paris climate agreement, of 1.5 degrees Celsius within the next five years. El Niño, which can cause spikes in temperature, is expected to cause this potential breach. The temporary breach in the cap is expected to be fleeting, but, if it becomes a regular occurrence, the risks associated with climate change will become much greater, causing more destruction and damage to ecosystems across the globe.
German Economy Minister Robert Habeck has been forced to fire a state secretary after he allowed government funds to be granted to an environmental organisation that was employing his sister. The sacking comes at a difficult time for Habeck's Green Party, which is already struggling to overcome a number of political scandals. A set of corruption allegations earlier this year is believed to have severely dented the party’s electability ratings.
The US Department of the Interior has announced a review of a potential land swap of the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge that could allow for a noncommercial road through the area. The exchange has been controversial due to concerns over the potential loss of habitat for birds near the Kinzarof Lagoon. An earlier land exchange between the department and the Alaska Native American-led King Cove Corporation, supported by the Trump administration, was scrapped by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland earlier this year.
Almost 250,000 flee floods in Somali city that 'became like an ocean'
Reuters
23-05-17 17:16
Floods in central Somalia resulting from the Shabelle river breaking its banks have caused nearly a quarter of a million people to leave their homes. The floods have struck even as the country is experiencing its most severe drought in 40 years. Aid agencies and scientists have blamed climate change for increasing such emergencies. Seasonal rains in Somalia and the Ethiopian highlands affected almost 500,000 people and killed 22. Over six seasons of low rainfall will need to be undone before vegetation will completely regrow and the adverse impact of the drought will be overcome, according to the UN humanitarian office.
A group of 25 US states led by Republicans has asked a federal judge in Texas to scrap a Biden administration rule allowing socially conscious investing by retirement plans. Lawyers contend that it will imperil Americans' retirement savings. Congress voted in March to repeal the rule, but Democratic President Joe Biden rejected the proposal in the first veto of his presidency. The Department of Labor says the rule failed to account for the positive impact of ESG investing can have on returns. The case is with U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a conservative appointee of former Republican President Donald Trump.
The US and parts of Canada could face energy shortages during extreme heat conditions this summer, according to a report from the North American Electric Reliability Corp. The group said areas including the US Midwest, Texas, the Southeast and New England, and Ontario in Canada, were at elevated risk of "insufficient operating reserves in above-normal conditions". The report listed several factors that posed reliability concerns, including coal-fired power plants limited due to new regulations, low water levels on reservoirs, unexpected issues with wind and solar resources and a lack of growth in generating resources in the US Southeast.
Pale Male, New York City’s famous red-tailed hawk, has died at the age of 33. The hawk was believed to have nested over Fifth Avenue since 1993, and brought a touch of the wild to the city. Pale Male, named after his whitish plumage, was found ill and lethargic in Central Park, and later died after wildlife rehabilitator Bobby Horvath and his team tried to save him. He survived several mates and has an unknown number of descendants. His breeding seasons had tapered off in recent years, which had led to rumours that another hawk had replaced him.
Canadian province Prince Edward Island requires 1,200 extra health-care workers over the next decade, according to a report from health consultancy Health Intelligence. The report points out that the larger number of necessary hires is due to an extensive health system reform plan, which includes adding nurses, pharmacists and doctors to the network. A less ambitious reform plan would necessitate just 245 new workers, the report added. The Health Intelligence report considers factors including worker migration, retirement and mortality, and identifies major health problems affecting the province including cancer, diabetes, chronic pulmonary disease and cardiovascular issues.
Brazil's government establishes committee for sustainable sovereign bond issuance
Reuters
23-05-17 19:50
Brazil is setting up an inter-ministerial committee, chaired by the Treasury Secretary, to develop a framework for issuing sustainable sovereign bonds. The bonds will be backed by budget allocations for sustainable development in environmental and social themes. The framework is expected to be completed ahead of the bond launch later in 2021. The move has been seen as an opportunity for Brazil to exhibit its sustainability credentials and to establish criteria for monitoring fund allocations and evaluating social and environmental impact. Brazil's government believes it will lay down guidelines for issuing sustainable bonds and position Brazil as a leading player in the environmental agenda.
Brazil has taken extra precautions to protect the country's poultry export industry from highly pathogenic avian influenza, which was detected in wild birds early this week. The virus risks $10bn of chicken exports if it infects commercial flocks in the country. The entire industry is monitoring the latest developments. Brazil has become a major sources of poultry and eggs as importing nations have banned chicken and turkey meat from countries with bird flu. Although cases have been identified in wild birds in Espirito Santo state, Brazilian officials say they do not expect the cases to have any trade impact.
If you think it's been a lot smokier in Calgary in recent summers — you're right
CBC
23-05-17 19:30
Smoke from wildfires in the US and Canada has increased significantly in Calgary, according to data from Environment and Climate Change Canada stretching back as far as 1952. The number of hours of smoke recorded has jumped in recent years, with 2021 setting a record with over 500 hours of smoke in Calgary. The increased smoke is "coming from any number of different sources, from the United States, through Alberta and British Columbia," warns meteorologist Terri Lang. She believes the increased area burned in Canada during the last four decades are the result of climate change, as temperature is the most important predictor of area burned.
Canada's Environment Minister has said that it would be illegal for Saskatchewan's coal-fired power plants to run beyond 2030 without capturing emissions. Coal-based power plants must either close, be converted to natural gas-fired facilities or use carbon capture by the end of 2029 under Canada's five-year-old regulations. If the rules are violated, it would be an offence under the Canadian Criminal Code. However, Saskatchewan's Premier has argued that the province must run the coal plants to keep affordable and reliable energy supplies until their scheduled retirement dates, which will go well beyond 2030.
Brazilian oil company Petrobras has failed in its attempt to drill a well at the mouth of the Amazon after state environmental protection agency Ibama rejected its request. The agency cited discrepancies in environmental studies, insufficiencies in the company’s plan to protect wildlife and inadequate measures for communicating with indigenous communities. Petrobras had planned to move into a new exploration zone on the north coast of the country, close to sites of recent discoveries made by Exxon Mobile.
