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Trump's US Withdrawal from Paris Agreement Threatens Global Climate Progress: Experts

Experts warned on Tuesday that the United States' decision to leave the Paris Agreement could undermine international efforts to combat climate change, with developing nations that have made the least contribution to global emissions suffering the most. US President Donald Trump, on his first day in office of his second term, signed an executive order withdrawing the United States, the world's largest historical emitter of greenhouse gases, from the Paris Agreement for the second time in a decade. This places the US alongside Iran, Libya, and Yemen as the only countries not part of the 2015 global climate accord, which aims to limit global warming since the industrial revolution to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Impact of US Administration on Global Clean Energy Financing RR Rashmi, Distinguished Fellow at The Energy and Resources Institute, said the impact of the new US administration is likely to be seen more in global financing for clean energy transition. "The forces of competitive trade actions in the name of climate may get reinforced,” he said. Harjeet Singh, climate activist and Founding Director of Satat Sampada Climate Foundation, described the move as a devastating blow to global climate efforts. Climate Activists Criticize US Focus on Fossil Fuel Interests The US is prioritising short-term economic gains for fossil fuel industries over the health and well-being of American communities, especially those already burdened by increasingly frequent and severe climate disasters such as wildfires and storms. "Globally, it undermines the collective fight against climate change at a time when unity and urgency are more critical than ever. The most tragic consequences, however, will be felt in developing countries which have contributed the least to global emissions," Singh said. Trishant Dev, a programme officer at the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said the US, as a major fossil fuel producer, has done little to fulfil its share in combating climate change. "With Trump's return and his stance to entirely sidestep that responsibility, it is decisively clear that the world is left to carry that weight," he said. Dev said Trump has already promised to freeze climate finance and temporarily suspended all US foreign assistance programmes, which could have a big impact not just on climate finance, but on development finance as a whole. "Under the new regime, institutions like the International Development Finance Corporation will face a test in how they handle their role in supporting important programmes, particularly in countries like India. The big question is whether they will maintain their commitment to development in the global South or change course altogether," he said. CSE's Director General Sunita Narain had earlier told PTI that the US has historically underperformed in global climate efforts, particularly in financing support for vulnerable countries, decarbonization, and financial commitments to the developing world. She said that Trump's presidency "would make matters even worse".

US withdraws from Paris Agreement again under Trump’s second term, sparking global concern

President Trump withdrew the US from the Paris Agreement again, prioritizing industries over global climate goals. Experts warn of setbacks in climate action, with severe impacts on developing nations and calls for stronger multilateral efforts. The United States has officially withdrawn from the Paris Agreement for the second time, following an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on the first day of his second term. The decision, which aligns the US with Iran, Libya, and Yemen as the only nations outside the 2015 climate accord, has drawn widespread criticism for undermining global climate action. The Paris Agreement aims to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, a target scientists deem crucial to mitigating the worst effects of climate change. The US, as the world’s largest historical emitter of greenhouse gases, plays a key role in achieving this goal. Global Reaction to US Withdrawal Harjeet Singh, Founding Director of the Satat Sampada Climate Foundation, called the move a “devastating blow” to climate efforts. “This prioritises short-term gains for fossil fuel industries over the well-being of American communities already suffering from severe climate disasters. Developing countries, which contribute the least to emissions, will bear the brunt,” he said. Laurence Tubiana, CEO of the European Climate Foundation and one of the architects of the Paris Agreement, emphasised the need for multilateral cooperation. “The climate crisis requires global unity. While this is a setback, it should inspire systemic reform to prioritise those most affected by climate change,” she stated. Sunita Narain, Director General of the Centre for Science and Environment, highlighted the US’s historical underperformance in climate financing and decarbonisation, warning that Trump’s decision will exacerbate the challenges for vulnerable nations. Trump’s Climate Policy History Trump initially withdrew the US from the Paris Agreement in 2017 during his first term, a move reversed by the Biden administration in 2021. Throughout his campaign, Trump dismissed climate change as a “hoax” and reiterated plans to withdraw from the accord, citing it as unfair to US industries compared to countries like China. On Monday, Trump followed through on his campaign promise by directing the US Ambassador to the UN to formally notify the withdrawal. He described the Paris Agreement as a “one-sided deal” that “sabotages American industries while allowing China to pollute with impunity.” The decision, viewed as a significant setback for global climate efforts, comes at a time when collective action is more critical than ever to combat the escalating climate crisis.

Trump withdraws US from Paris climate agreement, again

President Donald Trump signed an executive order soon after taking office on Monday directing the US’ withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement, weakening what has, over the past four years especially, become a global movement to combat the climate crisis. This the second time Trump is ordering the US to abandon the Paris agreement — he did so in a 2017 order as well — and the process is expected to take a year. The last time, it took longer, and the US’ withdrawal was to kick in a day after Joe Biden took office, which means it never happened. Paris goals The Paris agreement is aimed at keeping long-term global warming to below 1.5 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels — the average between 1850 and 1900 — and, if that is not possible, limiting it to below 2 degrees Celsius. The US is the second largest carbon dioxide emitter in the world (after China) currently, but also, historically, the largest polluter. But Trump’s order termed the Paris agreement one of several such global compacts that channel US “taxpayer dollars to countries that do not require, or merit, financial assistance in the interests of the American people”. The order also sought to immediately cease or revoke any purported financial commitment made by the United States under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) . “The United States Ambassador to the United Nations shall immediately submit formal written notification of the United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Agreement under the UNFCCC. The notice shall be submitted to the Secretary-General of the United Nations... The United States will consider its withdrawal from the Agreement and any attendant obligations to be effective immediately upon this provision of notification,” the executive order said. This decision has raised alarm among climate scientists and experts. The US is responsible for 20% of historical CO2 emissions globally between 1850 to 2022; per capita emissions of 18 tCO2e/capita compared to global average of 4.7 tCO2e/capita;and cumulative emissions of 11% globally as per United Nations Environment Programme’s Emissions Gap report of 2024. Global warming The US decision also comes at a time when global warming has triggered extreme, deadly heat, extreme rain and several other disasters globally and shortly after 2024 was declared both the warmest year on record as well as the first year when the average global temperature broke the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold over pre-industrial level. Experts said Trump’s announcement of withdrawing from Paris Agreement, a multilateral arrangement to keep global warming from reaching dangerous levels, sets a poor precedent for developing countries like India, and could signal the rest of developed world on thwarting responsibility. To be sure, after the US’ decision to exit the agreement in 2017, no other country (among the 195 other signatories) followed suit. The US now joins countries such as Iran, Libya and Yemen that have not ratified the Paris agreement. “What Trump has done is a complete denial of the emergency of climate change. It’s not just an executive order to withdraw from Paris Agreement, it’s a reversal of all decisions that were taken to tackle climate change,” said Sunita Narain, director general, Centre for Science and Environment. “It will be key to observe how Europe and rest of rich world behaves,” added Narain. “Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement is more than a moral failure — it is a direct threat to global solidarity, multilateral cooperation, and the fight for climate justice,” said Harjeet Singh, Climate Activist and Founding Director of Satat Sampada Climate Foundation. “This reckless move sends a dangerous signal to developing nations like India, which are demonstrating remarkable leadership with ambitious climate plans despite facing immense challenges. India’s progress relies on fair and robust financial support — support that Trump’s actions have callously undermined,” he added.

Devastating blow to global climate...': Euphoria and anguish as Trump era begins

Donald Trump's inauguration, quite ironically on Martin Luther King Day, went off on expected lines and there was a flurry of activities immediately after that as if Trump meant "Business". Yes, Business with a capital "B". The 47th President of the United States of America, in his inaugural address, criticised the previous administration, reiterated that God saved him during the assassination attempt, and promised to usher in a new “golden age” in America, even as he promised to give a great time for cartoonists and meme makers who lampooned him on social media. Among the slew of executive orders he signed, Trump extended TikTok operations for 75 days and directed government agencies not to infringe on the free speech of Americans. He pardoned about 1,500 of his supporters who have been charged in the January 6, 2021, US Capitol uprising, using his sweeping clemency powers. He also signed an order to withdraw from the ambitious Paris Agreement on Climate Change. “I am immediately withdrawing from the unfair one-sided Paris climate accord,” he said. Trump supporters are in an upbeat mood as they praise his swift executive actions upon his return to the White House. His critics however, derided his planned mass deporations and a rollback in diversity, equity and inclusion policies. Others, according to Reuters, said that they tuned out the inauguration altogether. According to Reuters, more than a dozen interviews with Americans nationwide indicated that the country remains polarized even as Trump in his inaugural address sought to portray himself as a "peacemaker and unifier." Still his speech was often sharply partisan as he promised a crackdown on illegal immigration and plans to usher in a sweeping agenda to reshape the federal government. Some of Trump's orders, according to the Associated Press, revive priorities from his first administration that his predecessor had rolled back, including forcing asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico and finishing the border wall. Others launched sweeping new strategies, like an effort to end automatic citizenship for anyone born in America and ending use of a Biden-era app used by nearly a million migrants to enter America. Actual execution of such a far-reaching immigration agenda is certain to face legal and logistical challenges, the report said But in a concrete sign of how the changes quickly played out, migrants who had appointments to enter the US using the CBP One app saw them canceled minutes after Trump was sworn in, and Mexico agreed to allow people seeking US asylum to remain south of the American border while awaiting their court cases. “I will declare a national emergency at our southern border. All illegal entry will immediately be halted, and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places in which they came,” Trump said in his inauguration speech to thunderous applause. Trump is moving to realize his pledge of mass deportations of at least 11 million people in the country illegally. Indian news agency PTI quoting experts said that the US decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement will weaken global efforts to mitigate climate change, and the worst consequences will be felt in developing countries that have contributed the least to global emissions, experts said on Tuesday. Trump's executive order relating to Paris Agreement places the US alongside Iran, Libya, and Yemen as the only countries not part of the 2015 global climate accord, which aims to limit global warming since the industrial revolution to 1.5 degrees Celsius, PTI added. Harjeet Singh, climate activist and Founding Director of Satat Sampada Climate Foundation, described the move as a devastating blow to global climate efforts. "The US is prioritising short-term economic gains for fossil fuel industries over the health and well-being of American communities, especially those already burdened by increasingly frequent and severe climate disasters such as wildfires and storms. "Globally, it undermines the collective fight against climate change at a time when unity and urgency are more critical than ever. The most tragic consequences, however, will be felt in developing countries which have contributed the least to global emissions," Singh said. Sunita Narain, Director General of the Delhi-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment, had earlier told PTI that the US has historically underperformed in global climate efforts, particularly in financing support for vulnerable countries, decarbonization, and financial commitments to the developing world. She said that Trump's presidency "would make matters even worse". At the UN climate conference in Azerbaijan, the US stepping back under Trump was one of the major factors behind a weak climate finance deal. Trump initially announced the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement in 2017 during his first term, a move reversed by the Joe Biden administration in early 2021. In the run-up to the 2024 US elections, Trump repeatedly referred to climate change as a "hoax" and reiterated his intention to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement. At a time when all eyes are on Gaza as Trump's inauguration comes close on the heels of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, the US President rescinded sanctions imposed by the former Biden administration on far-right Israeli settler groups and individuals accused of being involved in violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, Reuters reported citing the new White House website. Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich was quick to react as, according to AFP, he thanked Donald Trump for his "unwavering support." "Mr. President, your unwavering and uncompromising support for the State of Israel is a testament to your deep connection to the Jewish people and our historical right to our land," the minister wrote on X. "These sanctions were a severe and blatant foreign intervention in Israel's internal affairs and an unjustified violation of democratic principles and the mutual respect between friendly nations," he added. Further, Trump said the United States will recognize only two sexes, male and female, that are unchangeable, as he moved quickly to end a range of policies aimed at promoting racial equity and protecting rights for LGBTQ+ people. Writing for the Associated Press, David Bauder noted that a presidential inauguration is traditionally a symbol of the traditions that bind Americans together. Mainstream media coverage of the event on Monday provided many reminders of what keeps people apart. On the Martin Luther King Day holiday, he added, news organizations offered wall-to-wall coverage of President Donald Trump’s second inaugural, an event held largely indoors in Washington because of frigid temperatures. In many respects, it was a return to normal after Trump skipped successor Joe Biden's swearing in four years ago. The ceremony offered images of bipartisanship that “the country to some extent is hungry for,” he quoted NBC News’ Kristen Welker. For the first time in US history, a president-elect will welcome foreign leaders for one of the most American political traditions — the peaceful transfer of power, the Associated Press had reported earlier. Among those present during the inauguration were President Javier Milei of Argentina, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy, Boris Johnson, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Vice President Han Zheng of China, Foreign Affairs Minister Takeshi Iwaya of Japan and External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar of India.

Trump’s win, climate’s loss? US Paris pact pull-out big blow to global efforts

The US decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement will weaken global efforts to mitigate climate change, and the worst consequences will be felt in developing countries that have contributed the least to global emissions, experts said on Tuesday. US President Donald Trump, on his first day in office of his second term, signed an executive order withdrawing the United States, the world’s largest historical emitter of greenhouse gases, from the Paris Agreement for the second time in a decade. This places the US alongside Iran, Libya, and Yemen as the only countries not part of the 2015 global climate accord, which aims to limit global warming since the industrial revolution to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Harjeet Singh, climate activist and Founding Director of Satat Sampada Climate Foundation, described the move as a devastating blow to global climate efforts. “The US is prioritising short-term economic gains for fossil fuel industries over the health and well-being of American communities, especially those already burdened by increasingly frequent and severe climate disasters such as wildfires and storms. “Globally, it undermines the collective fight against climate change at a time when unity and urgency are more critical than ever. The most tragic consequences, however, will be felt in developing countries which have contributed the least to global emissions,” Singh said. Laurence Tubiana, CEO of the European Climate Foundation and a key architect of the Paris Agreement, said multilateral climate action remains robust despite such setbacks. “The climate crisis cannot be tackled by any country alone -- it demands a multilateral response. But this moment should serve as a wake-up call to reform the system, ensuring that those most affected -- communities and individuals on the frontlines -- are at the centre of our collective governance,” she said. Sunita Narain, Director General of the Delhi-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment, had earlier told PTI that the US has historically underperformed in global climate efforts, particularly in financing support for vulnerable countries, decarbonization, and financial commitments to the developing world. She said that Trump’s presidency “would make matters even worse”. At the UN climate conference in Azerbaijan, the US stepping back under Trump was one of the major factors behind a weak climate finance deal. Trump initially announced the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement in 2017 during his first term, a move reversed by the Joe Biden administration

International best practices shed light on congestion pricing in Delhi

Road traffic congestion is a pressing issue in many of India’s metropolitan centres. Gridlock brings prolonged commute times, excessive fuel consumption, air and noise pollution, and elevated greenhouse gas emissions. The National Capital Region has been in the spotlight as traffic has worsened with urban sprawl. According to research published by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), on-road vehicles were responsible for nearly three-quarters of the transportation health burden in New Delhi in 2015. Traffic congestion at Delhi-Meerut Expressway(Sakib Ali/Hindustan Times)PREMIUM Traffic congestion at Delhi-Meerut Expressway(Sakib Ali/Hindustan Times) This isn’t the first time Delhi has considered congestion pricing. Proposals in 2009 and 2018 failed to advance. Still,

THE CHALLENGE OF FOOD PROCESSING

Authorities in the country should be concerned about a recent study by the University of Ibadan which discovered that over 50 per cent of pregnant women in some rural communities had detectable levels of pesticides in their blood. Jointly conducted by the Environmental Rights Action (ERA) and the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), the report reveals the adverse effects of chemical poisoning cases and related health impact in the country. Nigeria must therefore contend with the problem of food-borne diseases with their attendant social, economic and health costs. For years, the issue of food safety has posed a daunting challenge in Nigeria hence an urgent need for strict compliance with laws on food preservation. For instance, experts have identified improper use of agro chemicals and pesticides to control pests on grains as one of the causes of the rising cases of food poisoning in the country. The consumption of food grains that have been laced with pesticides by vendors to preserve their shelf life and protect them from destruction by pests puts many people at risk of gastro-intestinal disorders, and some types of cancers. Meanwhile, food-borne diseases affect disproportionately the most vulnerable of society, the infants, young children, pregnant women, the elderly. Given the alarming rate at which people, including sometimes a whole family, eat certain food and then die in the country, there is an urgent need for public enlightenment on the danger associated with some of the food items we consume. Nigerians must be made to understand that certain food can be dangerous if not properly processed. The Federal Ministry of Health, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and NAFDAC should mitigate food poisoning cases by applying universal food safety practices. The federal agencies should ensure safety compliance by monitoring the quality of food being sold in Nigerian markets. For instance, it is important that there be a campaign on cassava-based dishes which are widely consumed in Nigeria, as it is a major source of carbohydrates. They are by far the commonest meals, with popular appeal to the poor. But cassava has one major drawback: When poorly processed, the roots and leaves contain a substance named Linamarin which when eaten is converted to cyanide, a poisonous gas which could be fatal when inhaled or ingested. The poor preparation of cassava meals, according to experts, can leave enough of this poisonous substance to cause acute intoxication, goiter and in some cases death. Ordinarily, the processing of cassava often employed by the traditional methods and rural women (by crushing, soaking in water to ferment and baking) is said to be good enough to effectively contain the toxic content found in cassava, whether of the sweet or bitter variety. But these days, many of the producers adopt short-cut processing techniques, which turn out to endanger lives. In some cases, particularly those with high cyanide levels, mere exposure to volatile substances while being processed can cause some health disorders. It is therefore important that the producers be sensitised to take more time in processing their cassava meals. It is unacceptable that Nigerians would be dying, ironically, from what ought to sustain and indeed, keep them alive. Since the causes of many of these deaths were never accurately determined, it is becoming increasingly clear that the way some foods were processed posed serious health risks, especially to vital organs and the immune system. The most endangered are people already malnourished as they lack the proper mix of amino acids that are vital ingredients in detoxifying some of the poisons. We hope that health authorities will take up the matter for enlightenment campaigns in the country.

Norwegian delegation discusses sustainable waste management practices with Gurugram MC officials

A delegation from Norway, led by Andreas Schei, Counsellor for Climate and Environment at the Embassy of Norway, met officials from the Gurugram Municipal Corporation (MCG) on Friday to review the city’s progress towards achieving ‘zero waste’ status. The initiative focuses on sustainable waste management practices by bulk waste generators. India and Norway had earlier signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on ocean cleanup and the blue economy. This partnership also supports India’s efforts to prevent marine pollution and eliminate single-use plastic. As part of the MoU, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) is implementing the “Mainstreaming Circular Economy in the Waste Management Sector in India” project. Gurugram has been designated a ‘mission city’, where CSE provides expertise, capacity building and research to guide the civic body in sustainable waste management practices. Advertisement PauseUnmute Fullscreen During the meeting, Schei, along with CSE delegates Atin Biswas and Mau Sengupta, discussed these efforts with Additional Commissioner Balpreet Singh. Singh highlighted initiatives such as forming a dedicated monitoring cell for bulk waste generators (BWG) and creating a sanitation security force (SSF) to prevent unauthorised dumping of waste. To date, 1,472 BWGs have registered on the MCG portal. In the past month, the SSF seized 25 vehicles, lodged 21 FIRs, issued 54 challans and imposed fines totalling Rs 7.5 lakh for unauthorised dumping. The civic body is also conducting awareness campaigns on solid waste management and the ban on single-use plastics.

World’s record heat is worsening air pollution and health in Global South

2024 was the hottest year on record, producing intense, long-lasting heat waves. Climate change-intensified extreme events last year included the formation of vast heat domes — areas of high pressure that stalled and persisted above continental land masses in Asia, Africa, South and North America, and Europe. Heat domes intensify unhealthy air pollution from vehicles, industry, wildfires and dust storms. When a heat wave gripped New Delhi, India, last summer, temperatures soared, resulting in unhealthy concentrations of ground-level ozone — pollutants especially unhealthy for outdoor workers. When climate change-driven heat, drought and record wildfires occurred in the Brazilian Amazon last year, the fires produced massive amounts of wood smoke containing dangerous levels of toxic particulates that cause respiratory disease. Indigenous people living in remote areas had little defense against the smoke. Intense heat also impacted Nigeria in 2024, where major dust storms and rising temperatures created conditions that helped increased cases of meningitis — a sometimes deadly disease, especially in poor areas. Escalating climate change is expected to exacerbate pollution and worsen public health in the future. Humanity achieved a fateful milestone last year. The European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service has officially declared 2024 the hottest year on record, and the first year in history with an average global temperature rising 1.5° Celsius (2.7° Fahrenheit) above the pre-industrial period — significantly increasing dangerous climate risks. In fact, 2023 and 2024 may well be the hottest years in 100,000 years, with all indicators pointing to it getting hotter, bringing ever-worsening global impacts. “The temperature-related extreme events witnessed [last Norther Hemisphere] summer will only become more intense,” warned Samantha Burgess, deputy director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service. In 2024, extreme heat enveloped whole regions of the world for weeks on end, with severe unprecedented consequences. A deadly heat wave killed at least 1,300 people during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, while the worst drought in a century gripped Southern Africa, leaving 21 million children malnourished. Record drought also devastated South America, reducing Amazon rivers to their lowest levels ever recorded. North America wasn’t spared either. Heat domes — stalled high pressure systems that retain and intensify temperatures — blanketed vast parts of the U.S. and killed more than 100 people in Mexico. But less noticed, and harder to track, is the way in which oppressive heat helps degrade air quality, making people sick. While air pollution sources are typically local or regional, the invisible hand of climate change is further deteriorating air quality around the planet. Stubbornly persistent heat waves, record wildfires, and drastically changing wind and precipitation patterns all “alter the formation, duration and dispersion of air pollution,” notes a World Meteorological Organization bulletin, highlighting the synergistic health effects of global warming. The Global South, an epicenter of poor air quality, is being especially hard hit. A toxic soup of air pollutants — automotive exhaust fumes over urban India, choking dust clouds blowing across Nigeria, and suffocating wildfire smoke blanketing Brazil — are being made even deadlier by a rapidly destabilizing climate. Ozone over New Delhi The summer of 2024 in India’s capital, New Delhi, was more brutal than any Kunal Kumar can remember. The city was trapped under the longest heat wave in 13 years. Things were so bad that Kumar, a gig worker who makes food deliveries, was forced some days to give up his outdoor income. “Better to lose my wages and stay at home than die of a heatstroke,” he told Mongabay. Delhi, a sprawling city in northern India, is nestled in the country’s Indo-Gangetic Plain where summer daytime temperatures average 32°C (90°F). But a series of persistent anticyclonic wind circulation events over the northern Indian Ocean, coupled with the fading El Niño, caused clockwise wind gusts to sink over the city, creating a persistent high-pressure heat dome that pushed 2024 temperatures to relentless highs. For weeks, brutal daytime temperatures stayed above 40°C (104°F), with little respite by night. The city’s solar heat-absorbing built environment made conditions even more miserable and dangerous. For Kumar, who spends 12 to 15 hours a day on the road making deliveries, the heat was life-threatening — as it was for the rest of the city’s 33.8 million people, many of whom work outside or lack air-conditioning. In Kumar’s cramped South Delhi neighborhood, heat radiated off the walls and street day and night in a textbook example of the urban heat island effect. He was dehydrated and irritable most days. “Everywhere you look there’s a traffic jam in this city. Stuck in jams, under the hot sun with hot air blowing on your body; it was unbearable,” Kumar remembers. Normally, air pollution is perceived as a winter problem in Delhi, when a thick blanket of low-altitude smog gets trapped by cool air hanging above the metropolis. That smog is mostly composed of toxic PM2.5 particulates — very tiny particles that lodge in the lungs and can cause cardiovascular and respiratory disease. Every winter, PM2.5 levels peak due to seasonal crop burning and the exploding of fireworks during the Diwali festival, turning Delhi into one of the world’s most polluted places. But now, as global warming and urban development bring higher temperatures over the city in summer, the co-occurring impacts of intense heat and air pollution compound in less obvious but seriously unhealthful ways. Traffic in Delhi. Traffic in Delhi. Transportation emissions are driving dangerous ground level ozone levels. Image by NOMAD via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0). In hot summer months, the traffic jams Kumar and thousands of gig workers are stalled in every day become hotspots for toxins that include PM2.5 particulates and ground-level ozone. High up in the stratosphere, ozone plays a vital beneficial role, absorbing the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. But close to Earth’s surface, it’s a potent air pollutant whose insidious health impacts accrue in the body. Ground-level ozone is formed when nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), emitted from vehicle exhausts and other combustion sources such as factories, react with sunlight. A recent analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a Delhi-based think tank, found that new hotspots for ground-level ozone emerged across the city over the summer. Between April and July 2024, Delhi recorded ground-level ozone readings in excess of safe limits on 102 days, often for more than 13 hours at a stretch, the analysis said. Annual PM2.5 background levels have also risen steadily, driven predominantly by an increase in transportation emissions — traffic that now worsens air pollution in winter and drives ground-level ozone in summer. Epidemiologist Poornima Prabhakaran, director of the Centre for Health Analytics Research and Trends at Ashoka University, calls the increasing ground-level ozone trend worrying. India has the highest death burden of any nation from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, attributable to ground-level ozone levels, according to the “State of Global Air” report published annually by U.S.-based Health Effects Institute in partnership with UNICEF; ozone killed 238,000 people in India in 2019. People also continue breathing other toxic contaminants released from tailpipes and smokestacks. But “The impacts of [these] secondary pollutants have not been given as much attention compared to the impacts of smog and PM2.5, probably because of lack of awareness,” Prabhakaran said. Prabhakaran is working with scientists internationally, developing databases to track the impacts of air pollution (including PM2.5 and ozone) on a variety of outcomes, such as respiratory and cognitive health functions. “We’re trying to analyze, with data, every health outcome that we can get our hands on,” Prabhakaran said, adding, “Intermediate risk factors like hypertension, high blood pressure, fasting glucose, high lipid levels — all of those cardiovascular outcomes — are known to worsen with even chronic, low-dose [air pollution] exposure.”

11 schools of Solan district certified in green category

Eleven schools of Solan district have received certification in the green category for the year 2024-25 by the Centre for Science and Environment, Delhi. This comprises eight government and three private schools. Deputy Director Elementary Education Solan Mohinder Chand Pirta informed that details of 101 schools from Solan district were uploaded on the website of the Green Schools Programme highlighting their environmental conservation related endeavour. Out of this, 11 schools of district Solan have been certified in Green category on the basis of environmental audit conducted by the Center for Science and Environment. The Green Schools Programme is an ‘inspection’ or ‘survey’ on its environmental practices which is also referred to as environmental auditing. It encompasses various aspects like use of water, energy, land, air and waste in the school and how they are managed. Advertisement Pirta said that Government Senior Secondary School (GSSS) Nalagarh, GSSS Manjholi , GSSS Bagheri, GSSS Bhatia, GSSS Bohli, Government High School Kanah, Kendriya Vidyalaya Air Force Station Kasauli, Pinegrove School Dharampur, International School Kasauli, Shivalik Valley School Nalagarh and Government Primary School Jalana have been included in the Green category. PlayUnmute Fullscreen Principal, headmaster, teacher and two school children of the 11 schools included in the Green category will be honoured on February 4 at India Habitat Centre, Delhi.

दिल्ली वालों को राहत की सांस, प्रदूषण कम होते ही हटाई गई GRAP-3 की पाबंदियां

दिल्ली में लोगों को प्रदूषण से लगातार राहत मिल रही है। जिसके चलते शुक्रवार को GRAP 4 के बाद GRAP 3 की पाबंदियों को भी हटा दिया गया है। दिल्ली-NCR में प्रदूषण के स्तर में गिरावट के चलते वायु गुणवत्ता प्रबंधन आयोग (CAQM) ने GRAP-3 के प्रतिबंधों को हटाने का फैसला लिया है। इस हफ्ते की शुरुआत में मंद हवाओं, कम तापमान और कोहरे के कारण दिल्ली में प्रदूषण बढ़ गया था, जिसके बाद CAQM ने GRAP के तीसरे और चौथे चरण के तहत कड़े प्रतिबंध लागू कर दिए थे। बारिश के बाद प्रदूषण के स्तर में गिरावट के बीच आयोग ने गुरुवार को चरण-4 के तहत प्रतिबंधों को हटा दिया था। शुक्रवार को तेज हवाओं के कारण प्रदूषण के स्तर में और कमी आई, जिसके बाद तीसरे चरण की पाबंदियों को भी वापस ले लिया गया है। सर्दियों के दौरान दिल्ली-NCR में प्रदूषण का स्तर बढ़ने पर ग्रैप के तहत प्रतिबंध लागू किए जाते हैं। जो वायु गुणवत्ता को चार चरणों में बांटते हैं। चरण एक (खराब, AQI 201-300) चरण दो (बहुत खराब, AQI 301-400) चरण तीन (गंभीर, AQI 401-450) चरण चार (बहुत गंभीर, AQI 450 से ऊपर) GRAP-3 की पाबंदियां GRAP-3 में अनावश्यक निर्माण कार्यों पर पाबंदी होती है। ग्रैप के तीसरे चरण के लागू रहने पर स्कूलों में पांचवीं कक्षा तक की पढ़ाई हाइब्रिड मोड में करना अनिवार्य होता है, जिसमें अभिभावकों और बच्चों के पास ऑनलाइन कक्षाएं करने का विकल्प होता है। GRAP-3 में दिल्ली और NCR के आसपास के जिलों में बीएस-3 पेट्रोल और बीएस-4 डीजल कारों का उपयोग प्रतिबंधित है। दिव्यांग व्यक्तियों को इससे छूट दी गई है। तीसरे चरण में दिल्ली में बीएस-4 या पुराने मानकों वाले गैर-जरूरी डीजल चालित मध्यम माल वाहनों की आवाजाही पर भी प्रतिबंध है। पराली जलाने में 37.5 प्रतिशत गिरावट थिंक टैंक सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (CSE) की रिपोर्ट में कहा गया कि दिल्ली, पंजाब और हरियाणा में 2024 में पराली जलाने की कुल वार्षिक घटनाओं में 37.5 प्रतिशत की गिरावट आई है। पराली जलाने के मामलों में पंजाब में 75 प्रतिशत और हरियाणा में 37 प्रतिशत की गिरावट दर्ज की गई। अक्टूबर-दिसंबर 2024 के दौरान पराली जलाने की घटनाओं में 71.2 प्रतिशत की गिरावट के बावजूद, सर्दियों में प्रदूषण उच्च स्तर पर बना हुआ था। लगातार दूसरे साल बढ़ा PM-2.5 पंजाब, हरियाणा और राष्ट्रीय राजधानी में पराली जलाने की घटनाओं में 37 प्रतिशत से अधिक की गिरावट के बावजूद, दिल्ली का सालाना PM 2.5 स्तर 2024 में लगातार दूसरे साल बढ़ा है। थिंक टैंक CSE की रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक दिल्ली की वार्षिक PM 2.5 सांद्रता 2024 में बढ़कर 104.7 माइक्रोग्राम प्रति क्यूबिक मीटर हो गई जो 2023 के स्तर से 3.4 प्रतिशत अधिक है। यह राष्ट्रीय स्तर पर वायु गुणवत्ता मानक 40 माइक्रोग्राम प्रति क्यूबिक मीटर से भी दोगुना है। इसमें कहा गया कि 2024 का औसत अभी भी 2018 में दर्ज सबसे अधिक 115.8 माइक्रोग्राम प्रति घन मीटर से 9.6 प्रतिशत कम है, लेकिन यह 2021-2023 के तीन साल के औसत से तीन प्रतिशत अधिक है, जो 2018 और 2022 के बीच मिली सफलता के निष्प्रभावी होने का संकेत देता है।

गुरुग्राम: नॉर्वे के प्रतिनिधिमंडल ने देखा नगर निगम का कामकाज

अतिरिक्त निगमायुक्त डा. बलप्रीत सिंह के साथ प्रतिनिधिमंडल की हुई की मुलाकात गुरुग्राम, 17 जनवरी (हि.स.)। नॉर्वे का एक प्रतिनिधिमंडल शुक्रवार को नगर निगम गुरुग्राम कार्यालय पहुंचा। यहां अतिरिक्त निगमायुक्त डा.

PIL Annual Gas Forum

India's energy transition is increasingly turning to natural gas as a pivotal component in its strategy to reduce carbon emissions and diversify its energy mix. As the country seeks to balance economic growth with environmental sustainability, natural gas emerges as a cleaner alternative to coal and oil. By investing in gas infrastructure and technology, India aims to enhance energy security, reduce air pollution, and support its long-term climate goals while fostering economic development. The theme “Fueling India’s Future: The Power of Gas in Energy Transition” highlights the critical role of natural gas in India's aim for net-zero emissions by 2070. Developing robust gas infrastructure is essential for energy security, regional connectivity, and economic growth, creating jobs and fostering innovation. Thus, natural gas serves as a vital bridge to a cleaner energy future and supports socio-economic development. The conference aims to explore how natural gas can act as a bridge in this transition, discussing technological innovations, policy frameworks, and investment strategies essential for a successful energy shift. This exclusive forum presented by Pipeline Infrastructure Limited and ETEnergyworld with S&P Global as the Knowledge Partner will bring together industry leaders to tackle crucial challenges and articulate a dynamic vision for the future!

Heat report: Chennai has highest number of ‘danger’ days

A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration heat index analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment for nine Indian cities over the summer months of 2023 (March-July) showed that out of the 153 days taken under consideration, Chennai had 54 days categorised under the ‘danger’ category, the highest among the nine cities part of the report. The danger category indicates a high risk of heat exhaustion, cramps, and heat stroke with prolonged exposure (to heat) during these days. The city had another 83 days that fell in the ‘extreme caution’ category, second only to Ahmedabad which had 85 days under it. According to the report, warm-humid zones like Chennai see higher heat indices due to increased humidity, resulting in possible thermal discomfort, a concept which is influenced by temperature and high humidity of a particular region. The analysis states that the city most affected by discomfort is Chennai, experiencing discomfort for all 153 days, followed by Ahmedabad with 149 and Kolkata with 147 days. The report states nearly every major city struggles to cope with the warming climate and requires retrofits to its existing infrastructure. It also states that smaller cities stand on the brink of explosive growth and urgently need to pursue ‘heatproof’ development. Urban mini forests, street trees and green spaces play a crucial role in improving microclimatic conditions, it added.

'30 years ago, masks & air purifiers were unheard of'

In the current day we wake up to our air purifiers, smartphones warning us that the air quality is in the ‘very poor’ or ‘hazardous’ category. Whether schools, offices and going out will be physical or online, it all now depends on the quality of the air on a given day. The Air Quality Index, always fluctuating between 300-600, wasn’t a common phenomenon 30 years back. Even the discussion around air or air quality wasn’t a household thing. While Delhi’s air quality is the biggest issue we discuss in our day-to-day lives now – online classes, working from home on account of pollution, people gifting air purifiers to each other on Diwali, kids taking inhalers to schools wasn’t something people in the ’90s thought of. Nebulisers, air purifiers and masks in day-to-day use, were nonexistent 30 years ago’ Dr Arvind Kumar, Chairman, Lung Transplant, Medanta, Gurugram, moved to Delhi in 1976. The 66-year-old says that until 2004-2006, nobody spoke about air quality. “The term AQIcame into our lives in 2014. Nobody in Delhi was talking about air or air quality 30 years back. It wasn’t the best back then, but it wasn’t the way it is today either. Things like nebulisers, air purifiers and masks in day-to-day use, were nonexistent. When my children were growing up in Delhi in 2000, on the AIIMS campus, we needed nebulisers. That was a subtle change. But masks and air purifiers are all a post 2014-2015 phenomenon. The routine monitoring of air started around 1995. The forecasting and reporting on air quality started around 2014 and now we have real-time information on our air purifiers and AQI,” shares the doctor. "The biggest change that we have seen in our practice of respiratory medicine is the awareness about lung diseases that pollution can cause, and nowadays we seemany patients walking to us in the OPD and enquiring about their lung health and the adverse effect pollution is causing,” says Dr Puneet Khanna, HOD and Consultant, Pulmonology, HCMCT Manipal Hospitals, Dwarka. ‘Anyone who breathes - a newborn or an elderly - smokes 15-20 cigarettes in Oct-Nov in Delhi’ “As per a formula 22 microgram of PM2.5 is equal to 1 cigarette. So, when the PM2.5 level is at 400, mostly in Oct-Nov these days, it is equivalent to smoke of 15-20 cigarettes a day. I say that during Oct-Nov when PM2.5 is at 350-400, it is like smoking that number of cigarettes by anyone who breathes. That includes newborns to elderly. When I operate on teenagers, I see black deposits in their lungs, too, which was unheard of 30 years back,” says Dr Arvind Kumar. Air quality in ’97 A 1997 white paper published by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) listed the annual averages of total suspended PM (TSP) values as 373, 338, 317, 377, 372, 377, 407, 387, and 370 μg/ m3 for the period of 1989 to 1997 (9 years), based on data collected by manual stations Source: What Is Polluting Delhi’s Air? A Review from 1990 to 2022 PM2.5 concentration is currently 18.2 times the World Health Organisation’s annual PM2.5 guideline value Source: IQAir Lifestyle changes that became a default in NCR post AQI Telling people not to exercise. This advice is particularly hard for doctors to offer as they keep encouraging people to exercise Stopping children from playing outdoors – something that every child enjoys. It is heartbreaking for paediatricians Moving from physical to online classes, which takes away an essential component of learning together in person. This often generates a sense of guilt of having failed our children as parents, teachers and paediatricians Assessing visiting places based on ability to control AQI in the premises Forcing some people, who just can’t handle the high AQI because of medical conditions, to think about moving away from Delhi in what used to be the best time to enjoy the outdoors – Inputs by Dr Anupam Sibal, Group Medical Director and Senior Consultant Paediatrician, Apollo Hospitals Group ‘The 90s saw a less crowded, greener Delhi, with fewer vehicles, and sparrows in its parks’ The 1990s saw a less crowded, greener Delhi, with fewer vehicles, minimal construction, and an abundance of sparrows in its parks. Still, the city’s skyline was dominated by the smokeemitting chimneys of the Indraprastha and Rajghat power stations, along with a Badarpur Power station on the capital’s outskirts. The air was thick with soot, and vehicles belched black smoke as a common sight. Riding a scooter for a few kilometres left burning red eyes and a black layer of soot on white shirts. 30 years ago, Delhi took its first significant step to combat air pollution by adopting CNG – Mohan George, Consultant, Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility, Center for Science and Environment (and Ex. Additional Director at Delhi Pollution Control Committee) Switching to CNG was a significant step in mitigating air pollution in the 90s Air quality might once have been an unfamiliar term, but the choking haze of pollution was an undeniable reality even in the mid-90s. Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director for Research and Advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment, shares, "When our Right to Clean Air Campaign was initiated in 1996, Delhi’s choking haze of pollution was visibly black. But there was barely any data to piece together the pollution jigsaw and to see through the smokescreen. Authorities could easily dismiss the problem of particulate matter as ‘natural dust’. We used photos of black human lungs as warheads to provoke a response. Despite these odds, we have seen massive energy changeover, with public and commercial transport moving from diesel to CNG and industrial areas switching from coal, pet coke and furnace oil to natural gas in Delhi. These were tough battles." She adds, "I still recall the April 5, 2002 directive of the Supreme Court, upholding the Right to Life, that declined to dilute the 1998 CNG order and imposed a penalty for non-compliance. Delhi’s first action phase was driven by desperation and the urgency for immediate relief. Yet despite the initial gains, air quality is far from the clean benchmark." "Even after switching to CNG it feels like we keep returning to square one when it comes to pollution. My daughter was born in ’95 and my son was born in ’97. Even in the ’90s, the air was bad enough for the doctor to warn me, during both pregnancies, that my placenta resembled that of a heavy smoker, due to pollution. She advised me to stay indoors," adds Swapna Liddle, historian and author.