The decade from 2014 to 2023 could end up being the warmest in over 150 years of records, say scientists who predict that the global average surface temperature for the next five years will be one degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

The figures released by the UK Met Office include data from a number of sources including the latest publication of provisional figures for 2018. 
&nbsp; 
Records for annual global average temperature extend back to 1850.

"2015 was the first year that global annual average surface temperatures reached 1.0 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels and the following three years have all remained close to this level," said Adam Scaife, Head of Long-Range Prediction at the Met Office in the UK.&nbsp;

"The global average temperature between now and 2023 is predicted to remain high, potentially making the decade from 2014 the warmest in more than 150 years of records," said Scaife.

Averaged over the five-year period 2019-2023, forecast patterns suggest enhanced warming is likely over much of the globe, especially over land and at high northern latitudes, particularly the Arctic region.

"A run of temperatures of 1.0 degree Celsius or above would increase the risk of a temporary excursion above the threshold of 1.5 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels," said Doug Smith, a research fellow at Met Office.&nbsp;

"Predictions now suggest around a 10 per cent chance of at least one year between 2019 and 2023 temporarily exceeding 1.5 degree Celsius," Smith said.

2018 is cited to be the fourth warmest year on record globally. It follows 2015, 2016 and 2017, which are the three warmest years in the 169-year record.

The effects of climate change are not limited to surface temperature. Warming of the climate system is seen across a range of climate indicators that build a picture of global changes occurring across the land, atmosphere, oceans and ice.

The decade from 2014 to 2023 could end up being the warmest in over 150 years of records, say scientists who predict that the global average surface temperature for the next five years will be one degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

The decade from 2014 to 2023 could end up being the warmest in over 150 years of records, say scientists who predict that the global average surface temperature for the next five years will be one degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The figures released by the UK Met Office include data from a number of sources including the latest publication of provisional figures for 2018. Records for annual global average temperature extend back to 1850. "2015 was the first year that global annual average surface temperatures reached 1.0 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels and the following three years have all remained close to this level," said Adam Scaife, Head of Long-Range Prediction at the Met Office in the UK. "The global average temperature between now and 2023 is predicted to remain high, potentially making the decade from 2014 the warmest in more than 150 years of records," said Scaife. Averaged over the five-year period 2019-2023, forecast patterns suggest enhanced warming is likely over much of the globe, especially over land and at high northern latitudes, particularly the Arctic region. "A run of temperatures of 1.0 degree Celsius or above would increase the risk of a temporary excursion above the threshold of 1.5 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels," said Doug Smith, a research fellow at Met Office. "Predictions now suggest around a 10 per cent chance of at least one year between 2019 and 2023 temporarily exceeding 1.5 degree Celsius," Smith said. 2018 is cited to be the fourth warmest year on record globally. It follows 2015, 2016 and 2017, which are the three warmest years in the 169-year record. The effects of climate change are not limited to surface temperature. Warming of the climate system is seen across a range of climate indicators that build a picture of global changes occurring across the land, atmosphere, oceans and ice.

'Earth may be experiencing warmest decade on record,' say experts

Democrats on Thursday laid out a "Green New Deal" that would eliminate US greenhouse gas emissions within a decade, an effort to make <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/to-defeat-obesity-hunger-climate-change-govts-must-curb-influence-of-big-corporations-lancet-193275">climate change</a> a central issue in the 2020 presidential race.

The document, unveiled by rising political star Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Edward Markey, marks the first formal attempt by lawmakers to define potential legislation to create big government-led investments in <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/world-on-course-to-miss-its-best-chance-of-preventing-runaway-climate-change-study-191884">clean energy</a> and infrastructure to transition the US economy away from fossil fuels.

The plan, which takes the form of a non-binding congressional resolution, outlines some of the most aggressive climate goals ever put forward by Democratic lawmakers and clashes dramatically with the Trump administration's efforts to advance domestic oil, gas and coal production by rolling back environmental protections.

The name, Green New Deal, references the New Deal of the 1930s that President Franklin Roosevelt implemented to aid Americans suffering in the Great Depression by embarking on huge government-led infrastructure projects.

"Today is the day that we choose to assert ourselves as a global leader in transitioning to 100 per cent renewable energy and charting that path,” Ocasio-Cortez told reporters.

The resolution so far has 64 House co-sponsors and nine Senate sponsors - four of whom are Democratic presidential hopefuls for 2020. Senators Kamala Harris, Kirsten Gillibrand, Corey Booker and Elizabeth Warren co-sponsored the resolution.

Ocasio-Cortez said she will immediately begin to work on legislation that would "fully flesh out the projects involved in the Green New Deal."

Republicans have been quick to criticise the initiative, waving off any kind of proposal as heavy-handed. The Trump administration does not believe action on climate change is necessary and is focussed on increasing production of oil, gas and coal on federal and private land.

"It’s a socialist manifesto that lays out a laundry list of government giveaways, including guaranteed food, housing, college, &amp; economic security even for those who refuse to work," Republican Senator John Barrasso, chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works committee, said on Twitter.

The non-binding resolution outlines several goals for the United States, including meeting 100 per cent of power demand from zero-emission energy sources like wind and solar within 10 years.

The plan also calls for new projects to modernize US transportation infrastructure, cut carbon emissions from the manufacturing and agricultural sectors, make buildings and homes more energy efficient and increase land preservation.

The plan is intended to address the latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which said global temperatures must be kept less than 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels to avoid the most severe impacts of a changing climate, the authors of the policy said.

The Green New Deal also aims to create an economic safety net for communities that will be affected by the impacts of climate change and the shift away from fossil fuel use, including through guarantees of healthcare, jobs, and jobs training. It was not clear how the programs would be funded.

"We... need to be sure that workers currently employed in fossil fuel industries have higher wages and better jobs available to them to be able to make this transition, and a federal jobs guarantee ensures that no worker is left behind," according to a summary of the plan.

The Green New Deal was put into the media spotlight by a youth coalition called the Sunrise Movement and Ocasio-Cortez, 29, the youngest woman to serve in Congress.

Members of the group have already put pressure on Democratic presidential hopefuls and plan to continue lobbying members of Congress next week to support the resolution.

Greg Carlock, a climate researcher with Data for Progress who helped author the Green New Deal, said lawmakers who seek middle ground policies on global warming risk losing youth support in future elections.

"They will not accept vague endorsements," he said.

Markey said on Thursday that despite its lofty goals, the Green New Deal has more political momentum than a carbon cap-and-trade legislation he introduced 10 years ago.

"The difference between 2009 and today is the movement that has now been built," he said. "This is going enter the 2020 election cycle as one of the top two or three issues for every candidate on both sides."

Democrats on Thursday laid out a "Green New Deal" that would eliminate US greenhouse gas emissions within a decade, an effort to make climate change a central issue in the 2020 presidential race.

Democrats on Thursday laid out a "Green New Deal" that would eliminate US greenhouse gas emissions within a decade, an effort to make climate change a central issue in the 2020 presidential race. The document, unveiled by rising political star Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Edward Markey, marks the first formal attempt by lawmakers to define potential legislation to create big government-led investments in clean energy and infrastructure to transition the US economy away from fossil fuels. The plan, which takes the form of a non-binding congressional resolution, outlines some of the most aggressive climate goals ever put forward by Democratic lawmakers and clashes dramatically with the Trump administration's efforts to advance domestic oil, gas and coal production by rolling back environmental protections. The name, Green New Deal, references the New Deal of the 1930s that President Franklin Roosevelt implemented to aid Americans suffering in the Great Depression by embarking on huge government-led infrastructure projects. "Today is the day that we choose to assert ourselves as a global leader in transitioning to 100 per cent renewable energy and charting that path,” Ocasio-Cortez told reporters. The resolution so far has 64 House co-sponsors and nine Senate sponsors - four of whom are Democratic presidential hopefuls for 2020. Senators Kamala Harris, Kirsten Gillibrand, Corey Booker and Elizabeth Warren co-sponsored the resolution. Ocasio-Cortez said she will immediately begin to work on legislation that would "fully flesh out the projects involved in the Green New Deal." Republicans have been quick to criticise the initiative, waving off any kind of proposal as heavy-handed. The Trump administration does not believe action on climate change is necessary and is focussed on increasing production of oil, gas and coal on federal and private land. "It’s a socialist manifesto that lays out a laundry list of government giveaways, including guaranteed food, housing, college, & economic security even for those who refuse to work," Republican Senator John Barrasso, chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works committee, said on Twitter. The non-binding resolution outlines several goals for the United States, including meeting 100 per cent of power demand from zero-emission energy sources like wind and solar within 10 years. The plan also calls for new projects to modernize US transportation infrastructure, cut carbon emissions from the manufacturing and agricultural sectors, make buildings and homes more energy efficient and increase land preservation. The plan is intended to address the latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which said global temperatures must be kept less than 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels to avoid the most severe impacts of a changing climate, the authors of the policy said. The Green New Deal also aims to create an economic safety net for communities that will be affected by the impacts of climate change and the shift away from fossil fuel use, including through guarantees of healthcare, jobs, and jobs training. It was not clear how the programs would be funded. "We... need to be sure that workers currently employed in fossil fuel industries have higher wages and better jobs available to them to be able to make this transition, and a federal jobs guarantee ensures that no worker is left behind," according to a summary of the plan. The Green New Deal was put into the media spotlight by a youth coalition called the Sunrise Movement and Ocasio-Cortez, 29, the youngest woman to serve in Congress. Members of the group have already put pressure on Democratic presidential hopefuls and plan to continue lobbying members of Congress next week to support the resolution. Greg Carlock, a climate researcher with Data for Progress who helped author the Green New Deal, said lawmakers who seek middle ground policies on global warming risk losing youth support in future elections. "They will not accept vague endorsements," he said. Markey said on Thursday that despite its lofty goals, the Green New Deal has more political momentum than a carbon cap-and-trade legislation he introduced 10 years ago. "The difference between 2009 and today is the movement that has now been built," he said. "This is going enter the 2020 election cycle as one of the top two or three issues for every candidate on both sides."

US democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduces 'Green New Deal' to end fossil fuel era

The Netherlands' international representative for climate affairs on Tuesday told EFE in an interview that everyone should join forces in the fight against global warming.

Marcel Beukeboom, who was appointed Climate Envoy of the Dutch ministry of economic affairs and climate policy in October 2017, stressed that it was crucial to act as soon as possible and without looking for culprits when it came to countering climate change, instead working with the worst global emitters of greenhouse gases to find ways of reducing their emissions.

"You can't just say: 'okay, this is what we agreed in the Paris Agreements, so now we know what to do, we have ambition and we implement ambitious policies,'" Beukeboom said.

"We also know we can only get there if we do it together, especially with the biggest emitters globally, and those are the ones, as you know, that is not always the most ambitious when it comes to the implementation of policies," he added. "It's not an easy job."

Beukeboom said he believed the current disagreements over how to reduce the future increase in global temperatures to just two degrees Celsius gave forth a very complicated image, "but we have to deal with it, because we cannot consider that having clear objectives is enough, we have to work together."

One of the Dutch expert's main goals when it comes to the European Union is to convince member states to adopt a higher target regarding the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions.

"It always starts with the Paris Agreement," he said. "That is what is an overarching goal. We know what science tells us and we have to strive towards limiting global warming to 2 or 1.5 degrees, and from that, we derive policies."&nbsp;

"The Paris Agreement is what we call a hybrid agreement, it has an overarching goal, the 2 or 1.5 degrees. All the countries had submitted their own plans that have to be updated every five years," he added. "Next year, all members of the United Nations have to do that, including the EU and its member states. I think that is a big priority."&nbsp;

Beukeboom frequently travels to Asia, a region in which he has several counterparts and the part of the planet that has suffered some of the worst visible effects of climate change in recent years.

He said that China was one of the most important players to be counted on in the fight against global warming due to its size, while another Asian giant, India, was starting to lead the way, especially when it came to solar energy and other related issues such as poverty, security and intelligent agriculture.

Beukeboom acknowledged that often, progress was hindered by the positions of some African countries which are the main victims of the effects of climate change such as long droughts but are the least responsible for global warming as they have historically had lower emissions due to a comparatively reduced industrialization process.

He said that in those instances, he tries not to use the word "guilt," but rather "responsibility" and "aid."&nbsp;

"We need to find how to solve the situation together. It doesn't help to look for culprits and make accusations, we need to move forward," he added.

"The moment you make it more concrete, it becomes more tangible for ordinary people as well," Beukeboom explained. "And then we talk about a whole range: energy use, transportation, what can you do? Do you have to change to an electric vehicle, for example? Do we have to change our diet and consume less meat?"

The Netherlands' international representative for climate affairs on Tuesday told EFE in an interview that everyone should join forces in the fight against global warming.

The Netherlands' international representative for climate affairs on Tuesday told EFE in an interview that everyone should join forces in the fight against global warming. Marcel Beukeboom, who was appointed Climate Envoy of the Dutch ministry of economic affairs and climate policy in October 2017, stressed that it was crucial to act as soon as possible and without looking for culprits when it came to countering climate change, instead working with the worst global emitters of greenhouse gases to find ways of reducing their emissions. "You can't just say: 'okay, this is what we agreed in the Paris Agreements, so now we know what to do, we have ambition and we implement ambitious policies,'" Beukeboom said. "We also know we can only get there if we do it together, especially with the biggest emitters globally, and those are the ones, as you know, that is not always the most ambitious when it comes to the implementation of policies," he added. "It's not an easy job." Beukeboom said he believed the current disagreements over how to reduce the future increase in global temperatures to just two degrees Celsius gave forth a very complicated image, "but we have to deal with it, because we cannot consider that having clear objectives is enough, we have to work together." One of the Dutch expert's main goals when it comes to the European Union is to convince member states to adopt a higher target regarding the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. "It always starts with the Paris Agreement," he said. "That is what is an overarching goal. We know what science tells us and we have to strive towards limiting global warming to 2 or 1.5 degrees, and from that, we derive policies." "The Paris Agreement is what we call a hybrid agreement, it has an overarching goal, the 2 or 1.5 degrees. All the countries had submitted their own plans that have to be updated every five years," he added. "Next year, all members of the United Nations have to do that, including the EU and its member states. I think that is a big priority." Beukeboom frequently travels to Asia, a region in which he has several counterparts and the part of the planet that has suffered some of the worst visible effects of climate change in recent years. He said that China was one of the most important players to be counted on in the fight against global warming due to its size, while another Asian giant, India, was starting to lead the way, especially when it came to solar energy and other related issues such as poverty, security and intelligent agriculture. Beukeboom acknowledged that often, progress was hindered by the positions of some African countries which are the main victims of the effects of climate change such as long droughts but are the least responsible for global warming as they have historically had lower emissions due to a comparatively reduced industrialization process. He said that in those instances, he tries not to use the word "guilt," but rather "responsibility" and "aid." "We need to find how to solve the situation together. It doesn't help to look for culprits and make accusations, we need to move forward," he added. "The moment you make it more concrete, it becomes more tangible for ordinary people as well," Beukeboom explained. "And then we talk about a whole range: energy use, transportation, what can you do? Do you have to change to an electric vehicle, for example? Do we have to change our diet and consume less meat?"

We need to join forces to fight against global warming: Dutch climate envoy

The message emerging out of last year is loud and clear. Extreme weather events are on a rise in the country and we must plan and prepare for erratic weather patterns that are the new ‘normal’.&nbsp;

Almost every month of the last year had one or the other “unprecedented” weather events. We had hailstorms, unseasonal rainfall, strong thunderstorms and lightning, floods and droughts, long dry spells, cyclones, and both our monsoons — southwest monsoon and northeast monsoon — were below normal. Also, average temperature over the country was “significantly above normal”, making 2018 the sixth warmest year on record since 1901.

Early last year, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh were hit by unseasonal rains and hailstorms that damaged standing rabi (winter) crops in over 4.76 lakh hectares. Maharashtra is prone to hailstorms, as documented in a countrywide analysis of hailstorms between 1985 and 2015 by the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Pune office.&nbsp;

But, as scientists at the Met department point out, “From 2013, there is prolonged persistence of hailstorms in the state, causing extensive damage.” Hailstorms now affect a larger area in the state over several days. There are concerns over the increasing size of hail too.

After hailstorms, large parts of the country faced a series of extremely strong thunderstorms and dust storms. Down To Earth, a fortnightly documented how 44 intense thunderstorms struck over 16 states killing 423 people, which was “unprecedented”. Thunderstorms were accompanied by lightning strikes that destroyed properties and killed people. Data of the National Crime Records Bureau shows the average number of people dying of lightning strikes every year between 2006 and 2015 was about 50 per cent higher than the decade before. Scientists at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune have examined satellite data between 1990 and 2013 and found a two to three per cent increase in lightning strikes in the country.

Last year witnessed another set of extremities — floods and droughts. Flood and heavy rain-related incidents killed over 800 people during pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon seasons. In its long-range forecast of the southwest monsoon (June to September) and northeast monsoon (October to December), the Met department had predicted normal monsoon rainfall. However, a ‘below normal’ monsoon rainfall, along with erratic rains induced floods and droughts in several states. For instance, Gujarat, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, etc., suffered floods during the southwest monsoon season. But, these states are now staring at an acute drought. Several other states — Bihar, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, etc — have officially declared a drought too. Also, the last northeast monsoon rainfall has been “substantially below normal” and sixth lowest since 1901.

M Rajeevan, secretary, Union ministry of earth sciences, rightly points out that 2018 has been a year of many disasters. And as global warming continues, there should be an increase in the frequency of these disasters because of larger variability on both the sides. Therefore, we should expect more floods as well as more deficient rains (droughts), and need to prepare for such a state of the climate.

&nbsp;Interestingly, in spite of both monsoons being deficient, 15 depressions and four cyclones hit the Indian coast last year. There are several research studies that link changing the climate to an increasing frequency of intense tropical cyclones in the north Indian Ocean. Data of 122 years of tropical cyclone frequency over the north Indian Ocean from 1877 to 1998 shows “there is indeed a trend in the enhanced cyclogenesis during November and May”. There has been a two-fold increase in the tropical cyclone frequency over the Bay of Bengal, a 17 per cent increase in the intensification rate of cyclonic disturbances to the cyclone stage, and a 25 per cent increase to severe cyclone stage over the north Indian Ocean during November in the past 122 years, the study noted.

Analysis by Down To Earth suggests that extreme weather events have increased from just one during 1900-1910 to 61 during 1971-80. And that number almost tripled to 162 during 2001-2010.

Whereas no single extreme weather event can be attributed to climate change, it is also true that the increased frequency and intensity of these extreme events are due to human-induced climate change. Extreme rainfall, extreme heat, extreme thunderstorms, extreme cold waves, extreme tropical storms are the new “normal”. And we need adaptation strategies and disaster response plans to face exigencies arising out of this new ‘normal’.

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-extreme-weather-events-have-become-the-new-normal-2713527">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The message emerging out of last year is loud and clear. Extreme weather events are on a rise in the country and we must plan and prepare for erratic weather patterns that are the new ‘normal’.

The message emerging out of last year is loud and clear. Extreme weather events are on a rise in the country and we must plan and prepare for erratic weather patterns that are the new ‘normal’. Almost every month of the last year had one or the other “unprecedented” weather events. We had hailstorms, unseasonal rainfall, strong thunderstorms and lightning, floods and droughts, long dry spells, cyclones, and both our monsoons — southwest monsoon and northeast monsoon — were below normal. Also, average temperature over the country was “significantly above normal”, making 2018 the sixth warmest year on record since 1901. Early last year, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh were hit by unseasonal rains and hailstorms that damaged standing rabi (winter) crops in over 4.76 lakh hectares. Maharashtra is prone to hailstorms, as documented in a countrywide analysis of hailstorms between 1985 and 2015 by the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Pune office. But, as scientists at the Met department point out, “From 2013, there is prolonged persistence of hailstorms in the state, causing extensive damage.” Hailstorms now affect a larger area in the state over several days. There are concerns over the increasing size of hail too. After hailstorms, large parts of the country faced a series of extremely strong thunderstorms and dust storms. Down To Earth, a fortnightly documented how 44 intense thunderstorms struck over 16 states killing 423 people, which was “unprecedented”. Thunderstorms were accompanied by lightning strikes that destroyed properties and killed people. Data of the National Crime Records Bureau shows the average number of people dying of lightning strikes every year between 2006 and 2015 was about 50 per cent higher than the decade before. Scientists at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune have examined satellite data between 1990 and 2013 and found a two to three per cent increase in lightning strikes in the country. Last year witnessed another set of extremities — floods and droughts. Flood and heavy rain-related incidents killed over 800 people during pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon seasons. In its long-range forecast of the southwest monsoon (June to September) and northeast monsoon (October to December), the Met department had predicted normal monsoon rainfall. However, a ‘below normal’ monsoon rainfall, along with erratic rains induced floods and droughts in several states. For instance, Gujarat, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, etc., suffered floods during the southwest monsoon season. But, these states are now staring at an acute drought. Several other states — Bihar, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, etc — have officially declared a drought too. Also, the last northeast monsoon rainfall has been “substantially below normal” and sixth lowest since 1901. M Rajeevan, secretary, Union ministry of earth sciences, rightly points out that 2018 has been a year of many disasters. And as global warming continues, there should be an increase in the frequency of these disasters because of larger variability on both the sides. Therefore, we should expect more floods as well as more deficient rains (droughts), and need to prepare for such a state of the climate. Interestingly, in spite of both monsoons being deficient, 15 depressions and four cyclones hit the Indian coast last year. There are several research studies that link changing the climate to an increasing frequency of intense tropical cyclones in the north Indian Ocean. Data of 122 years of tropical cyclone frequency over the north Indian Ocean from 1877 to 1998 shows “there is indeed a trend in the enhanced cyclogenesis during November and May”. There has been a two-fold increase in the tropical cyclone frequency over the Bay of Bengal, a 17 per cent increase in the intensification rate of cyclonic disturbances to the cyclone stage, and a 25 per cent increase to severe cyclone stage over the north Indian Ocean during November in the past 122 years, the study noted. Analysis by Down To Earth suggests that extreme weather events have increased from just one during 1900-1910 to 61 during 1971-80. And that number almost tripled to 162 during 2001-2010. Whereas no single extreme weather event can be attributed to climate change, it is also true that the increased frequency and intensity of these extreme events are due to human-induced climate change. Extreme rainfall, extreme heat, extreme thunderstorms, extreme cold waves, extreme tropical storms are the new “normal”. And we need adaptation strategies and disaster response plans to face exigencies arising out of this new ‘normal’. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Extreme weather events have become the new ‘normal’

To defeat the intertwined pandemics of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/high-stress-jobs-make-women-put-on-weight-not-men-study-193109">obesity, hunger and climate change</a>, governments must curb the political influence of major corporations, said a major report Monday calling for a 'global treaty' similar to one for tobacco control.

Bu this will not happen unless ordinary citizens demand a "radical rethink" of the relationship between policymakers and business, nearly four dozen experts from The Lancet Commission on Obesity concluded.

"Powerful opposition from vested interests, lack of political leadership, and insufficient societal demand for change are preventing action," they said in a statement.

Nearly a billion people are hungry and another two billion are eating too much of the wrong foods, causing epidemics of obesity, heart disease and diabetes.

Unhealthy diets account for up to 11 million premature deaths every year, according to the most recent Global Disease Burden report.

"Malnutrition in all its forms -- including undernutrition and obesity -- is by far the biggest cause of ill-health and premature deathy globally," said Commission co-chair Boyd Swinburn, a professor at the University of Aukland.&nbsp;

"Both undernutrition and obesity are expected to be made significantly worse by climate change."

The way in which food is currently produced, distributed and consumed not only fuels the hunger and obesity pandemics, it also generates 25 to 30 percent of planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions.

Cattle production alone accounts for more than have of those gases, in the form of methane-laden flatulence and CO2 when forests -- especially in Brazil -- are cleared to accommodate livestock.

A transport system dominated by cars contributes another 15 to 25 percent of emissions, and supports a sedentary lifestyle.

Triple pandemic 
"Underpinning all of these are weak political governance, the unchallenging economic pursuit of GPD growth, and the powerful commercial engineering of overconsumption," the report said.

"Undernutrition is declining too slowly to meet global targets, no country has reversed its obesity epidemic, and comprehensive policy responses to the threat of climate change have barely begun."

Despite 30 years of warnings from science about the dire impacts of global warming, CO2 emissions hit record levels in 2017 and again last year.

Because all these problems are interwoven, the answers must be too, the researchers emphasised.

"Joining three pandemics" -- hunger, obesity, climate -- "together as 'The Global Syndemic' allows us to consider common drivers and shared solutions."

Another Lancet Commission report published last week calling for a dramatic shift in global diet to improve health and avoid "catastrophic" damage to the planet.

"Until now, undernutrition and obesity have been seen as polar opposites of either too few or too many calories," said Swinburn.

"In reality, they are both driven by the same unhealthy, inequitable food systems, underpinned by the same political economy."

The report calls for a Framework Convention on Food Systems -- similar to global conventions for tobacco control and climate change -- to restrict the influence of the food industry.

How we eat, live, move 
The experts also argue that economic incentives must be overhauled.&nbsp;

Some five trillion dollars (4.4 trillion euros) in government subsidies for fossil fuels and large-scale agribusiness should be rechanneled toward "sustainable, healthy and environmentally friendly activities," they said.

To sharply reduce red meat consumption, for example, the report favours high taxes, abolishing subsidies, along with transparent health and environment labelling.

In addition, they favour the creation of a one billion dollar philanthropic fund to support grassroots action.

"Tackling 'The Global Syndemic' requires an urgent rethink of how we eat, live, consume and move," said Richard Horton, editor-in-chief of The Lancet.

The two Lancet reports are not the only urgent appeal from science in recent months. In October, the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change likewise called for an economic and social "paradigm shift" to avoid global chaos. &nbsp;

Reaction to the Lancet recommendations has been sharply divided. Health advocates and climate experts hailed its sweeping call for deep change.

"For too long we have been day-dreaming our way to a diseased future," said Katie Dain, CEO of the Noncommunicable Disease Alliance.

"A food system that secures a better diet for this and the immediate next generations will save millions of lives and, at the same time, help save the planet."

Industry representatives and libertarians slammed the findings as overwrought and an assault on free choice.

"This is the final vindication for those of us who have warned about the slippery slope of regulation," said Christopher Snowdon, head of lifestyle economics at the London-based Institute of Economic Affairs.

"Nanny-state zealots are no longer hiding their intention to use the anti-tobacco blueprint to control other areas of our lives."

To defeat the intertwined pandemics of obesity, hunger and climate change, governments must curb the political influence of major corporations, said a major report Monday calling for a 'global treaty' similar to one for tobacco control.

To defeat the intertwined pandemics of obesity, hunger and climate change, governments must curb the political influence of major corporations, said a major report Monday calling for a 'global treaty' similar to one for tobacco control. Bu this will not happen unless ordinary citizens demand a "radical rethink" of the relationship between policymakers and business, nearly four dozen experts from The Lancet Commission on Obesity concluded. "Powerful opposition from vested interests, lack of political leadership, and insufficient societal demand for change are preventing action," they said in a statement. Nearly a billion people are hungry and another two billion are eating too much of the wrong foods, causing epidemics of obesity, heart disease and diabetes. Unhealthy diets account for up to 11 million premature deaths every year, according to the most recent Global Disease Burden report. "Malnutrition in all its forms -- including undernutrition and obesity -- is by far the biggest cause of ill-health and premature deathy globally," said Commission co-chair Boyd Swinburn, a professor at the University of Aukland. "Both undernutrition and obesity are expected to be made significantly worse by climate change." The way in which food is currently produced, distributed and consumed not only fuels the hunger and obesity pandemics, it also generates 25 to 30 percent of planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions. Cattle production alone accounts for more than have of those gases, in the form of methane-laden flatulence and CO2 when forests -- especially in Brazil -- are cleared to accommodate livestock. A transport system dominated by cars contributes another 15 to 25 percent of emissions, and supports a sedentary lifestyle. Triple pandemic "Underpinning all of these are weak political governance, the unchallenging economic pursuit of GPD growth, and the powerful commercial engineering of overconsumption," the report said. "Undernutrition is declining too slowly to meet global targets, no country has reversed its obesity epidemic, and comprehensive policy responses to the threat of climate change have barely begun." Despite 30 years of warnings from science about the dire impacts of global warming, CO2 emissions hit record levels in 2017 and again last year. Because all these problems are interwoven, the answers must be too, the researchers emphasised. "Joining three pandemics" -- hunger, obesity, climate -- "together as 'The Global Syndemic' allows us to consider common drivers and shared solutions." Another Lancet Commission report published last week calling for a dramatic shift in global diet to improve health and avoid "catastrophic" damage to the planet. "Until now, undernutrition and obesity have been seen as polar opposites of either too few or too many calories," said Swinburn. "In reality, they are both driven by the same unhealthy, inequitable food systems, underpinned by the same political economy." The report calls for a Framework Convention on Food Systems -- similar to global conventions for tobacco control and climate change -- to restrict the influence of the food industry. How we eat, live, move The experts also argue that economic incentives must be overhauled. Some five trillion dollars (4.4 trillion euros) in government subsidies for fossil fuels and large-scale agribusiness should be rechanneled toward "sustainable, healthy and environmentally friendly activities," they said. To sharply reduce red meat consumption, for example, the report favours high taxes, abolishing subsidies, along with transparent health and environment labelling. In addition, they favour the creation of a one billion dollar philanthropic fund to support grassroots action. "Tackling 'The Global Syndemic' requires an urgent rethink of how we eat, live, consume and move," said Richard Horton, editor-in-chief of The Lancet. The two Lancet reports are not the only urgent appeal from science in recent months. In October, the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change likewise called for an economic and social "paradigm shift" to avoid global chaos. Reaction to the Lancet recommendations has been sharply divided. Health advocates and climate experts hailed its sweeping call for deep change. "For too long we have been day-dreaming our way to a diseased future," said Katie Dain, CEO of the Noncommunicable Disease Alliance. "A food system that secures a better diet for this and the immediate next generations will save millions of lives and, at the same time, help save the planet." Industry representatives and libertarians slammed the findings as overwrought and an assault on free choice. "This is the final vindication for those of us who have warned about the slippery slope of regulation," said Christopher Snowdon, head of lifestyle economics at the London-based Institute of Economic Affairs. "Nanny-state zealots are no longer hiding their intention to use the anti-tobacco blueprint to control other areas of our lives."

To defeat obesity, hunger & climate change, governments must curb influence of big corporations: Lancet

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-bangla-plane-crash-that-killed-51-was-caused-by-pilot-smoking-in-cockpit-193269">US-Bangla plane crash that killed 51 was caused by pilot smoking in </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-bangla-plane-crash-that-killed-51-was-caused-by-pilot-smoking-in-cockpit-193269">cockpit</a>

The US-Bangla airline Bombardier UBG-211 crash that occurred in March last year took place as the pilot who was in charge of the flight had smoked inside the cockpit despite restrictions, authorities confirmed on Sunday.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/live-updates-india-vs-new-zealand-3rd-odi-nz-are-at-10-1-after-2-overs-193266">India vs New Zealand, 3rd ODI: Catch all the live updates here</a>

India's bowlers struck early, sending both Kiwi openers back to the pavilion. New Zealand were 59/3 after 16.2 overs at 9 am IST with skipper Kane Williamson departing after his openers.&nbsp;

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/uss-bolton-warns-venezuela-of-significant-response-if-juan-guaido-is-threatened-193282">US's Bolton warns Venezuela of 'significant response' if Juan </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/uss-bolton-warns-venezuela-of-significant-response-if-juan-guaido-is-threatened-193282">Guaido</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/uss-bolton-warns-venezuela-of-significant-response-if-juan-guaido-is-threatened-193282"> is threatened</a>

National Security Adviser of the United States John Bolton said that any violence and intimidation against US diplomats, Venezuela's "democratic leader" Juan Guaido or the National Assembly will be met with a "significant response" from the US.&nbsp;

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/brazil-dam-burst-death-toll-touches-58-rescuers-find-bus-full-of-bodies-193259">Brazil dam burst: Death toll touches 58, rescuers find bus full of bodies</a>

Fears of a second dam breach at a Brazilian mining complex receded Sunday, enabling a search to resume for the more than 300 people still missing two days after a dam collapse that has killed at least 58 people.&nbsp;

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/to-defeat-obesity-hunger-climate-change-govts-must-curb-influence-of-big-corporations-lancet-193275">To defeat obesity, hunger &amp; climate change, </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/to-defeat-obesity-hunger-climate-change-govts-must-curb-influence-of-big-corporations-lancet-193275">govts</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/to-defeat-obesity-hunger-climate-change-govts-must-curb-influence-of-big-corporations-lancet-193275"> must curb </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/to-defeat-obesity-hunger-climate-change-govts-must-curb-influence-of-big-corporations-lancet-193275">influence</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/to-defeat-obesity-hunger-climate-change-govts-must-curb-influence-of-big-corporations-lancet-193275"> of big corporations: Lancet</a>

To defeat the intertwined pandemics of obesity, hunger and climate change, governments must curb the political influence of major corporations, said a major report Monday calling for a 'global treaty' similar to one for tobacco control.

Bu this will not happen unless ordinary citizens demand a "radical rethink" of the relationship between policymakers and business, nearly four dozen experts from The Lancet Commission on Obesity concluded.

US-Bangla plane crash that killed 51 was caused by pilot smoking in cockpit The US-Bangla airline Bombardier UBG-211 crash that occurred in March last year took place as the pilot who was in charge of the flight had smoked inside the cockpit despite restrictions, authorities confirmed on Sunday.

US-Bangla plane crash that killed 51 was caused by pilot smoking in cockpit The US-Bangla airline Bombardier UBG-211 crash that occurred in March last year took place as the pilot who was in charge of the flight had smoked inside the cockpit despite restrictions, authorities confirmed on Sunday. India vs New Zealand, 3rd ODI: Catch all the live updates here India's bowlers struck early, sending both Kiwi openers back to the pavilion. New Zealand were 59/3 after 16.2 overs at 9 am IST with skipper Kane Williamson departing after his openers. US's Bolton warns Venezuela of 'significant response' if Juan Guaido is threatened National Security Adviser of the United States John Bolton said that any violence and intimidation against US diplomats, Venezuela's "democratic leader" Juan Guaido or the National Assembly will be met with a "significant response" from the US. Brazil dam burst: Death toll touches 58, rescuers find bus full of bodies Fears of a second dam breach at a Brazilian mining complex receded Sunday, enabling a search to resume for the more than 300 people still missing two days after a dam collapse that has killed at least 58 people. To defeat obesity, hunger & climate change, govts must curb influence of big corporations: Lancet To defeat the intertwined pandemics of obesity, hunger and climate change, governments must curb the political influence of major corporations, said a major report Monday calling for a 'global treaty' similar to one for tobacco control. Bu this will not happen unless ordinary citizens demand a "radical rethink" of the relationship between policymakers and business, nearly four dozen experts from The Lancet Commission on Obesity concluded.

News brief: Big stories of the day

Germany to phase out coal in 2038

The world is "losing the race" against climate change, UN chief Antonio Guterres warned Thursday at the elite Davos forum, demanding bolder action from governments to arrest catastrophic warming.

"Climate change is the defining issue of our time. We are losing the race," he said on the margins of the World Economic Forum in Davos, which has featured much hand-wringing on the crisis this week.

"It is absolutely central to reverse this trend."

Following a UN summit last month in Poland, which was designed to advance the Paris climate accord, Guterres said he was "not hopeful" that nations would find the necessary resolve.

But he stressed: "We need political will and we need governments&nbsp;who understand that this is the most important priority of our times."

The Paris accord has been shaken by the withdrawal of the United States under President Donald Trump, and by threats to do the same by Brazil's new hard-right leader, Jair Bolsonaro.

The UN secretary-general said the commitments made in Paris were already "not enough".&nbsp;

"If what we agreed in Paris would be materialised, the temperature would rise more than 3.0 degrees (Celsius)," he said on a Facebook Live broadcast from Davos.

"We need countries to make stronger commitments," Guterres said, calling for more measures to mitigate against climate change and adapt to it, along with financial aid for poorer countries.

A WEF survey ahead of the Davos meeting found climate change was the leading concern of forum participants around the world, noting in particular the growing frequency of extreme weather events.

Without stronger political action corporate executives in Davos such as Patrick Pouyanne, CEO of French energy giant Total, have been touting their own measures to transition to a greener economy.&nbsp;

"We don't look to renewables to be green," he told the CNBC channel in Davos on Thursday, noting that electricity is the fastest-growing segment of the energy market.

"We look to renewables because it's the best way to go in to this electricity market, but the electricity market will require also natural gas, so natural gas and renewables."&nbsp;

'Suicide pact'&nbsp;

But activists say companies are not doing nearly enough.

One vocal voice in Davos this week has been Swedish 16-year-old Greta Thunberg, who has inspired a wave of climate protests by schoolchildren around the world after delivering a fiery speech at the UN climate summit in Katowice, Poland last month.&nbsp;

"They (companies) have known exactly what priceless values they have been sacrificing to continue making unimaginable amounts of money," she told AFP in an interview.

Former secretary of state John Kerry, who signed the Paris accord for the United States in 2016, said 38 out of the 50 US states were implementing their own climate policies despite Trump's withdrawal and vocal scepticism on climate change.

The Paris pact was based partly on the expectation that the private sector would step up with new investment in areas such as batteries and solar panels, he noted.

"It's not happening enough, and even in Katowice recently, you saw the fight that was taking place, just to be able to try to be reasonable here," Kerry said in Davos Tuesday, also on CNBC.

"We're heading towards 4.0 degrees Centigrade increase in this century, and the passive indifference that most countries are accepting is basically a mutual suicide pact."

Another idea long in the mix of the climate debate is a carbon tax, which would factor in the polluting price of fossil fuels so as to discourage their use over time.&nbsp;

That has been anathema for many governments, including the United States well before Trump.&nbsp;

But it is gaining ground anew under an initiative by the Climate Leadership Council that is backed by 27 Nobel economics laureates and four former chairs of the Federal Reserve.

Ted Halstead, president of the US organisation, has been in Davos this week selling the idea of US households getting back the revenue raised, in the form of lump-sum rebates.

"A carbon tax offers the most cost-effective lever to reduce carbon emissions at the scale and speed that is necessary," signatories to the initiative said in a statement last week.

The world is "losing the race" against climate change, UN chief Antonio Guterres warned Thursday at the elite Davos forum, demanding bolder action from governments to arrest catastrophic warming.

The world is "losing the race" against climate change, UN chief Antonio Guterres warned Thursday at the elite Davos forum, demanding bolder action from governments to arrest catastrophic warming. "Climate change is the defining issue of our time. We are losing the race," he said on the margins of the World Economic Forum in Davos, which has featured much hand-wringing on the crisis this week. "It is absolutely central to reverse this trend." Following a UN summit last month in Poland, which was designed to advance the Paris climate accord, Guterres said he was "not hopeful" that nations would find the necessary resolve. But he stressed: "We need political will and we need governments who understand that this is the most important priority of our times." The Paris accord has been shaken by the withdrawal of the United States under President Donald Trump, and by threats to do the same by Brazil's new hard-right leader, Jair Bolsonaro. The UN secretary-general said the commitments made in Paris were already "not enough". "If what we agreed in Paris would be materialised, the temperature would rise more than 3.0 degrees (Celsius)," he said on a Facebook Live broadcast from Davos. "We need countries to make stronger commitments," Guterres said, calling for more measures to mitigate against climate change and adapt to it, along with financial aid for poorer countries. A WEF survey ahead of the Davos meeting found climate change was the leading concern of forum participants around the world, noting in particular the growing frequency of extreme weather events. Without stronger political action corporate executives in Davos such as Patrick Pouyanne, CEO of French energy giant Total, have been touting their own measures to transition to a greener economy. "We don't look to renewables to be green," he told the CNBC channel in Davos on Thursday, noting that electricity is the fastest-growing segment of the energy market. "We look to renewables because it's the best way to go in to this electricity market, but the electricity market will require also natural gas, so natural gas and renewables." 'Suicide pact' But activists say companies are not doing nearly enough. One vocal voice in Davos this week has been Swedish 16-year-old Greta Thunberg, who has inspired a wave of climate protests by schoolchildren around the world after delivering a fiery speech at the UN climate summit in Katowice, Poland last month. "They (companies) have known exactly what priceless values they have been sacrificing to continue making unimaginable amounts of money," she told AFP in an interview. Former secretary of state John Kerry, who signed the Paris accord for the United States in 2016, said 38 out of the 50 US states were implementing their own climate policies despite Trump's withdrawal and vocal scepticism on climate change. The Paris pact was based partly on the expectation that the private sector would step up with new investment in areas such as batteries and solar panels, he noted. "It's not happening enough, and even in Katowice recently, you saw the fight that was taking place, just to be able to try to be reasonable here," Kerry said in Davos Tuesday, also on CNBC. "We're heading towards 4.0 degrees Centigrade increase in this century, and the passive indifference that most countries are accepting is basically a mutual suicide pact." Another idea long in the mix of the climate debate is a carbon tax, which would factor in the polluting price of fossil fuels so as to discourage their use over time. That has been anathema for many governments, including the United States well before Trump. But it is gaining ground anew under an initiative by the Climate Leadership Council that is backed by 27 Nobel economics laureates and four former chairs of the Federal Reserve. Ted Halstead, president of the US organisation, has been in Davos this week selling the idea of US households getting back the revenue raised, in the form of lump-sum rebates. "A carbon tax offers the most cost-effective lever to reduce carbon emissions at the scale and speed that is necessary," signatories to the initiative said in a statement last week.

'We are losing the race' on climate change: UN chief Antonio Guterres

The world is on course to miss its "best chance" of preventing runaway climate change by ensuring global greenhouse gas emissions peak in 2020, researchers warned Tuesday.

Even as Earth is buffeted by superstorms, droughts and flooding made worse by rising seas, and as greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise globally, an analysis by the World Resources Institute showed that current efforts to limit temperature increases are falling well short.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/in-china-air-pollution-is-driving-happiness-levels-down-191887">In China, air pollution is driving happiness levels down</a>

In 2017, experts identified six key milestones that mankind must hit by 2020 if the Paris climate goal of limiting global temperature rises to 1.5 Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) is to have a fighting chance of being met.

They include radical changes to how we get our electricity, and to how goods and services are distributed worldwide.&nbsp;

Chief among these are an immediate phasing out of fossil fuels, including a total halt to new coal power plant construction within two years, as well as an end to dirty energy subsidies.

The WRI on Tuesday said that achieving the 2020 goals was Earth's "best chance" of honouring the Paris deal goals.

Some progress has been made in renewable energy and green finance, it said, but headway was deemed "insufficient" across a host of sectors.

"One thing from energy -- where things are going much better -- is how renewable energy is progressing," said Helen Mountford, the WRI's vice president for climate change and economics. &nbsp;

Renewables such as wind and solar now account for roughly 25 percent of global electricity production, not too far from the 2020 goal of 30 percent.

But the world remains seriously off course when it comes to the phasing out of greenhouse gas-producing fossil fuels.&nbsp;

The Mission 2020 campaign says no new coal-fired power plants should be constructed after the end of next year, and advises that all existing coal power stations should be in the process of being retired by then.

While the pace of expansion has slowed, the world is still seeing a net gain in coal capacity. More than 28 gigawatts of coal power was retired from the global grid last year -- but 65 gigawatts was added.

"We are seeing new builds outpacing the retirements," said Mountford.

Subsidies sticking point 
Scientific consensus is hardening that for Earth to avoid the direst consequences of climate change, emissions must peak by 2020 and drastically reduce thereafter.

The WRI said this was the "best chance" for the global economy to be carbon neutral by mid-century and to stay beneath the 1.5C threshold. &nbsp;

Fossil fuel subsidies must also be entirely eliminated by 2020 to stay on track to the Paris goals, it said.

The subsidies have declined from $443 billion in 2010 to $373 billion in 2015, but major economies are yet to make good on their commitments to phase out the funding.&nbsp;

"Subsidies for coal, oil, and gas essentially act as a negative carbon price, reducing the costs for these polluting substances and taking up funding that could instead be used for other expenditures, including investment in sustainable development," the WRI said.&nbsp;

It also called for better transparency and reporting by governments and the private sector to allow for more targeted green action to take place.

The world is on course to miss its "best chance" of preventing runaway climate change by ensuring global greenhouse gas emissions peak in 2020, researchers warned Tuesday.

The world is on course to miss its "best chance" of preventing runaway climate change by ensuring global greenhouse gas emissions peak in 2020, researchers warned Tuesday. Even as Earth is buffeted by superstorms, droughts and flooding made worse by rising seas, and as greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise globally, an analysis by the World Resources Institute showed that current efforts to limit temperature increases are falling well short. Also read: In China, air pollution is driving happiness levels down In 2017, experts identified six key milestones that mankind must hit by 2020 if the Paris climate goal of limiting global temperature rises to 1.5 Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) is to have a fighting chance of being met. They include radical changes to how we get our electricity, and to how goods and services are distributed worldwide. Chief among these are an immediate phasing out of fossil fuels, including a total halt to new coal power plant construction within two years, as well as an end to dirty energy subsidies. The WRI on Tuesday said that achieving the 2020 goals was Earth's "best chance" of honouring the Paris deal goals. Some progress has been made in renewable energy and green finance, it said, but headway was deemed "insufficient" across a host of sectors. "One thing from energy -- where things are going much better -- is how renewable energy is progressing," said Helen Mountford, the WRI's vice president for climate change and economics. Renewables such as wind and solar now account for roughly 25 percent of global electricity production, not too far from the 2020 goal of 30 percent. But the world remains seriously off course when it comes to the phasing out of greenhouse gas-producing fossil fuels. The Mission 2020 campaign says no new coal-fired power plants should be constructed after the end of next year, and advises that all existing coal power stations should be in the process of being retired by then. While the pace of expansion has slowed, the world is still seeing a net gain in coal capacity. More than 28 gigawatts of coal power was retired from the global grid last year -- but 65 gigawatts was added. "We are seeing new builds outpacing the retirements," said Mountford. Subsidies sticking point Scientific consensus is hardening that for Earth to avoid the direst consequences of climate change, emissions must peak by 2020 and drastically reduce thereafter. The WRI said this was the "best chance" for the global economy to be carbon neutral by mid-century and to stay beneath the 1.5C threshold. Fossil fuel subsidies must also be entirely eliminated by 2020 to stay on track to the Paris goals, it said. The subsidies have declined from $443 billion in 2010 to $373 billion in 2015, but major economies are yet to make good on their commitments to phase out the funding. "Subsidies for coal, oil, and gas essentially act as a negative carbon price, reducing the costs for these polluting substances and taking up funding that could instead be used for other expenditures, including investment in sustainable development," the WRI said. It also called for better transparency and reporting by governments and the private sector to allow for more targeted green action to take place.

World is going to miss its 'best chance' of preventing runaway climate change: Study

Jellyfish exhibit in Paris puts spotlight on climate change

Last year was the fourth warmest on record, extending a scorching streak driven by rising concentrations of man-made greenhouse gases, the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service said on Monday.

Average world surface air temperatures were 14.7 Celsius (58.5 Fahrenheit) in 2018, 0.2C less than 2016 which was the hottest year on record, it said in the first global assessment of temperatures based on full-year data.

The year 2016 was boosted by an El Nino event that warmed the surface of the Pacific Ocean.

"In 2018, we have again seen a very warm year, the fourth warmest on record," Jean-Noël Thépaut, head of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, said in a statement.

"Dramatic climatic events like the warm and dry summer in large parts of Europe or the increasing temperature around the Arctic regions are alarming signs to all of us," he added.

The years 2017 and 2015 were also fractionally warmer than 2018 in records dating back to the 19th century, Copernicus said.

Almost 200 nations agreed to a "rule book" to govern the Paris climate agreement in talks in Poland last month, even though critics said it was insufficient to prevent dangerous levels of global warming.

The 2015 Paris accord seeks to end the fossil fuel era this century by shifting to cleaner energies such as wind and solar power. US President Donald Trump plans to pull out and instead promote the US fossil fuel industry.

The Copernicus report confirms projections by the UN’s World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in November that 2018 would be fourth warmest, after a cool start to the year.

Last year was the fourth warmest on record, extending a scorching streak driven by rising concentrations of man-made greenhouse gases, the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service said on Monday.

Last year was the fourth warmest on record, extending a scorching streak driven by rising concentrations of man-made greenhouse gases, the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service said on Monday. Average world surface air temperatures were 14.7 Celsius (58.5 Fahrenheit) in 2018, 0.2C less than 2016 which was the hottest year on record, it said in the first global assessment of temperatures based on full-year data. The year 2016 was boosted by an El Nino event that warmed the surface of the Pacific Ocean. "In 2018, we have again seen a very warm year, the fourth warmest on record," Jean-Noël Thépaut, head of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, said in a statement. "Dramatic climatic events like the warm and dry summer in large parts of Europe or the increasing temperature around the Arctic regions are alarming signs to all of us," he added. The years 2017 and 2015 were also fractionally warmer than 2018 in records dating back to the 19th century, Copernicus said. Almost 200 nations agreed to a "rule book" to govern the Paris climate agreement in talks in Poland last month, even though critics said it was insufficient to prevent dangerous levels of global warming. The 2015 Paris accord seeks to end the fossil fuel era this century by shifting to cleaner energies such as wind and solar power. US President Donald Trump plans to pull out and instead promote the US fossil fuel industry. The Copernicus report confirms projections by the UN’s World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in November that 2018 would be fourth warmest, after a cool start to the year.

2018 was the fourth-warmest year ever

By Richard Zuber

Even though the outcomes of the UN Climate Change Conference in Katowice, Poland, are to be celebrated as a step in the right direction despite all odds, a somewhat bitter aftertaste remains. In the wake of news that our species has merely 12 years to pull the ship around by making swift changes to global energy infrastructure, it was clear that something had to be done. This year’s COP24 talks resulted in huge fossil fuel divestments, yet the uncomfortable truth is that fighting climate change can only progress with them. It is impossible to abandon fossil fuels overnight, so a more realistic and humane approach to reducing carbon emissions has to be found.

It was a difficult task from the outset. The reporting of the international and domestic media on the horrors of climate change and the use of coal has effectively stifled debate and the ability to formulate clear thinking on the subject. The 2015 Paris Climate Agreement in its current form has become untouchable, notwithstanding that its goals were highly Western-centric and near impossible to implement on a global scale. Pundits now cheer that COP24 represents a common move of institutions to cut ties to fossil fuel producers — “this most destructive of industries.” But things never are that simple.

In order for the Paris goals to be met, global emissions from power plants, factories, transport and deforestation would have to be eliminated entirely in short order. Ironically, not only is this ignorant of the realities on the ground, but, more damningly, it completely misses the point: Developing countries rely on coal and other cheap resources for economic growth, electricity and poverty alleviation. Still, activists and the media chose to focus on the political game rather than the actual situation, thereby exposing their immaturity when it comes to dealing with pressing issues like climate change.

A case in point is the vicious reaction to US President Donald Trump’s announcement to pull out of the agreement and his ongoing support for the continued use of coal through the promotion of high efficiency, low emissions (HELE) solutions. Even if it is hard to accept, the weight of evidence in concerned countries suggests that favouring technology conducive to reducing the carbon-intensity of fossil fuels is a viable compromise. Which is why the push for HELE is so important. The US hosted a forum at COP24 to advocate the use of this tech and to promote the Clean and Advanced Fossil Fuel Alliance. Originally presented after last year’s climate conference in Bonn, Germany, the alliance is exploring the benefits of more efficient fossil fuel technologies, as well as those — such as carbon capture and storage (CCS)— that have a part to play in reducing emissions in the long term.

Unlike the conventional approach that seeks to cut out all fossil fuels no matter the cost, this initiative sticks out because it takes into account the needs of developing countries. One billion people, mostly in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, live without electricity. It’s a problem that adversely impacts development indicators such as health, education, food security and poverty reduction. Furthermore, electrifying the poorest countries and thus improving living conditions is, notably, the primary objective of the UN Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7).

It’s a cruel irony then that the same people who agreed on the SDG7 are also those who now undermine their own good intentions by denying developing countries access to the one energy resource that can bring about these changes. In a move dripping with hypocrisy, global institutions like the World Bank have stopped coal financing, thereby denying access to affordable electricity for millions — a dynamic this COP has only reinforced.

The accusation of hypocrisy weighs even heavier considering that African leaders directly confronted World Bank President Jim Yong-kim in October, lamenting how the West is outraged about climate change but strangles African countries out of using fossil fuels. Their outrage is even more understandable since very little has actually been achieved by those who demand radical action and brand themselves as climate saviours. Far from raising the billions promised to help poor nations fight climate change, rich countries have continually failed to mobilize the $100 billion a year promised by 2020 to developing states for climate finance. Instead of the money, developing countries only get self-righteous finger-wagging and preachy talks for insisting on using cheap energy sources. But rich countries are willfully ignoring that without funds to finance emission-mitigating technologies like HELE, developing nation’s CO2 emissions will only keep rising.

While it may be hard for us to understand in the plentiful West, in countries like Indonesia, energy production — not climate change — is the most pressing concern. The government seeks to build more than 100 coal-fired power plants, and projections suggest that within 10 years, energy will be the largest contributor to Indonesian emissions. And it’s not an isolated case: Across Asia, hundreds of gigawatts of new coal-fired power generation is under construction, showing that the growing appetite for coal is unlikely to diminish any time soon.

Developing nations are rightly indignant that Western powers who are responsible for most of the carbon emissions to date — and who are failing on their own climate pledges — are lecturing them on cutting fossil fuel use. Instead of berating the lack of progress in fighting climate change, it would be best to accept that impact could be mitigated without compromising on economic prosperity. More efficient HELE and CSS technologies are the way to go. If COP24 and its successors want to create a lasting impact, rational thought and realistic appraisals of global conditions must prevail over myopic ideological fervour.

(Richard Zuber is a New York-based policy adviser who specialises in US foreign policy)

(This article was originally published on Fair Observer. Read the <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/more/environment/cop24-katowice-poland-climate-change-technology-solutions-news-81762/">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) 
&nbsp;

By Richard Zuber Even though the outcomes of the UN Climate Change Conference in Katowice, Poland, are to be celebrated as a step in the right direction despite all odds, a somewhat bitter aftertaste remains.

By Richard Zuber Even though the outcomes of the UN Climate Change Conference in Katowice, Poland, are to be celebrated as a step in the right direction despite all odds, a somewhat bitter aftertaste remains. In the wake of news that our species has merely 12 years to pull the ship around by making swift changes to global energy infrastructure, it was clear that something had to be done. This year’s COP24 talks resulted in huge fossil fuel divestments, yet the uncomfortable truth is that fighting climate change can only progress with them. It is impossible to abandon fossil fuels overnight, so a more realistic and humane approach to reducing carbon emissions has to be found. It was a difficult task from the outset. The reporting of the international and domestic media on the horrors of climate change and the use of coal has effectively stifled debate and the ability to formulate clear thinking on the subject. The 2015 Paris Climate Agreement in its current form has become untouchable, notwithstanding that its goals were highly Western-centric and near impossible to implement on a global scale. Pundits now cheer that COP24 represents a common move of institutions to cut ties to fossil fuel producers — “this most destructive of industries.” But things never are that simple. In order for the Paris goals to be met, global emissions from power plants, factories, transport and deforestation would have to be eliminated entirely in short order. Ironically, not only is this ignorant of the realities on the ground, but, more damningly, it completely misses the point: Developing countries rely on coal and other cheap resources for economic growth, electricity and poverty alleviation. Still, activists and the media chose to focus on the political game rather than the actual situation, thereby exposing their immaturity when it comes to dealing with pressing issues like climate change. A case in point is the vicious reaction to US President Donald Trump’s announcement to pull out of the agreement and his ongoing support for the continued use of coal through the promotion of high efficiency, low emissions (HELE) solutions. Even if it is hard to accept, the weight of evidence in concerned countries suggests that favouring technology conducive to reducing the carbon-intensity of fossil fuels is a viable compromise. Which is why the push for HELE is so important. The US hosted a forum at COP24 to advocate the use of this tech and to promote the Clean and Advanced Fossil Fuel Alliance. Originally presented after last year’s climate conference in Bonn, Germany, the alliance is exploring the benefits of more efficient fossil fuel technologies, as well as those — such as carbon capture and storage (CCS)— that have a part to play in reducing emissions in the long term. Unlike the conventional approach that seeks to cut out all fossil fuels no matter the cost, this initiative sticks out because it takes into account the needs of developing countries. One billion people, mostly in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, live without electricity. It’s a problem that adversely impacts development indicators such as health, education, food security and poverty reduction. Furthermore, electrifying the poorest countries and thus improving living conditions is, notably, the primary objective of the UN Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7). It’s a cruel irony then that the same people who agreed on the SDG7 are also those who now undermine their own good intentions by denying developing countries access to the one energy resource that can bring about these changes. In a move dripping with hypocrisy, global institutions like the World Bank have stopped coal financing, thereby denying access to affordable electricity for millions — a dynamic this COP has only reinforced. The accusation of hypocrisy weighs even heavier considering that African leaders directly confronted World Bank President Jim Yong-kim in October, lamenting how the West is outraged about climate change but strangles African countries out of using fossil fuels. Their outrage is even more understandable since very little has actually been achieved by those who demand radical action and brand themselves as climate saviours. Far from raising the billions promised to help poor nations fight climate change, rich countries have continually failed to mobilize the $100 billion a year promised by 2020 to developing states for climate finance. Instead of the money, developing countries only get self-righteous finger-wagging and preachy talks for insisting on using cheap energy sources. But rich countries are willfully ignoring that without funds to finance emission-mitigating technologies like HELE, developing nation’s CO2 emissions will only keep rising. While it may be hard for us to understand in the plentiful West, in countries like Indonesia, energy production — not climate change — is the most pressing concern. The government seeks to build more than 100 coal-fired power plants, and projections suggest that within 10 years, energy will be the largest contributor to Indonesian emissions. And it’s not an isolated case: Across Asia, hundreds of gigawatts of new coal-fired power generation is under construction, showing that the growing appetite for coal is unlikely to diminish any time soon. Developing nations are rightly indignant that Western powers who are responsible for most of the carbon emissions to date — and who are failing on their own climate pledges — are lecturing them on cutting fossil fuel use. Instead of berating the lack of progress in fighting climate change, it would be best to accept that impact could be mitigated without compromising on economic prosperity. More efficient HELE and CSS technologies are the way to go. If COP24 and its successors want to create a lasting impact, rational thought and realistic appraisals of global conditions must prevail over myopic ideological fervour. (Richard Zuber is a New York-based policy adviser who specialises in US foreign policy) (This article was originally published on Fair Observer. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

It’s time for a new climate compromise

After extended hours of negotiations, the COP 24 held in Katowice, Poland, finally sent out a sigh of ‘temporary’ relief.&nbsp;

The rule book for implementing the Paris Agreement is an important milestone in the ‘global’ quest to address climate change in accordance with the principle of equity and common, but with differentiated responsibility and respective capabilities.&nbsp;

Dodging the skepticism rooted in the hard negotiations and slow progress in the run-up to COP 24, an agreement, even if with rued nods from many parties, is a positive step.&nbsp;

However, the unfolding of the negotiations warrants that developing countries invest in greater scrutiny of the implementation as well as subsequent discussions at COPs.&nbsp;

For over a decade now, the meaning of ‘global’ quest is being, subtly, pushed towards, what may be called, Third World’s burden irrespective of respective capabilities and responsibilities.

Many influential thought leaders from the developed world, while revealing their helplessness with, and discounting the withdrawal of the USA from the Paris Agreement by citing the commitments from the various state governments and cities, urge the developing countries, particularly China and India, to take on greater commitments without taking into account their own roles and responsibilities.

This convolution of differentiation was obvious at least in four instances during proceedings of the COP24: First, the unwillingness of industrialised countries to include providing credible and verifiable information on financial flows in the Global Stock Take process was in clear defiance of the objective of the Paris Agreement.

The Paris Agreement aims to ensure financial flows consistent with the requirements of the climate resilient low-carbon development pathways.&nbsp;

After doing away with the distinction between Annex I and non-Annex I countries, providing climate finance to developing countries is the most significant substantive parameter of ensuring equity.&nbsp;

The diplomatic keenness of France to protect the Paris Agreement, by announcing annual replenishment to GCF, when the finance agenda was to become a point of deadlock explains the centrality of finance to successful climate negotiations, as well as ‘global’ climate action.

Second, the opposition to the use of accumulated credits from the market mechanisms under the Kyoto Protocol in the new market mechanism under the Paris Agreement by many developed countries is equivalent of arguing for quantified emission reduction targets for developing countries, post-facto, when the relevant global agreement did not require them to have any.&nbsp;

The argument that the new rules are stricter, leading to the issues of environmental integrity, is not merely a technical point. It is symptomatic of political cunningness of trickery by rules.

Doubts over environmental integrity of certain Clean Development Projects (CDM) had been discussed in great detail during the reform debates and many proposals were made, including the use of a discount rate. These options are valid for the new market mechanism as well.

Discarding a celebrated market mechanism’s legacy in its next avatar and putting developing countries in a disadvantageous position must be understood as the reflection of the core political design of industrialised countries.

Third, the opposition by developed countries to the flexibilities given to developing countries in complying with the reporting requirements, along with the demands for greater details, leaves the process of Global Stock Take far from being congenially resolved.&nbsp;

The proposal to divide the rule-book into multiple agreements, which was rightly opposed by developing countries, was a clever attempt by developed countries at keeping the developing country parties under undue pressure of ‘global’ (read Northern) scrutiny.&nbsp;

Finally, as has been much debated, the unwillingness of some of the developed countries to ‘welcome’ the 1.5 degrees report from the IPCC – despite having asked for this assessment – is a clear indication of their unwillingness to adopt stricter mitigation measures today, even though this may result in significantly larger impacts in the world and on those that have greater vulnerabilities and lower adaptive capacities.&nbsp;

We are once again proving that we are not able to deal with the science truly, in face of political compulsions. To sum up, as noted by India in her formal reservation statement, implementation of the principle of equity and differentiation is constantly being undermined.&nbsp;

Having done away with the top-down distinction between industrialised and developing countries, now the attempt is to erase it, if not reverse it, through the details of implementation of the Paris Agreement.&nbsp;

Both the governments as well as the researchers in developing countries, therefore, need to be extra vigilant in tracking climate policy globally and nationally. 
 
(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-cop-24-developed-nations-unwilling-to-adopt-stricter-mitigation-measures-2697234">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

After extended hours of negotiations, the COP 24 held in Katowice, Poland, finally sent out a sigh of ‘temporary’ relief. The rule book for implementing the Paris Agreement is an important milestone in the ‘global’ quest to address climate change in accordance with the principle of equity and common, but with differentiated responsibility and respective capabilities.

After extended hours of negotiations, the COP 24 held in Katowice, Poland, finally sent out a sigh of ‘temporary’ relief. The rule book for implementing the Paris Agreement is an important milestone in the ‘global’ quest to address climate change in accordance with the principle of equity and common, but with differentiated responsibility and respective capabilities. Dodging the skepticism rooted in the hard negotiations and slow progress in the run-up to COP 24, an agreement, even if with rued nods from many parties, is a positive step. However, the unfolding of the negotiations warrants that developing countries invest in greater scrutiny of the implementation as well as subsequent discussions at COPs. For over a decade now, the meaning of ‘global’ quest is being, subtly, pushed towards, what may be called, Third World’s burden irrespective of respective capabilities and responsibilities. Many influential thought leaders from the developed world, while revealing their helplessness with, and discounting the withdrawal of the USA from the Paris Agreement by citing the commitments from the various state governments and cities, urge the developing countries, particularly China and India, to take on greater commitments without taking into account their own roles and responsibilities. This convolution of differentiation was obvious at least in four instances during proceedings of the COP24: First, the unwillingness of industrialised countries to include providing credible and verifiable information on financial flows in the Global Stock Take process was in clear defiance of the objective of the Paris Agreement. The Paris Agreement aims to ensure financial flows consistent with the requirements of the climate resilient low-carbon development pathways. After doing away with the distinction between Annex I and non-Annex I countries, providing climate finance to developing countries is the most significant substantive parameter of ensuring equity. The diplomatic keenness of France to protect the Paris Agreement, by announcing annual replenishment to GCF, when the finance agenda was to become a point of deadlock explains the centrality of finance to successful climate negotiations, as well as ‘global’ climate action. Second, the opposition to the use of accumulated credits from the market mechanisms under the Kyoto Protocol in the new market mechanism under the Paris Agreement by many developed countries is equivalent of arguing for quantified emission reduction targets for developing countries, post-facto, when the relevant global agreement did not require them to have any. The argument that the new rules are stricter, leading to the issues of environmental integrity, is not merely a technical point. It is symptomatic of political cunningness of trickery by rules. Doubts over environmental integrity of certain Clean Development Projects (CDM) had been discussed in great detail during the reform debates and many proposals were made, including the use of a discount rate. These options are valid for the new market mechanism as well. Discarding a celebrated market mechanism’s legacy in its next avatar and putting developing countries in a disadvantageous position must be understood as the reflection of the core political design of industrialised countries. Third, the opposition by developed countries to the flexibilities given to developing countries in complying with the reporting requirements, along with the demands for greater details, leaves the process of Global Stock Take far from being congenially resolved. The proposal to divide the rule-book into multiple agreements, which was rightly opposed by developing countries, was a clever attempt by developed countries at keeping the developing country parties under undue pressure of ‘global’ (read Northern) scrutiny. Finally, as has been much debated, the unwillingness of some of the developed countries to ‘welcome’ the 1.5 degrees report from the IPCC – despite having asked for this assessment – is a clear indication of their unwillingness to adopt stricter mitigation measures today, even though this may result in significantly larger impacts in the world and on those that have greater vulnerabilities and lower adaptive capacities. We are once again proving that we are not able to deal with the science truly, in face of political compulsions. To sum up, as noted by India in her formal reservation statement, implementation of the principle of equity and differentiation is constantly being undermined. Having done away with the top-down distinction between industrialised and developing countries, now the attempt is to erase it, if not reverse it, through the details of implementation of the Paris Agreement. Both the governments as well as the researchers in developing countries, therefore, need to be extra vigilant in tracking climate policy globally and nationally. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

COP 24: Developed nations unwilling to adopt stricter mitigation measures to address climate change

Fractious climate change talks in Poland showed the limits of international action to limit global warming in a polarised world, putting the onus on individual governments, cities and communities to stop temperatures rising.

Nearly 200 countries at the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/katowice-climate-summit-three-key-outcomes-184439">United Nations talks in Katowice</a> in the coal mining region of Silesia saved the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement from disintegration on Saturday by agreeing with a package of guidelines for its implementation.

But it deferred rules on carbon credits a spur to business and lacked any firm commitment to strengthen countries' emissions cut targets by 2020 when the agreement comes into force.

As such it left the parties a long way from the Paris deal's goal of keeping global warming below 2 degrees Celsius, let alone the cap of 1.5C needed to avert more extreme weather, rising sea levels and the loss of plant and animal species.

The world is heading for a 3-5C rise in temperatures this century, the UN World Meteorological Organization has said.

The Paris Agreement is based on individual commitments and expectations for the Polish talks to produce much more than rules for how those would be measured had always been low: the unity built in Paris had been shattered by a wave of governments placing national agendas before collective action.

Only a handful of country leaders were present in Katowice and the UN&nbsp;Secretary-General had to fly back to the meeting to urge progress.

"Political will is missing," Alden Meyer, director at the Union of Concerned Scientists, a non-profit science advocacy group said as the conference staggered towards a finish delayed for more than 24 hours by last-minute wrangling over parts of the text.

"But it provides the hooks for governments, cities, businesses, civil society etc to do the work to get (to the Paris Agreement goals)," he said.

For conference president Michal Kurtyka it was a job well done. "Mission accomplished," he wrote on Twitter. "Our children look back at our legacy and recognise that we took the right decisions at important junctures like the one we face today."

Scratching the surface

For nations already suffering from climate change the agreement, which did not make clear how pledged funding would be provided, was only just better than nothing. Simon Stiell, Environment Minister of Grenada in the Caribbean, told Reuters it "is barely scratching the surface of what we really require".

Investors said it would take more action at government level to persuade them to pump in the amount of money needed.

"Those countries ... who push ahead with ambitious, long-term climate policies will be the ones to reap the investment and economic advantages of doing so," said Stephanie Pfeifer, Chief Executive of Institutional Investors' Group on Climate Change, noting the low-carbon transition was already underway.

The United States, set to withdraw from the UN&nbsp;process at the behest of President Donald Trump, staged an event touting the benefits of burning fossil fuels, including coal, more efficiently, while back at home, Trump has termed the Paris deal "ridiculous".

A scientific report requested by the Paris signatories said the share of coal-fuelled power would have to be cut to under 2 per cent by 2050, along with big cuts to other fossil fuels, to stop temperatures rising more than 1.5C and causing devastating floods, storms, heat waves and drought.

The United States, as well as fellow oil producers Saudi Arabia, Russia and Kuwait, refused to "welcome" the report, a term sought by countries seeking to focus minds on its findings.

The final statement merely welcomed its timely completion and invited parties to make use of the information it contained.

Yet the row over the report was far from the only one: China, India, Russia, Australia, Japan, Brazil and the European Union were all drawn into various rifts, although China won some praise for helping to overcome concern, especially from the United States, that it would sidestep any rules.

"I think they have come a long way in recognising they need to provide confidence," Jennifer Morgan, executive director of Greenpeace International, said of the Chinese negotiators.

Describing Washington as "out of touch", Morgan noted the rules agreed in Poland nevertheless bound all countries, including the United States until its planned withdrawal in 2020, an achievement in itself.

"But that doesn´t substitute for the need to build ambition," she said.

Choking coal

Poland, hosting its third UN climate conference, came in for criticism for its commitment to coal, the most polluting of fossil fuels.

The meeting's final statement merely "noted," Warsaw's call for a "just transition" allowing communities dependent on coal more time to adjust.

The appointment of Kurtyka, Poland's deputy environment minister, to preside over the talks appeased some campaigners angered by the government's previous choice, the former environment minister, Jan Szyszko.

Szyszko had expressed doubts that global warming is manmade in the past and increased logging in the ancient forest of Bialowieza, declared illegal by the European Union's top court.

However, Kurtyka's job was complicated by Poland's environment minister says he did not want discussion about raising ambition at the talks and Poland's president vowing not to let anyone "murder coal mining".

A focus on technicalities in the first week was interpreted by campaigners as a pretext to avoid discussions on pledging deeper emissions cuts. Kurtyka got countries to focus on the guidelines near the end of the second week, but there was no collective action to harmonise or improve disparate pledges.

"Each delegation has its own domestic interests ... Our role, like the presidency, is to find balance, which ensures reaching a compromise," Adam Guibourge-Czetwertynski, Poland's chief negotiator, said in the second week of talks.

Poland's ruling party, the nationalist-minded Law and Justice (PiS), wants to scale back the share of coal in electricity production from 80 per cent to 60 per cent by 2030.

But the production of hard coal is expected to be stable for decades, although 72 per cent of Poles think it should be gradually phased out to reduce emissions, according to a survey by state-controlled pollster CBOS in November.

Katowice, the heart of Poland's coal region, is among the most polluted cities in Europe because many people heat their homes by burning low-quality coal, which is the cheapest. Residents say they have no choice.

"No climate decisions, even the best ones, will change the content of our wallets," said Maria Ligeza, an 83-year-old Katowice citizen. "Without help, people will be still burning what they have."

Fractious climate change talks in Poland showed the limits of international action to limit global warming in a polarised world, putting the onus on individual governments, cities and communities to stop temperatures rising.

Fractious climate change talks in Poland showed the limits of international action to limit global warming in a polarised world, putting the onus on individual governments, cities and communities to stop temperatures rising. Nearly 200 countries at the United Nations talks in Katowice in the coal mining region of Silesia saved the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement from disintegration on Saturday by agreeing with a package of guidelines for its implementation. But it deferred rules on carbon credits a spur to business and lacked any firm commitment to strengthen countries' emissions cut targets by 2020 when the agreement comes into force. As such it left the parties a long way from the Paris deal's goal of keeping global warming below 2 degrees Celsius, let alone the cap of 1.5C needed to avert more extreme weather, rising sea levels and the loss of plant and animal species. The world is heading for a 3-5C rise in temperatures this century, the UN World Meteorological Organization has said. The Paris Agreement is based on individual commitments and expectations for the Polish talks to produce much more than rules for how those would be measured had always been low: the unity built in Paris had been shattered by a wave of governments placing national agendas before collective action. Only a handful of country leaders were present in Katowice and the UN Secretary-General had to fly back to the meeting to urge progress. "Political will is missing," Alden Meyer, director at the Union of Concerned Scientists, a non-profit science advocacy group said as the conference staggered towards a finish delayed for more than 24 hours by last-minute wrangling over parts of the text. "But it provides the hooks for governments, cities, businesses, civil society etc to do the work to get (to the Paris Agreement goals)," he said. For conference president Michal Kurtyka it was a job well done. "Mission accomplished," he wrote on Twitter. "Our children look back at our legacy and recognise that we took the right decisions at important junctures like the one we face today." Scratching the surface For nations already suffering from climate change the agreement, which did not make clear how pledged funding would be provided, was only just better than nothing. Simon Stiell, Environment Minister of Grenada in the Caribbean, told Reuters it "is barely scratching the surface of what we really require". Investors said it would take more action at government level to persuade them to pump in the amount of money needed. "Those countries ... who push ahead with ambitious, long-term climate policies will be the ones to reap the investment and economic advantages of doing so," said Stephanie Pfeifer, Chief Executive of Institutional Investors' Group on Climate Change, noting the low-carbon transition was already underway. The United States, set to withdraw from the UN process at the behest of President Donald Trump, staged an event touting the benefits of burning fossil fuels, including coal, more efficiently, while back at home, Trump has termed the Paris deal "ridiculous". A scientific report requested by the Paris signatories said the share of coal-fuelled power would have to be cut to under 2 per cent by 2050, along with big cuts to other fossil fuels, to stop temperatures rising more than 1.5C and causing devastating floods, storms, heat waves and drought. The United States, as well as fellow oil producers Saudi Arabia, Russia and Kuwait, refused to "welcome" the report, a term sought by countries seeking to focus minds on its findings. The final statement merely welcomed its timely completion and invited parties to make use of the information it contained. Yet the row over the report was far from the only one: China, India, Russia, Australia, Japan, Brazil and the European Union were all drawn into various rifts, although China won some praise for helping to overcome concern, especially from the United States, that it would sidestep any rules. "I think they have come a long way in recognising they need to provide confidence," Jennifer Morgan, executive director of Greenpeace International, said of the Chinese negotiators. Describing Washington as "out of touch", Morgan noted the rules agreed in Poland nevertheless bound all countries, including the United States until its planned withdrawal in 2020, an achievement in itself. "But that doesn´t substitute for the need to build ambition," she said. Choking coal Poland, hosting its third UN climate conference, came in for criticism for its commitment to coal, the most polluting of fossil fuels. The meeting's final statement merely "noted," Warsaw's call for a "just transition" allowing communities dependent on coal more time to adjust. The appointment of Kurtyka, Poland's deputy environment minister, to preside over the talks appeased some campaigners angered by the government's previous choice, the former environment minister, Jan Szyszko. Szyszko had expressed doubts that global warming is manmade in the past and increased logging in the ancient forest of Bialowieza, declared illegal by the European Union's top court. However, Kurtyka's job was complicated by Poland's environment minister says he did not want discussion about raising ambition at the talks and Poland's president vowing not to let anyone "murder coal mining". A focus on technicalities in the first week was interpreted by campaigners as a pretext to avoid discussions on pledging deeper emissions cuts. Kurtyka got countries to focus on the guidelines near the end of the second week, but there was no collective action to harmonise or improve disparate pledges. "Each delegation has its own domestic interests ... Our role, like the presidency, is to find balance, which ensures reaching a compromise," Adam Guibourge-Czetwertynski, Poland's chief negotiator, said in the second week of talks. Poland's ruling party, the nationalist-minded Law and Justice (PiS), wants to scale back the share of coal in electricity production from 80 per cent to 60 per cent by 2030. But the production of hard coal is expected to be stable for decades, although 72 per cent of Poles think it should be gradually phased out to reduce emissions, according to a survey by state-controlled pollster CBOS in November. Katowice, the heart of Poland's coal region, is among the most polluted cities in Europe because many people heat their homes by burning low-quality coal, which is the cheapest. Residents say they have no choice. "No climate decisions, even the best ones, will change the content of our wallets," said Maria Ligeza, an 83-year-old Katowice citizen. "Without help, people will be still burning what they have."

Climate talks pass baton in race to stop global warming

&nbsp;The United Nations' climate talks went into overtime early Saturday morning as negotiators from nearly 200 nations grappled with disagreements over parts of a package of rules to implement a landmark agreement to combat global warming.

Countries are on a self-imposed deadline to produce a "rulebook" to flesh out details of the 2015 Paris Agreement, which aims to limit the global temperature rise to less than 2 degrees Celsius and which comes into force in 2020.

Talks in Katowice, Poland, underway since December 2, have been clouded by political divisions.&nbsp;

Before the talks started, many expected that the deal would fall short of the detailed plan scientists have said is needed to limit global warming to well below a 2 degree-Celsius rise this century.

Many exhausted ministers were seen going to their hotels around 2200 GMT to catch a few hours' sleep before resuming plenary talks scheduled for early Saturday morning, which could be subject to delays.

European climate Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete, on leaving the Spodek conference venue told Reuters that talks had been held up all day due to the issue of emissions counting cited in Article 6 of the Paris Agreement regarding market-based mechanisms to combat climate change.

Under the article, countries should agree to rules to ensure they do not double count emissions reductions. This is when one country is allowed to pay another to lower emissions but count those lower emissions towards their own emissions cut targets.

A way to avoid this is to create an accounting rule which would ensure that emissions reductions generated in one place cannot be counted both by the party generating the cuts and the country using those reductions towards its own target under the Paris Agreement.

A senior negotiator told Reuters Brazil was still obstructive on this issue and did not want clear rules to prevent double counting, which is unacceptable to many nations.

"This threatens the success of the negotiations and could undermine the environmental integrity of the Paris Agreement," said Nathaniel Keohane, senior vice president at the Environmental Defense Fund, a US-based non-profit climate advocacy.

Fear of Failure

UN&nbsp;secretary-general Antonio Guterres said on Friday that work needed to be finished "with the highest possible level of ambition."

"It's essential for me that Katowice is not a failure. The worst thing that could happen to us is that. There would be the idea of chaos, the idea that to a certain extent we would be reproducing in Katowice what happened in Copenhagen."

Climate talks in Copenhagen in 2009 were widely regarded as a failure as they ended with a bare-minimum agreement. It took six more years to clinch a deal in Paris.

The Katowice draft text is still subject to change but requires developed countries to deliver an increase on a promise of $100 billion a year of climate finance to help poorer countries adapt to climate change by 2020 and rules on how to report and monitor each nation's greenhouse gas emissions.

There has been compromising in some areas, such as tweaking the language to recognise the importance of a report by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on limiting global warming to 1.5C, which caused rifts last week.

But greater clarity has been sought on what countries will do after leaving Poland and how they will strengthen their commitments and targets under the pact.

"We do not want to see the Paris Agreement watered down," said former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed.

The United Nations' climate talks went into overtime early Saturday morning as negotiators from nearly 200 nations grappled with disagreements over parts of a package of rules to implement a landmark agreement to combat global warming.

The United Nations' climate talks went into overtime early Saturday morning as negotiators from nearly 200 nations grappled with disagreements over parts of a package of rules to implement a landmark agreement to combat global warming. Countries are on a self-imposed deadline to produce a "rulebook" to flesh out details of the 2015 Paris Agreement, which aims to limit the global temperature rise to less than 2 degrees Celsius and which comes into force in 2020. Talks in Katowice, Poland, underway since December 2, have been clouded by political divisions. Before the talks started, many expected that the deal would fall short of the detailed plan scientists have said is needed to limit global warming to well below a 2 degree-Celsius rise this century. Many exhausted ministers were seen going to their hotels around 2200 GMT to catch a few hours' sleep before resuming plenary talks scheduled for early Saturday morning, which could be subject to delays. European climate Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete, on leaving the Spodek conference venue told Reuters that talks had been held up all day due to the issue of emissions counting cited in Article 6 of the Paris Agreement regarding market-based mechanisms to combat climate change. Under the article, countries should agree to rules to ensure they do not double count emissions reductions. This is when one country is allowed to pay another to lower emissions but count those lower emissions towards their own emissions cut targets. A way to avoid this is to create an accounting rule which would ensure that emissions reductions generated in one place cannot be counted both by the party generating the cuts and the country using those reductions towards its own target under the Paris Agreement. A senior negotiator told Reuters Brazil was still obstructive on this issue and did not want clear rules to prevent double counting, which is unacceptable to many nations. "This threatens the success of the negotiations and could undermine the environmental integrity of the Paris Agreement," said Nathaniel Keohane, senior vice president at the Environmental Defense Fund, a US-based non-profit climate advocacy. Fear of Failure UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres said on Friday that work needed to be finished "with the highest possible level of ambition." "It's essential for me that Katowice is not a failure. The worst thing that could happen to us is that. There would be the idea of chaos, the idea that to a certain extent we would be reproducing in Katowice what happened in Copenhagen." Climate talks in Copenhagen in 2009 were widely regarded as a failure as they ended with a bare-minimum agreement. It took six more years to clinch a deal in Paris. The Katowice draft text is still subject to change but requires developed countries to deliver an increase on a promise of $100 billion a year of climate finance to help poorer countries adapt to climate change by 2020 and rules on how to report and monitor each nation's greenhouse gas emissions. There has been compromising in some areas, such as tweaking the language to recognise the importance of a report by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on limiting global warming to 1.5C, which caused rifts last week. But greater clarity has been sought on what countries will do after leaving Poland and how they will strengthen their commitments and targets under the pact. "We do not want to see the Paris Agreement watered down," said former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed.

UN climate talks go into overtime as negotiators grapple with text

Faced with images of turtles smothered by plastic bags, beaches carpeted with garbage and islands of trash floating in the oceans, environmentalists say the world is waking up to the need to tackle plastic pollution at the source.

Stories on social media of giant seas of floating waste or a beached whale found in Indonesia with six kilos (13 pounds) of plastic in its stomach are bringing plastic pollution into the spotlight.

"There is no question plastic is having a moment," said George Leonard, chief scientist at Ocean Conservancy.&nbsp;

"We are in a moment in time where we are starting to stare the problem in the face, and we're quite optimistic and hopeful that we can solve it."

Leonard and other environmental experts are optimistic the exposure will make the problem of plastics hard to ignore and focus attention on how best to deal with such waste.

Eight million tonnes of plastic is dumped into the oceans each year, according to a study in the Science journal.

But that is only what comes from the land, said Francois Galgani, a researcher with the French Institute Ifremer, estimating another two million tonnes could come from ships especially fishing vessels.&nbsp;

As a consequence more than 700 species are impacted, including turtles who confuse plastic bags with the jellyfish they eat, Galgani said.

More than 5 billion plastic bags are used every year, and a ban step by step, country by country is underway, the first phase towards a possible general ban. Bags could be followed by bans on plastic straws and cotton swabs.&nbsp;

The European Union wants to ban certain single-use plastics by the end of 2021. For Galgani, that would be good news, as it would represent around 30 to 40 per cent of the plastic that ends up in the oceans.

"Everyone is working for the good cause, even industries," he said.

Cleaning up?

But according to a study in Science Advances review, from the 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic produced between 1950 and 2015, 6.3 billion tonnes became garbage that was not very biodegradable material and only 9 percent was recycled.

For Greenpeace's Mirjam Kopp, though, recycling is not enough.

"We cannot continue this business as usual, we need to change the throw-away culture we have developed," Kopp said. "We need to tackle the problem at the source.

"Industries are putting the blame on the consumers, saying they should recycle more, but we don't think it will help. They are responsible for the single-use plastics they put on the market."

The UN Environment agency has already declared war on plastics in the oceans and made it the environmental theme of 2018.

"We need stop treating plastic as something that we can just throw away after we have used it, and start treating it as a material that has real value," said Petter Malvik, campaign manager for the Clean Seas campaign launched by UN-Environment in 2017.

Already around 60 countries have joined in the campaign started in 2017 to ban non-reusable plastics.

"Although bans alone won't solve the problem, they are definitely more than just a drop in the bucket," Malvik said.

Another problem is so called "ghost nets" - fishing nets lost at sea or left intentionally and which continue to catch fish for months after.

When it comes to cleaning the oceans, though, experts say the task may be far more complex. Scientists, for example, have doubts for over a giant floating clean-up device proposed by Ocean Cleanup foundation, which aims to clear half of a huge waste deposit floating in the Pacific in the next five years. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Dubbed the "Great Pacific garbage patch", the abnormal mass of floating debris caused by marine turbulence has now reached 80,000 tonnes spread over an area three times the size of France, according to a study in Scientific Reports.

And if you want to clean up the ocean, Leonard says, then the surface is not the place to start.&nbsp;

What floats on the surface -- particles of micro-plastics and larger objects -- is nothing compared to what ends up on the ocean floor, experts say.

So what is the solution? "Degradation," says Galgani of France's Iremer institute, referring to the breakdown of plastics. But for some plastics that means a process that may take "hundreds of years".

Faced with images of turtles smothered by plastic bags, beaches carpeted with garbage and islands of trash floating in the oceans, environmentalists say the world is waking up to the need to tackle plastic pollution at the source.

Faced with images of turtles smothered by plastic bags, beaches carpeted with garbage and islands of trash floating in the oceans, environmentalists say the world is waking up to the need to tackle plastic pollution at the source. Stories on social media of giant seas of floating waste or a beached whale found in Indonesia with six kilos (13 pounds) of plastic in its stomach are bringing plastic pollution into the spotlight. "There is no question plastic is having a moment," said George Leonard, chief scientist at Ocean Conservancy. "We are in a moment in time where we are starting to stare the problem in the face, and we're quite optimistic and hopeful that we can solve it." Leonard and other environmental experts are optimistic the exposure will make the problem of plastics hard to ignore and focus attention on how best to deal with such waste. Eight million tonnes of plastic is dumped into the oceans each year, according to a study in the Science journal. But that is only what comes from the land, said Francois Galgani, a researcher with the French Institute Ifremer, estimating another two million tonnes could come from ships especially fishing vessels. As a consequence more than 700 species are impacted, including turtles who confuse plastic bags with the jellyfish they eat, Galgani said. More than 5 billion plastic bags are used every year, and a ban step by step, country by country is underway, the first phase towards a possible general ban. Bags could be followed by bans on plastic straws and cotton swabs. The European Union wants to ban certain single-use plastics by the end of 2021. For Galgani, that would be good news, as it would represent around 30 to 40 per cent of the plastic that ends up in the oceans. "Everyone is working for the good cause, even industries," he said. Cleaning up? But according to a study in Science Advances review, from the 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic produced between 1950 and 2015, 6.3 billion tonnes became garbage that was not very biodegradable material and only 9 percent was recycled. For Greenpeace's Mirjam Kopp, though, recycling is not enough. "We cannot continue this business as usual, we need to change the throw-away culture we have developed," Kopp said. "We need to tackle the problem at the source. "Industries are putting the blame on the consumers, saying they should recycle more, but we don't think it will help. They are responsible for the single-use plastics they put on the market." The UN Environment agency has already declared war on plastics in the oceans and made it the environmental theme of 2018. "We need stop treating plastic as something that we can just throw away after we have used it, and start treating it as a material that has real value," said Petter Malvik, campaign manager for the Clean Seas campaign launched by UN-Environment in 2017. Already around 60 countries have joined in the campaign started in 2017 to ban non-reusable plastics. "Although bans alone won't solve the problem, they are definitely more than just a drop in the bucket," Malvik said. Another problem is so called "ghost nets" - fishing nets lost at sea or left intentionally and which continue to catch fish for months after. When it comes to cleaning the oceans, though, experts say the task may be far more complex. Scientists, for example, have doubts for over a giant floating clean-up device proposed by Ocean Cleanup foundation, which aims to clear half of a huge waste deposit floating in the Pacific in the next five years. Dubbed the "Great Pacific garbage patch", the abnormal mass of floating debris caused by marine turbulence has now reached 80,000 tonnes spread over an area three times the size of France, according to a study in Scientific Reports. And if you want to clean up the ocean, Leonard says, then the surface is not the place to start. What floats on the surface -- particles of micro-plastics and larger objects -- is nothing compared to what ends up on the ocean floor, experts say. So what is the solution? "Degradation," says Galgani of France's Iremer institute, referring to the breakdown of plastics. But for some plastics that means a process that may take "hundreds of years".

Oceans of garbage prompt war on plastics

Nations appeared Saturday to be on the cusp of a deal to implement the Paris climate goals, after all-night negotiations to hammer out a plan aimed at limiting global temperature rises.

"I think we have a landing zone. It is a compromise," Gebru Jember Endalew, chair of the Least Developed Countries negotiating group at the COP24 climate summit, told AFP.

Delegates from nearly 200 nations have been locked in marathon talks in Poland designed to produce a common rule book to put the pledges they made in the landmark 2015 Paris climate accord into practice.

This means all countries, rich and poor alike, must agree to action that will cap global temperature rises to "well below" two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) and stave off the worst effects of planetary warming.&nbsp;

The talks have been beset by a host of disagreements, with different configurations of developed and developing nations straddling both sides of the divide.&nbsp;

Developing nations want more clarity from richer ones over how the future climate fight will be funded and have been pushing for so-called "loss and damage" measures.

This would see richer countries giving money now to help deal with the effects of climate change many vulnerable states are already experiencing.&nbsp;

"It is a bit difficult to compromise when there are 190-plus countries," said Endalew. "I am still collecting feedback from the coordinators."

The European Union's climate commissioner Miguel Arias Canete on Saturday morning tweeted a photo of him poring over the draft decision text from the talks -- which were meant to wrap up Friday -- submitted by host Poland.

"A deal to make the #ParisAgreement operational is within reach," he said.

&nbsp;

Nations appeared Saturday to be on the cusp of a deal to implement the Paris climate goals, after all-night negotiations to hammer out a plan aimed at limiting global temperature rises.

Nations appeared Saturday to be on the cusp of a deal to implement the Paris climate goals, after all-night negotiations to hammer out a plan aimed at limiting global temperature rises. "I think we have a landing zone. It is a compromise," Gebru Jember Endalew, chair of the Least Developed Countries negotiating group at the COP24 climate summit, told AFP. Delegates from nearly 200 nations have been locked in marathon talks in Poland designed to produce a common rule book to put the pledges they made in the landmark 2015 Paris climate accord into practice. This means all countries, rich and poor alike, must agree to action that will cap global temperature rises to "well below" two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) and stave off the worst effects of planetary warming. The talks have been beset by a host of disagreements, with different configurations of developed and developing nations straddling both sides of the divide. Developing nations want more clarity from richer ones over how the future climate fight will be funded and have been pushing for so-called "loss and damage" measures. This would see richer countries giving money now to help deal with the effects of climate change many vulnerable states are already experiencing. "It is a bit difficult to compromise when there are 190-plus countries," said Endalew. "I am still collecting feedback from the coordinators." The European Union's climate commissioner Miguel Arias Canete on Saturday morning tweeted a photo of him poring over the draft decision text from the talks -- which were meant to wrap up Friday -- submitted by host Poland. "A deal to make the #ParisAgreement operational is within reach," he said.

Marathon UN climate talks near final straight

Nations at <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/nations-urged-to-tackle-urgent-threats-at-un-climate-talks-180985">UN climate talks</a> were haggling Friday over the world's plan to avert disaster as host Poland dumped a draft decision text on delegates just hours before the summit was due to end. &nbsp;

Negotiators told AFP that delegates from nearly 200 nations were still far apart on several crunch issues -- from how the future fight against climate change is funded, to the levels of help given to countries already experiencing its effects.&nbsp;

Ministers at the COP24 talks must agree on a common rulebook to make good on promises made by countries in the landmark <a href="http://www.wionews.com/opinions/why-the-next-two-years-are-critical-for-the-paris-climate-deals-survival-181651">2015 Paris accord</a>, which vowed to limit global temperature rises to "well below" two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit).&nbsp;

But with the starkest warnings yet from scientists highlighting the need to drastically slash fossil fuel emissions within the coming decades in order to meet the safer cap of 1.5C warming, delegates were urged to act now or condemn at-risk nations to disaster.

One negotiator told AFP there were "several areas of concern" surrounding the draft decision text released overnight by Poland.&nbsp;

A major sticking point remains finance. Developing nations say they cannot afford to make their economies greener without reliable, transparent funding from richer nations.&nbsp;

'Cruel joke'

In the draft text there was no resolution on the key issue of finance, and developed nations -- responsible for the lion's share of historic greenhouse gas emissions -- were accused of seeking to shirk funding promises made in Paris.&nbsp;

"We are putting pressure on the (global) north to pay the cost," Costa Rica's environment minister Carlos Manuel Rodriguez told reporters.

Harjeet Singh, global climate lead at ActionAid, said rich countries were "playing a cruel joke" on developing nations.

As it stands, "there is no obligation on their part on finance, both in terms of how much money they are going to provide and how to count that money," he said.&nbsp;

The draft text gave short shrift to another red-line issue for poor countries exposed to the ravages brought on by global warming: so-called "loss and damage".

Cutting greenhouse gas emissions and helping nations prepare for a climate-addled future have long been the twin pillars of the UN climate forum.&nbsp; 
But more recently, a third plank of the regime was added to help nations cope with deadly heatwaves, drought and floods -- amplified by climate change -- happening today.

"It is extremely concerning that loss and damage has been relegated to a footnote in the current draft," Mark Lutes, delegation lead for WWF.

'Climate emergency'

Xie Zhenhua, China's top <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/organic-food-has-bigger-climate-impact-than-conventionally-farmed-food-study-184028">climate</a> negotiator, said his country -- the world's largest carbon emitter -- "will do what we can" to get a deal in Katowice.

"We may get an outcome that everyone may not be entirely satisfied with, but can accept," he told reporters.&nbsp;

The expectation is that talks will go deep into overtime, with a number of key issues still unresolved. &nbsp;

One potential breakthrough came in the form of tentative consensus over how to treat the latest UN scientific report.&nbsp;

Most nations wanted the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) -- which highlighted the need for greenhouse gas emissions to be slashed to nearly half by 2030 in order to hit the 1.5C target -- to form a key part of future planning.

But the US, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Kuwait objected, leading to watered-down language in the draft decision.

Activists lamented the inability of the UN climate forum to decisively address what they describe as a "climate emergency."&nbsp;

"People are no longer waiting for some global consensus," said Jennifer Morgan, International Executive Director for Greenpeace.

"They are suing their governments, they are suing the carbon major companies, they are blocking roads and bridges, they are organising school strikes -- and this is only the beginning."

Dozens of school children took part in a strike inside the COP24 complex called by climate campaigning schoolgirl Greta Thunberg, who has been issuing pleas for action at the UN summit.

"For two weeks, Greta has been alone pushing leaders to deliver a climate deal. Today we answer her call and bring the call of young people everywhere to our leaders," said 15-year-old schoolgirl Malgorzata Czachowska. &nbsp;

"The time for talk is over, the time for action is now." &nbsp;

Nations at UN climate talks were haggling Friday over the world's plan to avert disaster as host Poland dumped a draft decision text on delegates just hours before the summit was due to end.

Nations at UN climate talks were haggling Friday over the world's plan to avert disaster as host Poland dumped a draft decision text on delegates just hours before the summit was due to end. Negotiators told AFP that delegates from nearly 200 nations were still far apart on several crunch issues -- from how the future fight against climate change is funded, to the levels of help given to countries already experiencing its effects. Ministers at the COP24 talks must agree on a common rulebook to make good on promises made by countries in the landmark 2015 Paris accord, which vowed to limit global temperature rises to "well below" two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit). But with the starkest warnings yet from scientists highlighting the need to drastically slash fossil fuel emissions within the coming decades in order to meet the safer cap of 1.5C warming, delegates were urged to act now or condemn at-risk nations to disaster. One negotiator told AFP there were "several areas of concern" surrounding the draft decision text released overnight by Poland. A major sticking point remains finance. Developing nations say they cannot afford to make their economies greener without reliable, transparent funding from richer nations. 'Cruel joke' In the draft text there was no resolution on the key issue of finance, and developed nations -- responsible for the lion's share of historic greenhouse gas emissions -- were accused of seeking to shirk funding promises made in Paris. "We are putting pressure on the (global) north to pay the cost," Costa Rica's environment minister Carlos Manuel Rodriguez told reporters. Harjeet Singh, global climate lead at ActionAid, said rich countries were "playing a cruel joke" on developing nations. As it stands, "there is no obligation on their part on finance, both in terms of how much money they are going to provide and how to count that money," he said. The draft text gave short shrift to another red-line issue for poor countries exposed to the ravages brought on by global warming: so-called "loss and damage". Cutting greenhouse gas emissions and helping nations prepare for a climate-addled future have long been the twin pillars of the UN climate forum. But more recently, a third plank of the regime was added to help nations cope with deadly heatwaves, drought and floods -- amplified by climate change -- happening today. "It is extremely concerning that loss and damage has been relegated to a footnote in the current draft," Mark Lutes, delegation lead for WWF. 'Climate emergency' Xie Zhenhua, China's top climate negotiator, said his country -- the world's largest carbon emitter -- "will do what we can" to get a deal in Katowice. "We may get an outcome that everyone may not be entirely satisfied with, but can accept," he told reporters. The expectation is that talks will go deep into overtime, with a number of key issues still unresolved. One potential breakthrough came in the form of tentative consensus over how to treat the latest UN scientific report. Most nations wanted the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) -- which highlighted the need for greenhouse gas emissions to be slashed to nearly half by 2030 in order to hit the 1.5C target -- to form a key part of future planning. But the US, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Kuwait objected, leading to watered-down language in the draft decision. Activists lamented the inability of the UN climate forum to decisively address what they describe as a "climate emergency." "People are no longer waiting for some global consensus," said Jennifer Morgan, International Executive Director for Greenpeace. "They are suing their governments, they are suing the carbon major companies, they are blocking roads and bridges, they are organising school strikes -- and this is only the beginning." Dozens of school children took part in a strike inside the COP24 complex called by climate campaigning schoolgirl Greta Thunberg, who has been issuing pleas for action at the UN summit. "For two weeks, Greta has been alone pushing leaders to deliver a climate deal. Today we answer her call and bring the call of young people everywhere to our leaders," said 15-year-old schoolgirl Malgorzata Czachowska. "The time for talk is over, the time for action is now."

Nations still worlds apart at crunch UN climate summit

India Wednesday said the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/paris-climate-agreementtrump-says-india-china-pay-too-little-to-help-poor-countries-15022">Paris climate agreement</a> was "non-negotiable" and there could be no compromise on the basic principles such as equity and Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDRRC).

"We all agree that the Paris Agreement is non-negotiable. Therefore, the delicate balance reached between developed and developing countries must be retained, and the principles such as equity and Common but Differentiated Responsibility and Respective Capabilities must be given its due," India said at the ministerial session of the UN Climate Conference here.

It said the outcome at Katowice should be inclusive, consensus-based and an integrated package, including all the components of the Paris Agreement Work Programme, to reflect the global consensus reached three years ago on this very day while adopting the Paris Agreement.

"Most importantly, we must stand with the poor, marginalised and vulnerable communities who would be most impacted by climate change to show that 'WE CARE'," India said in a statement.

It added that it was time we focussed on finding common grounds and supporting each other, based on the principles of equity and climate justice, so that "no one is left behind".

"It is important to ensure equitable access to global commons for all. The Paris Agreement signifies progress towards enhanced implementation of the Convention. While we do so, we have to maintain continuity in action by fulfilling pre-2020 commitments.

"While we continue to take stock of pre-2020 action and ambition next year as well, we expect that developed countries shall honour their pre-2020 commitments so that no undue burden is shifted to the post-2020 period. We also look forward to see the Doha Amendment coming into force as soon as possible," said the statement made on behalf of Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan.

The statement on behalf of Vardhan was made by A K Mehta, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, late Wednesday night.

The statement came amid a move by the developed countries, led by the US and the EU, to dilute CBDR-RC, a principle within the United Nations

Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that acknowledges the different capabilities and differing responsibilities of individual countries in addressing climate change.

India and the other developing countries strongly resisted their move, citing the historical responsibility of the developed nations in emitting carbon dioxide, contributing to global warming.

India welcomed the recent IPCC Special Report, which says human activities are estimated to have caused approximately one-degree Celsius of global warming above the pre-industrial levels and is currently increasing at 0.2-degree Celsius per decade.

"The vulnerable populations are the worst hit by extreme weather events due to a lack of resources to cope with them. The report enjoins upon us to collectively address the issues of climate change with the urgency that it deserves," India said, days after the UN scientific report was blocked by countries, including the US, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Kuwait, at the ongoing climate conference here.

Earlier, India, along with three other nations, had said the UN scientific report should be taken into account in the climate negotiations.

The BASIC group of nations comprising Brazil, South Africa, India and China had made its stand clear on the UN report on limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above the pre-industrial levels at a joint-press conference held on the sidelines of the UN climate talks here.

India Wednesday said the Paris climate agreement was "non-negotiable" and there could be no compromise on the basic principles such as equity and Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDRRC).

India Wednesday said the Paris climate agreement was "non-negotiable" and there could be no compromise on the basic principles such as equity and Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDRRC). "We all agree that the Paris Agreement is non-negotiable. Therefore, the delicate balance reached between developed and developing countries must be retained, and the principles such as equity and Common but Differentiated Responsibility and Respective Capabilities must be given its due," India said at the ministerial session of the UN Climate Conference here. It said the outcome at Katowice should be inclusive, consensus-based and an integrated package, including all the components of the Paris Agreement Work Programme, to reflect the global consensus reached three years ago on this very day while adopting the Paris Agreement. "Most importantly, we must stand with the poor, marginalised and vulnerable communities who would be most impacted by climate change to show that 'WE CARE'," India said in a statement. It added that it was time we focussed on finding common grounds and supporting each other, based on the principles of equity and climate justice, so that "no one is left behind". "It is important to ensure equitable access to global commons for all. The Paris Agreement signifies progress towards enhanced implementation of the Convention. While we do so, we have to maintain continuity in action by fulfilling pre-2020 commitments. "While we continue to take stock of pre-2020 action and ambition next year as well, we expect that developed countries shall honour their pre-2020 commitments so that no undue burden is shifted to the post-2020 period. We also look forward to see the Doha Amendment coming into force as soon as possible," said the statement made on behalf of Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan. The statement on behalf of Vardhan was made by A K Mehta, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, late Wednesday night. The statement came amid a move by the developed countries, led by the US and the EU, to dilute CBDR-RC, a principle within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that acknowledges the different capabilities and differing responsibilities of individual countries in addressing climate change. India and the other developing countries strongly resisted their move, citing the historical responsibility of the developed nations in emitting carbon dioxide, contributing to global warming. India welcomed the recent IPCC Special Report, which says human activities are estimated to have caused approximately one-degree Celsius of global warming above the pre-industrial levels and is currently increasing at 0.2-degree Celsius per decade. "The vulnerable populations are the worst hit by extreme weather events due to a lack of resources to cope with them. The report enjoins upon us to collectively address the issues of climate change with the urgency that it deserves," India said, days after the UN scientific report was blocked by countries, including the US, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Kuwait, at the ongoing climate conference here. Earlier, India, along with three other nations, had said the UN scientific report should be taken into account in the climate negotiations. The BASIC group of nations comprising Brazil, South Africa, India and China had made its stand clear on the UN report on limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above the pre-industrial levels at a joint-press conference held on the sidelines of the UN climate talks here.

Paris climate agreement non-negotiable, no compromise on basic principles: India

Watch: WION Your Story, 12th December, 2018

WION Your Story: Arctic report card raises fears

Last month, Gaja cyclone battered Tamil Nadu leaving behind a trail of death and destruction. At least 63 people are believed to have died due to the cyclone, which damaged over 33.41 lakh houses. Over 2.5 lakh people were evacuated by the administration.

For relief and rehabilitation, the state government has sought an assistance of Rs 15,000 crore from the Centre, which has approved release of Rs 353.70 crore.

According to an analysis by the Down To Earth, 14 depressions have already formed over the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea this year, thereby breaking "a 26-year-old record for the most depressions in a single year". Gaja cyclone is the third to hit the Indian mainland this year.

As compared to the western coast, India's eastern coast is more prone to cyclones. For instance, between 1891 and 2000, over 308 cyclones hit the eastern coast, whereas the western coast braved 48.The Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) recent 'Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 degree Celsius' has warned that the North Indian Ocean over the Arabian Sea will witness an increase in the frequency of extremely severe cyclonic storms owing to anthropogenic warming.

Climate scientists warn that storms are expected to have higher wind speed with more rainfall because warmer oceans/waters feed water vapour to the cyclones.

But, increasing cyclonic activity is just one part of the impact of climate change on Tamil Nadu, which has the second longest coastline in the country —- 15 percent of the total Indian coastline is spread across it's 13 coastal districts. There are 591 fishing villages along the state's coastline.

A research study, 'Climate change projections for Tamil Nadu, India: deriving high-resolution climate data by a downscaling approach using PRECIS', by the Centre for Climate Change &amp; Adaptation Research at Anna University, Chennai, has forecasted an average temperature increase of 3.1 degree C by the end of the century along with an overall decline of 4 percent in annual rainfall in the state [as compared to baseline of 1970-2000].

According to A Ramachandran, a climate scientist who is part of the study, interior parts of Tamil Nadu will have reduced rainfall whereas coastal districts will face an increase in rains with Kanyakumari district being the most vulnerable.

An evaluation of the India Meteorological Department's data between 1970 and 2000 reveals a rise in temperature in the state and a decline in its annual mean rainfall.

Ramachandran and the team's study have projected an increase of 1.0 degree C, 2.2 degree C and 3.1 degree C in maximum temperature and an increase in minimum temperature of 1.1 degree C, 2.4 degree C and 3.5 degree C for the periods 2020s (2005-2035), 2050s (2035-2065) and 2080s (2065-2095) in Tamil Nadu.

The researchers have also analysed and projected rainfall trends in the state, with an overall decrease in rainfall of about 2-7 per cent, 1-4 per cent and 4-9 per cent in the same periods.

But, significant exceptions have been noticed over some pockets of western hilly and high rainfall areas in the state where it is expected to increase. "There are also indications of increasing heavy rainfall events during the northeast monsoon season and a slight decrease during the southwest monsoon season," reads the research paper published in the Journal of Theoretical and Applied Climatology.

Authors of the study warn that "future projections clearly indicate an increased probability of extreme temperature spells that would be expected to be very detrimental for public health… Decrease in rainfall over the Tamil Nadu state … may cause severe damage to the agriculture sector with respect to crop productions, water insecurities, species extinctions, etc."

Apart from rising temperature and declining rainfall, scientists are also warning of sea-level rise along the state's coastline, which will directly impact coastal communities and the fishers, and turn coastal lands saline. As per some estimates, over 1.2 million hectare coastal land in India has already turned saline.

Tide gauge reading from four Indian ports shows a sea-level rise of 4.8 cm between 1993 and 2012. The Anna University study has projected sea-level rise between 4.51 cm and 4.94 cm along the Tamil Nadu's coastline by 2025. 
 
(This article was originally published on DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-brace-up-for-rise-in-cyclonic-storms-high-temperatures-on-the-tamil-nadu-coast-2694352">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

&nbsp;

Last month, Gaja cyclone battered Tamil Nadu leaving behind a trail of death and destruction. At least 63 people are believed to have died due to the cyclone, which damaged over 33.

Last month, Gaja cyclone battered Tamil Nadu leaving behind a trail of death and destruction. At least 63 people are believed to have died due to the cyclone, which damaged over 33.41 lakh houses. Over 2.5 lakh people were evacuated by the administration. For relief and rehabilitation, the state government has sought an assistance of Rs 15,000 crore from the Centre, which has approved release of Rs 353.70 crore. According to an analysis by the Down To Earth, 14 depressions have already formed over the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea this year, thereby breaking "a 26-year-old record for the most depressions in a single year". Gaja cyclone is the third to hit the Indian mainland this year. As compared to the western coast, India's eastern coast is more prone to cyclones. For instance, between 1891 and 2000, over 308 cyclones hit the eastern coast, whereas the western coast braved 48.The Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) recent 'Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 degree Celsius' has warned that the North Indian Ocean over the Arabian Sea will witness an increase in the frequency of extremely severe cyclonic storms owing to anthropogenic warming. Climate scientists warn that storms are expected to have higher wind speed with more rainfall because warmer oceans/waters feed water vapour to the cyclones. But, increasing cyclonic activity is just one part of the impact of climate change on Tamil Nadu, which has the second longest coastline in the country —- 15 percent of the total Indian coastline is spread across it's 13 coastal districts. There are 591 fishing villages along the state's coastline. A research study, 'Climate change projections for Tamil Nadu, India: deriving high-resolution climate data by a downscaling approach using PRECIS', by the Centre for Climate Change & Adaptation Research at Anna University, Chennai, has forecasted an average temperature increase of 3.1 degree C by the end of the century along with an overall decline of 4 percent in annual rainfall in the state [as compared to baseline of 1970-2000]. According to A Ramachandran, a climate scientist who is part of the study, interior parts of Tamil Nadu will have reduced rainfall whereas coastal districts will face an increase in rains with Kanyakumari district being the most vulnerable. An evaluation of the India Meteorological Department's data between 1970 and 2000 reveals a rise in temperature in the state and a decline in its annual mean rainfall. Ramachandran and the team's study have projected an increase of 1.0 degree C, 2.2 degree C and 3.1 degree C in maximum temperature and an increase in minimum temperature of 1.1 degree C, 2.4 degree C and 3.5 degree C for the periods 2020s (2005-2035), 2050s (2035-2065) and 2080s (2065-2095) in Tamil Nadu. The researchers have also analysed and projected rainfall trends in the state, with an overall decrease in rainfall of about 2-7 per cent, 1-4 per cent and 4-9 per cent in the same periods. But, significant exceptions have been noticed over some pockets of western hilly and high rainfall areas in the state where it is expected to increase. "There are also indications of increasing heavy rainfall events during the northeast monsoon season and a slight decrease during the southwest monsoon season," reads the research paper published in the Journal of Theoretical and Applied Climatology. Authors of the study warn that "future projections clearly indicate an increased probability of extreme temperature spells that would be expected to be very detrimental for public health… Decrease in rainfall over the Tamil Nadu state … may cause severe damage to the agriculture sector with respect to crop productions, water insecurities, species extinctions, etc." Apart from rising temperature and declining rainfall, scientists are also warning of sea-level rise along the state's coastline, which will directly impact coastal communities and the fishers, and turn coastal lands saline. As per some estimates, over 1.2 million hectare coastal land in India has already turned saline. Tide gauge reading from four Indian ports shows a sea-level rise of 4.8 cm between 1993 and 2012. The Anna University study has projected sea-level rise between 4.51 cm and 4.94 cm along the Tamil Nadu's coastline by 2025. (This article was originally published on DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Brace up for rise in cyclonic storms, high temperatures on the Tamil Nadu coast

Dismayed by the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/europe/germany-annegret-kramp-karrenbauer-to-replace-merkel-as-cdu-leader-182312"> German government</a>'s failure to meet climate protection targets, dairy farmer Heiner Luetke Schwienhorst has filed a lawsuit against Berlin to force it into action.

"Some describe this as a fight between David and Goliath. To me, that's beside the point," said Schwienhorst, who suffered his poorest harvest in three decades after a record drought.

"The attitude of political representatives, the way they trivialise climate targets by giving up what they have set, is something that we need to bring to political accountability. That is important," he told AFP.

Together with two other farmers and Greenpeace, Schwienhorst has launched a challenge against the German government for having "given up" trying to achieve cuts in greenhouse gas emissions set out under its own climate target, as well as under European law.

A dairy farmer near Hamburg and a livestock farmer on the North Sea island of Pellworm have joined the first such lawsuit to seek "climate protection, not monetary compensation".

Berlin had pledged to take action to slash greenhouse gas emissions in Germany by 40 per cent by 2020 compared to 1990 levels.

But in its latest annual climate protection report published in June, the government admitted that it was now expecting to achieve 32 per cent in reductions compared to 1990.

The shortfall of 8 percentage points is equivalent to about 100 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.

"It was clear in the climate protection report that the government is not planning to take further measures in order to reach the target. Instead, it has simply given up," said Anike Peters of Greenpeace.

"We're saying we're not going to accept this. Because it's not about a lack of technical possibilities to reach the target, rather it's about a lack of political will.

'Do what you promised'&nbsp;

With the help of lawyer Roda Verheyen, the plaintiffs lodged their case at the administrative court in Berlin at the end of October.

The court now needs to decide if there is any merit to the case.

Verheyen is no stranger to such climate cases.&nbsp;

In another high profile case in Germany, she helped bring to court a challenge by a Peruvian farmer against energy giant RWE over climate change damage in the Andes.

While the initial ruling went against them, the case is now at the appeals court.

Verheyen said that in her latest case, the issue is whether the government can be held liable for failing to implement climate protection measures, as the targets it set are not written into law.

"Here the plaintiff families say, yes. Do what you've promised, government, implement the 2020 climate protection goal."

The environment ministry, which is taking the lead in responding to the case, said the plaintiffs had every right to bring the issue to court "to seek public attention" and increase the pressure for better climate protection.

"Although Germany's climate protection efforts have made progress, they have not yet reached our goals," ministry spokesman Andreas Kuebler told AFP. "That's why we're focusing on getting ahead in climate protection.

"We are united in the same goal," Kuebler said. It was up to the court to decide whether the legal action was justified.

'Frightening'&nbsp;

For Schwienhorst, who has run the dairy farm in Vetschau, eastern Germany, for 30 years, the impact of a warming Earth is apparent.

Compared to the 1990s, the period of vegetation growth in a year has lengthened, while maximum temperatures have also pushed above 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit).

"The change in the last decades is already impressive. But what happened this summer is simply frightening," he said, referring to a record drought unseen in Germany since 1911.

The dry spell has stretched from late spring, even halting water traffic across the country, including on the Rhine, one of Europe's busiest commercial arteries.

"We are still now in the phase when rain isn't expected. I'm speechless," said Schwienhorst. That those who dismiss such weather phenomena as one-offs are "impertinent", he added.

The climate also has a direct impact on his livelihood.

A summer with temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius put the cows under great stress, and the drought meant his poorest harvest in the last three decades.

Schwienhorst pointed to the barn, which was far from full. This year's cereal crop&nbsp;for human consumption&nbsp;was 35 per cent below the previous year.

His losses in livestock feed crop were even more serious: up to 50 per cent, forcing him to buy 400 bales of hay.

Crucially, the farm has been forced to use up a rolling four-month reserve of feed for the cows by the summer.

"There's still hope that this weather will turn, that after this dry phase a wet phase will come. But looking at the trend, change is happening. That is indisputable."

Dismayed by the German government's failure to meet climate protection targets, dairy farmer Heiner Luetke Schwienhorst has filed a lawsuit against Berlin to force it into action.

Dismayed by the German government's failure to meet climate protection targets, dairy farmer Heiner Luetke Schwienhorst has filed a lawsuit against Berlin to force it into action. "Some describe this as a fight between David and Goliath. To me, that's beside the point," said Schwienhorst, who suffered his poorest harvest in three decades after a record drought. "The attitude of political representatives, the way they trivialise climate targets by giving up what they have set, is something that we need to bring to political accountability. That is important," he told AFP. Together with two other farmers and Greenpeace, Schwienhorst has launched a challenge against the German government for having "given up" trying to achieve cuts in greenhouse gas emissions set out under its own climate target, as well as under European law. A dairy farmer near Hamburg and a livestock farmer on the North Sea island of Pellworm have joined the first such lawsuit to seek "climate protection, not monetary compensation". Berlin had pledged to take action to slash greenhouse gas emissions in Germany by 40 per cent by 2020 compared to 1990 levels. But in its latest annual climate protection report published in June, the government admitted that it was now expecting to achieve 32 per cent in reductions compared to 1990. The shortfall of 8 percentage points is equivalent to about 100 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. "It was clear in the climate protection report that the government is not planning to take further measures in order to reach the target. Instead, it has simply given up," said Anike Peters of Greenpeace. "We're saying we're not going to accept this. Because it's not about a lack of technical possibilities to reach the target, rather it's about a lack of political will. 'Do what you promised' With the help of lawyer Roda Verheyen, the plaintiffs lodged their case at the administrative court in Berlin at the end of October. The court now needs to decide if there is any merit to the case. Verheyen is no stranger to such climate cases. In another high profile case in Germany, she helped bring to court a challenge by a Peruvian farmer against energy giant RWE over climate change damage in the Andes. While the initial ruling went against them, the case is now at the appeals court. Verheyen said that in her latest case, the issue is whether the government can be held liable for failing to implement climate protection measures, as the targets it set are not written into law. "Here the plaintiff families say, yes. Do what you've promised, government, implement the 2020 climate protection goal." The environment ministry, which is taking the lead in responding to the case, said the plaintiffs had every right to bring the issue to court "to seek public attention" and increase the pressure for better climate protection. "Although Germany's climate protection efforts have made progress, they have not yet reached our goals," ministry spokesman Andreas Kuebler told AFP. "That's why we're focusing on getting ahead in climate protection. "We are united in the same goal," Kuebler said. It was up to the court to decide whether the legal action was justified. 'Frightening' For Schwienhorst, who has run the dairy farm in Vetschau, eastern Germany, for 30 years, the impact of a warming Earth is apparent. Compared to the 1990s, the period of vegetation growth in a year has lengthened, while maximum temperatures have also pushed above 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit). "The change in the last decades is already impressive. But what happened this summer is simply frightening," he said, referring to a record drought unseen in Germany since 1911. The dry spell has stretched from late spring, even halting water traffic across the country, including on the Rhine, one of Europe's busiest commercial arteries. "We are still now in the phase when rain isn't expected. I'm speechless," said Schwienhorst. That those who dismiss such weather phenomena as one-offs are "impertinent", he added. The climate also has a direct impact on his livelihood. A summer with temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius put the cows under great stress, and the drought meant his poorest harvest in the last three decades. Schwienhorst pointed to the barn, which was far from full. This year's cereal crop for human consumption was 35 per cent below the previous year. His losses in livestock feed crop were even more serious: up to 50 per cent, forcing him to buy 400 bales of hay. Crucially, the farm has been forced to use up a rolling four-month reserve of feed for the cows by the summer. "There's still hope that this weather will turn, that after this dry phase a wet phase will come. But looking at the trend, change is happening. That is indisputable."

German farmers sue government over missed climate targets

The value of health gains from climate action would be approximately double the cost of mitigation policies at the global level, and the benefit-to-cost ratio is even higher in countries such as China and India, said a report from the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP24) in Katowice, Poland. &nbsp;

Meeting the targets of the Paris climate agreement would be expected to save over one million lives a year from air pollution alone by 2050, according to the most recent assessment.

The same analysis shows that the value of the health gains would be approximately twice the cost of the policies. The largest gains would be expected in China and India, which would generate even larger net benefits by pursuing the 1.5 °C target rather than the 2.0 °C target ($ 0.27–2.31 trillion in China and $ 3.28–8.4&nbsp;trillion in India).&nbsp;

The health gains of meeting the 2.0 °C target would also significantly offset the costs in other regions, such as the European Union (7–84%) and the USA (10–41%) (39), the report said.

A WHO report released on December 5 at COP24 highlighted why health considerations are critical to the advancement of climate action and outlines key recommendations for policymakers.

Exposure to air pollution causes 7 million deaths worldwide every year and costs an estimated US$ 5.11 trillion in welfare losses globally.

In the 15 countries that emit the most greenhouse gas emissions, the health impacts of air pollution are estimated to cost more than 4% of their GDP. Actions to meet the Paris goals would cost around 1% of global GDP, the report published on the World Health Organisation (WHO) website stated.

Switching to low-carbon energy sources will not only improve air quality but provide additional opportunities for immediate health benefits. For example, introducing active transport options such as cycling will help increase physical activity that can help prevent diseases like diabetes, cancer and heart disease, the report further said.

The value of health gains from climate action would be approximately double the cost of mitigation policies at the global level, and the benefit-to-cost ratio is even higher in countries such as China and India, said a report from the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP24) in Katowice, Poland.

The value of health gains from climate action would be approximately double the cost of mitigation policies at the global level, and the benefit-to-cost ratio is even higher in countries such as China and India, said a report from the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP24) in Katowice, Poland. Meeting the targets of the Paris climate agreement would be expected to save over one million lives a year from air pollution alone by 2050, according to the most recent assessment. The same analysis shows that the value of the health gains would be approximately twice the cost of the policies. The largest gains would be expected in China and India, which would generate even larger net benefits by pursuing the 1.5 °C target rather than the 2.0 °C target ($ 0.27–2.31 trillion in China and $ 3.28–8.4 trillion in India). The health gains of meeting the 2.0 °C target would also significantly offset the costs in other regions, such as the European Union (7–84%) and the USA (10–41%) (39), the report said. A WHO report released on December 5 at COP24 highlighted why health considerations are critical to the advancement of climate action and outlines key recommendations for policymakers. Exposure to air pollution causes 7 million deaths worldwide every year and costs an estimated US$ 5.11 trillion in welfare losses globally. In the 15 countries that emit the most greenhouse gas emissions, the health impacts of air pollution are estimated to cost more than 4% of their GDP. Actions to meet the Paris goals would cost around 1% of global GDP, the report published on the World Health Organisation (WHO) website stated. Switching to low-carbon energy sources will not only improve air quality but provide additional opportunities for immediate health benefits. For example, introducing active transport options such as cycling will help increase physical activity that can help prevent diseases like diabetes, cancer and heart disease, the report further said.

India will gain upto 8.4 trillion by meeting 1.5 °C target climate action: WHO

By Henry D Jacoby and Jennifer Morris

A mounting sense of urgency will greet negotiators as they arrive at this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference in Poland. In 2015, after 20 years of trying and failing to reach a global accord on climate-changing emissions, 195 nations hammered out a deal, the Paris Agreement, that all of them could accept.

Three years on, it’s becoming increasingly clear that national decisions about climate action, which country negotiators will convey in Poland and over the next two years, will determine whether the breakthrough Paris pact succeeds both on a political and emissions reduction front.

As scholars at the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change, we have closely followed the global climate change agreements and studied their implications. Based on our analysis of nations’ commitments to cut emissions, getting the world on track to achieve the agreement’s signature goal – to keep global warming below two degrees Celsius – will require far more ambitious climate action than what countries have pledged so far. This action must begin sooner rather than later to avoid the worst consequences of climate change, from severe droughts to extreme flooding.

Climate change won’t wait for humanity’s response

Climate change is the type of problem where delay is especially costly. It is not like other pollution such as dirty urban air or a putrid stream. For these, people might clean up a polluted area this year, but if they put off the task, there will probably still be the same opportunity to get it done the following year.

Not so with greenhouse gases, which hang around for decades to centuries. So if societies delay revising our current practices – burning fossil fuels, chopping down forests, planting more polluting crops like rice, as well as raising cows – the total amount in the atmosphere will grow. The goals for limiting global warming will get steadily more difficult to achieve.

In addition, as the nations’ representatives gather in Poland to pursue their effort to gain control of this process, a crucial decision point is rapidly approaching.

Brutal timing

In the Paris Agreement, each nation is to make a pledge (what the agreement calls a Nationally Determined Contribution) to achieve a level of emissions control by a target date. For most countries, this is the year 2030. They will also submit to a review of whether they did what they said they would do every two years.

Our analysis shows that, fortunately, meeting these Paris pledges will halt emissions growth at least to 2030, though without additional action growth will resume thereafter. This voluntary system of pledge and review represents real progress on this difficult issue. Experts in international affairs argue that it is perhaps the best deal possible for a 195-nation agreement.

The pledges for 2030 are just the first step, however. Getting the globe onto a path to the 2°C Paris goal, much less to meet its stretch objective of 1.5°C, will require stronger action beyond 2030.

How tough the emissions restrictions must be in the next decade or two depends on the pace of reduction that may be feasible later in the century – and here emerging technology could possibly play a role. For example, a significant effort is underway to develop techniques to suck carbon dioxide (CO2) out of the air and store it underground. If we could count on this option becoming available and affordable in the future, participating nations in the Paris Agreement could relax their emissions controls a bit now and the temperature goal could potentially still be met.

We take the view, however, that it is not wise to bet the planet on the chance of a late-century technical fix. To avoid this risky bet, our analysis shows that meeting the Paris 2°C goal requires a dramatic turnaround in emissions in the very near future.

Why 2020 is a crucial date 
 
The Paris Agreement sets up a five-year cycle of updates and specifies that in 2020 nations should revise their pledges for 2030, increasing ambition if possible. Also in 2020, nations are to pledge emissions reductions to be made by the next target date, likely to be 2035.

Whether there is financial aid for less-wealthy countries could have a big effect on the outcome. For 2030, and likely for future target dates, the pledges of many developing nations assume aid will be provided to help with the task. The richer countries have agreed to provide it, but the flow of funds thus far has been small in relation to the need.

This assistance will be increasingly important in the future because a growing share of global emissions will come from rapidly growing developing countries. We project these countries to represent over three-quarters of global emissions by 2030, and to continue to grow after that.

Failure to achieve substantial increases in ambition in these 2020 declarations, and the financial assistance to support them, would be bad news for the climate. Delay in starting the turn-down of emissions suggested in our analysis will further add to the collection of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. As their concentration grows, the path of reduction leading to a 2°C outcome will become steeper, and thus more costly, potentially putting temperature goals out of reach.

All this means that a wimpy response by participating nations in 2020 will threaten the credibility of the hard-won Paris Agreement. The willingness of nations to participate in such a volunteer control effort depends on confidence in the fairness and effectiveness of the global effort. Are others doing their part? Is the overall regime working? If countries don’t meet their Paris Agreement commitments to cut emissions and then, further, don’t ratchet up their ambitions, the entire agreement risks unravelling.

Time pressure

The current absence of the US in global climate talks doesn’t help, but fortunately, most other nations recognise the global risk and are making a serious effort to ensure that the agreement succeeds.

And all negotiators recognise that substantial new pledges in 2020 will help build confidence in the effort, besides encouraging everybody to make sure they meet their 2030 goals. There is great time pressure between now and 2020, given all that needs to be done. But this is nonetheless a time of great opportunity. Negotiated deals and national decisions made in these few months may determine whether or not the world’s nations will get on track to meeting this global challenge.

(Henry D Jacoby is Professor of Management, MIT Sloan School of Management;&nbsp;Jennifer Morris is Research Scientist, Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

By Henry D Jacoby and Jennifer Morris A mounting sense of urgency will greet negotiators as they arrive at this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference in Poland.

By Henry D Jacoby and Jennifer Morris A mounting sense of urgency will greet negotiators as they arrive at this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference in Poland. In 2015, after 20 years of trying and failing to reach a global accord on climate-changing emissions, 195 nations hammered out a deal, the Paris Agreement, that all of them could accept. Three years on, it’s becoming increasingly clear that national decisions about climate action, which country negotiators will convey in Poland and over the next two years, will determine whether the breakthrough Paris pact succeeds both on a political and emissions reduction front. As scholars at the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change, we have closely followed the global climate change agreements and studied their implications. Based on our analysis of nations’ commitments to cut emissions, getting the world on track to achieve the agreement’s signature goal – to keep global warming below two degrees Celsius – will require far more ambitious climate action than what countries have pledged so far. This action must begin sooner rather than later to avoid the worst consequences of climate change, from severe droughts to extreme flooding. Climate change won’t wait for humanity’s response Climate change is the type of problem where delay is especially costly. It is not like other pollution such as dirty urban air or a putrid stream. For these, people might clean up a polluted area this year, but if they put off the task, there will probably still be the same opportunity to get it done the following year. Not so with greenhouse gases, which hang around for decades to centuries. So if societies delay revising our current practices – burning fossil fuels, chopping down forests, planting more polluting crops like rice, as well as raising cows – the total amount in the atmosphere will grow. The goals for limiting global warming will get steadily more difficult to achieve. In addition, as the nations’ representatives gather in Poland to pursue their effort to gain control of this process, a crucial decision point is rapidly approaching. Brutal timing In the Paris Agreement, each nation is to make a pledge (what the agreement calls a Nationally Determined Contribution) to achieve a level of emissions control by a target date. For most countries, this is the year 2030. They will also submit to a review of whether they did what they said they would do every two years. Our analysis shows that, fortunately, meeting these Paris pledges will halt emissions growth at least to 2030, though without additional action growth will resume thereafter. This voluntary system of pledge and review represents real progress on this difficult issue. Experts in international affairs argue that it is perhaps the best deal possible for a 195-nation agreement. The pledges for 2030 are just the first step, however. Getting the globe onto a path to the 2°C Paris goal, much less to meet its stretch objective of 1.5°C, will require stronger action beyond 2030. How tough the emissions restrictions must be in the next decade or two depends on the pace of reduction that may be feasible later in the century – and here emerging technology could possibly play a role. For example, a significant effort is underway to develop techniques to suck carbon dioxide (CO2) out of the air and store it underground. If we could count on this option becoming available and affordable in the future, participating nations in the Paris Agreement could relax their emissions controls a bit now and the temperature goal could potentially still be met. We take the view, however, that it is not wise to bet the planet on the chance of a late-century technical fix. To avoid this risky bet, our analysis shows that meeting the Paris 2°C goal requires a dramatic turnaround in emissions in the very near future. Why 2020 is a crucial date The Paris Agreement sets up a five-year cycle of updates and specifies that in 2020 nations should revise their pledges for 2030, increasing ambition if possible. Also in 2020, nations are to pledge emissions reductions to be made by the next target date, likely to be 2035. Whether there is financial aid for less-wealthy countries could have a big effect on the outcome. For 2030, and likely for future target dates, the pledges of many developing nations assume aid will be provided to help with the task. The richer countries have agreed to provide it, but the flow of funds thus far has been small in relation to the need. This assistance will be increasingly important in the future because a growing share of global emissions will come from rapidly growing developing countries. We project these countries to represent over three-quarters of global emissions by 2030, and to continue to grow after that. Failure to achieve substantial increases in ambition in these 2020 declarations, and the financial assistance to support them, would be bad news for the climate. Delay in starting the turn-down of emissions suggested in our analysis will further add to the collection of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. As their concentration grows, the path of reduction leading to a 2°C outcome will become steeper, and thus more costly, potentially putting temperature goals out of reach. All this means that a wimpy response by participating nations in 2020 will threaten the credibility of the hard-won Paris Agreement. The willingness of nations to participate in such a volunteer control effort depends on confidence in the fairness and effectiveness of the global effort. Are others doing their part? Is the overall regime working? If countries don’t meet their Paris Agreement commitments to cut emissions and then, further, don’t ratchet up their ambitions, the entire agreement risks unravelling. Time pressure The current absence of the US in global climate talks doesn’t help, but fortunately, most other nations recognise the global risk and are making a serious effort to ensure that the agreement succeeds. And all negotiators recognise that substantial new pledges in 2020 will help build confidence in the effort, besides encouraging everybody to make sure they meet their 2030 goals. There is great time pressure between now and 2020, given all that needs to be done. But this is nonetheless a time of great opportunity. Negotiated deals and national decisions made in these few months may determine whether or not the world’s nations will get on track to meeting this global challenge. (Henry D Jacoby is Professor of Management, MIT Sloan School of Management; Jennifer Morris is Research Scientist, Massachusetts Institute of Technology) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Why the next two years are critical for the Paris climate deal’s survival

'You don't win elections by telling the truth about climate' - teenage activist Greta Thunberg

Nations facing imminent environmental disaster called Monday on rich polluters to help them back from the brink, as the UN warned the world's plan to avoid climate catastrophe was<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/world-way-off-course-un-warns-at-crunch-climate-summit-181200"> "way off course"</a>.

From glaciers melting in Nepal to the rising seas threatening to engulf small island states, the world is already experiencing the damage lying in wait if global warming is allowed to run unchecked.

Nearly 200 nations gathered in Poland Monday for the start of the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/emphasis-on-urgency-as-climate-talks-begin-in-polish-coal-city-katowice-181146"> COP24 summit,</a> where they must agree on a universal rulebook to make good on the promises they made in the 2015 Paris climate deal.

"Nepal is a country comprised of mountains and plains," president Bidhya Devi Bhandari told delegates. "We have been bearing the brunt of the disproportionate impact of climate change despite being a low carbon-emitting country."&nbsp;

The<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/the-paris-climate-treaty-a-snapshot-180973"> Paris agreement</a> vowed to limit global temperature rises to under two degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) and to the safer cap of 1.5 C if at all possible.

For this, richer nations must provide funding USD 100 billion per year by 2020 &nbsp;to steer developing countries towards greener energy while drastically drawing down their own emissions.

But developing nations have complained that richer states — responsible for the vast majority of historic fossil fuel use — aren't doing enough to help them adapt to our warming planet.

"We feel as if we have been penalised for the mistakes we never made," said Bhandari. It is incumbent on the international community to ensure that justice is done."&nbsp;

Trust in the Paris process has been badly undermined by US President Donald Trump's decision to renege on his country's commitment, and there are fears the political will to act is waning as negotiations drag on.

With just one degree Celsius of warming so far, Earth is already being subjected to raging forest fires, flooding and superstorms made worse by rising seas.

A string of<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/global-warming-outpaces-efforts-to-slow-it-un-179838"> UN reports</a> have sounded the alarm: levels of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere are the highest in 3 million years and the last four years were the four hottest in history.

In October a team of more than 90 independent scientists said mankind must reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by half within the next 12 years to avoid heat rises that could tear at the fabric of society.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned nations that their plan to chart a route away from runaway global warming was "way off course". 
"Even as we witness devastating climate impacts causing havoc across the world, we are still not doing enough, nor moving fast enough, to prevent irreversible and catastrophic climate disruption," Guterres said.

President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria used his address to call for more stringent guidelines for "financial flows from developed countries to developing economies for climate change action".

As developing nations begged for vastly quicker action, host Poland was pushing its own agenda: a so-called "just transition" to greener energy which critics fear would allow it to continue burning coal for decades.

Eighty per cent of Polish energy comes from coal, and the COP24 itself is being held on the site of a decommissioned plant in the mining city of Katowice. 
Poland is expected to unveil a declaration calling on states to "recognise the challenges faced by sectors, cities and regions in transition from fossil fuels... To ensure a decent future for workers impacted by the transition."&nbsp;

Proceedings were injected with a shot of glamour as former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger delivered a surprise address and wildlife documentary maker Sir David Attenborough made a plea to act on behalf of humanity.

"If we don't take action the collapse of our civilisations and the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizon," he said.

Frank Bainimarama, prime minister of Fiji and president of last year's COP, said developed nations must act before countries such has his were consumed by the waves. 
"Or, God forbid, (we) ignore the irrefutable evidence and become the generation that betrayed humanity," he said.

Nations facing imminent environmental disaster called Monday on rich polluters to help them back from the brink, as the UN warned the world's plan to avoid climate catastrophe was "way off course".

Nations facing imminent environmental disaster called Monday on rich polluters to help them back from the brink, as the UN warned the world's plan to avoid climate catastrophe was "way off course". From glaciers melting in Nepal to the rising seas threatening to engulf small island states, the world is already experiencing the damage lying in wait if global warming is allowed to run unchecked. Nearly 200 nations gathered in Poland Monday for the start of the COP24 summit, where they must agree on a universal rulebook to make good on the promises they made in the 2015 Paris climate deal. "Nepal is a country comprised of mountains and plains," president Bidhya Devi Bhandari told delegates. "We have been bearing the brunt of the disproportionate impact of climate change despite being a low carbon-emitting country." The Paris agreement vowed to limit global temperature rises to under two degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) and to the safer cap of 1.5 C if at all possible. For this, richer nations must provide funding USD 100 billion per year by 2020 to steer developing countries towards greener energy while drastically drawing down their own emissions. But developing nations have complained that richer states — responsible for the vast majority of historic fossil fuel use — aren't doing enough to help them adapt to our warming planet. "We feel as if we have been penalised for the mistakes we never made," said Bhandari. It is incumbent on the international community to ensure that justice is done." Trust in the Paris process has been badly undermined by US President Donald Trump's decision to renege on his country's commitment, and there are fears the political will to act is waning as negotiations drag on. With just one degree Celsius of warming so far, Earth is already being subjected to raging forest fires, flooding and superstorms made worse by rising seas. A string of UN reports have sounded the alarm: levels of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere are the highest in 3 million years and the last four years were the four hottest in history. In October a team of more than 90 independent scientists said mankind must reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by half within the next 12 years to avoid heat rises that could tear at the fabric of society. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned nations that their plan to chart a route away from runaway global warming was "way off course". "Even as we witness devastating climate impacts causing havoc across the world, we are still not doing enough, nor moving fast enough, to prevent irreversible and catastrophic climate disruption," Guterres said. President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria used his address to call for more stringent guidelines for "financial flows from developed countries to developing economies for climate change action". As developing nations begged for vastly quicker action, host Poland was pushing its own agenda: a so-called "just transition" to greener energy which critics fear would allow it to continue burning coal for decades. Eighty per cent of Polish energy comes from coal, and the COP24 itself is being held on the site of a decommissioned plant in the mining city of Katowice. Poland is expected to unveil a declaration calling on states to "recognise the challenges faced by sectors, cities and regions in transition from fossil fuels... To ensure a decent future for workers impacted by the transition." Proceedings were injected with a shot of glamour as former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger delivered a surprise address and wildlife documentary maker Sir David Attenborough made a plea to act on behalf of humanity. "If we don't take action the collapse of our civilisations and the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizon," he said. Frank Bainimarama, prime minister of Fiji and president of last year's COP, said developed nations must act before countries such has his were consumed by the waves. "Or, God forbid, (we) ignore the irrefutable evidence and become the generation that betrayed humanity," he said.

At-risk nations plead for 'justice' at UN climate summit

We are facing global man-made disaster: David Attenborough

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/act-now-or-risk-disaster-world-told-at-un-climate-summit-181034">Act now or risk disaster, world told at UN climate summit</a>

After the starkest warnings yet of the catastrophic threat posed by climate change, nations gathered in Poland on Sunday to chart a way for mankind to avert runaway global warming.&nbsp;

The COP24 climate summit comes at a crucial juncture in the battle to rein in the effects of our heating planet.&nbsp;

UN General Assembly president Maria Espinosa said mankind was "in danger of disappearing" if climate change was allowed to progress at its current rate.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/will-speaking-against-pm-modi-or-bjp-require-me-to-leave-is-it-not-my-country-owaisi-181036">History </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/will-speaking-against-pm-modi-or-bjp-require-me-to-leave-is-it-not-my-country-owaisi-181036">mein</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/will-speaking-against-pm-modi-or-bjp-require-me-to-leave-is-it-not-my-country-owaisi-181036"> zero </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/will-speaking-against-pm-modi-or-bjp-require-me-to-leave-is-it-not-my-country-owaisi-181036">hain</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/will-speaking-against-pm-modi-or-bjp-require-me-to-leave-is-it-not-my-country-owaisi-181036"> </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/will-speaking-against-pm-modi-or-bjp-require-me-to-leave-is-it-not-my-country-owaisi-181036">aap</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/will-speaking-against-pm-modi-or-bjp-require-me-to-leave-is-it-not-my-country-owaisi-181036">: Asaduddin Owaisi responds to Yogi Adityanath</a>

AIMIM chief, Asaduddin Owaisi, on Sunday launched an attack on BJP asking if those who speak against the saffron party or its leadership will be asked to leave the country.&nbsp;

Owaisi's comments came as a reaction to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's remark wherein he stated that Owaisi will have to flee the state if BJP comes to power in Telangana.&nbsp;

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-will-grant-kim-jong-uns-wishes-after-denuclearisation-south-korea-president-181032">Trump will grant Kim Jong Un's wishes after denuclearisation: South Korea president</a>

US President Donald Trump will grant North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un his wishes if he delivers on denuclearisation, the South Korean president said Sunday, following talks on the sidelines of the G20 summit.

As officials work to arrange a second meeting between Trump and Kim, South Korea's Moon Jae-in relayed a message to reporters given to him by the US president to pass on to the North's leader.&nbsp;

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/no-link-to-rajiv-gandhis-assassination-claims-ltte-181030">'No link' to Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, claims LTTE</a>

In an alleged statement, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has claimed that they had 'no link' in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in May 1991.

The alleged letter from LTTE has been signed by their Political Wing representative Kurburan Guruswami and Legal Wing representative Lathan Chandralingam.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/un-doctors-hammer-australia-over-refugee-camps-181042">UN, doctors hammer Australia over refugee camps</a>

Australia's under-pressure government received a double blow Monday from the United Nations and a leading doctors' group over harsh treatment of refugees on off-shore island camps.

In an unusual broadside, a top official for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees accused "bureaucrats and politicians" of overruling doctors and putting lives at risk at camps on Nauru and Manus.

Act now or risk disaster, world told at UN climate summit After the starkest warnings yet of the catastrophic threat posed by climate change, nations gathered in Poland on Sunday to chart a way for mankind to avert runaway global warming.

Act now or risk disaster, world told at UN climate summit After the starkest warnings yet of the catastrophic threat posed by climate change, nations gathered in Poland on Sunday to chart a way for mankind to avert runaway global warming. The COP24 climate summit comes at a crucial juncture in the battle to rein in the effects of our heating planet. UN General Assembly president Maria Espinosa said mankind was "in danger of disappearing" if climate change was allowed to progress at its current rate. History mein zero hain aap: Asaduddin Owaisi responds to Yogi Adityanath AIMIM chief, Asaduddin Owaisi, on Sunday launched an attack on BJP asking if those who speak against the saffron party or its leadership will be asked to leave the country. Owaisi's comments came as a reaction to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's remark wherein he stated that Owaisi will have to flee the state if BJP comes to power in Telangana. Trump will grant Kim Jong Un's wishes after denuclearisation: South Korea president US President Donald Trump will grant North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un his wishes if he delivers on denuclearisation, the South Korean president said Sunday, following talks on the sidelines of the G20 summit. As officials work to arrange a second meeting between Trump and Kim, South Korea's Moon Jae-in relayed a message to reporters given to him by the US president to pass on to the North's leader. 'No link' to Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, claims LTTE In an alleged statement, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has claimed that they had 'no link' in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in May 1991. The alleged letter from LTTE has been signed by their Political Wing representative Kurburan Guruswami and Legal Wing representative Lathan Chandralingam. UN, doctors hammer Australia over refugee camps Australia's under-pressure government received a double blow Monday from the United Nations and a leading doctors' group over harsh treatment of refugees on off-shore island camps. In an unusual broadside, a top official for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees accused "bureaucrats and politicians" of overruling doctors and putting lives at risk at camps on Nauru and Manus.

The world is "way off course" in its plan to prevent catastrophic climate change, the United Nations warned Monday as nations gathered in Poland to chart a way for mankind to avert runaway global warming.&nbsp;

After a string of damning scientific reports showing humanity must drastically slash its greenhouse gas emissions within the next decade, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told delegates at the opening of a UN climate summit: "We are still not doing enough, nor moving fast enough".

Monday will see leaders from at-risk nations such as Fiji, Nigeria and Nepal plead their case at the COP24 climate talks, which aim to flesh out the promises agreed in the 2015 Paris climate accord.&nbsp;

But host Poland -- heavily reliant on energy from coal -- will push its own agenda: a "just transition" from fossil fuels that critics say could allow it to continue polluting for decades.

Nor are any of the world's largest emitters represented at the highest level in Poland.

The Paris deal saw nations agree to limit global temperature rises to below two degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) and under 1.5C if possible.&nbsp;

Officials from nearly 200 countries now have two weeks to finalise how those goals work in practice, even as science suggests the pace of climate change is rapidly outstripping mankind's response.

One of the key disputes is finance.&nbsp;

Under Paris, richer nations -- responsible for the majority of historic greenhouse gas emissions -- are expected to contribute funding that developing nations can access to make their economies greener.

But US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris accord has dented trust among vulnerable nations, who fear there is not enough cash available to help them adapt to our heating planet.

$200 billion pledged

The World Bank on Monday announced $200 billion (175 billion euros) in climate action investment for 2021-25 -- a major shot in the arm for green initiatives but one which needs bolstering by state funding.&nbsp;

The background to Monday's summit could hardly be bleaker: with just one degree Celsius of warming so far, Earth is bombarded with raging wildfires, widespread crop failures and super-storms exacerbated by rising sea levels.

"Even as we witness devastating climate impacts causing havoc across the world, we are still not doing enough, nor moving fast enough, to prevent irreversible and catastrophic climate disruption," Guterres said.&nbsp;

The UN's own expert climate panel in October issued its starkest warning to date.&nbsp;

To have any hope of reaching the 1.5C goal by the end of the century, it said emissions from fossil fuel use must be halved by 2030.&nbsp;

Poland is one of many nations heavily reliant on coal and wants this round of talks to reflect the role fossil fuels play in its economy.&nbsp;

On Monday, it will unveil a declaration calling on states to "recognise the challenges faced by sectors, cities and regions in transition from fossil fuels... and the importance to ensure a decent future for workers impacted by the transition."

'Generation that betrayed humanity'

As Poland pushed the continued use of coal, it fell to the president of Nauru, a Pacific island nation that is critically threatened by rising sea-levels, to point out the most obvious barrier to climate action: fossil fuel use.

Baron Divavesi Waqa said the Paris agreement "doesn't radically disrupt the fossil fuel industry... these powerful interests emerged from Paris unscathed and we ignore that reality at our peril."

Frank Bainimarama, prime minister of Fiji and president of last year's COP, said developed nations must act now to save the planet.

"Or, God forbid, (we) ignore the irrefutable evidence and become the generation that betrayed humanity," he said.

The world is "way off course" in its plan to prevent catastrophic climate change, the United Nations warned Monday as nations gathered in Poland to chart a way for mankind to avert runaway global warming.

The world is "way off course" in its plan to prevent catastrophic climate change, the United Nations warned Monday as nations gathered in Poland to chart a way for mankind to avert runaway global warming. After a string of damning scientific reports showing humanity must drastically slash its greenhouse gas emissions within the next decade, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told delegates at the opening of a UN climate summit: "We are still not doing enough, nor moving fast enough". Monday will see leaders from at-risk nations such as Fiji, Nigeria and Nepal plead their case at the COP24 climate talks, which aim to flesh out the promises agreed in the 2015 Paris climate accord. But host Poland -- heavily reliant on energy from coal -- will push its own agenda: a "just transition" from fossil fuels that critics say could allow it to continue polluting for decades. Nor are any of the world's largest emitters represented at the highest level in Poland. The Paris deal saw nations agree to limit global temperature rises to below two degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) and under 1.5C if possible. Officials from nearly 200 countries now have two weeks to finalise how those goals work in practice, even as science suggests the pace of climate change is rapidly outstripping mankind's response. One of the key disputes is finance. Under Paris, richer nations -- responsible for the majority of historic greenhouse gas emissions -- are expected to contribute funding that developing nations can access to make their economies greener. But US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris accord has dented trust among vulnerable nations, who fear there is not enough cash available to help them adapt to our heating planet. $200 billion pledged The World Bank on Monday announced $200 billion (175 billion euros) in climate action investment for 2021-25 -- a major shot in the arm for green initiatives but one which needs bolstering by state funding. The background to Monday's summit could hardly be bleaker: with just one degree Celsius of warming so far, Earth is bombarded with raging wildfires, widespread crop failures and super-storms exacerbated by rising sea levels. "Even as we witness devastating climate impacts causing havoc across the world, we are still not doing enough, nor moving fast enough, to prevent irreversible and catastrophic climate disruption," Guterres said. The UN's own expert climate panel in October issued its starkest warning to date. To have any hope of reaching the 1.5C goal by the end of the century, it said emissions from fossil fuel use must be halved by 2030. Poland is one of many nations heavily reliant on coal and wants this round of talks to reflect the role fossil fuels play in its economy. On Monday, it will unveil a declaration calling on states to "recognise the challenges faced by sectors, cities and regions in transition from fossil fuels... and the importance to ensure a decent future for workers impacted by the transition." 'Generation that betrayed humanity' As Poland pushed the continued use of coal, it fell to the president of Nauru, a Pacific island nation that is critically threatened by rising sea-levels, to point out the most obvious barrier to climate action: fossil fuel use. Baron Divavesi Waqa said the Paris agreement "doesn't radically disrupt the fossil fuel industry... these powerful interests emerged from Paris unscathed and we ignore that reality at our peril." Frank Bainimarama, prime minister of Fiji and president of last year's COP, said developed nations must act now to save the planet. "Or, God forbid, (we) ignore the irrefutable evidence and become the generation that betrayed humanity," he said.

World 'way off course', UN warns at crunch climate summit

The World Bank on Monday unveiled $200 billion in climate action investment for 2021-25, adding this amounts to a doubling of its current five-year funding. &nbsp;

The World Bank said the move, coinciding with&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/act-now-or-risk-disaster-world-told-at-un-climate-summit-181034">a UN climate summit meeting of some 200 nations in Poland</a>, represented a "significantly ramped up ambition" to tackle climate change, "sending an important signal to the wider global community to do the same."

Developed countries are committed to lifting combined annual public and private spending to $100 billion in developing countries by 2020 to fight the impact of climate change -- up from 48.5 billion in 2016 and 56.7 billion last year, according to latest OECD data.

Southern hemisphere countries fighting the impact of warming temperatures are nonetheless pushing northern counterparts for firmer commitments.

In a statement, the World Bank said the breakdown of the $200 billion would comprise "approximately $100 billion in direct finance from the World Bank."

Around one third of the remaining funding will come from two World Bank Group agencies with the rest private capital "mobilised by the World Bank Group."

"If we don't reduce emissions and build adaptation now, we'll have 100 million more people living in poverty by 2030," John Roome, World Bank senior director for climate change, warned.

"And we also know that the less we address this issue proactively just in three regions -- Africa, South Asia and Latin America -- we'll have 133 million climate migrants," Roome told AFP.

- 'Fight the causes' - 
The bank's financing package amounts to "about 40 billion a year, but the direct (finance) is 27 billion per year on average," Roome said.

He added that in the 2018 fiscal year, running from July 2017 to June this year, the World Bank had committed $20.5 billion to climate action, compared with an annual average of $13.5 billion for the 2014-2018 period.

Roome said the money now being earmarked amounted to "about 35 percent" of the World Bank Group's total financing.

Much of the climate action financing is being set aside for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, notably through development of renewable energy strategies.

However, the World Bank stated that "a key priority is boosting support for climate adaptation," given the millions of people already battling the consequences of extreme weather.

"By ramping up direct adaptation finance to reach around $50 billion over (fiscal) 21-25, the World Bank will, for the first time, give this equal emphasis alongside investments that reduce emissions," the bank stated.

Given the urgency to act in the face of sea level rise, flooding and drought "we must fight the causes, but also adapt to the consequences that are often most dramatic for the world's poorest people," said World Bank CEO Kristalina Georgieva.

By stepping up financial aid to developing countries worst affected, Georgieva said the bank was committed to adapting infrastructure while investing in "climate smart agriculture, sustainable water management and responsive social safety nets" as well as early response networks.

"Even if we can keep global warming down to 2 degrees Celsius we know you're gonna need a significant amount of adaptation in places like Chad, Mozambique or Bangladesh," said Roome.

The countries whose representatives are meeting at the UN climate summit which opened Sunday in the Polish city of Katowice are seeking to make good on commitments made in the 2015 Paris climate accord.

That agreement saw countries commit to limiting global temperature rises to well below two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), and to the safer cap of 1.5C if at all possible.

The World Bank on Monday unveiled $200 billion in climate action investment for 2021-25, adding this amounts to a doubling of its current five-year funding. The World Bank said the move, coinciding with a UN climate summit meeting of some 200 nations in Poland, represented a "significantly ramped up ambition" to tackle climate change, "sending an important signal to the wider global community to do the same.

The World Bank on Monday unveiled $200 billion in climate action investment for 2021-25, adding this amounts to a doubling of its current five-year funding. The World Bank said the move, coinciding with a UN climate summit meeting of some 200 nations in Poland, represented a "significantly ramped up ambition" to tackle climate change, "sending an important signal to the wider global community to do the same." Developed countries are committed to lifting combined annual public and private spending to $100 billion in developing countries by 2020 to fight the impact of climate change -- up from 48.5 billion in 2016 and 56.7 billion last year, according to latest OECD data. Southern hemisphere countries fighting the impact of warming temperatures are nonetheless pushing northern counterparts for firmer commitments. In a statement, the World Bank said the breakdown of the $200 billion would comprise "approximately $100 billion in direct finance from the World Bank." Around one third of the remaining funding will come from two World Bank Group agencies with the rest private capital "mobilised by the World Bank Group." "If we don't reduce emissions and build adaptation now, we'll have 100 million more people living in poverty by 2030," John Roome, World Bank senior director for climate change, warned. "And we also know that the less we address this issue proactively just in three regions -- Africa, South Asia and Latin America -- we'll have 133 million climate migrants," Roome told AFP. - 'Fight the causes' - The bank's financing package amounts to "about 40 billion a year, but the direct (finance) is 27 billion per year on average," Roome said. He added that in the 2018 fiscal year, running from July 2017 to June this year, the World Bank had committed $20.5 billion to climate action, compared with an annual average of $13.5 billion for the 2014-2018 period. Roome said the money now being earmarked amounted to "about 35 percent" of the World Bank Group's total financing. Much of the climate action financing is being set aside for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, notably through development of renewable energy strategies. However, the World Bank stated that "a key priority is boosting support for climate adaptation," given the millions of people already battling the consequences of extreme weather. "By ramping up direct adaptation finance to reach around $50 billion over (fiscal) 21-25, the World Bank will, for the first time, give this equal emphasis alongside investments that reduce emissions," the bank stated. Given the urgency to act in the face of sea level rise, flooding and drought "we must fight the causes, but also adapt to the consequences that are often most dramatic for the world's poorest people," said World Bank CEO Kristalina Georgieva. By stepping up financial aid to developing countries worst affected, Georgieva said the bank was committed to adapting infrastructure while investing in "climate smart agriculture, sustainable water management and responsive social safety nets" as well as early response networks. "Even if we can keep global warming down to 2 degrees Celsius we know you're gonna need a significant amount of adaptation in places like Chad, Mozambique or Bangladesh," said Roome. The countries whose representatives are meeting at the UN climate summit which opened Sunday in the Polish city of Katowice are seeking to make good on commitments made in the 2015 Paris climate accord. That agreement saw countries commit to limiting global temperature rises to well below two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), and to the safer cap of 1.5C if at all possible.

World Bank doubles funding to fight climate change to $200 bn

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