Jubilee Debt Campaign&nbsp;has found that lower-income countries spend approximately five times more on debt than they spend coping with the effects of climate change and reducing carbon emissions.

The charity's figures show that 34 of the world's poorest countries spend $29.4 billion a year on debt repayments, compared with $5.4 billion (£3.9 billion) spent on climate change measures.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/75-of-europeans-are-more-concerned-about-the-climate-crisis-than-their-governments-survey-424428">75% of Europeans are more concerned about the climate crisis than their governments: Survey</a>

Africa's largest country Uganda has pledged that it would spend $537million between 2016 and 2020 ($107.4 million annually) on climate-related projects to adapt its infrastructure and handle climate emergencies. This includes funds from international agencies and donors.

However, the budget of $107.4 million is dwarfed by the external debt payments of $739 million in 2021, which will rise to $1.35 billion in 2025.

According to the charity, Uganda is not the only low-income country that will have to find extra cash to pay debt interest over the next four years. Jubilee Debt Campaign estimates 34 countries covered by its research will spend seven times more on debt payments in 2025 than limiting the effects of climate change.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explainer-sticking-points-at-the-un-climate-conference-424447">Explainer | Sticking points at the UN climate conference</a>

Heidi Chow, executive director of the Jubilee Debt Campaign, says that lower-income countries will discuss the implications of this outstanding debt on their ability to combat climate change at the upcoming COP26 meeting.

She says it's troubling that lower-income countries are repaying billions of dollars in debt to rich countries, banks, and international financial institutions at a time when those resources are desperately needed to combat climate change.

Chow added that wealthy polluting nations need to stop shirking their responsibilities and provide climate financing through grants and cancellation of debts.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/on-current-climate-plans-world-faces-27c-temperature-rise-warns-un-424453" hreflang="en">On current climate plans, world faces 2.7C temperature rise, warns UN</a>

Over the last two decades, a number of international organizations, including the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have encouraged developing countries to use bank loans and bonds to fund development projects.

With regular repayments, the borrower expected interest rates to fall over time. Yet low-income countries routinely pay more than 10 per cent interest on loans compared to rich countries, which pay an average of 1.5 to 2.5 per cent.

During the pandemic, the IMF provided insurance to lower the debt interest payments of low-income countries, but this did not cover Chinese debts.

Rich countries were supposed to provide $100bn a year in funding to reduce climate change under an agreement made at the UN climate talks in Copenhagen in 2009.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;UN sounds alarm on climate crisis ahead of high stakes COP26 summit

<iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/un-sounds-alarm-on-climate-crisis-ahead-of-high-stakes-cop26-summit-424362/embed" width="560"></iframe>

Ahead of Cop26, UK cabinet minister Alok Sharma expressed confidence that the target would be met by 2023.

However, according to Jubilee Debt Campaign, over two-thirds of the climate finance given so far has been in the form of loans, further aggravating the debt crisis in lower-income countries.

Jubilee Debt Campaign has found that lower-income countries spend approximately five times more on debt than they spend coping with the effects of climate change and reducing carbon emissions.

Jubilee Debt Campaign has found that lower-income countries spend approximately five times more on debt than they spend coping with the effects of climate change and reducing carbon emissions. The charity's figures show that 34 of the world's poorest countries spend $29.4 billion a year on debt repayments, compared with $5.4 billion (£3.9 billion) spent on climate change measures. Also Read | 75% of Europeans are more concerned about the climate crisis than their governments: Survey Africa's largest country Uganda has pledged that it would spend $537million between 2016 and 2020 ($107.4 million annually) on climate-related projects to adapt its infrastructure and handle climate emergencies. This includes funds from international agencies and donors. However, the budget of $107.4 million is dwarfed by the external debt payments of $739 million in 2021, which will rise to $1.35 billion in 2025. According to the charity, Uganda is not the only low-income country that will have to find extra cash to pay debt interest over the next four years. Jubilee Debt Campaign estimates 34 countries covered by its research will spend seven times more on debt payments in 2025 than limiting the effects of climate change. Also Read | Explainer | Sticking points at the UN climate conference Heidi Chow, executive director of the Jubilee Debt Campaign, says that lower-income countries will discuss the implications of this outstanding debt on their ability to combat climate change at the upcoming COP26 meeting. She says it's troubling that lower-income countries are repaying billions of dollars in debt to rich countries, banks, and international financial institutions at a time when those resources are desperately needed to combat climate change. Chow added that wealthy polluting nations need to stop shirking their responsibilities and provide climate financing through grants and cancellation of debts. Also read | On current climate plans, world faces 2.7C temperature rise, warns UN Over the last two decades, a number of international organizations, including the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have encouraged developing countries to use bank loans and bonds to fund development projects. With regular repayments, the borrower expected interest rates to fall over time. Yet low-income countries routinely pay more than 10 per cent interest on loans compared to rich countries, which pay an average of 1.5 to 2.5 per cent. During the pandemic, the IMF provided insurance to lower the debt interest payments of low-income countries, but this did not cover Chinese debts. Rich countries were supposed to provide $100bn a year in funding to reduce climate change under an agreement made at the UN climate talks in Copenhagen in 2009. Watch | UN sounds alarm on climate crisis ahead of high stakes COP26 summit Ahead of Cop26, UK cabinet minister Alok Sharma expressed confidence that the target would be met by 2023. However, according to Jubilee Debt Campaign, over two-thirds of the climate finance given so far has been in the form of loans, further aggravating the debt crisis in lower-income countries.

Poor nations to spend five times as much on debt as they do against climate change: Report

This year, Florida has been dealing with a massive die-off of manatees, with 959 documented deaths as of Oct. 1. This has already been the deadliest year on record, and according to state estimates, further colder weather may cause another wave of deaths among the estimated 7,500 to 10,200 manatees along both Florida coasts.

Manatee deaths this year are expected to double the 593 recorded in 2020, and exceed the state's latest five-year average of 146 deaths, with no end to the die-off in sight.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iucns-red-list-puts-focus-back-on-worlds-endangered-species-410901">IUCN’s Red List puts focus back on world's endangered species</a>

"There is a huge sense of urgency," said Gil McRae, director of the state Fish and Wildlife Research Institute. "We're uncertain how long it's (high manatee deaths) going to be."

Who is to blame? Because of fertiliser runoff, wastewater discharges and deliberately diverted water from Lake Okeechobee to coastal estuaries, the seagrass on which so-called sea cows rely is dying.

Additionally, these pollutants can lead to algae blooms so dense that seagrass cannot get enough sunlight to survive. Since 2009, 58 per cent of the seagrass in the Indian River Lagoon has been lost.

Florida is at a crossroads with regards to water quality and climate, says JP Brooker, Florida director for the Ocean Conservancy environmental group.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/koalas-may-get-an-unfortunate-bump-up-from-vulnerable-to-endangered-392426">Koalas may get an unfortunate bump up: From vulnerable to endangered</a>

Because of human activity, Florida waters have become inhospitable to them, he added. “It's not just our manatees at risk, it's a coast-wide ecological problem.”

Florida legislators have approved $8 million in state funding for a manatee habitat restoration programme. However, with cooler winter months ahead, more manatees are likely to starve before the restoration work is complete if they congregate in warmer waters.

“Seagrass restoration doesn't happen overnight. We can't really start planting seagrass until we have water quality improvements,” said Michael Sole, vice chairman of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

“The winter is coming.”

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/polar-bears-return-to-pacific-arctic-for-first-time-in-20-years-423062">Polar bears return to Pacific Arctic for first time in 20 years</a>

During the upcoming legislative session, the commission is asking for an additional $7 million for projects such as seagrass restoration and manatee rehabilitation centres. Researchers are also studying whether humans can feed manatees without harming them, McRae said at a hearing last week.

“Those of you that have paid attention to feeding wildlife know that almost universally, it does more harm than good,” McRae told lawmakers.&nbsp;

But if the manatees' numbers keep plummeting, “there's a possibility some level of supplemental feeding might be in order,” he said.

Manatees have struggled to withstand humans for decades. Boat strikes kill dozens of the slow-moving animals despite no-wake zones in areas the animals frequent, and many more bear lifelong scars from such encounters. There are also threats from red tide outbreaks and unusually cold weather.

Watch |&nbsp;Amid food scarcity, Florida manatees dying in record numbers

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/amid-food-scarcity-florida-manatees-dying-in-record-numbers-424500/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<div>These gentle giants can weigh as much as 1,200 pounds (550 kilogrammes) and live up to 65 years or so. The manatee is Florida's official state mammal and is closely related to elephants.</div>

Fish and Wildlife Service listed manatees as endangered in 1966, a designation that was downgraded to threatened in 2016. In an attempt to increase the chances of long-term recovery for manatees, a new campaign is underway to list the animals as endangered once again.

This year, Florida has been dealing with a massive die-off of manatees, with 959 documented deaths as of Oct. 1. This has already been the deadliest year on record, and according to state estimates, further colder weather may cause another wave of deaths among the estimated 7,500 to 10,200 manatees along both Florida coasts.

This year, Florida has been dealing with a massive die-off of manatees, with 959 documented deaths as of Oct. 1. This has already been the deadliest year on record, and according to state estimates, further colder weather may cause another wave of deaths among the estimated 7,500 to 10,200 manatees along both Florida coasts. Manatee deaths this year are expected to double the 593 recorded in 2020, and exceed the state's latest five-year average of 146 deaths, with no end to the die-off in sight. Also read | IUCN’s Red List puts focus back on world's endangered species "There is a huge sense of urgency," said Gil McRae, director of the state Fish and Wildlife Research Institute. "We're uncertain how long it's (high manatee deaths) going to be." Who is to blame? Because of fertiliser runoff, wastewater discharges and deliberately diverted water from Lake Okeechobee to coastal estuaries, the seagrass on which so-called sea cows rely is dying. Additionally, these pollutants can lead to algae blooms so dense that seagrass cannot get enough sunlight to survive. Since 2009, 58 per cent of the seagrass in the Indian River Lagoon has been lost. Florida is at a crossroads with regards to water quality and climate, says JP Brooker, Florida director for the Ocean Conservancy environmental group. Also read | Koalas may get an unfortunate bump up: From vulnerable to endangered Because of human activity, Florida waters have become inhospitable to them, he added. “It's not just our manatees at risk, it's a coast-wide ecological problem.” Florida legislators have approved $8 million in state funding for a manatee habitat restoration programme. However, with cooler winter months ahead, more manatees are likely to starve before the restoration work is complete if they congregate in warmer waters. “Seagrass restoration doesn't happen overnight. We can't really start planting seagrass until we have water quality improvements,” said Michael Sole, vice chairman of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. “The winter is coming.” Also read | Polar bears return to Pacific Arctic for first time in 20 years During the upcoming legislative session, the commission is asking for an additional $7 million for projects such as seagrass restoration and manatee rehabilitation centres. Researchers are also studying whether humans can feed manatees without harming them, McRae said at a hearing last week. “Those of you that have paid attention to feeding wildlife know that almost universally, it does more harm than good,” McRae told lawmakers. But if the manatees' numbers keep plummeting, “there's a possibility some level of supplemental feeding might be in order,” he said. Manatees have struggled to withstand humans for decades. Boat strikes kill dozens of the slow-moving animals despite no-wake zones in areas the animals frequent, and many more bear lifelong scars from such encounters. There are also threats from red tide outbreaks and unusually cold weather. Watch | Amid food scarcity, Florida manatees dying in record numbers These gentle giants can weigh as much as 1,200 pounds (550 kilogrammes) and live up to 65 years or so. The manatee is Florida's official state mammal and is closely related to elephants. Fish and Wildlife Service listed manatees as endangered in 1966, a designation that was downgraded to threatened in 2016. In an attempt to increase the chances of long-term recovery for manatees, a new campaign is underway to list the animals as endangered once again.

Humanity's latest victim: Amid food scarcity, Florida manatees dying in record numbers

According to the report by leading anti poverty charity group poor countries spend five times more debt than coping with impact of climate change.

The report comes ahead of the COP26 climate summit that is scheduled to take place from 31 October 2021 to 12 November 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland, to discuss about the countries commitment to slow down climate change and keep global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/75-of-europeans-are-more-concerned-about-the-climate-crisis-than-their-governments-survey-424428">75% of Europeans are more concerned about the climate crisis than their governments: Survey</a>

Reports claim that 34 of the world's poorest countries are spending $29.4billion on debt payments a year compared with $5.4billion to cope with the impact of the climate change.

Uganda spend $537million between 2016 and 2020 on climate related projects. However spent $107.4million annual debt in 2021,reports said.

Watch |&nbsp;UN sounds alarm on climate crisis ahead of high stakes COP26 summit

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/un-sounds-alarm-on-climate-crisis-ahead-of-high-stakes-cop26-summit-424362/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Uganda is not the only low income country according to report there are 34 more countries spend seven time more debt than coping with impact of climate change.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explainer-sticking-points-at-the-un-climate-conference-424447">Explainer | Sticking points at the UN climate conference</a>

When resources are desperately needed to fight the climate crisis, low-income countries are giving billions of dollars to rich countries, banks and international financial institutions to repay loans.

In the UN climate talks in Copenhagen in 2009, rich countries had commited providing funding worth $100billion a year to developing countries to help deal with climate change.

Study shows Earth's brightness is dropping and there are many who have lost their homes and loved ones because of drought, flood or storms&nbsp;caused by climate change.

Earlier this month, British COP26 president Alok Sharma described a forthcoming UN report about climate change in stark terms; as offering the international community its clearest warning about the risks of accelerating climate change.

According to the report by leading anti poverty charity group poor countries spend five times more debt than coping with impact of climate change. The report comes ahead of the COP26 climate summit that is scheduled to take place from 31 October 2021 to 12 November 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland, to discuss about the countries commitment to slow down climate change and keep global warming to 1.

According to the report by leading anti poverty charity group poor countries spend five times more debt than coping with impact of climate change. The report comes ahead of the COP26 climate summit that is scheduled to take place from 31 October 2021 to 12 November 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland, to discuss about the countries commitment to slow down climate change and keep global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Also Read | 75% of Europeans are more concerned about the climate crisis than their governments: Survey Reports claim that 34 of the world's poorest countries are spending $29.4billion on debt payments a year compared with $5.4billion to cope with the impact of the climate change. Uganda spend $537million between 2016 and 2020 on climate related projects. However spent $107.4million annual debt in 2021,reports said. Watch | UN sounds alarm on climate crisis ahead of high stakes COP26 summit Uganda is not the only low income country according to report there are 34 more countries spend seven time more debt than coping with impact of climate change. Also Read | Explainer | Sticking points at the UN climate conference When resources are desperately needed to fight the climate crisis, low-income countries are giving billions of dollars to rich countries, banks and international financial institutions to repay loans. In the UN climate talks in Copenhagen in 2009, rich countries had commited providing funding worth $100billion a year to developing countries to help deal with climate change. Study shows Earth's brightness is dropping and there are many who have lost their homes and loved ones because of drought, flood or storms caused by climate change. Earlier this month, British COP26 president Alok Sharma described a forthcoming UN report about climate change in stark terms; as offering the international community its clearest warning about the risks of accelerating climate change.

Poorer countries spend five times more on debt than climate crisis – report

Representatives from nearly 200 countries will meet in Glasgow, Scotland, from October&nbsp;31-November&nbsp;12 for climate talks to strengthen action to tackle global warming under the 2015 Paris Agreement.

Against the backdrop of extreme weather events around the world and a United Nations&nbsp;climate report that said global warming was close to spiralling out of control, the actions of governments at this conference will determine whether it is a success.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/countries-lobbying-to-reduce-climate-change-goals-ahead-of-cop26-reveal-leaked-documents-422610">Countries lobbying to reduce climate change goals ahead of COP26, reveal leaked documents</a>

Here are some of the issues which need to be resolved:

Emission Cut Pledges

Six years ago in Paris, countries agreed to cut greenhouse gas emissions to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius and ideally 1.5C (2.7 Fahrenheit). To do this, emissions need to be cut in half by 2030 and reach net-zero by around mid-century.

As the UN&nbsp;conference was postponed last year due to the pandemic, this year is the deadline for countries to make steeper emissions cut pledges (called nationally determined contributions or NDCs).

The annual "emissions gap"&nbsp;report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which measures the gap between anticipated emissions and those consistent with limiting the temperature rise this century as agreed in the Paris accord, said updated pledges only reduce forecast 2030 emissions by an additional 7.5 per cent, compared to the previous commitments.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/75-of-europeans-are-more-concerned-about-the-climate-crisis-than-their-governments-survey-424428">75% of Europeans are more concerned about the climate crisis than their governments: Survey</a>

If continued throughout this century, this would lead to warming of 2.7C, slightly less than the 3C UNEP forecast in its last report. A 30&nbsp;per cent cut is needed to limit warming to 2C and a 55 per cent cut is needed to limit to 1.5C.

It said current commitments to net zero could limit warming to around 2.2C by the end of the century, but 2030 pledges so far do not put major emitters on a clear path to this.

Major emitters China and India - together responsible for around a third of global greenhouse gas emissions - have not yet come forward with strengthened NDCs and need to do so at this conference, known as COP26.

Finance

As far back as 2009, developed countries agreed to raise $100 billion a year by 2020 to help developing countries deal with the impacts of climate change.

But a plan on how to do so, prepared by Canada and Germany ahead of the United Nations COP26 summit in Scotland, said the annual target would now not be met until 2023.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australian-indigenous-islanders-file-lawsuit-against-government-demand-climate-action-424150" hreflang="en">Australian indigenous islanders file lawsuit against government, demand climate action</a>

As rich nations are not meeting the $100 billion a year goal, it can break down trust at the climate talks, experts say. And a new finance goal needs to be worked out for 2025 onwards.

Loss And Damage

Governments agreed to address the impact of climate change on developing countries but there is no detail about liability or compensation, a bone of contention for many poorer countries.

Watch |&nbsp;UN sounds alarm on climate crisis ahead of high stakes COP26 summit

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/un-sounds-alarm-on-climate-crisis-ahead-of-high-stakes-cop26-summit-424362/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

A platform to enable technical assistance for vulnerable countries was established in 2019 but developing nations want a more robust mechanism to include financing.

Fossil Fuels

The UK COP26 president, Alok Sharma, has said he wants this conference to be the one where coal power is consigned to history.

The UN&nbsp;has called for phasing out coal by 2030 in OECD countries, but environment ministers from the Group of 20 big economies have failed to agree a timeline.

Article 6

Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, which covers the role of carbon markets, has not been resolved since the pact was struck. Progress on it broke down at the last talks in 2019.

The article calls for "robust accounting" to avoid "double counting" of emissions reductions. It also aims to establish a central UN&nbsp;mechanism to trade carbon credits from emissions reductions generated from low-carbon projects.

Representatives from nearly 200 countries will meet in Glasgow, Scotland, from October 31-November 12 for climate talks to strengthen action to tackle global warming under the 2015 Paris Agreement.

Representatives from nearly 200 countries will meet in Glasgow, Scotland, from October 31-November 12 for climate talks to strengthen action to tackle global warming under the 2015 Paris Agreement. Against the backdrop of extreme weather events around the world and a United Nations climate report that said global warming was close to spiralling out of control, the actions of governments at this conference will determine whether it is a success. Also Read | Countries lobbying to reduce climate change goals ahead of COP26, reveal leaked documents Here are some of the issues which need to be resolved: Emission Cut Pledges Six years ago in Paris, countries agreed to cut greenhouse gas emissions to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius and ideally 1.5C (2.7 Fahrenheit). To do this, emissions need to be cut in half by 2030 and reach net-zero by around mid-century. As the UN conference was postponed last year due to the pandemic, this year is the deadline for countries to make steeper emissions cut pledges (called nationally determined contributions or NDCs). The annual "emissions gap" report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which measures the gap between anticipated emissions and those consistent with limiting the temperature rise this century as agreed in the Paris accord, said updated pledges only reduce forecast 2030 emissions by an additional 7.5 per cent, compared to the previous commitments. Also read | 75% of Europeans are more concerned about the climate crisis than their governments: Survey If continued throughout this century, this would lead to warming of 2.7C, slightly less than the 3C UNEP forecast in its last report. A 30 per cent cut is needed to limit warming to 2C and a 55 per cent cut is needed to limit to 1.5C. It said current commitments to net zero could limit warming to around 2.2C by the end of the century, but 2030 pledges so far do not put major emitters on a clear path to this. Major emitters China and India - together responsible for around a third of global greenhouse gas emissions - have not yet come forward with strengthened NDCs and need to do so at this conference, known as COP26. Finance As far back as 2009, developed countries agreed to raise $100 billion a year by 2020 to help developing countries deal with the impacts of climate change. But a plan on how to do so, prepared by Canada and Germany ahead of the United Nations COP26 summit in Scotland, said the annual target would now not be met until 2023. Also read | Australian indigenous islanders file lawsuit against government, demand climate action As rich nations are not meeting the $100 billion a year goal, it can break down trust at the climate talks, experts say. And a new finance goal needs to be worked out for 2025 onwards. Loss And Damage Governments agreed to address the impact of climate change on developing countries but there is no detail about liability or compensation, a bone of contention for many poorer countries. Watch | UN sounds alarm on climate crisis ahead of high stakes COP26 summit A platform to enable technical assistance for vulnerable countries was established in 2019 but developing nations want a more robust mechanism to include financing. Fossil Fuels The UK COP26 president, Alok Sharma, has said he wants this conference to be the one where coal power is consigned to history. The UN has called for phasing out coal by 2030 in OECD countries, but environment ministers from the Group of 20 big economies have failed to agree a timeline. Article 6 Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, which covers the role of carbon markets, has not been resolved since the pact was struck. Progress on it broke down at the last talks in 2019. The article calls for "robust accounting" to avoid "double counting" of emissions reductions. It also aims to establish a central UN mechanism to trade carbon credits from emissions reductions generated from low-carbon projects.

Explainer | Sticking points at the UN climate conference

&nbsp;A menacing early season nor’easter battered the New York City area Tuesday, as heavy rains, strong winds and the threat of flash floods arrived in a region already scarred by deadly extreme weather this summer.

The storm dumped more than 3 inches of rain in parts of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut on Tuesday, with more expected through the night. But as of Tuesday evening, it had yet to match the intensity of the deluge brought by the remnants of Hurricane Ida last month.

After a lull Tuesday afternoon, rain began falling again in the evening, and the storm system was expected to linger through Wednesday morning. Meteorologists warned that the storm could still produce heavy winds, significant rainfall and flash flooding across the Northeast.

The sprawling nor’easter began to move up through eastern Massachusetts, including Boston and Cape Cod late Tuesday, dumping up to 4 inches in some areas. The state was reporting about 27,000 power outages just after midnight, with winds of up to 70 mph bringing down trees along the coast.

Around New York City, the storm’s resurgence Tuesday night threatened to snarl Wednesday morning’s commute, and officials warned that heavy winds, which began Tuesday afternoon and were expected to continue overnight and into Wednesday, could bring more power outages

The easternmost part of Long Island, the southeastern corner of Connecticut and parts of coastal Massachusetts and coastal Rhode Island were under a high wind warning until Wednesday afternoon, with the Weather Service cautioning that “widespread power outages are expected.”

Utilities in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut reported hundreds of outages throughout the day, and officials said that they expected to see increased power failures in all three states, particularly in coastal areas, as winds intensified.

“We almost certainly expect that number to go up, perhaps dramatically, with the higher winds that are coming later,” said Gov. Philip Murphy of New Jersey.

Roads flooded across the region, with flood warnings in effect through Wednesday on the Saddle River in Lodi, New Jersey, and the Ramapo River in northern New Jersey and Orange and Rockland counties in New York. The Weather Service extended a flood warning in Warren County and Sussex County through Wednesday morning after seeing “minor flooding” near streams and creeks.

The Weather Service also said there would most likely be minor flooding in southern Connecticut and on Long Island.

Nelson Vaz, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in New York, said that forecasters were concerned about flooding in northeastern New Jersey, where “some of the rivers are starting to come over their banks.”

Though New York City’s mass transit system experienced some interruptions, the storm had far less effect than the remnants of Ida. Some buses and commuter trains, including New Jersey Transit and the Metro-North Railroad, experienced scattered weather-related delays, but the subway was operating as expected.

As of Tuesday afternoon, intensive flash flooding had yet to materialize, though earlier in the day, parts of northeastern New Jersey that had been inundated last month — including the state’s largest cities, Newark, Jersey City and Paterson — were placed under a flash flood warning that coincided with the morning commute.

Several public school districts in those areas decided to close in anticipation of the storm. Rutgers University asked instructors to move all of their classes online Tuesday.

“In order to keep all students safe, all schools will be closed,” said Franklin Walker, the superintendent of Jersey City’s public school system, one of the largest in the state. Schools in nearby Bayonne and in Montclair were also closed.

Parts of central New Jersey were also under similar flood warnings early Tuesday, with meteorologists warning of “life-threatening flash flooding” in Monmouth County in particular. The Weather Service warned residents not to drive into flooded roads and cautioned that storm runoff would most likely cause flooding in urban areas and low-lying spots.

New Jersey state troopers had responded to 188 crashes by 10 a.m. Tuesday, the state’s police superintendent, Col. Patrick Callahan, said.

By Tuesday night, more than 4.3 inches of rain had been recorded in Brooklyn, more than 5.3 inches in Suffolk County and more than 5.2 inches in northern New Jersey, according to the Weather Service. A flash flood watch was in effect for parts of Long Island and Connecticut into Tuesday.

The rain started falling again Tuesday evening and was expected to continue through the night across much of the region.

Some storm drains in Midtown Manhattan were straining to keep up with the heavy rains filling the streets, backing up at the corners and creating large puddles for pedestrians to navigate. The Police Department reported flooding that in some cases blocked traffic during rush hour on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, a key traffic artery.

Winds of up to 35 mph, with gusts reaching 60 mph, were expected across coastal areas, including New York City, into Wednesday morning, raising the prospect of downed trees and power failures. Vaz said that parts of Long Island were particularly likely to experience very strong gusts.

Officials moved quickly to prepare for the nor’easter, in part scarred by the intensity of several storms this summer that exposed the region’s vulnerability to the extreme weather events made more frequent and intense by climate change.

“We’re not looking outside and seeing Ida today; however, every storm has to be taken seriously,” Joseph Fiordaliso, who leads New Jersey’s utility board, said at a news conference.

“Someday maybe we’ll just have a regular rainstorm. We don’t seem to get those much anymore,” he said, adding, “Climate change is real, and we have to work to mitigate as much of it as we possibly can.”

The threats were brought into stark relief last month, when torrential rain brought by Ida unleashed rushing waters that killed 11 people, including a toddler and his parents, in basement apartments in New York City. At least 43 people died across New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut amid the hurricane’s watery remnants.

Both Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York and Murphy declared states of emergency Monday evening, directing agencies under their command to be ready to act on emergency response plans.

In New York City, officials advised residents of basement apartments like those that flooded last month to be ready “to move to a higher floor during periods of heavy rain,” and urged anyone living in flood-prone areas to “keep materials such as sandbags, plywood, plastic sheeting, and lumber on hand” to protect their homes.

A menacing early season nor’easter battered the New York City area Tuesday, as heavy rains, strong winds and the threat of flash floods arrived in a region already scarred by deadly extreme weather this summer.

A menacing early season nor’easter battered the New York City area Tuesday, as heavy rains, strong winds and the threat of flash floods arrived in a region already scarred by deadly extreme weather this summer. The storm dumped more than 3 inches of rain in parts of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut on Tuesday, with more expected through the night. But as of Tuesday evening, it had yet to match the intensity of the deluge brought by the remnants of Hurricane Ida last month. After a lull Tuesday afternoon, rain began falling again in the evening, and the storm system was expected to linger through Wednesday morning. Meteorologists warned that the storm could still produce heavy winds, significant rainfall and flash flooding across the Northeast. The sprawling nor’easter began to move up through eastern Massachusetts, including Boston and Cape Cod late Tuesday, dumping up to 4 inches in some areas. The state was reporting about 27,000 power outages just after midnight, with winds of up to 70 mph bringing down trees along the coast. Around New York City, the storm’s resurgence Tuesday night threatened to snarl Wednesday morning’s commute, and officials warned that heavy winds, which began Tuesday afternoon and were expected to continue overnight and into Wednesday, could bring more power outages The easternmost part of Long Island, the southeastern corner of Connecticut and parts of coastal Massachusetts and coastal Rhode Island were under a high wind warning until Wednesday afternoon, with the Weather Service cautioning that “widespread power outages are expected.” Utilities in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut reported hundreds of outages throughout the day, and officials said that they expected to see increased power failures in all three states, particularly in coastal areas, as winds intensified. “We almost certainly expect that number to go up, perhaps dramatically, with the higher winds that are coming later,” said Gov. Philip Murphy of New Jersey. Roads flooded across the region, with flood warnings in effect through Wednesday on the Saddle River in Lodi, New Jersey, and the Ramapo River in northern New Jersey and Orange and Rockland counties in New York. The Weather Service extended a flood warning in Warren County and Sussex County through Wednesday morning after seeing “minor flooding” near streams and creeks. The Weather Service also said there would most likely be minor flooding in southern Connecticut and on Long Island. Nelson Vaz, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in New York, said that forecasters were concerned about flooding in northeastern New Jersey, where “some of the rivers are starting to come over their banks.” Though New York City’s mass transit system experienced some interruptions, the storm had far less effect than the remnants of Ida. Some buses and commuter trains, including New Jersey Transit and the Metro-North Railroad, experienced scattered weather-related delays, but the subway was operating as expected. As of Tuesday afternoon, intensive flash flooding had yet to materialize, though earlier in the day, parts of northeastern New Jersey that had been inundated last month — including the state’s largest cities, Newark, Jersey City and Paterson — were placed under a flash flood warning that coincided with the morning commute. Several public school districts in those areas decided to close in anticipation of the storm. Rutgers University asked instructors to move all of their classes online Tuesday. “In order to keep all students safe, all schools will be closed,” said Franklin Walker, the superintendent of Jersey City’s public school system, one of the largest in the state. Schools in nearby Bayonne and in Montclair were also closed. Parts of central New Jersey were also under similar flood warnings early Tuesday, with meteorologists warning of “life-threatening flash flooding” in Monmouth County in particular. The Weather Service warned residents not to drive into flooded roads and cautioned that storm runoff would most likely cause flooding in urban areas and low-lying spots. New Jersey state troopers had responded to 188 crashes by 10 a.m. Tuesday, the state’s police superintendent, Col. Patrick Callahan, said. By Tuesday night, more than 4.3 inches of rain had been recorded in Brooklyn, more than 5.3 inches in Suffolk County and more than 5.2 inches in northern New Jersey, according to the Weather Service. A flash flood watch was in effect for parts of Long Island and Connecticut into Tuesday. The rain started falling again Tuesday evening and was expected to continue through the night across much of the region. Some storm drains in Midtown Manhattan were straining to keep up with the heavy rains filling the streets, backing up at the corners and creating large puddles for pedestrians to navigate. The Police Department reported flooding that in some cases blocked traffic during rush hour on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, a key traffic artery. Winds of up to 35 mph, with gusts reaching 60 mph, were expected across coastal areas, including New York City, into Wednesday morning, raising the prospect of downed trees and power failures. Vaz said that parts of Long Island were particularly likely to experience very strong gusts. Officials moved quickly to prepare for the nor’easter, in part scarred by the intensity of several storms this summer that exposed the region’s vulnerability to the extreme weather events made more frequent and intense by climate change. “We’re not looking outside and seeing Ida today; however, every storm has to be taken seriously,” Joseph Fiordaliso, who leads New Jersey’s utility board, said at a news conference. “Someday maybe we’ll just have a regular rainstorm. We don’t seem to get those much anymore,” he said, adding, “Climate change is real, and we have to work to mitigate as much of it as we possibly can.” The threats were brought into stark relief last month, when torrential rain brought by Ida unleashed rushing waters that killed 11 people, including a toddler and his parents, in basement apartments in New York City. At least 43 people died across New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut amid the hurricane’s watery remnants. Both Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York and Murphy declared states of emergency Monday evening, directing agencies under their command to be ready to act on emergency response plans. In New York City, officials advised residents of basement apartments like those that flooded last month to be ready “to move to a higher floor during periods of heavy rain,” and urged anyone living in flood-prone areas to “keep materials such as sandbags, plywood, plastic sheeting, and lumber on hand” to protect their homes.

Heavy rain soaks New York as nor’easter pounds the region

The European Investment Bank published a survey on Wednesday showing that a majority of European Union citizens believe their governments will fail to tackle climate change, which Europeans see as the biggest challenge humanity faces in the 21st century.

In the EIB's climate survey of 27,700 respondents in 27 EU countries, 58 per cent of respondents believed that their countries would fail to drastically cut CO2 emissions by 2050.

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However, EU citizens' lack of confidence in their governments' climate credentials contrasts with their own support for tougher policies.

70 per cent of EU respondents said they supported measures to reduce emissions by imposing changes on people's behaviour.

87 per cent of respondents said they would either completely or somewhat support the replacement of short-haul flights with trains, while 69 per cent said they would support a tax on polluting products.

Furthermore, 81 per cent of European Union citizens believe climate change is the biggest challenge humanity faces this century, and 75 per cent say they are more concerned about the climate crisis than their governments.

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This poll was conducted after the devastating wildfires and fatal floods in August and September highlighted the reality of climate change for many Europeans.

With COP26,&nbsp;the UN climate summit in Scotland&nbsp;beginning on Sunday, Ambroise Fayolle, Vice-President of EIB, said that these demands from the public are a clear mandate for them to strengthen their efforts and give momentum to the green transition.

Among the world's largest economies, the European Union has set some of the most ambitious climate goals. The bloc has legally committed to reduce its net emissions to zero by 2050 and rapidly reduce them this decade.

Even though these goals apply to the EU's overall emissions, EU countries, including Denmark, France, Germany and Ireland, have also set their own national net-zero emissions goals.

Watch |&nbsp;UN sounds alarm on climate crisis ahead of high stakes COP26 summit

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/un-sounds-alarm-on-climate-crisis-ahead-of-high-stakes-cop26-summit-424362/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

EU policymakers are negotiating new measures to deliver its climate goals, including higher taxes on polluting fuels and a new carbon market - proposals facing resistance from some countries that fear a public backlash to measures that would increase costs for households.

Policymakers in the EU are negotiating new measures to achieve these climate goals. The new measures will include higher taxes on polluting fuels and a new carbon market. However, the proposals are facing resistance from some countries which fear a negative reaction from the public on measures that could increase household costs.

The European Investment Bank published a survey on Wednesday showing that a majority of European Union citizens believe their governments will fail to tackle climate change, which Europeans see as the biggest challenge humanity faces in the 21st century.

The European Investment Bank published a survey on Wednesday showing that a majority of European Union citizens believe their governments will fail to tackle climate change, which Europeans see as the biggest challenge humanity faces in the 21st century. In the EIB's climate survey of 27,700 respondents in 27 EU countries, 58 per cent of respondents believed that their countries would fail to drastically cut CO2 emissions by 2050. Also read | Australian indigenous islanders file lawsuit against government, demand climate action However, EU citizens' lack of confidence in their governments' climate credentials contrasts with their own support for tougher policies. 70 per cent of EU respondents said they supported measures to reduce emissions by imposing changes on people's behaviour. 87 per cent of respondents said they would either completely or somewhat support the replacement of short-haul flights with trains, while 69 per cent said they would support a tax on polluting products. Furthermore, 81 per cent of European Union citizens believe climate change is the biggest challenge humanity faces this century, and 75 per cent say they are more concerned about the climate crisis than their governments. Also read | In pics: Youths take to streets in Fridays for Future climate protests This poll was conducted after the devastating wildfires and fatal floods in August and September highlighted the reality of climate change for many Europeans. With COP26, the UN climate summit in Scotland beginning on Sunday, Ambroise Fayolle, Vice-President of EIB, said that these demands from the public are a clear mandate for them to strengthen their efforts and give momentum to the green transition. Among the world's largest economies, the European Union has set some of the most ambitious climate goals. The bloc has legally committed to reduce its net emissions to zero by 2050 and rapidly reduce them this decade. Even though these goals apply to the EU's overall emissions, EU countries, including Denmark, France, Germany and Ireland, have also set their own national net-zero emissions goals. Watch | UN sounds alarm on climate crisis ahead of high stakes COP26 summit EU policymakers are negotiating new measures to deliver its climate goals, including higher taxes on polluting fuels and a new carbon market - proposals facing resistance from some countries that fear a public backlash to measures that would increase costs for households. Policymakers in the EU are negotiating new measures to achieve these climate goals. The new measures will include higher taxes on polluting fuels and a new carbon market. However, the proposals are facing resistance from some countries which fear a negative reaction from the public on measures that could increase household costs.

75% of Europeans are more concerned about the climate crisis than their governments: Survey

According to a recent study, climate change is causing plankton in the seas to move away from their habitats, and this could cause a 17% dip in marine life. Plankton are tiny ocean creatures carried by tides and currents.

Plankton migrate due to climate change, could cause 17% dip in marine life

The United Nations said on Tuesday said that Asia suffered its hottest year on record in 2020. The statement has been made just ahead of the COP26 summit due to take place in Glasgow. UN said that the temperature rise and extreme weather are taking a heavy toll on continent's development.

UN's World Meteorological Organisation in its annual "State of the Climate in Asia" report has said that every part of the region had been affected.

"Extreme weather and climate change impacts across Asia in 2020 caused the loss of life of thousands of people, displaced millions of others and cost hundreds of billions of dollars, while wreaking a heavy toll on infrastructure and ecosystems," the WMO said.

"Sustainable development is threatened, with food and water insecurity, health risks and environmental degradation on the rise."

The report has come just days before COP26, the UN Climate Change Conference. The conference is due to be held in Glasgow from Sunday to November 12.

The report also mentioned total annual average losses suffered by Asian countries due to climate related hazards.

China suffered an estimated $238 billion, followed by India at $87 billion, Japan with $83 billion and South Korea on $24 billion.

But when the size of the economy is considered, the average annual losses are expected to be as high as 7.9 percent of gross domestic product for Tajikistan, 5.9 percent for Cambodia and 5.8 percent for Laos.

(With inputs from agencies)

The United Nations said on Tuesday said that Asia suffered its hottest year on record in 2020. The statement has been made just ahead of the COP26 summit due to take place in Glasgow.

The United Nations said on Tuesday said that Asia suffered its hottest year on record in 2020. The statement has been made just ahead of the COP26 summit due to take place in Glasgow. UN said that the temperature rise and extreme weather are taking a heavy toll on continent's development. UN's World Meteorological Organisation in its annual "State of the Climate in Asia" report has said that every part of the region had been affected. "Extreme weather and climate change impacts across Asia in 2020 caused the loss of life of thousands of people, displaced millions of others and cost hundreds of billions of dollars, while wreaking a heavy toll on infrastructure and ecosystems," the WMO said. "Sustainable development is threatened, with food and water insecurity, health risks and environmental degradation on the rise." The report has come just days before COP26, the UN Climate Change Conference. The conference is due to be held in Glasgow from Sunday to November 12. The report also mentioned total annual average losses suffered by Asian countries due to climate related hazards. China suffered an estimated $238 billion, followed by India at $87 billion, Japan with $83 billion and South Korea on $24 billion. But when the size of the economy is considered, the average annual losses are expected to be as high as 7.9 percent of gross domestic product for Tajikistan, 5.9 percent for Cambodia and 5.8 percent for Laos. (With inputs from agencies)

In 2020, Asia suffered hottest year on record: UN

The impact of food waste on climate emission is an increasing concern for many especially ahead of the COP26 summit in Glasgow. In Switzerland, a community association is linking orchards, volunteers to ensure that more apples find their way into the food chain.

Community in Switzerland harvest unpicked apples as food waste affects climate change

Reports say Chinese President Xi Jinping may not attend the UN climate change summit&nbsp;in-person at Glasgow which begins on Sunday.

China hasn't officially informed about Xi's participation in the COP26 summit as reports say the country is likely to send vice-environment minister Zhao Yingmin along with climate envoy Xie Zhenhua.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/fighting-climate-change-what-can-you-do-to-help-423750">Also Read:&nbsp;Fighting climate change. What can you do to help?</a>

Kremlin had announced earlier that Russian President Vladimir Putin won't be flying to Glasgow to attend the UN climate summit.

Reports claim Xi may attend the conference virtually. The Chinese president had addressed the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) virtually last month.&nbsp;

The Chinese leader had also addressed the summit on climate in April. Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson while describing if the summit would be a success, added&nbsp;that "it might go wrong" while conceding it is "very, very tough".

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"It's touch and go, it's very very difficult," the UK prime minister said. Johnson announced that it is "far from clear" that there will be progress during the summit even as several world leaders including US President Joe Biden are set to attend.&nbsp;

Ahead of the summit, Australia which has a large coal deposit and exports the resource in vast quantities announced 2050 net zero emissions target pledging to invest $15 billion in low-emission technologies over the next decade.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison who had earlier indicated he won't be attending the summit decided to show up at Glasgow.&nbsp;

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The Australian prime minister insisted that the country won't be shutting "coal or gas production or exports" while adding it would cut emissions 30-35 per cent by 2030.&nbsp;

(With inputs from Agencies)

Reports say Chinese President Xi Jinping may not attend the UN climate change summit in-person at Glasgow which begins on Sunday. China hasn't officially informed about Xi's participation in the COP26 summit as reports say the country is likely to send vice-environment minister Zhao Yingmin along with climate envoy Xie Zhenhua.

Reports say Chinese President Xi Jinping may not attend the UN climate change summit in-person at Glasgow which begins on Sunday. China hasn't officially informed about Xi's participation in the COP26 summit as reports say the country is likely to send vice-environment minister Zhao Yingmin along with climate envoy Xie Zhenhua. Also Read: Fighting climate change. What can you do to help? Kremlin had announced earlier that Russian President Vladimir Putin won't be flying to Glasgow to attend the UN climate summit. Reports claim Xi may attend the conference virtually. The Chinese president had addressed the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) virtually last month. The Chinese leader had also addressed the summit on climate in April. Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson while describing if the summit would be a success, added that "it might go wrong" while conceding it is "very, very tough". Also Read: Climate change affects Maasai Mara reserve in Kenya "It's touch and go, it's very very difficult," the UK prime minister said. Johnson announced that it is "far from clear" that there will be progress during the summit even as several world leaders including US President Joe Biden are set to attend. Ahead of the summit, Australia which has a large coal deposit and exports the resource in vast quantities announced 2050 net zero emissions target pledging to invest $15 billion in low-emission technologies over the next decade. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison who had earlier indicated he won't be attending the summit decided to show up at Glasgow. Also Read: Australian indigenous islanders file lawsuit against government, demand climate action The Australian prime minister insisted that the country won't be shutting "coal or gas production or exports" while adding it would cut emissions 30-35 per cent by 2030. (With inputs from Agencies)

Chinese President Xi may not attend COP26: Report

On Tuesday, indigenous residents of the low-lying Australian island of Torres Strait filed a landmark lawsuit against the Australian government.

The lawsuit is aimed at forcing the government to take steps to protect the islanders from climate change, by imposing deeper cuts on carbon emissions so as to combat the climate crisis. &nbsp;

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They say that rising sea levels pose an existential threat to their homelands and culture, thereby putting them at the frontline of the climate crisis.

Lawmakers representing traditional land owners of Boigu and Saibai, two of the hardest hit islands, want the Federal Court to order the government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to a level that would prevent Torres Strait Islanders from ending up as climate refugees.

In terms of climate change class actions, this is believed to be the first to be launched by Indigenous Australians.

Australian officials unveiled a 2050 net-zero goal on the same day the lawsuit was filed; the plan, however, is light-on-detail and criticised for relying heavily on undeveloped technologies and carbon offsets.

Watch |&nbsp;Climate holdout Australia sets 2050 net zero emissions target

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The Torres Strait, also called Zenadth Kes, is a collection of 274 islands between Australia's mainland and Papua New Guinea. Fewer than 5,000 people live there.

In its lawsuit, the islanders claim that some islands are expected to become uninhabitable if global temperatures rise more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has predicted that we could pass that threshold by 2030.

United Nations reports project the world will warm by 2.7 degrees Celsius by 2100, based on current global commitments.

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The plaintiff, Paul Kabai, who lives on the island of Saibai, said that salt-ruined soils and worsening flooding were putting the health of his people at risk, leaving them facing a dire future.

"If you take away our homelands, we don't know who we are. We have a cultural responsibility to make sure that doesn't happen."

He said becoming a climate refugee means losing everything: their homes, their culture, their stories, and identity. 
In May, a federal judge ruled that expanding a coal mine near Sydney would cause climate-related harm to eight Australian teenagers. That judgement paved the way for this lawsuit.

People in Australia and around the world are increasingly turning to the courts in an effort to prod governments into taking action on climate change.

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Earlier in 2019, a group of Torres Strait Islanders had filed a separate complaint with the United Nations, alleging that the authorities are failing to address climate change, which is a violation of their human rights.

The Australian government has asked for the complaint to be dismissed; however, the UN Human Rights Committee in Geneva has not yet formally responded.

On Tuesday, indigenous residents of the low-lying Australian island of Torres Strait filed a landmark lawsuit against the Australian government. The lawsuit is aimed at forcing the government to take steps to protect the islanders from climate change, by imposing deeper cuts on carbon emissions so as to combat the climate crisis.

On Tuesday, indigenous residents of the low-lying Australian island of Torres Strait filed a landmark lawsuit against the Australian government. The lawsuit is aimed at forcing the government to take steps to protect the islanders from climate change, by imposing deeper cuts on carbon emissions so as to combat the climate crisis. Also read | Australia adopts target of net zero emissions by 2050 but won't legislate goal They say that rising sea levels pose an existential threat to their homelands and culture, thereby putting them at the frontline of the climate crisis. Lawmakers representing traditional land owners of Boigu and Saibai, two of the hardest hit islands, want the Federal Court to order the government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to a level that would prevent Torres Strait Islanders from ending up as climate refugees. In terms of climate change class actions, this is believed to be the first to be launched by Indigenous Australians. Australian officials unveiled a 2050 net-zero goal on the same day the lawsuit was filed; the plan, however, is light-on-detail and criticised for relying heavily on undeveloped technologies and carbon offsets. Watch | Climate holdout Australia sets 2050 net zero emissions target The Torres Strait, also called Zenadth Kes, is a collection of 274 islands between Australia's mainland and Papua New Guinea. Fewer than 5,000 people live there. In its lawsuit, the islanders claim that some islands are expected to become uninhabitable if global temperatures rise more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has predicted that we could pass that threshold by 2030. United Nations reports project the world will warm by 2.7 degrees Celsius by 2100, based on current global commitments. Also read | G20 split over coal, 1.5 degree climate limit ahead of Rome summit: Report The plaintiff, Paul Kabai, who lives on the island of Saibai, said that salt-ruined soils and worsening flooding were putting the health of his people at risk, leaving them facing a dire future. "If you take away our homelands, we don't know who we are. We have a cultural responsibility to make sure that doesn't happen." He said becoming a climate refugee means losing everything: their homes, their culture, their stories, and identity. In May, a federal judge ruled that expanding a coal mine near Sydney would cause climate-related harm to eight Australian teenagers. That judgement paved the way for this lawsuit. People in Australia and around the world are increasingly turning to the courts in an effort to prod governments into taking action on climate change. Also read | Planned fossil fuel production 'dangerously out of sync' with needed emissions cuts: UN Earlier in 2019, a group of Torres Strait Islanders had filed a separate complaint with the United Nations, alleging that the authorities are failing to address climate change, which is a violation of their human rights. The Australian government has asked for the complaint to be dismissed; however, the UN Human Rights Committee in Geneva has not yet formally responded.

Australian indigenous islanders file lawsuit against government, demand climate action

Australia, long under fire as one of world's top producers of coal and gas, said it will target net zero carbon emissions by 2050, but added it will not legislate the goal and instead rely on consumers and companies to drive emission reductions.

The adoption of the target will ease international criticism after Australia earlier refused to join countries in pledging to meet the target ahead of the United Nations COP26 climate conference in Glasgow from October&nbsp;31 to November&nbsp;12.&nbsp;

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Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia, one of the world's largest emitters of greenhouse gases on a per capita basis, will achieve the target largely through technology development, with the government investing A$20 billion ($15 billion).

The investment will reduce the costs of technologies such as clean hydrogen and increase their use, he said.

Morrison has been in a political bind over climate change. He needs the support of rural votes who oppose the reducing emissions as he heads into an election that must take place by May, but much of the wider Australian population wants to see more action.

A widely watched poll on Monday showed Morrison is on course to lose to the centre-left Labor party. read more

On Tuesday, Morrison, sought to downplay any threat to domestic industries and jobs as a result of reducing emissions.

"Australians want action on climate change. They’re taking action on climate change, but they also want to protect their jobs and their livelihoods. They also want to keep the costs of living down,” he told reporters in Canberra.

“I also want to protect the Australian way of life, especially in rural and regional areas. The Australian way of life is unique.”

Morrison also said Australia will not strengthen its 2030 target of reducing emissions by 26-28 per cent&nbsp;from 2005 levels but added the country looks like it will reduce emissions by 30-35 per cent.

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Critics said Morrison's plan was too weak and does not prepare the Australian economy for a rapidly evolving world.

“Unless the government sets the wheels in motion to cut our emissions in half by 2030, it is making climate change worse and turning its back on the opportunities," said Kelly O’Shanassy, chief executive officer of the Australian Conservation Foundation.

"Australia cannot keep relying on coal and gas exports because these industries are on the way out and if those workers are not helped with the transition, they will be left high and dry."

Morrison struggled to gain backing for the net zero target from his coalition government's junior partner, the National Party, which has a regional power base reliant on agriculture and mining.

However, the party said on Sunday it would support a net zero target. According to the Australian Financial Review, the deal includes an agreement for increased spending on regional infrastructure and tax benefits for income derived from carbon farming.

Australia, long under fire as one of world's top producers of coal and gas, said it will target net zero carbon emissions by 2050, but added it will not legislate the goal and instead rely on consumers and companies to drive emission reductions.

Australia, long under fire as one of world's top producers of coal and gas, said it will target net zero carbon emissions by 2050, but added it will not legislate the goal and instead rely on consumers and companies to drive emission reductions. The adoption of the target will ease international criticism after Australia earlier refused to join countries in pledging to meet the target ahead of the United Nations COP26 climate conference in Glasgow from October 31 to November 12. Also Read | Saudi Arabia aims of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2060 Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia, one of the world's largest emitters of greenhouse gases on a per capita basis, will achieve the target largely through technology development, with the government investing A$20 billion ($15 billion). The investment will reduce the costs of technologies such as clean hydrogen and increase their use, he said. Morrison has been in a political bind over climate change. He needs the support of rural votes who oppose the reducing emissions as he heads into an election that must take place by May, but much of the wider Australian population wants to see more action. A widely watched poll on Monday showed Morrison is on course to lose to the centre-left Labor party. read more On Tuesday, Morrison, sought to downplay any threat to domestic industries and jobs as a result of reducing emissions. "Australians want action on climate change. They’re taking action on climate change, but they also want to protect their jobs and their livelihoods. They also want to keep the costs of living down,” he told reporters in Canberra. “I also want to protect the Australian way of life, especially in rural and regional areas. The Australian way of life is unique.” Morrison also said Australia will not strengthen its 2030 target of reducing emissions by 26-28 per cent from 2005 levels but added the country looks like it will reduce emissions by 30-35 per cent. Also Read | US: Plastics to overtake coal’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, says study Critics said Morrison's plan was too weak and does not prepare the Australian economy for a rapidly evolving world. “Unless the government sets the wheels in motion to cut our emissions in half by 2030, it is making climate change worse and turning its back on the opportunities," said Kelly O’Shanassy, chief executive officer of the Australian Conservation Foundation. "Australia cannot keep relying on coal and gas exports because these industries are on the way out and if those workers are not helped with the transition, they will be left high and dry." Morrison struggled to gain backing for the net zero target from his coalition government's junior partner, the National Party, which has a regional power base reliant on agriculture and mining. However, the party said on Sunday it would support a net zero target. According to the Australian Financial Review, the deal includes an agreement for increased spending on regional infrastructure and tax benefits for income derived from carbon farming.

Australia adopts target of net zero emissions by 2050 but won't legislate goal

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who fell short of a majority in last month's election, will introduce a Cabinet on Tuesday that analysts say should hone in on the fight against climate change.

Trudeau's Liberals gained four seats to 159, but fell short of the 170 needed to pass legislation without the support of an opposition party. Minority governments normally last about two years instead of a full, four-year term.

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Trudeau, 49, has promised to spend tens of billions of extra dollars over five years to help the economy recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. But analysts said Ottawa should narrow its focus and make fighting climate change a clear priority.

Peter Donolo, a political strategist at Hill Knowlton who was communications director for Liberal former Prime Minister Jean Chretien, said the campaign had "a very ambitious agenda."

"I would simplify it &nbsp;on how to position Canada as a winner in the greener global economy over the longer term, and then on how to ensure that those benefits are shared more equitably," he said by phone.

One option Trudeau is considering is a climate portfolio that pulls together some policies normally handled by several ministries, according to one Liberal source.

The new Cabinet will be sworn in at 10:30 a.m. (1430 GMT). Trudeau says it will be composed of an equal number of men and women, a pattern he set when first taking office in 2015.

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will keep her job, Trudeau said shortly after the vote, and has begun to reduce&nbsp;COVID-19 support programs as the economy recovers and inflation&nbsp;at an 18-year high.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-canada-colluded-to-provoke-trouble-says-china-after-warships-sail-through-taiwan-strait-421574">US, Canada colluded to provoke trouble, says China after warships sail through Taiwan Strait</a>

Last month's vote marked Trudeau's third win as Liberal leader. Unhappiness over his decision to call an early election during the pandemic left him short of a majority.

Trudeau's priorities are managing COVID-19, bolstering healthcare, fighting climate change and fostering a green economy, supporting economic growth, delivering national childcare and affordable housing plans, and following through on reconciliation with indigenous Canadians, a separate source with direct knowledge of the Cabinet said.

"This is only an 18- to 24-month government, so the idea that you can address all four or five or six or seven of those issues&nbsp;is preposterous," said Ian Lee, a business professor at Ottawa's Carleton University.

Lee said growing the green economy should be a priority and merited a US-style climate czar "with gravitas and with skill, and who has sharp elbows and is not afraid."

Liberal officials say Public Services and Procurement Minister Anita Anand, who played a major role in obtaining COVID-19 vaccines, is set for a promotion, and Tourism Minister Melanie Joly also might get a more important role.

Anand could replace Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, who has been widely assailed over what critics say has been a lackluster effort to address allegations of sexual assault in the military, two Liberal sources said.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who fell short of a majority in last month's election, will introduce a Cabinet on Tuesday that analysts say should hone in on the fight against climate change.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who fell short of a majority in last month's election, will introduce a Cabinet on Tuesday that analysts say should hone in on the fight against climate change. Trudeau's Liberals gained four seats to 159, but fell short of the 170 needed to pass legislation without the support of an opposition party. Minority governments normally last about two years instead of a full, four-year term. Also Read | In pics: Youths take to streets in Fridays for Future climate protests Trudeau, 49, has promised to spend tens of billions of extra dollars over five years to help the economy recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. But analysts said Ottawa should narrow its focus and make fighting climate change a clear priority. Peter Donolo, a political strategist at Hill Knowlton who was communications director for Liberal former Prime Minister Jean Chretien, said the campaign had "a very ambitious agenda." "I would simplify it on how to position Canada as a winner in the greener global economy over the longer term, and then on how to ensure that those benefits are shared more equitably," he said by phone. One option Trudeau is considering is a climate portfolio that pulls together some policies normally handled by several ministries, according to one Liberal source. The new Cabinet will be sworn in at 10:30 a.m. (1430 GMT). Trudeau says it will be composed of an equal number of men and women, a pattern he set when first taking office in 2015. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will keep her job, Trudeau said shortly after the vote, and has begun to reduce COVID-19 support programs as the economy recovers and inflation at an 18-year high. Also Read | US, Canada colluded to provoke trouble, says China after warships sail through Taiwan Strait Last month's vote marked Trudeau's third win as Liberal leader. Unhappiness over his decision to call an early election during the pandemic left him short of a majority. Trudeau's priorities are managing COVID-19, bolstering healthcare, fighting climate change and fostering a green economy, supporting economic growth, delivering national childcare and affordable housing plans, and following through on reconciliation with indigenous Canadians, a separate source with direct knowledge of the Cabinet said. "This is only an 18- to 24-month government, so the idea that you can address all four or five or six or seven of those issues is preposterous," said Ian Lee, a business professor at Ottawa's Carleton University. Lee said growing the green economy should be a priority and merited a US-style climate czar "with gravitas and with skill, and who has sharp elbows and is not afraid." Liberal officials say Public Services and Procurement Minister Anita Anand, who played a major role in obtaining COVID-19 vaccines, is set for a promotion, and Tourism Minister Melanie Joly also might get a more important role. Anand could replace Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, who has been widely assailed over what critics say has been a lackluster effort to address allegations of sexual assault in the military, two Liberal sources said.

Canada's Trudeau to unveil Cabinet amid push to fight climate change

In northern Sweden climate change is reshaping arctic landscapes as vital perma frost thaws the changes to its landscape might as well be irreversible. But experts hope that this serves as a warning for other regions also facing climate change. Here's a report.

Climate change reshapes arctic landscapes in Northern Sweden

Israel's Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Sunday declared the fight against climate change a "national security" priority and pledged to "facilitate" investments in green energy.

Days before the COP26 global climate summit in the British city of Glasgow -- which Bennett is due to attend -- the Israeli government announced the creation of "working groups" on climate change.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pics-youths-take-to-streets-in-fridays-for-future-climate-protests-423195">In pics: Youths take to streets in Fridays for Future climate protests</a>

"The climate crisis is one of the major issues on the world agenda," Bennett said, calling it a "new National Security Interest" of Israel.

"It concerns the lives of all of us, and also the lives of our children and grandchildren," he added. "We are obligated to deal with it in Israel; it is at the core of our being."

The Jewish state is one of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member states that invests the least in public transport.

But Bennett said the government has approved decisions "promoting clean and low-carbon transportation, energy efficiency, reducing emissions, encouraging technological innovation and accelerating infrastructure."

In June, the new coalition government led by Bennett set Israel the objective of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 27 per cent by 2030, and by 85 per cent by 2050, compared to the 2015 level.

Israel is proud of its high-tech sector, with companies in the cyber-security field, defence and financial technologies enjoying international success, and employing a tenth of the workforce.

The government sees similar innovation being deployed in the green sector.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-warns-climate-poses-emerging-threat-to-financial-system-422957">US warns climate poses ‘emerging threat’ to financial system</a>

"For many years, Israeli start-ups have been at the global forefront in taking action in various areas," Energy Minister Karine Elharrar said.

"This decision is intended to remove barriers, promote pioneering projects and facilitate green energy entrepreneurs."

Environment Minister Tamar Zandberg said that after "too many years of foot-dragging", the Israeli government was at last showing "real commitment" on the issue.

"The government is preparing for climate change," Zandberg said.

Israel's Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Sunday declared the fight against climate change a "national security" priority and pledged to "facilitate" investments in green energy.

Israel's Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Sunday declared the fight against climate change a "national security" priority and pledged to "facilitate" investments in green energy. Days before the COP26 global climate summit in the British city of Glasgow -- which Bennett is due to attend -- the Israeli government announced the creation of "working groups" on climate change. Also Read | In pics: Youths take to streets in Fridays for Future climate protests "The climate crisis is one of the major issues on the world agenda," Bennett said, calling it a "new National Security Interest" of Israel. "It concerns the lives of all of us, and also the lives of our children and grandchildren," he added. "We are obligated to deal with it in Israel; it is at the core of our being." The Jewish state is one of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member states that invests the least in public transport. But Bennett said the government has approved decisions "promoting clean and low-carbon transportation, energy efficiency, reducing emissions, encouraging technological innovation and accelerating infrastructure." In June, the new coalition government led by Bennett set Israel the objective of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 27 per cent by 2030, and by 85 per cent by 2050, compared to the 2015 level. Israel is proud of its high-tech sector, with companies in the cyber-security field, defence and financial technologies enjoying international success, and employing a tenth of the workforce. The government sees similar innovation being deployed in the green sector. Also Read | US warns climate poses ‘emerging threat’ to financial system "For many years, Israeli start-ups have been at the global forefront in taking action in various areas," Energy Minister Karine Elharrar said. "This decision is intended to remove barriers, promote pioneering projects and facilitate green energy entrepreneurs." Environment Minister Tamar Zandberg said that after "too many years of foot-dragging", the Israeli government was at last showing "real commitment" on the issue. "The government is preparing for climate change," Zandberg said.

Israel declares climate change 'national security' issue

The strange metal box hauled from the waves and onto the ship's deck looks like a spaceship fished from a child's imagination.&nbsp;

But when scientist Clare Ostle opens it up and draws out the silk scrolls inside, she is looking for the telltale green glow from some of the most important creatures on Earth: plankton.

This is a Continuous Plankton Recorder, torpedo-like devices that for 90 years have been towed by merchant vessels and fishing boats on a vast network of routes.

They help researchers better understand the ocean by collecting some of its smallest inhabitants.

What they have seen is that as climate change heats the seas, plankton are on the move -- with potentially profound consequences for both ocean life and humans.

Plankton -- organisms carried on the tides -- are the foundation of the marine food web.

Also Read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pics-youths-take-to-streets-in-fridays-for-future-climate-protests-423195">&nbsp;In pics: Youths take to streets in Fridays for Future climate protests</a>

But they are also part of an intricately balanced system that helps keep us all alive.

As well as helping produce much of the oxygen we breathe, they are a crucial part of the global carbon cycle.

"The big thing that we're seeing is warming," Ostle, coordinator of the Pacific CPR Survey, tells AFP as she demonstrates the plankton recorder off the coast of Plymouth in Britain.

The CPR Survey has documented a decisive shift of plankton towards both the poles in recent decades, as ocean currents change and many marine animals head for cooler areas.

Smaller warm water plankton are also replacing more nutritious cold water ones, often also with differing seasonal cycles, meaning the species that feed on them need to adapt or move too.&nbsp;

"The big worry is when change happens so quickly that the ecosystem can't recover," says Ostle, adding that dramatic temperature spikes can lead "whole fisheries to collapse".

With nearly half of humanity reliant on fish for some 20 per cent of their animal protein, this could be devastating.

Biological pump&nbsp;

Plankton is a catch-all term from the Greek for "drifting" and encompasses everything from photosynthesising bacteria many times smaller than the width of a human hair, to jellyfish with long trailing tendrils.&nbsp;

There are two main types: phytoplankton, diverse plant-like cells commonly called algae; and zooplankton, animals like krill and the larvae of fish, crabs and other marine creatures.

Phytoplankton photosynthesise using the sun's rays to turn C02 into energy and oxygen.&nbsp;

In fact, scientists estimate the seas produce around half the oxygen on Earth, and that is mostly thanks to phytoplankton.

They are also crucial to the ocean's "biological carbon pump", which helps the sea lock away at least a quarter of C02 emitted by burning fossil fuels.

Also Read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-warns-climate-poses-emerging-threat-to-financial-system-422957">&nbsp;US warns climate poses ‘emerging threat’ to financial system</a>

While trees store carbon in wood and leaves, phytoplankton store it in their bodies.

It passes through the food web, with phytoplankton consumed by zooplankton which, in turn, are eaten by creatures from birds to whales.

"Pretty much everything you can think of in the sea at some stage of its life cycle will eat plankton," says CPR Survey head David Johns.

When organic matter from dead plankton or their predators sinks to the ocean floor it takes carbon with it.

'Escalating impacts'&nbsp;

But scientists warn that climate change has stressed the system, with ocean temperatures rising, fewer nutrients reaching the upper part of the ocean from the deep and increased levels of C02 acidifying seawater.

Climate change has "exposed ocean and coastal ecosystems to conditions that are unprecedented over centuries to millennia with consequences for ocean-dwelling plants and animals around the world," says the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in a leaked draft report on climate impacts, due to be published next year, which predicts "escalating impacts on marine life".

While phytoplankton are relatively resilient and will likely continue to shift territory as the seas warm, the IPCC expects that deteriorating conditions in the oceans will ultimately lead to an overall decline this century.

Average global phytoplankton biomass -- a measure of total weight or quantity -- is predicted to fall by around 1.8 to six per cent, depending on the level of emissions.

But because of its outsized importance, even modest reductions can "amplify up the marine food web", eventually leading to reductions in marine life by roughly five to 17 per cent.

There could also be "changes in carbon cycling and carbon sequestration, as our plankton community changes" with smaller plankton potentially drawing down less C02, says plankton ecologist Abigail McQuatters-Gollop of Plymouth University.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/our-response-to-climate-change-is-missing-something-big-scientists-say-390706">Our response to climate change is missing something big, scientists say</a>

As global leaders prepare to meet at a crucial UN summit on climate change, the issue is a stark example of how accelerating human impacts are destabilising intricate life-sustaining systems.

Thinking small&nbsp;

Tackling this is not as simple as planting trees, McQuatters-Gollop notes.

But fishing sustainably, reducing pollutants and curbing C02 emissions can all help improve ocean health.&nbsp;

In the past, she says conservation has focused on "the big things, the cute things, or the things that are directly worth money" -- like whales, turtles and cod.&nbsp;

But all rely on plankton.

While this "blindness" could be because they are microscopic, people can see plankton traces at the beach -- in foam on waves, or the nighttime twinkle of bioluminescence.

Or on the children's television show "SpongeBob SquarePants", whose character Plankton is "the most famous plankton out there", says McQuatters-Gollop.&nbsp;

And when they "bloom" in vast numbers, plankton are visible from space, turning the water a startling emerald, or creating Van Gogh swirls of milky blue, in seasonal displays critical for ocean life.

Like land plants, phytoplankton need nutrients like nitrates, phosphates and iron to grow.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/key-to-bidens-climate-agenda-likely-to-be-cut-because-of-manchin-opposition-421381">Key to Biden’s climate agenda likely to be cut because of Manchin opposition</a>

But they can have too much of a good thing: The runoff of nitrogen-rich fertilisers is blamed for creating harmful algae blooms, like the glutinous "sea snot" off Turkey's coast this year.&nbsp;

These can poison marine life or choke oxygen out of the water and may be exacerbated by warming, warns the IPCC.

Meanwhile, research published in Nature last month found that iron carried in smoke from huge 2019 and 2020 wildfires in Australia sparked a giant swell of phytoplankton thousands of miles away, which could have sucked up substantial amounts of C02.&nbsp;

Blooms can be seeded by nutrients from sand storms or volcanic eruptions and it is these “natural processes” that have inspired David King, founder of the Centre for Climate Repair at Cambridge.&nbsp;

King supports a hotly-debated idea to "fertilise" plankton blooms by sprinkling iron on the surface.

The theory is that this would not only help suck up more C02, but lead to a surge of ocean life, including eventually helping to increase whale populations that have been devastated by hunting.

More whales equals more whale poo, which is full of the nutrients plankton need to bloom, and King hopes could restore a "wonderful circular economy" in the seas.

A pilot project will try the technique in an area of the Arabian Sea carefully sealed off in a "vast plastic bag", but King acknowledges that the idea raises fears of unintended consequences: "We certainly don't want to de-oxygenate the oceans and I'm pretty confident we won't."

Sea mysteries&nbsp;

Ocean organisms have been photosynthesising for billions of years -- long before land plants. But we still have much to learn about them.

It was only in the 1980s that scientists named the planktonic bacteria prochlorococcus, now thought to be the most abundant photosynthesiser on the planet.

Some "drifters" it turns out can swim, while others are masters of communal living.&nbsp;

Take the partnership between corals and plankton -- it is so important that when it breaks due to warming the corals bleach.

Or Acantharea, a single cell shaped like a snowflake that can gather photosynthesising algae and manipulate them into an energy-generating "battery pack", says Johan Decelle, of the French research institute CNRS and the University of Grenoble Alpes.

They have been "overlooked" because they dissolve in the chemicals used by scientists to preserve samples.&nbsp;

To study plankton under a high-resolution electron microscope, Decelle used to collect samples at the French coast and drive for hours back to Grenoble with them in a special cool box. &nbsp;

But this year he worked with the European Molecular Biology Laboratory on a pioneering project bringing high-tech freezing virtually onto the beach.

This enables the study of these delicate organisms as close as possible to their natural environment.&nbsp;

By contrast, Continuous Plankton Recorders end up mashing their samples into "roadkill", says Ostle.

But the value of the survey, which began in 1931 to understand how plankton affected herring stocks, comes from decades of data.

Scientists have used it to look back to track climate changes and it played an important role in the recognition of microplastics. &nbsp;

Ostle used CPR ships' logs to show that "macroplastics" like shopping bags were already in the seas in the 1960s.

By the time it was awarded a Guinness World Record last year for the greatest distance sampled by a marine survey, it had studied the equivalent of 326 circumnavigations of the planet.&nbsp;

From the boat in Plymouth, the water appears calm as sunlight slides across its surface. But every drop is teeming with life.

"There's just a whole galaxy of things going on under there," Ostle says.&nbsp;

The strange metal box hauled from the waves and onto the ship's deck looks like a spaceship fished from a child's imagination. But when scientist Clare Ostle opens it up and draws out the silk scrolls inside, she is looking for the telltale green glow from some of the most important creatures on Earth: plankton.

The strange metal box hauled from the waves and onto the ship's deck looks like a spaceship fished from a child's imagination. But when scientist Clare Ostle opens it up and draws out the silk scrolls inside, she is looking for the telltale green glow from some of the most important creatures on Earth: plankton. This is a Continuous Plankton Recorder, torpedo-like devices that for 90 years have been towed by merchant vessels and fishing boats on a vast network of routes. They help researchers better understand the ocean by collecting some of its smallest inhabitants. What they have seen is that as climate change heats the seas, plankton are on the move -- with potentially profound consequences for both ocean life and humans. Plankton -- organisms carried on the tides -- are the foundation of the marine food web. Also Read | In pics: Youths take to streets in Fridays for Future climate protests But they are also part of an intricately balanced system that helps keep us all alive. As well as helping produce much of the oxygen we breathe, they are a crucial part of the global carbon cycle. "The big thing that we're seeing is warming," Ostle, coordinator of the Pacific CPR Survey, tells AFP as she demonstrates the plankton recorder off the coast of Plymouth in Britain. The CPR Survey has documented a decisive shift of plankton towards both the poles in recent decades, as ocean currents change and many marine animals head for cooler areas. Smaller warm water plankton are also replacing more nutritious cold water ones, often also with differing seasonal cycles, meaning the species that feed on them need to adapt or move too. "The big worry is when change happens so quickly that the ecosystem can't recover," says Ostle, adding that dramatic temperature spikes can lead "whole fisheries to collapse". With nearly half of humanity reliant on fish for some 20 per cent of their animal protein, this could be devastating. Biological pump Plankton is a catch-all term from the Greek for "drifting" and encompasses everything from photosynthesising bacteria many times smaller than the width of a human hair, to jellyfish with long trailing tendrils. There are two main types: phytoplankton, diverse plant-like cells commonly called algae; and zooplankton, animals like krill and the larvae of fish, crabs and other marine creatures. Phytoplankton photosynthesise using the sun's rays to turn C02 into energy and oxygen. In fact, scientists estimate the seas produce around half the oxygen on Earth, and that is mostly thanks to phytoplankton. They are also crucial to the ocean's "biological carbon pump", which helps the sea lock away at least a quarter of C02 emitted by burning fossil fuels. Also Read | US warns climate poses ‘emerging threat’ to financial system While trees store carbon in wood and leaves, phytoplankton store it in their bodies. It passes through the food web, with phytoplankton consumed by zooplankton which, in turn, are eaten by creatures from birds to whales. "Pretty much everything you can think of in the sea at some stage of its life cycle will eat plankton," says CPR Survey head David Johns. When organic matter from dead plankton or their predators sinks to the ocean floor it takes carbon with it. 'Escalating impacts' But scientists warn that climate change has stressed the system, with ocean temperatures rising, fewer nutrients reaching the upper part of the ocean from the deep and increased levels of C02 acidifying seawater. Climate change has "exposed ocean and coastal ecosystems to conditions that are unprecedented over centuries to millennia with consequences for ocean-dwelling plants and animals around the world," says the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in a leaked draft report on climate impacts, due to be published next year, which predicts "escalating impacts on marine life". While phytoplankton are relatively resilient and will likely continue to shift territory as the seas warm, the IPCC expects that deteriorating conditions in the oceans will ultimately lead to an overall decline this century. Average global phytoplankton biomass -- a measure of total weight or quantity -- is predicted to fall by around 1.8 to six per cent, depending on the level of emissions. But because of its outsized importance, even modest reductions can "amplify up the marine food web", eventually leading to reductions in marine life by roughly five to 17 per cent. There could also be "changes in carbon cycling and carbon sequestration, as our plankton community changes" with smaller plankton potentially drawing down less C02, says plankton ecologist Abigail McQuatters-Gollop of Plymouth University. Also Read | Our response to climate change is missing something big, scientists say As global leaders prepare to meet at a crucial UN summit on climate change, the issue is a stark example of how accelerating human impacts are destabilising intricate life-sustaining systems. Thinking small Tackling this is not as simple as planting trees, McQuatters-Gollop notes. But fishing sustainably, reducing pollutants and curbing C02 emissions can all help improve ocean health. In the past, she says conservation has focused on "the big things, the cute things, or the things that are directly worth money" -- like whales, turtles and cod. But all rely on plankton. While this "blindness" could be because they are microscopic, people can see plankton traces at the beach -- in foam on waves, or the nighttime twinkle of bioluminescence. Or on the children's television show "SpongeBob SquarePants", whose character Plankton is "the most famous plankton out there", says McQuatters-Gollop. And when they "bloom" in vast numbers, plankton are visible from space, turning the water a startling emerald, or creating Van Gogh swirls of milky blue, in seasonal displays critical for ocean life. Like land plants, phytoplankton need nutrients like nitrates, phosphates and iron to grow. Also Read | Key to Biden’s climate agenda likely to be cut because of Manchin opposition But they can have too much of a good thing: The runoff of nitrogen-rich fertilisers is blamed for creating harmful algae blooms, like the glutinous "sea snot" off Turkey's coast this year. These can poison marine life or choke oxygen out of the water and may be exacerbated by warming, warns the IPCC. Meanwhile, research published in Nature last month found that iron carried in smoke from huge 2019 and 2020 wildfires in Australia sparked a giant swell of phytoplankton thousands of miles away, which could have sucked up substantial amounts of C02. Blooms can be seeded by nutrients from sand storms or volcanic eruptions and it is these “natural processes” that have inspired David King, founder of the Centre for Climate Repair at Cambridge. King supports a hotly-debated idea to "fertilise" plankton blooms by sprinkling iron on the surface. The theory is that this would not only help suck up more C02, but lead to a surge of ocean life, including eventually helping to increase whale populations that have been devastated by hunting. More whales equals more whale poo, which is full of the nutrients plankton need to bloom, and King hopes could restore a "wonderful circular economy" in the seas. A pilot project will try the technique in an area of the Arabian Sea carefully sealed off in a "vast plastic bag", but King acknowledges that the idea raises fears of unintended consequences: "We certainly don't want to de-oxygenate the oceans and I'm pretty confident we won't." Sea mysteries Ocean organisms have been photosynthesising for billions of years -- long before land plants. But we still have much to learn about them. It was only in the 1980s that scientists named the planktonic bacteria prochlorococcus, now thought to be the most abundant photosynthesiser on the planet. Some "drifters" it turns out can swim, while others are masters of communal living. Take the partnership between corals and plankton -- it is so important that when it breaks due to warming the corals bleach. Or Acantharea, a single cell shaped like a snowflake that can gather photosynthesising algae and manipulate them into an energy-generating "battery pack", says Johan Decelle, of the French research institute CNRS and the University of Grenoble Alpes. They have been "overlooked" because they dissolve in the chemicals used by scientists to preserve samples. To study plankton under a high-resolution electron microscope, Decelle used to collect samples at the French coast and drive for hours back to Grenoble with them in a special cool box. But this year he worked with the European Molecular Biology Laboratory on a pioneering project bringing high-tech freezing virtually onto the beach. This enables the study of these delicate organisms as close as possible to their natural environment. By contrast, Continuous Plankton Recorders end up mashing their samples into "roadkill", says Ostle. But the value of the survey, which began in 1931 to understand how plankton affected herring stocks, comes from decades of data. Scientists have used it to look back to track climate changes and it played an important role in the recognition of microplastics. Ostle used CPR ships' logs to show that "macroplastics" like shopping bags were already in the seas in the 1960s. By the time it was awarded a Guinness World Record last year for the greatest distance sampled by a marine survey, it had studied the equivalent of 326 circumnavigations of the planet. From the boat in Plymouth, the water appears calm as sunlight slides across its surface. But every drop is teeming with life. "There's just a whole galaxy of things going on under there," Ostle says.

Drifting into trouble? The tiny ocean creatures with a global impact

Climate change is real and if not arrested, will wreak havoc worldwide. If polar ice caps melt, the sea levels will rise and coastal cities and even many of those situated inland risk permanent flooding.

Data gathered by a location intelligence provider Gamma has revealed that around three million homes in the UK risk flooding by 2050. Gamma has released a map and a few images that are sure to scare those who live in the area.

The data has come to light just a week before COP26 climate summit in Glasgow where world leaders will gather to decide on measures to take to arrest global warming.

Three million houses in the country equals 1 in every 10 houses that will be flooded, as per data presented by Gamma. For some cities and districts the ratio is worse.

A third of all buildings in Great Yarmouth risk getting flooded in next 29 years.

In case of Portsmouth one in five buildings risk getting flooded over the same time period.

Flooding isn't the only cause of worry for the Brits. Climate change may cause hotter, drier summers that may lead to uneven cracking of building material that may prove problematic to structures.

Climate change is real and if not arrested, will wreak havoc worldwide. If polar ice caps melt, the sea levels will rise and coastal cities and even many of those situated inland risk permanent flooding.

Climate change is real and if not arrested, will wreak havoc worldwide. If polar ice caps melt, the sea levels will rise and coastal cities and even many of those situated inland risk permanent flooding. Data gathered by a location intelligence provider Gamma has revealed that around three million homes in the UK risk flooding by 2050. Gamma has released a map and a few images that are sure to scare those who live in the area. The data has come to light just a week before COP26 climate summit in Glasgow where world leaders will gather to decide on measures to take to arrest global warming. Three million houses in the country equals 1 in every 10 houses that will be flooded, as per data presented by Gamma. For some cities and districts the ratio is worse. A third of all buildings in Great Yarmouth risk getting flooded in next 29 years. In case of Portsmouth one in five buildings risk getting flooded over the same time period. Flooding isn't the only cause of worry for the Brits. Climate change may cause hotter, drier summers that may lead to uneven cracking of building material that may prove problematic to structures.

UK: Three million homes at risk of flooding due to climate change

Effects of climate change and global warming are well known. But its often seen that international community does not swing into action unless there is a visible sign of environmental destruction.&nbsp;

Maasai Mara, the great national reserve in Kenya is in focus due to effects climate change is having on it. The migration of wildebeests is something researchers from all over the world look forward to.

But this time, decrease in rainfall has resulted in ground being drier. This has resulted in drastic decrease in the number of wildebeests.

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Decrease in wildebeest population has effect on local food chains and food webs. The herbivore wildebeests are food of predators like lions and hyenas.

"They play a very important role in Maasai Mara," said Sitoti Silantoi of Mara Predator Conservation Project.

"If you cut down this main source of food, then basically the predators won't make it, especially lions and hyenas," he added.

Lack of water is also proving to be a challenge for all animals. The conditions are less than optimal.

Animals wandering and seeking other water sources poses risks of its own. When animals wander off-reserve, there are more chances of them coming in contact with humans. This increases chances of animal-human conflict in which the animal may end up getting killed.

Effects of climate change and global warming are well known. But its often seen that international community does not swing into action unless there is a visible sign of environmental destruction.

Effects of climate change and global warming are well known. But its often seen that international community does not swing into action unless there is a visible sign of environmental destruction. Maasai Mara, the great national reserve in Kenya is in focus due to effects climate change is having on it. The migration of wildebeests is something researchers from all over the world look forward to. But this time, decrease in rainfall has resulted in ground being drier. This has resulted in drastic decrease in the number of wildebeests. × Decrease in wildebeest population has effect on local food chains and food webs. The herbivore wildebeests are food of predators like lions and hyenas. "They play a very important role in Maasai Mara," said Sitoti Silantoi of Mara Predator Conservation Project. "If you cut down this main source of food, then basically the predators won't make it, especially lions and hyenas," he added. Lack of water is also proving to be a challenge for all animals. The conditions are less than optimal. Animals wandering and seeking other water sources poses risks of its own. When animals wander off-reserve, there are more chances of them coming in contact with humans. This increases chances of animal-human conflict in which the animal may end up getting killed.

Climate change affects Maasai Mara reserve in Kenya

The world is getting hotter by the day and it is all our fault. If left unchecked, climate change is going to threaten every aspect of our lives.&nbsp; 
 
The current aim is to control temperature rise within 1.5 degree celsius. But the world is already about 1.2 C warmer than it was at the end of the 19th century. Its effects are already being felt across the world.&nbsp; 
 
This year alone, countries in Europe, the US and India have all recorded extreme rainfall, leading to heavy flooding and loss of lives.&nbsp; 
 
Countries in West Asia, Africa and North America have experienced extreme heatwaves.&nbsp;

There were 47,057 wildfires in the United States from January 2021 to October this year.&nbsp; 
 
But the good news is that the world is finally paying attention. Countries around the world are taking steps to cut carbon emissions, with the likes of the European Union and China aiming to reach net zero emissions by the middle of this century.&nbsp; 
 
But while governments are responsible for taking steps to implement environment friendly policy, you and I also have the power to implement changes in our daily lives that, in the long run, will help.&nbsp;

Here are the things that we can do: 
 
Shop wisely&nbsp; 
 
Before you even step out to shop, make sure you have a reusable shopping bag, made from natural material like jute. Always choose reusable over single use. This way, not only will you have less trash to deal with, but so will the environment.&nbsp; 
 
Avoid using plastic as much as possible. This includes your plastic bags, bottles, cups, straws, plates, fruit and vegetable packaging. It is a difficult material to decompose, so it sticks around the environment for ages, harming wildlife and marine life in the process.&nbsp; 
 
<img alt="bottles" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3e837112-ca1c-45fb-86fd-77c8452f42bb" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%283%29_121.jpg" /> 
 
Employees sort bottles in a plastic recycling factory near Nairobi, Kenya. (Reuters Photo) 
 
Shopping second hand is another way to help out. It takes 700 gallons of water to grow enough cotton to make just one plain T-shirt. Choose to shop at a thrift or vintage shop. Repurpose old cloths. This also applies to other consumer goods like toys, shoes, appliances, furniture, cars and more. Upcycling is a great way to turn trash to treasure.&nbsp; 
 
Watch what you eat&nbsp; 
 
Food production is a major driver of wildlife extinction. It is also a major contributor of greenhouse gas emissions and is responsible for 60% of biodiversity loss. Farming animals for meat and dairy requires large quantities of water and feed. Producing meat also creates more carbon dioxide than vegetables, grains and legumes. Shifting to a plant-based diet will not only help the environment but also your food expenditure.&nbsp; 
Travel responsibly&nbsp; 
 
One of the most efficient ways of lowering your impact on the environment is to reduce carbon footprint caused by travel. Walk, cycle or use the public transport whenever you need to travel anywhere. Take fewer flights. Shift to using an electric car if possible.&nbsp;

Conserve natural resources

We are taught in school that the earth has limited natural resources. Recycling goes a long way in reducing waste that could end up in a landfill. Conserve water and electricity. Use energy efficient bulbs, insulate your home better, buy energy star- certified appliances if you need to upgrade your appliances. You can use your purchasing power for good. What better way to use your hard-earned money than to protect the planet?&nbsp;

Use your voice&nbsp;

It is up to our generation to save our planet. Speaking up is one of the most powerful things you can do. Not only to politicians, brands and businesses but also to people around you who might not know better. Use your voice not only to advocate, but also to educate. Social media is an effective way to amplify your message and reach a wider audience. Even creating awareness in your own family and friends can lead to positive outcomes.&nbsp;

Now it may not be possible for one individual to do all the things listed. A lot of it also depends on socio-economic factors and the country you live in. But I hope you'll agree &nbsp;that doing even a little goes a long way if everyone does it.&nbsp;

The world is getting hotter by the day and it is all our fault. If left unchecked, climate change is going to threaten every aspect of our lives. The current aim is to control temperature rise within 1.

The world is getting hotter by the day and it is all our fault. If left unchecked, climate change is going to threaten every aspect of our lives. The current aim is to control temperature rise within 1.5 degree celsius. But the world is already about 1.2 C warmer than it was at the end of the 19th century. Its effects are already being felt across the world. This year alone, countries in Europe, the US and India have all recorded extreme rainfall, leading to heavy flooding and loss of lives. Countries in West Asia, Africa and North America have experienced extreme heatwaves. There were 47,057 wildfires in the United States from January 2021 to October this year. But the good news is that the world is finally paying attention. Countries around the world are taking steps to cut carbon emissions, with the likes of the European Union and China aiming to reach net zero emissions by the middle of this century. But while governments are responsible for taking steps to implement environment friendly policy, you and I also have the power to implement changes in our daily lives that, in the long run, will help. Here are the things that we can do: Shop wisely Before you even step out to shop, make sure you have a reusable shopping bag, made from natural material like jute. Always choose reusable over single use. This way, not only will you have less trash to deal with, but so will the environment. Avoid using plastic as much as possible. This includes your plastic bags, bottles, cups, straws, plates, fruit and vegetable packaging. It is a difficult material to decompose, so it sticks around the environment for ages, harming wildlife and marine life in the process. Employees sort bottles in a plastic recycling factory near Nairobi, Kenya. (Reuters Photo) Shopping second hand is another way to help out. It takes 700 gallons of water to grow enough cotton to make just one plain T-shirt. Choose to shop at a thrift or vintage shop. Repurpose old cloths. This also applies to other consumer goods like toys, shoes, appliances, furniture, cars and more. Upcycling is a great way to turn trash to treasure. Watch what you eat Food production is a major driver of wildlife extinction. It is also a major contributor of greenhouse gas emissions and is responsible for 60% of biodiversity loss. Farming animals for meat and dairy requires large quantities of water and feed. Producing meat also creates more carbon dioxide than vegetables, grains and legumes. Shifting to a plant-based diet will not only help the environment but also your food expenditure. Travel responsibly One of the most efficient ways of lowering your impact on the environment is to reduce carbon footprint caused by travel. Walk, cycle or use the public transport whenever you need to travel anywhere. Take fewer flights. Shift to using an electric car if possible. Conserve natural resources We are taught in school that the earth has limited natural resources. Recycling goes a long way in reducing waste that could end up in a landfill. Conserve water and electricity. Use energy efficient bulbs, insulate your home better, buy energy star- certified appliances if you need to upgrade your appliances. You can use your purchasing power for good. What better way to use your hard-earned money than to protect the planet? Use your voice It is up to our generation to save our planet. Speaking up is one of the most powerful things you can do. Not only to politicians, brands and businesses but also to people around you who might not know better. Use your voice not only to advocate, but also to educate. Social media is an effective way to amplify your message and reach a wider audience. Even creating awareness in your own family and friends can lead to positive outcomes. Now it may not be possible for one individual to do all the things listed. A lot of it also depends on socio-economic factors and the country you live in. But I hope you'll agree that doing even a little goes a long way if everyone does it.

Fighting climate change. What can you do to help?

Masai Mara is a national reserve in southern Kenya known for its great annual migration. But the wildlife in Kenya and Tanzania is under threat due to climate change. There has been a decrease in rainfall causing the ground to be drier and less likely to grow fresh grass. The waterlevels of the river are also unusually low. Researchers say wildebeests who normally migrate in tens of thousands every year have reduced.

Wildlife in Kenya, Tanzania under threat due to climate change

In pics: Youths take to streets in Fridays for Future climate protests

South Sudan is battling its worst floods in 60 years. It is the third straight year of extreme flooding. Thousands have been left displaced. There is a shortage of aid and now the United Nations has warned that the situation will worsen due to climate change.

South Sudan battles worst floods in 60 years

The Group of 20 rich countries are divided over phasing out coal and committing to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius as they prepare for a crucial summit in Rome next week, sources familiar with the negotiations said.

The need to curb emissions will be high on the agenda of the Rome G20 gathering on Oct. 30-31, seen as a key stepping stone immediately ahead of broader United Nations climate talks, called COP 26, to be held in Glasgow, Scotland.

So far big polluters such as China and India have dug in their heels and little progress has been made since G20 energy and environment ministers met in Naples in July, said three sources, asking not to be named due to the sensitivity of the talks.

"Countries are not moving, at the moment they are still just making sure their positions are heard loud and clear," said one of the sources.

However he added that such intransigence was normal at this stage and any concessions were unlikely to come before G20 climate sherpas meet face-to-face next Thursday and Friday, immediately before their leaders` weekend meeting.

"Where I see the problem is in the commitment to 1.5 degrees and in the phase out of coal and fossil fuels by China, India and Russia," said another source, a G20 minister.

Climate scientists say capping global warming at 1.5 degrees compared with pre-industrial levels is vital to limit environmental disasters, but a broad and clear commitment to achieve the goal is proving elusive.

The landmark UN Paris Agreement signed in 2015 aimed to limit global warming to "well below 2 degrees" and "preferably" to 1.5 degrees, and since then international gatherings have tried with difficulty to toughen up the language.

In Naples, energy and environment ministers recognised that environmental risks were lower at 1.5 degrees than at 2, but again fell short of clearly stating 1.5 must not be breached.

They also failed to reach unanimous agreement on fixing dates to end fossil fuel subsidies, halt international financing of coal projects and phase out coal power altogether, asking leaders to bridge the gaps at the upcoming Rome summit.

<h2>Big-hitters stay home</h2>

At least four G20 leaders are not expected to come to Rome, including China`s Xi Jinping, at the helm of the world`s biggest greenhouse gas emitter, and Russia`s Vladimir Putin, head of a major oil and gas producer.

One source said while such absences were "not a great political signal," they would not necessarily prevent progress.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be coming to Rome, officials said, and New Delhi confirmed on Thursday that he will also be at the COP26 in Glasgow.

Neither Russia, China nor India have committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, considered a vital goal in limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees.

So far China is proving most reluctant to commit to the 1.5 degree ceiling, while India is most intransigent in not pledging net zero emissions by 2050, one of the sources said.

China and India are also among a group of countries that have not yet presented new national plans, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) ahead of COP 26, on how they will help curb climate change.

The COP26 president, Britain`s Alok Sharma, said in a speech this month the G20, which accounts for 80% of global emissions, would be "make, or break" for achieving success in Glasgow.

However, one of the sources said breakthroughs were more likely in Glasgow than in Rome.

Big emitters like China, India and Russia tend to feel pressured and hectored by the Western countries at the G20, he said, making them defensive and reluctant to concede ground.

The much larger UN forum was more "neutral" and conducive to compromise, he said.

The Rome G20 will also focus on the coronavirus pandemic and how to foster global economic recovery, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, who will chair the meeting, said on Wednesday.

The Group of 20 rich countries are divided over phasing out coal and committing to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius as they prepare for a crucial summit in Rome next week, sources familiar with the negotiations said.

The Group of 20 rich countries are divided over phasing out coal and committing to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius as they prepare for a crucial summit in Rome next week, sources familiar with the negotiations said. The need to curb emissions will be high on the agenda of the Rome G20 gathering on Oct. 30-31, seen as a key stepping stone immediately ahead of broader United Nations climate talks, called COP 26, to be held in Glasgow, Scotland. So far big polluters such as China and India have dug in their heels and little progress has been made since G20 energy and environment ministers met in Naples in July, said three sources, asking not to be named due to the sensitivity of the talks. "Countries are not moving, at the moment they are still just making sure their positions are heard loud and clear," said one of the sources. However he added that such intransigence was normal at this stage and any concessions were unlikely to come before G20 climate sherpas meet face-to-face next Thursday and Friday, immediately before their leaders` weekend meeting. "Where I see the problem is in the commitment to 1.5 degrees and in the phase out of coal and fossil fuels by China, India and Russia," said another source, a G20 minister. Climate scientists say capping global warming at 1.5 degrees compared with pre-industrial levels is vital to limit environmental disasters, but a broad and clear commitment to achieve the goal is proving elusive. The landmark UN Paris Agreement signed in 2015 aimed to limit global warming to "well below 2 degrees" and "preferably" to 1.5 degrees, and since then international gatherings have tried with difficulty to toughen up the language. In Naples, energy and environment ministers recognised that environmental risks were lower at 1.5 degrees than at 2, but again fell short of clearly stating 1.5 must not be breached. They also failed to reach unanimous agreement on fixing dates to end fossil fuel subsidies, halt international financing of coal projects and phase out coal power altogether, asking leaders to bridge the gaps at the upcoming Rome summit. Big-hitters stay home At least four G20 leaders are not expected to come to Rome, including China`s Xi Jinping, at the helm of the world`s biggest greenhouse gas emitter, and Russia`s Vladimir Putin, head of a major oil and gas producer. One source said while such absences were "not a great political signal," they would not necessarily prevent progress. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be coming to Rome, officials said, and New Delhi confirmed on Thursday that he will also be at the COP26 in Glasgow. Neither Russia, China nor India have committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, considered a vital goal in limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees. So far China is proving most reluctant to commit to the 1.5 degree ceiling, while India is most intransigent in not pledging net zero emissions by 2050, one of the sources said. China and India are also among a group of countries that have not yet presented new national plans, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) ahead of COP 26, on how they will help curb climate change. The COP26 president, Britain`s Alok Sharma, said in a speech this month the G20, which accounts for 80% of global emissions, would be "make, or break" for achieving success in Glasgow. However, one of the sources said breakthroughs were more likely in Glasgow than in Rome. Big emitters like China, India and Russia tend to feel pressured and hectored by the Western countries at the G20, he said, making them defensive and reluctant to concede ground. The much larger UN forum was more "neutral" and conducive to compromise, he said. The Rome G20 will also focus on the coronavirus pandemic and how to foster global economic recovery, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, who will chair the meeting, said on Wednesday.

G20 split over coal, 1.5 degree climate limit ahead of Rome summit: Report

Afghanistan, India and Pakistan were among the 11 countries singled out by US intelligence agencies as being ‘countries of concern’ with regards to their ability to prepare for and respond to environmental and societal crises caused by climate change

According to National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) report, prepared by the intelligence officials and scientists, these countries will bear the brunt of global warming that could include intensifying and more frequent heat waves and droughts and water and power scarcity.

The other countries on the list are Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Iraq, Nicaragua, Colombia, Myanmar and North Korea.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/climate-change-us-extreme-weather-conditions-associated-to-arctic-warming-410374">Climate change: US extreme weather conditions associated to Arctic warming</a>

The NIE on climate was put together by the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which oversee 16 intelligence agencies on Thursday

“The IC (Intelligence Community) identified 11 countries and two regions of concern from the threat from climate change,” the report said, adding, “Building resilience in these countries and region would probably be especially helpful in mitigating future risks to US interests.”

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/earths-vital-signs-are-worsening-due-to-climate-change-scientists-warn-401135">Earth's 'vital signs' are worsening due to climate change, scientists warn</a>

The report said the intelligence community assessed that these countries are likely to face “warming temperatures, more extreme weather, and disruption to ocean patterns that will threaten their energy, food, water, and health security”.

The report recommends a range of steps: doing more to monitor for floods or other disasters likely to create climate refugees, targeting US aid that can allow people to ride out droughts or storms in their own countries, and working with Congress to consider humanitarian visas and other protections for people displaced by extreme weather.

The US intelligence community also names other countries that are “comparatively more exposed and have fewer resources to adapt to climate change effects”. These countries are China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/climate-change-is-a-hammer-hitting-us-on-the-head-developing-nations-say-405011">Climate change is a ‘hammer hitting us on the head,’ developing nations say</a>

In a separate fact-sheet, the White House said, “Climate change will increasingly exacerbate a number of risks to US national security interests, from physical impacts that could cascade into security challenges, to how countries respond to the climate challenge. While the IC judges that all of these risks will increase and that no country will be spared from challenges directly related to climate change.”

It also urges the creation of a task force to coordinate US&nbsp;management of climate change and migration across government, from climate scientists to aid and security officials.

Each year, hurricanes, the failure of seasonal rains and other sudden natural disasters force an average of 21.5 million people from their homes around the world, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees says.

(With inputs from agencies)

Afghanistan, India and Pakistan were among the 11 countries singled out by US intelligence agencies as being ‘countries of concern’ with regards to their ability to prepare for and respond to environmental and societal crises caused by climate change According to National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) report, prepared by the intelligence officials and scientists, these countries will bear the brunt of global warming that could include intensifying and more frequent heat waves and droughts and water and power scarcity.

Afghanistan, India and Pakistan were among the 11 countries singled out by US intelligence agencies as being ‘countries of concern’ with regards to their ability to prepare for and respond to environmental and societal crises caused by climate change According to National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) report, prepared by the intelligence officials and scientists, these countries will bear the brunt of global warming that could include intensifying and more frequent heat waves and droughts and water and power scarcity. The other countries on the list are Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Iraq, Nicaragua, Colombia, Myanmar and North Korea. Also read | Climate change: US extreme weather conditions associated to Arctic warming The NIE on climate was put together by the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which oversee 16 intelligence agencies on Thursday “The IC (Intelligence Community) identified 11 countries and two regions of concern from the threat from climate change,” the report said, adding, “Building resilience in these countries and region would probably be especially helpful in mitigating future risks to US interests.” Also read | Earth's 'vital signs' are worsening due to climate change, scientists warn The report said the intelligence community assessed that these countries are likely to face “warming temperatures, more extreme weather, and disruption to ocean patterns that will threaten their energy, food, water, and health security”. The report recommends a range of steps: doing more to monitor for floods or other disasters likely to create climate refugees, targeting US aid that can allow people to ride out droughts or storms in their own countries, and working with Congress to consider humanitarian visas and other protections for people displaced by extreme weather. The US intelligence community also names other countries that are “comparatively more exposed and have fewer resources to adapt to climate change effects”. These countries are China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. Also read | Climate change is a ‘hammer hitting us on the head,’ developing nations say In a separate fact-sheet, the White House said, “Climate change will increasingly exacerbate a number of risks to US national security interests, from physical impacts that could cascade into security challenges, to how countries respond to the climate challenge. While the IC judges that all of these risks will increase and that no country will be spared from challenges directly related to climate change.” It also urges the creation of a task force to coordinate US management of climate change and migration across government, from climate scientists to aid and security officials. Each year, hurricanes, the failure of seasonal rains and other sudden natural disasters force an average of 21.5 million people from their homes around the world, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees says. (With inputs from agencies)

India among 11 named on US ‘countries of concern’ list on climate change

Climate change is an “emerging threat” to the stability of the U.S. financial system, top federal regulators warned in a report Thursday, setting the stage for the Biden administration to take more aggressive regulatory action to prevent climate change from upending global markets and the economy.

The report, produced by the Financial Stability Oversight Council, is the clearest expression of alarm to date about the risks that rising temperatures and seas pose to the economy and could herald sweeping changes to the kinds of investments made by banks and other financial institutions.

It was released as President Joe Biden and senior administration officials prepare to attend the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, where the United States will try to demonstrate to the world that it is serious about addressing the climate threat. Biden’s climate agenda has stalled in Congress, leaving financial regulation as one of the few areas he can point to as evidence of his commitment on warming.

The Biden administration also released a series of reports Thursday on the threat that climate change poses to national security, saying it increases the risks of conflict within and between countries and could potentially displace tens of millions of people around the world.

The report by the Financial Stability Oversight Council, which is led by the Treasury secretary and includes leaders from the major financial regulatory agencies, portrayed the financial threat of climate change in stark terms. Higher temperatures are leading to more natural disasters, such as hurricanes, wildfires and floods. These, in turn, are resulting in damaged property, lost income and disruptions to business activity that threaten to alter how assets, such as real estate, are valued.

At the same time, the move away from fossil fuels could cause a sudden drop in the price of stocks and other assets tied to oil, gas, coal and other energy companies, or sectors that rely on them such as carmakers and heavy manufacturing. Such a shift could hurt the stock market, retirement savings and other parts of the financial sector.

“The financial sector may experience credit and markets risks associated with loss of income, defaults and changes in the value of assets,” the report said, adding that liquidity and legal risks are also concerns.

The council warned that low-income communities and people of color were disproportionately at risk from climate change because they lacked the resources to protect their properties and weather a loss of income. This dynamic threatens to exacerbate income inequality in the United States.

The report made a series of broad recommendations; however, it avoided the type of policy prescriptions that environmental groups and progressive Democrats have been demanding from the Biden administration. For instance, it did not recommend that banks be subjected to tougher rules such as assessing their ability to withstand climate-related losses, new capital requirements or curbs on extending financing to fossil fuel companies.

Nor did it include specific timelines or other milestones that it wants financial regulatory agencies to meet.

The report did recommend the formation of a financial risk committee, more rigorous analysis of the effects of climate change on the insurance industry and greater coordination with climate experts to better understand the economic and financial effect of the emerging threat.

The council did say it supports work that the Securities and Exchange Commission is doing to develop rules that could require companies to disclose how climate change risks could affect their operations or earnings. It added that regulators should review whether to require banks to report more information about their climate-related risks. The council includes the leaders of the SEC, the Federal Reserve and other banking regulators.

The Biden administration has previously said climate change is an existential crisis, but large portions of its climate agenda remain stalled in Congress. Environmental groups have argued that the Biden administration is not acting quickly or ambitiously enough after four years during which the Trump administration dismissed the threat of climate change and rolled back environmental safeguards.

Some environmental groups have suggested that the recommendations were scaled back because Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who chairs the council, was seeking a consensus document that would be acceptable to all members. Two members — Jerome Powell from the Fed and Jelena McWilliams from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. — were appointed to lead their agencies by former President Donald Trump. McWilliams was the lone member of the council who abstained from voting to endorse the report Thursday.

Yellen, who will travel to Glasgow for the U.N. conference next month, hailed the significance of the report at the council’s meeting Thursday.

“It’s a critical first step forward in addressing the threat of climate change, and it will by no means be the end of this work,” Yellen said.

Ben Cushing, manager of the Sierra Club’s Fossil-Free Finance campaign, said the report was a step in the right direction but that it needed to be more bold. He said Wall Street firms were contributing to the climate crisis and that regulators must rein them in.

“Secretary Yellen’s report lays out preliminary steps to make the financial industry more transparent and accountable for their growing climate risks, but it’s also a missed opportunity to recommend actions that actually reduce climate risk and limit Wall Street’s toxic investments in the fossil fuels that are driving the crisis,” Cushing said.

The next step is for the various financial regulators to act on the warnings in the report, said Steven M. Rothstein, managing director of the Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets, which works with investors to address climate risks.

“Banks, insurance and fossil fuel companies should be on notice,” Rothstein said. “Each agency must now provide specific timelines when they plan to put in place measures to protect the safety and soundness of our financial system, our institutions, our savings and our communities.”

Climate change is an “emerging threat” to the stability of the U.S. financial system, top federal regulators warned in a report Thursday, setting the stage for the Biden administration to take more aggressive regulatory action to prevent climate change from upending global markets and the economy.

Climate change is an “emerging threat” to the stability of the U.S. financial system, top federal regulators warned in a report Thursday, setting the stage for the Biden administration to take more aggressive regulatory action to prevent climate change from upending global markets and the economy. The report, produced by the Financial Stability Oversight Council, is the clearest expression of alarm to date about the risks that rising temperatures and seas pose to the economy and could herald sweeping changes to the kinds of investments made by banks and other financial institutions. It was released as President Joe Biden and senior administration officials prepare to attend the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, where the United States will try to demonstrate to the world that it is serious about addressing the climate threat. Biden’s climate agenda has stalled in Congress, leaving financial regulation as one of the few areas he can point to as evidence of his commitment on warming. The Biden administration also released a series of reports Thursday on the threat that climate change poses to national security, saying it increases the risks of conflict within and between countries and could potentially displace tens of millions of people around the world. The report by the Financial Stability Oversight Council, which is led by the Treasury secretary and includes leaders from the major financial regulatory agencies, portrayed the financial threat of climate change in stark terms. Higher temperatures are leading to more natural disasters, such as hurricanes, wildfires and floods. These, in turn, are resulting in damaged property, lost income and disruptions to business activity that threaten to alter how assets, such as real estate, are valued. At the same time, the move away from fossil fuels could cause a sudden drop in the price of stocks and other assets tied to oil, gas, coal and other energy companies, or sectors that rely on them such as carmakers and heavy manufacturing. Such a shift could hurt the stock market, retirement savings and other parts of the financial sector. “The financial sector may experience credit and markets risks associated with loss of income, defaults and changes in the value of assets,” the report said, adding that liquidity and legal risks are also concerns. The council warned that low-income communities and people of color were disproportionately at risk from climate change because they lacked the resources to protect their properties and weather a loss of income. This dynamic threatens to exacerbate income inequality in the United States. The report made a series of broad recommendations; however, it avoided the type of policy prescriptions that environmental groups and progressive Democrats have been demanding from the Biden administration. For instance, it did not recommend that banks be subjected to tougher rules such as assessing their ability to withstand climate-related losses, new capital requirements or curbs on extending financing to fossil fuel companies. Nor did it include specific timelines or other milestones that it wants financial regulatory agencies to meet. The report did recommend the formation of a financial risk committee, more rigorous analysis of the effects of climate change on the insurance industry and greater coordination with climate experts to better understand the economic and financial effect of the emerging threat. The council did say it supports work that the Securities and Exchange Commission is doing to develop rules that could require companies to disclose how climate change risks could affect their operations or earnings. It added that regulators should review whether to require banks to report more information about their climate-related risks. The council includes the leaders of the SEC, the Federal Reserve and other banking regulators. The Biden administration has previously said climate change is an existential crisis, but large portions of its climate agenda remain stalled in Congress. Environmental groups have argued that the Biden administration is not acting quickly or ambitiously enough after four years during which the Trump administration dismissed the threat of climate change and rolled back environmental safeguards. Some environmental groups have suggested that the recommendations were scaled back because Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who chairs the council, was seeking a consensus document that would be acceptable to all members. Two members — Jerome Powell from the Fed and Jelena McWilliams from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. — were appointed to lead their agencies by former President Donald Trump. McWilliams was the lone member of the council who abstained from voting to endorse the report Thursday. Yellen, who will travel to Glasgow for the U.N. conference next month, hailed the significance of the report at the council’s meeting Thursday. “It’s a critical first step forward in addressing the threat of climate change, and it will by no means be the end of this work,” Yellen said. Ben Cushing, manager of the Sierra Club’s Fossil-Free Finance campaign, said the report was a step in the right direction but that it needed to be more bold. He said Wall Street firms were contributing to the climate crisis and that regulators must rein them in. “Secretary Yellen’s report lays out preliminary steps to make the financial industry more transparent and accountable for their growing climate risks, but it’s also a missed opportunity to recommend actions that actually reduce climate risk and limit Wall Street’s toxic investments in the fossil fuels that are driving the crisis,” Cushing said. The next step is for the various financial regulators to act on the warnings in the report, said Steven M. Rothstein, managing director of the Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets, which works with investors to address climate risks. “Banks, insurance and fossil fuel companies should be on notice,” Rothstein said. “Each agency must now provide specific timelines when they plan to put in place measures to protect the safety and soundness of our financial system, our institutions, our savings and our communities.”

US warns climate poses ‘emerging threat’ to financial system

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, said Reuters quoting India's Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav. The climate summit is expected to boost efforts for steeper emissions cut tp tackle global warming.

Amid uncertainty over Chinese President Xi Jinping's presence in the summit, the attendance of PM Modi is seen as critical.&nbsp;

India is world's third-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases. China has more emissions than India.

Both nations, which have not yet come forward with stronger pledges to cut emissions, known as nationally determined contributions or NDCs, face pressure to do so at the conference.

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"The prime minister is going to Glasgow," Indian Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said in an interview, adding that the country was doing more than its bit in tackling climate change.

"India's NDCs are quite ambitious," Yadav told Reuters. "We are doing more than our fair share. Our NDCs are more progressive than major polluters."

The country is on track to increase green energy capacity to 450 GW by 2030, he said. It has installed more than 100 GW of renewable energy, which accounts for more than 25% of overall capacity.

Growing public pressure for action on climate change has spurred promises by countries and companies worldwide to contribute to the effort, which will be reviewed and amended at Glasgow.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/president-putin-wont-attend-cop26-climate-summit-at-glasgow-kremlin-422349">President Putin won't attend COP26 climate summit at Glasgow: Kremlin</a>

Energy-hungry India has not yet committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, considered a vital goal in limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Its cabinet, chaired by Modi, will decide the position to be taken at COP26, most probably within a week, a spokesperson of the environment ministry said.

Government sources have told Reuters that India was unlikely to bind itself to a goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, as tougher deadlines would hit demand growth projected to outstrip that of any other nation over the next two decades.

Last month, India's chief economic adviser K.V. Subramanian said rich nations needed to commit much more than $100 billion to help poor countries fight climate change, due to their high historical share of emissions.

"Even today, India's per capita greenhouse emission is one-third of the world average," Yadav, the minister, said.

About 120 countries have submitted revised NDCs, but there is a lack of consistency with no common timeframe for meeting pledges.

(With inputs from agencies)

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, said Reuters quoting India's Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav. The climate summit is expected to boost efforts for steeper emissions cut tp tackle global warming.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, said Reuters quoting India's Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav. The climate summit is expected to boost efforts for steeper emissions cut tp tackle global warming. Amid uncertainty over Chinese President Xi Jinping's presence in the summit, the attendance of PM Modi is seen as critical. India is world's third-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases. China has more emissions than India. Both nations, which have not yet come forward with stronger pledges to cut emissions, known as nationally determined contributions or NDCs, face pressure to do so at the conference. × "The prime minister is going to Glasgow," Indian Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said in an interview, adding that the country was doing more than its bit in tackling climate change. "India's NDCs are quite ambitious," Yadav told Reuters. "We are doing more than our fair share. Our NDCs are more progressive than major polluters." The country is on track to increase green energy capacity to 450 GW by 2030, he said. It has installed more than 100 GW of renewable energy, which accounts for more than 25% of overall capacity. Growing public pressure for action on climate change has spurred promises by countries and companies worldwide to contribute to the effort, which will be reviewed and amended at Glasgow. Also Read | President Putin won't attend COP26 climate summit at Glasgow: Kremlin Energy-hungry India has not yet committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, considered a vital goal in limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Its cabinet, chaired by Modi, will decide the position to be taken at COP26, most probably within a week, a spokesperson of the environment ministry said. Government sources have told Reuters that India was unlikely to bind itself to a goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, as tougher deadlines would hit demand growth projected to outstrip that of any other nation over the next two decades. Last month, India's chief economic adviser K.V. Subramanian said rich nations needed to commit much more than $100 billion to help poor countries fight climate change, due to their high historical share of emissions. "Even today, India's per capita greenhouse emission is one-third of the world average," Yadav, the minister, said. About 120 countries have submitted revised NDCs, but there is a lack of consistency with no common timeframe for meeting pledges. (With inputs from agencies)

PM Modi to attend COP26 climate summit in Glasgow: Report

Israel is considered to be a world leader when it comes to solar energy, agricultural technology and desalination. The country has now set an ambitious goal for its climate initiatives ahead of the UN's climate conference.

New Israel minister lays out government's climate agenda ahead of UN Conference

Many countries are lobbying to change a crucial scientific report on how to tackle climate change, a massive leak of documents revealed.

According to the document, Saudi Arabia, Japan and Australia are among countries asking the UN to play down the need to move rapidly away from fossil fuels, reports the BBC.

The report also shows that some wealthy nations are questioning the report’s recommendation on paying more to poorer states to move to greener technologies.

The leak comes ahead of the crucial COP26 climate summit that is scheduled to take place in November in Glasgow, Scotland, to discuss about the countries commitment to slow down climate change and keep global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Watch

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The leaked documents consist of more than 32,000 submissions made by governments, companies and other interested parties to the team of scientists compiling a UN report designed to bring together the best scientific evidence on how to tackle climate change.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/cop26-sponsors-deem-the-climate-summit-as-mismanaged-and-very-last-minute-421757">COP26: Sponsors deem the climate summit as ‘mismanaged’ and 'very last minute'</a>

The leak allegedly showed a number of countries and organisations arguing against the reduced use of fossil fuels as quickly as the current draft of the report recommends.

An adviser to the Saudi oil ministry demands phrases like ‘the need for urgent and accelerated mitigation actions at all scales… should be eliminated from the report’.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/cop26-must-address-unprecedented-climate-crisis-pope-francis-warns-418150">COP26 must address 'unprecedented' climate crisis, Pope Francis warns</a>

One senior Australian government official rejects the conclusion that closing coal-fired power plants is necessary, even though ending the use of coal is one of the stated objectives of the COP26 conference, BBC’s report stated&nbsp;citing the documents.

&nbsp;The leaked documents also claim that a&nbsp;senior scientist from India's Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research, a government-funded autonomous research institute, had warned&nbsp;that coal is likely to remain the mainstay of energy production for decades because of what they describe as the “tremendous challenges” of providing affordable electricity. India is already the world's second-biggest consumer of coal.

Brazil and Argentina, two of the biggest producers of beef products and animal feed crops in the world, argue strongly against evidence in the draft report that reducing meat consumption is necessary to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

(With inputs from agencies)

Many countries are lobbying to change a crucial scientific report on how to tackle climate change, a massive leak of documents revealed. According to the document, Saudi Arabia, Japan and Australia are among countries asking the UN to play down the need to move rapidly away from fossil fuels, reports the BBC.

Many countries are lobbying to change a crucial scientific report on how to tackle climate change, a massive leak of documents revealed. According to the document, Saudi Arabia, Japan and Australia are among countries asking the UN to play down the need to move rapidly away from fossil fuels, reports the BBC. The report also shows that some wealthy nations are questioning the report’s recommendation on paying more to poorer states to move to greener technologies. The leak comes ahead of the crucial COP26 climate summit that is scheduled to take place in November in Glasgow, Scotland, to discuss about the countries commitment to slow down climate change and keep global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Watch The leaked documents consist of more than 32,000 submissions made by governments, companies and other interested parties to the team of scientists compiling a UN report designed to bring together the best scientific evidence on how to tackle climate change. Also read | COP26: Sponsors deem the climate summit as ‘mismanaged’ and 'very last minute' The leak allegedly showed a number of countries and organisations arguing against the reduced use of fossil fuels as quickly as the current draft of the report recommends. An adviser to the Saudi oil ministry demands phrases like ‘the need for urgent and accelerated mitigation actions at all scales… should be eliminated from the report’. Also read | COP26 must address 'unprecedented' climate crisis, Pope Francis warns One senior Australian government official rejects the conclusion that closing coal-fired power plants is necessary, even though ending the use of coal is one of the stated objectives of the COP26 conference, BBC’s report stated citing the documents. The leaked documents also claim that a senior scientist from India's Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research, a government-funded autonomous research institute, had warned that coal is likely to remain the mainstay of energy production for decades because of what they describe as the “tremendous challenges” of providing affordable electricity. India is already the world's second-biggest consumer of coal. Brazil and Argentina, two of the biggest producers of beef products and animal feed crops in the world, argue strongly against evidence in the draft report that reducing meat consumption is necessary to cut greenhouse gas emissions. (With inputs from agencies)

Countries lobbying to reduce climate change goals ahead of COP26, reveal leaked documents

A report by the UN's Environment Program found that nations are planning to produce more than double the amount of coal, oil, and gas consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Merely ten days ahead of a climate summit that is being hailed as the key to the viability of the Paris Agreement temperature goals, the UNEP says that government plans for fossil fuel production this decade were "dangerously out of sync" with the needed emissions cuts.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/majority-of-fossil-fuels-should-remain-in-ground-to-fight-climate-change-crisis-411955">Majority of fossil fuels should 'remain in ground' to fight climate change crisis</a>

According to the UN, in order to limit warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, emissions must fall nearly 50 per cent by 2030 and to net-zero by mid-century.

However, the Production Gap report found that fossil fuel production would probably increase until at least 2040.

The report indicated that government plans are for about 240 per cent more coal, 57 per cent more oil and 71 per cent more natural gas production by 2030 than what the 1.5C target allows.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/climate-report-must-be-death-knell-for-fossil-fuels-un-chief-404307">Climate report must be 'death knell' for fossil fuels: UN chief</a>

This decade, development plans would produce 110 per cent more fossil fuels than consistent to limiting global warming to 1.5C and 45 per cent more than necessary to limit global warming to 2C.

"The research is clear: global coal, oil and gas production must start declining immediately and steeply to be consistent with limiting long-term warming to 1.5C," said Ploy Achakulwisut, a lead report author from the Stockholm Environment Institute.

"However, governments continue to plan for and support levels of fossil fuel production that are vastly in excess of what we can safely burn."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/upcoming-un-climate-report-presents-starkest-warning-yet-403984" hreflang="en">Upcoming UN climate report presents 'starkest warning yet'</a>

Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, countries committed to cutting emissions by sweeping amounts to limit warming to between 1.5C and 2C. Additionally, every five years, each signatory is required to submit plans called National Determined Contributions, or NDCs, to reduce its emissions.

Watch |&nbsp;Scientists call for 'Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty'

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/scientists-call-for-fossil-fuel-non-proliferation-treaty-413570/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The UN said in an assessment last month that, "if" countries' latest NDCs are fulfilled, Earth will still be facing a "catastrophic" 2.7C of warming by 2100.

1.1C of warming has already increased the frequency of droughts, flooding, and storms, which are exacerbated by rising sea levels.

(With inputs from agencies)

A report by the UN's Environment Program found that nations are planning to produce more than double the amount of coal, oil, and gas consistent with limiting global warming to 1.

A report by the UN's Environment Program found that nations are planning to produce more than double the amount of coal, oil, and gas consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Merely ten days ahead of a climate summit that is being hailed as the key to the viability of the Paris Agreement temperature goals, the UNEP says that government plans for fossil fuel production this decade were "dangerously out of sync" with the needed emissions cuts. Also read | Majority of fossil fuels should 'remain in ground' to fight climate change crisis According to the UN, in order to limit warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, emissions must fall nearly 50 per cent by 2030 and to net-zero by mid-century. However, the Production Gap report found that fossil fuel production would probably increase until at least 2040. The report indicated that government plans are for about 240 per cent more coal, 57 per cent more oil and 71 per cent more natural gas production by 2030 than what the 1.5C target allows. Also read | Climate report must be 'death knell' for fossil fuels: UN chief This decade, development plans would produce 110 per cent more fossil fuels than consistent to limiting global warming to 1.5C and 45 per cent more than necessary to limit global warming to 2C. "The research is clear: global coal, oil and gas production must start declining immediately and steeply to be consistent with limiting long-term warming to 1.5C," said Ploy Achakulwisut, a lead report author from the Stockholm Environment Institute. "However, governments continue to plan for and support levels of fossil fuel production that are vastly in excess of what we can safely burn." Also read | Upcoming UN climate report presents 'starkest warning yet' Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, countries committed to cutting emissions by sweeping amounts to limit warming to between 1.5C and 2C. Additionally, every five years, each signatory is required to submit plans called National Determined Contributions, or NDCs, to reduce its emissions. Watch | Scientists call for 'Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty' The UN said in an assessment last month that, "if" countries' latest NDCs are fulfilled, Earth will still be facing a "catastrophic" 2.7C of warming by 2100. 1.1C of warming has already increased the frequency of droughts, flooding, and storms, which are exacerbated by rising sea levels. (With inputs from agencies)

Planned fossil fuel production 'dangerously out of sync' with needed emissions cuts: UN

Climate change will cause many of Africa's rare glaciers to disappear within the next two decades, a new report warns. This comes amid sweeping predictions of extreme suffering for the continent that contributes least to global warming, yet suffers the most.

This report by the World Meteorological Organisation and other agencies, released just ahead of the UN climate conference starting Oct. 31, provides a grim reminder.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/cop26-queen-finds-world-leaders-irritating-because-they-only-talk-and-dont-act-420982" hreflang="en">COP26: Queen finds world leaders 'irritating' because they only 'talk' and don't 'act'</a>

Despite the 54 African&nbsp;countries being responsible for less than 4 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, Africa's 1.3 billion people are extremely vulnerable, as the continent continues to warm at a faster rate than the world average.

According to the new report, the shrinking glaciers of Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Kenya, and the Rwenzori Mountains in Uganda are symbolic of the rapid and widespread changes to come.

The report goes on to say that&nbsp;Africa's current retreat rates are higher than the global average, and if this pattern continues, the continent will suffer total deglaciation by the mid-2040s.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/climate-change-could-sink-small-states-says-commonwealth-chief-420623" hreflang="en">Climate change could sink small states, says Commonwealth chief</a>

WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas spoke at the report launch on Tuesday and said that Massive displacement, hunger and increasing climate shocks such as droughts and flooding are in the future, yet the lack of climate data in parts of Africa "is having a major impact" on disaster warnings for millions of people.

Leonel Correia Sacko with the African Union Commission writes in the report,&nbsp;“Not only are physical conditions getting worse, but also the number of people being affected is increasing.”

Sacko adds that up to 118 million extremely poor people; those living on less than $1.90 a day, will be exposed to drought, floods, and extreme heat by 2030 if proper measures are not taken.

Watch |&nbsp;Climate crisis hits South Africa's Cape Town

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/climate-crisis-hits-south-africas-cape-town-412585/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Even though the African continent faces significant threats, African voices are underrepresented at global climate meetings and among those who write the most important scientific assessments of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

The amount of African contributions to IPCC reports is extremely low, according to a multi-country research project called Future Climate for Africa.

UN reports that famine-like conditions have already been created by climate change on Madagascar, an island nation in the Indian Ocean.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/madagascar-prays-for-rain-as-un-warns-of-climate-change-famine-420184" hreflang="en">Madagascar prays for rain as U.N. warns of 'climate change famine'</a>

The costs ahead are enormous. The report estimates that the cost of climate adaptation for sub-Saharan Africa will be between $30 and $50 billion each year over the next decade or about two to three per cent of GDP.

“The cost of adapting to climate change in Africa will rise to $50 billion per year by 2050, even assuming the international efforts to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius.”

Climate change will cause many of Africa's rare glaciers to disappear within the next two decades, a new report warns. This comes amid sweeping predictions of extreme suffering for the continent that contributes least to global warming, yet suffers the most.

Climate change will cause many of Africa's rare glaciers to disappear within the next two decades, a new report warns. This comes amid sweeping predictions of extreme suffering for the continent that contributes least to global warming, yet suffers the most. This report by the World Meteorological Organisation and other agencies, released just ahead of the UN climate conference starting Oct. 31, provides a grim reminder. Also read | COP26: Queen finds world leaders 'irritating' because they only 'talk' and don't 'act' Despite the 54 African countries being responsible for less than 4 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, Africa's 1.3 billion people are extremely vulnerable, as the continent continues to warm at a faster rate than the world average. According to the new report, the shrinking glaciers of Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Kenya, and the Rwenzori Mountains in Uganda are symbolic of the rapid and widespread changes to come. The report goes on to say that Africa's current retreat rates are higher than the global average, and if this pattern continues, the continent will suffer total deglaciation by the mid-2040s. Also read | Climate change could sink small states, says Commonwealth chief WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas spoke at the report launch on Tuesday and said that Massive displacement, hunger and increasing climate shocks such as droughts and flooding are in the future, yet the lack of climate data in parts of Africa "is having a major impact" on disaster warnings for millions of people. Leonel Correia Sacko with the African Union Commission writes in the report, “Not only are physical conditions getting worse, but also the number of people being affected is increasing.” Sacko adds that up to 118 million extremely poor people; those living on less than $1.90 a day, will be exposed to drought, floods, and extreme heat by 2030 if proper measures are not taken. Watch | Climate crisis hits South Africa's Cape Town Even though the African continent faces significant threats, African voices are underrepresented at global climate meetings and among those who write the most important scientific assessments of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The amount of African contributions to IPCC reports is extremely low, according to a multi-country research project called Future Climate for Africa. UN reports that famine-like conditions have already been created by climate change on Madagascar, an island nation in the Indian Ocean. Also read | Madagascar prays for rain as U.N. warns of 'climate change famine' The costs ahead are enormous. The report estimates that the cost of climate adaptation for sub-Saharan Africa will be between $30 and $50 billion each year over the next decade or about two to three per cent of GDP. “The cost of adapting to climate change in Africa will rise to $50 billion per year by 2050, even assuming the international efforts to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius.”

Africa: The continent with low emissions and high suffering, risks losing rare glaciers to global warming

The Australian government on Monday began its legal challenge to a Federal Court's landmark decision that it has a duty of care to protect children from future personal injury caused by climate change, according to media reports.

In May, Anjali Sharma, a 17-year-old high-school student of Indian origin from Melbourne and seven other teenage environmentalists, led the legal battle against the Australian government.

Sharma and the group had argued the continued emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere would drive intense bushfires, floods, storms and cyclones and leave them vulnerable to injury, sickness, economic loss and even death towards the end of this century, news.com.au reported.

They urged the court to prevent Environment Minister Sussan Ley from approving a proposal to expand the Vickery coal mine in northern New South Wales.

In his ruling, Justice Mordecai Bromberg approved the extension of the coal mine project.

However, he did find that the minister had "a duty to take reasonable care to avoid causing personal injury" to children when she decided on the project extension under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC Act), a report in news.com.au said.

Watch

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The ruling was heralded as a significant win for the teenagers and the group of climate activists around the world.

Ley has since given the nod for the mine's expansion.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/thirty-years-of-blah-blah-blah-greta-thunberg-slams-climate-talks-bureaucracy-416816">Thirty years of 'blah blah blah': Greta Thunberg slams climate talks bureaucracy</a>

For Sharma, it was the concern for the environment, her family and future generations, which fuelled her legal charge against the Australian government, a Sydney Morning Herald report said. Born in India, Sharma and her family moved to Australia when she was barely 10-months-old. Her relatives are farmers, who hail from Lucknow.

Growing up, she had heard about global warming and decided to seek more information by watching Youtube videos, the report said.

"Growing up in Australia I consider myself really fortunate," she said. "I got an education that helped me make sense of what was happening," Sharma was quoted as saying in the report.

On Monday, Ley's lawyers told the Federal Court that the EPBC Act was not an appropriate vehicle for the "novel duty of care" as identified by Justice Bromberg.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/greta-thunberg-to-skip-cop26-over-unfair-vaccine-rollouts-376397">Greta Thunberg to skip COP26 over unfair vaccine rollouts</a>

They argued that Justice Bromberg had committed a mistake when he expanded the object of the act to not just be about protecting parts of the environment, but about protecting the interests of human beings living in the environment.

Her lawyers also contended that the duty of care is "incoherent" with the EPBC Act and distorts her capacity as minister.

They also claimed that there was no evidence that the additional coal from the expanded mine would increase the risk of the global temperature increasing beyond 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial temperatures, according to the Associated Press.

"We will proudly defend the historic ruling that all Australian children are owed a duty of care by our government, and fight to protect my generation from the increasing risks of climate change," Ms Sharma was quoted as saying in a statement by the Associated Press.

The eight young environmentalists were congratulated over the May ruling by Greta Thunberg, who rose to the forefront of the youth climate movement after she protested inaction by going on strike from school.

"This is a huge win for the whole climate movement. A big congratulations to the brave Australian teenagers who have achieved this," the 18-year-old Swedish environmentalist tweeted.

"Of course the action needed is still nowhere in sight, but these court cases are symbolic breaking points that could have huge snowball effects," Ms Thunberg had said then.

Australia has come under growing international criticism for failing to set more ambitious targets for reducing carbon emissions.

Last week, Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison had agreed to attend next month's climate conference in Glasgow, but his government colleagues are yet to approve a commitment to net zero.

The Australian government on Monday began its legal challenge to a Federal Court's landmark decision that it has a duty of care to protect children from future personal injury caused by climate change, according to media reports.

The Australian government on Monday began its legal challenge to a Federal Court's landmark decision that it has a duty of care to protect children from future personal injury caused by climate change, according to media reports. In May, Anjali Sharma, a 17-year-old high-school student of Indian origin from Melbourne and seven other teenage environmentalists, led the legal battle against the Australian government. Sharma and the group had argued the continued emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere would drive intense bushfires, floods, storms and cyclones and leave them vulnerable to injury, sickness, economic loss and even death towards the end of this century, news.com.au reported. They urged the court to prevent Environment Minister Sussan Ley from approving a proposal to expand the Vickery coal mine in northern New South Wales. In his ruling, Justice Mordecai Bromberg approved the extension of the coal mine project. However, he did find that the minister had "a duty to take reasonable care to avoid causing personal injury" to children when she decided on the project extension under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC Act), a report in news.com.au said. Watch The ruling was heralded as a significant win for the teenagers and the group of climate activists around the world. Ley has since given the nod for the mine's expansion. Also read | Thirty years of 'blah blah blah': Greta Thunberg slams climate talks bureaucracy For Sharma, it was the concern for the environment, her family and future generations, which fuelled her legal charge against the Australian government, a Sydney Morning Herald report said. Born in India, Sharma and her family moved to Australia when she was barely 10-months-old. Her relatives are farmers, who hail from Lucknow. Growing up, she had heard about global warming and decided to seek more information by watching Youtube videos, the report said. "Growing up in Australia I consider myself really fortunate," she said. "I got an education that helped me make sense of what was happening," Sharma was quoted as saying in the report. On Monday, Ley's lawyers told the Federal Court that the EPBC Act was not an appropriate vehicle for the "novel duty of care" as identified by Justice Bromberg. Also read | Greta Thunberg to skip COP26 over unfair vaccine rollouts They argued that Justice Bromberg had committed a mistake when he expanded the object of the act to not just be about protecting parts of the environment, but about protecting the interests of human beings living in the environment. Her lawyers also contended that the duty of care is "incoherent" with the EPBC Act and distorts her capacity as minister. They also claimed that there was no evidence that the additional coal from the expanded mine would increase the risk of the global temperature increasing beyond 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial temperatures, according to the Associated Press. "We will proudly defend the historic ruling that all Australian children are owed a duty of care by our government, and fight to protect my generation from the increasing risks of climate change," Ms Sharma was quoted as saying in a statement by the Associated Press. The eight young environmentalists were congratulated over the May ruling by Greta Thunberg, who rose to the forefront of the youth climate movement after she protested inaction by going on strike from school. "This is a huge win for the whole climate movement. A big congratulations to the brave Australian teenagers who have achieved this," the 18-year-old Swedish environmentalist tweeted. "Of course the action needed is still nowhere in sight, but these court cases are symbolic breaking points that could have huge snowball effects," Ms Thunberg had said then. Australia has come under growing international criticism for failing to set more ambitious targets for reducing carbon emissions. Last week, Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison had agreed to attend next month's climate conference in Glasgow, but his government colleagues are yet to approve a commitment to net zero.

Australian govt takes up legal battle against Indian-origin teen’s climate change court case

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