• Climate Change and Green Economy

Is COP29 “breakthrough” on UN carbon market all it seems?

Azerbaijan’s COP29 presidency claimed an early win at the start of the climate summit when countries waved through long-awaited – and controversial – rules laying the foundations for a new UN carbon market, without any debate. But the approval of the documents setting out key guidelines – or “standards” – for the development of carbon credit projects and carbon removal activities provoked strong opposing reactions. For some, including proponents of carbon credits and the COP29 presidency itself, the adoption late on the first day of the talks in Baku was a major “breakthrough” that ended a years-long deadlock and paved the way to raise hundreds of billions of dollars for climate action. “This will be a game-changing tool to direct resources to the developing world,” COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev said. UN climate chief Simon Stiell told reporters at a press conference on Tuesday that “this is not some bit of arcane UN bureaucracy”, but something that could help countries implement their climate plans “faster and cheaper”. The Azerbaijan COP presidency put a number to that assertion, claiming that “co-operation across borders” under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement using carbon credits could reduce the cost of carrying out national climate plans by $250 billion every year. That figure comes from a theoretical modelling exercise conducted in 2019 by the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA), a pro-carbon market group that counts among its members many of the world’s largest fossil fuel companies, including Saudi Aramco, ExxonMobil, Shell and BP. Climate Home spoke to one carbon market expert who raised doubts over the $250-billion figure due to the number of assumptions made in the study that could be out-of-date by now. “Rushed” approval Many close watchers of carbon market talks strongly objected to the “unprecedented” decision to greenlight the rules in the opening plenary of COP29, bypassing the scrutiny of negotiators and observer groups. They voiced concerns not only about the risk of the resulting carbon credit projects producing dubious emission reductions and dragging down climate ambition, but also about the precedent this move sets. “This decision should have not been rushed through without giving the space to adequately discuss the issues,” said Trishant Dev, programme officer for carbon markets at the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). “Especially as, in previous years, several countries objected to the inadequate nature of these standards.”

• Climate Change and Green Economy

Carbon Border Tax Debate Delays COP29 Climate Talks Opening

The opening of the UN climate conference, COP29, was delayed as a dispute arose between developing and developed nations over the European Union’s carbon border tax, known as the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). Developing countries, including China and India, argued against adding "unilateral trade measures" like CBAM to the conference’s agenda, viewing it as potentially harmful to their economies. The delay underscores the tension between nations with differing climate agendas, with limited time available to agree on key issues like climate finance for developing nations. COP29 opened with a call from Azerbaijan, this year's host, for swift resolution on agenda matters to focus on setting a new climate finance goal, considered essential for supporting developing nations in adapting to climate change. Simon Stiell, UN climate chief, emphasized that climate finance is in every nation’s self-interest. However, discussions were promptly halted so delegates could resolve the debate over including CBAM in the agenda, delaying the plenary. The CBAM imposes a tax on imports into the EU of high-emission products, such as steel, cement, and aluminum, manufactured in countries with less stringent carbon regulations, like India and China. The EU justifies this mechanism as a means to create fair competition for EU-produced goods, which adhere to stricter environmental standards. It also aims to curb emissions embedded in imports from countries without similar regulations. However, many developing nations argue that CBAM is economically burdensome, claiming it violates UN climate agreements, which state that no country should impose emissions reduction methods on others. China, representing the BASIC group (Brazil, South Africa, India, and China), submitted a formal request for COP29 to address concerns over CBAM. Li Shuo from the Asia Society Policy Institute stated that the proposal reflects anxieties about the EU's and U.S.’s trade policies, as they increasingly restrict markets to lower-cost green products like electric vehicles and solar panels from China, potentially hindering global climate action. India’s Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, previously criticized CBAM as “unilateral and arbitrary,” cautioning that such measures could disrupt international trade and harm India’s industries. According to Delhi-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment, CBAM could impose a 25% tax on carbon-intensive Indian goods exported to the EU, a tax burden estimated to impact 0.05% of India’s GDP. Another divisive issue at COP29 is the prioritization of climate finance. Developing countries, including those in the LMDC (Like-Minded Developing Countries) group and the African Group, insist the conference should focus primarily on climate finance. However, developed countries, including the US, UK, and EU, seek to expand the dialogue to address all “Global Stocktake” outcomes, including emissions mitigation and reducing fossil fuel use. Meena Raman from the Third World Network argues that developed nations are shifting focus from climate finance to other areas, diminishing the chances of meaningful support for developing countries in addressing climate change impacts.

• Climate Change and Green Economy

G77 China rejects framework for draft text on new climate finance goal

and China, the largest bloc representing around 130 countries at the UN climate talks, has rejected the framework for a draft negotiating text on a new climate finance goal -- the central issue at this year's climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan. The substantive framework for a draft negotiating text, prepared by the co-chairs of the Ad Hoc Work Programme on the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) and published in October, is the first item for countries to deliberate on. However, on Tuesday, G77 and China rejected the framework, arguing it does not accurately reflect the suggestions that developing countries have made for the new climate finance goal. Other groups of developing countries, including the Like-Minded Developing Countries (LMDCs), Alliance of Small Island Developing States (AOSIS), Least Developed Countries (LDCs), and the Independent Alliance of Latin America and the Caribbean (AILAC), backed G77 and China in this rejection. According to the Loss and Damage Collaboration, an international coalition of climate researchers and activists, G77 and China have requested that the co-chairs prepare a new draft text before the next negotiating session. G77 and China demanded that the new climate finance package meet their needs and priorities, with a minimum quantum of USD 1.3 trillion. The group said that this amount should support mitigation, adaptation, and loss and damage initiatives, and should be exclusively allocated to developing countries. Developing countries also insist that the new climate finance goal, or NCQG, should prioritize public, grant-based, and concessional finance, as these types of funding are less burdensome for nations already facing financial challenges. Public finance provides a stable support source, while grants and concessional loans (with very low or zero interest) are easier for developing countries to manage. According to the Delhi-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment, developing countries are also calling for developed countries to provide arrears for the USD 100 billion climate finance goal agreed to in 2009. At COP15 in 2009, developed countries pledged to mobilize USD 100 billion per year to help developing nations adapt to and combat climate change by 2020. However, this target was only met in 2022, with loans accounting for around 70 percent of the total climate finance provided. Developing countries are also asking that the NCQG impose no conditions on access to climate finance. They say resources provided under the new goal must be predictable, new and additional, adequate, grant-based, and concessional, and must not create fiscal constraints or debt burdens. Among developed countries, the European Union has said that the amount of public finance depends on several factors, such as funding sources, contributor base, and the timeframe of the finance goal. The United States said that the NCQG should be a multilayered global investment goal applicable to all countries. It also argued that developing countries already providing substantial climate finance bilaterally should also contribute.

• Climate Change and Green Economy

COP29 में CBAM पर तीखा मतभेद: विकासशील और विकसित देशों के बीच व्यापारिक नीतियों पर टकराव

बकू, अज़रबैजान में चल रहे COP29 के जलवायु सम्मेलन के पहले दिन का आरंभिक सत्र विवादों के चलते देरी से शुरू हुआ, क्योंकि भारत और चीन जैसे विकासशील देशों ने सम्मेलन के एजेंडा में यूरोपीय संघ के कार्बन बॉर्डर एडजस्टमेंट मैकेनिज्म (CBAM) को शामिल करने की मांग की, जिसका अमीर देशों ने कड़ा विरोध किया। यह मुद्दा शुरू से ही बहस का केंद्र बना रहा और इससे सम्मेलन के एजेंडे पर गहरा असर पड़ा। CBAM पर विवाद: विकासशील देशों की चिंताएँ CBAM यूरोपीय संघ का एक प्रस्तावित कर है, जो ऊर्जा-गहन उत्पादों जैसे लोहे, स्टील, सीमेंट, उर्वरक और एल्युमीनियम पर लगाया जाएगा, जो विकासशील देशों से आयात किए जाते हैं। यह शुल्क इन उत्पादों के निर्माण के दौरान उत्सर्जित कार्बन पर आधारित होगा। यूरोपीय संघ का तर्क है कि इस कर से यूरोप के घरेलू उत्पादकों और विदेशी उत्पादकों के बीच उत्सर्जन आधारित लागत समान हो जाएगी और पर्यावरण पर सकारात्मक प्रभाव पड़ेगा। हालांकि, विकासशील देशों का मानना है कि इस प्रकार की नीतियां उनके लिए भारी आर्थिक बोझ बन सकती हैं, और यूरोप के साथ व्यापारिक गतिविधियों को अत्यधिक महंगा कर सकती हैं। वित्त मंत्री निर्मला सीतारमण ने CBAM को "एकतरफा और मनमाना" करार दिया था और चेताया कि इससे भारत के उद्योगों पर नकारात्मक प्रभाव पड़ेगा और वैश्विक व्यापार संतुलन बिगड़ सकता है। दिल्ली स्थित सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (CSE) के अनुसार, CBAM के तहत भारत से यूरोप को निर्यात किए गए कार्बन-गहन उत्पादों पर 25% अतिरिक्त कर लगेगा, जो भारत के सकल घरेलू उत्पाद का 0.05% तक प्रभाव डाल सकता है। COP29 के पहले दिन की मुख्य बातें और वित्तीय एजेंडा पर तनाव COP29 का पहला सत्र खासा विलंब से आरंभ हुआ, क्योंकि एजेंडा में CBAM को शामिल करने पर विकसित और विकासशील देशों में तीखी बहस जारी रही। COP29 के मेजबान अज़रबैजान ने सभी देशों से आग्रह किया कि वे लंबित मुद्दों का शीघ्र समाधान निकालें ताकि एक नई जलवायु वित्त व्यवस्था पर सहमति बन सके। UNFCCC के प्रमुख साइमन स्टीएल ने इस बात पर जोर दिया कि जलवायु वित्त किसी भी देश के स्वार्थ में है और इसे दान के रूप में नहीं देखा जाना चाहिए।

• Down To Earth

Tamil Nadu: 9 महीने में 3000 की मौत.. चौंकाने वाला जलवायु परिवर्तन

फ्रेंड्स ऑफ अर्थ के अनुसार, ग्लोबल वार्मिंग के कारण तमिलनाडु में तूफान, बाढ़ और सूखे सहित मौसमी घटनाओं की संख्या में वृद्धि हुई है और भारत में चालू वर्ष के पहले 9 महीनों में आपदाओं के कारण 3 हजार से अधिक लोगों की मौत हो गई है। हाल ही में, बेमौसम बारिश, अत्यधिक गर्मी, लू, भारी बारिश, तूफान, सूखा और बिजली गिरने जैसी जलवायु परिवर्तन की समस्याएं बढ़ रही हैं। इससे लोगों को काफी परेशानी हो रही है. पूरे तमिलनाडु में लोग हर साल विभिन्न प्राकृतिक आपदाओं का सामना कर रहे हैं। जल, ध्वनि और वायु प्रदूषण का स्तर भी बढ़ रहा है, ग्लोबल वार्मिंग विभिन्न कारकों के कारण है जिनमें कारखानों की संख्या में वृद्धि, वनों की कटाई, प्लास्टिक सामग्री का उपयोग, पेड़ों की कटाई, प्रकृति के खिलाफ गतिविधियाँ करना और अत्यधिक उपयोग शामिल हैं। वाहनों का. इससे जलवायु में बदलाव हो रहा है और नुकसान हो रहा है. जलवायु परिवर्तन के कारण अत्यधिक गर्मी की लहरें, समुद्र के स्तर में वृद्धि और जैव विविधता की हानि सहित विभिन्न प्रभाव पड़ने की संभावना है। इस मामले में, अध्ययन से पता चला कि तमिलनाडु में जलवायु परिवर्तन का प्रभाव दोगुना हो गया है। इस संबंध में फ्रेंड्स ऑफ द अर्थ ने एक्स साइट पेज पर कहा है: सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरमेंट द्वारा प्रकाशित रिपोर्ट क्लाइमेट इंडिया 2024: एन असेसमेंट ऑफ एक्सट्रीम वेदर इवेंट्स के अनुसार, तूफान, बाढ़ जैसी चरम मौसम की घटनाओं की संख्या ग्लोबल वार्मिंग से प्रेरित जलवायु परिवर्तन के परिणामस्वरूप तमिलनाडु में सूखा, गर्मी की लहरें और बिजली की घटनाएं बढ़ी हैं, तमिलनाडु में 2023 में 29 दिनों की चरम मौसम की घटनाएं दर्ज की गईं, चालू वर्ष के पहले 9 महीनों में 67 दिन की चरम मौसम की घटनाएं दर्ज की गईं। अकेला। घटनाओं की सूचना दी जाती है. जहां तक ​​भारत का सवाल है, इस साल के पहले 9 महीनों में 93 प्रतिशत दिनों में किसी न किसी तरह की गंभीर मौसम घटना दर्ज की गई है। अकेले इस अवधि के दौरान, आपदाओं के कारण 3,238 लोगों की जान चली गई है। 9,457 मवेशियों की मौत हो गई. 32 लाख हेक्टेयर कृषि फसल नष्ट हो गई है. रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक 2,35,862 घर क्षतिग्रस्त हो गए हैं.

• Climate Change and Green Economy

COP29 में CBAM पर तीखा मतभेद विकासशील और विकसित देशों के बीच व्यापारिक नीतियों पर टकराव

CBAM यूरोपीय संघ का एक प्रस्तावित कर है, जो ऊर्जा-गहन उत्पादों जैसे लोहे, स्टील, सीमेंट, उर्वरक और एल्युमीनियम पर लगाया जाएगा, जो विकासशील देशों से आयात किए जाते हैं। यह शुल्क इन उत्पादों के निर्माण के दौरान उत्सर्जित कार्बन पर आधारित होगा। यूरोपीय संघ का तर्क है कि इस कर से यूरोप के घरेलू उत्पादकों और विदेशी उत्पादकों के बीच उत्सर्जन आधारित लागत समान हो जाएगी और पर्यावरण पर सकारात्मक प्रभाव पड़ेगा। हालांकि, विकासशील देशों का मानना है कि इस प्रकार की नीतियां उनके लिए भारी आर्थिक बोझ बन सकती हैं, और यूरोप के साथ व्यापारिक गतिविधियों को अत्यधिक महंगा कर सकती हैं। वित्त मंत्री निर्मला सीतारमण ने CBAM को “एकतरफा और मनमाना” करार दिया था और चेताया कि इससे भारत के उद्योगों पर नकारात्मक प्रभाव पड़ेगा और वैश्विक व्यापार संतुलन बिगड़ सकता है। दिल्ली स्थित सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (CSE) के अनुसार, CBAM के तहत भारत से यूरोप को निर्यात किए गए कार्बन-गहन उत्पादों पर 25% अतिरिक्त कर लगेगा, जो भारत के सकल घरेलू उत्पाद का 0.05% तक प्रभाव डाल सकता है। COP29 के पहले दिन की मुख्य बातें और वित्तीय एजेंडा पर तनाव COP29 का पहला सत्र खासा विलंब से आरंभ हुआ, क्योंकि एजेंडा में CBAM को शामिल करने पर विकसित और विकासशील देशों में तीखी बहस जारी रही। COP29 के मेजबान अज़रबैजान ने सभी देशों से आग्रह किया कि वे लंबित मुद्दों का शीघ्र समाधान निकालें ताकि एक नई जलवायु वित्त व्यवस्था पर सहमति बन सके। UNFCCC के प्रमुख साइमन स्टीएल ने इस बात पर जोर दिया कि जलवायु वित्त किसी भी देश के स्वार्थ में है और इसे दान के रूप में नहीं देखा जाना चाहिए। BASIC देशों (ब्राजील, दक्षिण अफ्रीका, भारत, चीन) ने UNFCCC के समक्ष CBAM को लेकर एक प्रस्ताव पेश किया, जिसमें इस प्रकार की एकतरफा व्यापारिक नीतियों को छोड़ने का आग्रह किया गया। चीन के जलवायु नीति निदेशक ली शुओ ने BASIC देशों की चिंताओं को स्पष्ट करते हुए कहा कि CBAM जैसी नीतियाँ विकासशील देशों के हितों के लिए हानिकारक हो सकती हैं और यह जलवायु परिवर्तन के खिलाफ वैश्विक प्रयासों में रुकावट डाल सकती हैं। विशेषज्ञों की राय और CBAM का संभावित प्रभाव चीन क्लाइमेट हब के निदेशक ली शुओ ने कहा कि BASIC देशों का यह प्रस्ताव बताता है कि इन नीतियों का विकासशील देशों के औद्योगिक हितों पर क्या असर हो सकता है। उन्होंने कहा कि यूरोप और अमेरिका अपनी घरेलू बाजारों को सस्ती हरित तकनीक से भरने की नीति पर चल रहे हैं, जिसका उद्देश्य इलेक्ट्रिक वाहनों और सोलर पैनल जैसे उत्पादों को बढ़ावा देना है। तीसरी दुनिया नेटवर्क की मीना रमन ने COP29 में वित्तीय सहायता के मुद्दे पर जोर देते हुए कहा कि विकसित देश जलवायु वित्त पर ध्यान केंद्रित करने के बजाय अन्य मुद्दों को बढ़ावा देने की कोशिश कर रहे हैं। उनका मानना था कि जलवायु वित्त सम्मेलन का केंद्रीय मुद्दा होना चाहिए, ताकि विकासशील देशों को जलवायु परिवर्तन से निपटने में मदद मिल सके। निष्कर्ष: CBAM का भविष्य और COP29 में आगे की चुनौतियाँ CBAM पर जारी इस विवाद ने COP29 को एक गंभीर मंच बना दिया है, जहां केवल जलवायु परिवर्तन पर ही नहीं, बल्कि वैश्विक व्यापार और आर्थिक स्थिरता पर भी ध्यान दिया जाना आवश्यक है। विशेषज्ञों का मानना है कि CBAM जैसी नीतियों में वैश्विक समन्वय का अभाव विकासशील देशों की प्रगति में बाधा बन सकता है और जलवायु वित्त व्यवस्था में असमानता बढ़ा सकता है। COP29 में इस मुद्दे पर बने समझौते का असर केवल पर्यावरण पर नहीं, बल्कि वैश्विक व्यापारिक नीतियों पर भी पड़ेगा। यह देखना महत्वपूर्ण होगा कि क्या COP29 विकासशील और विकसित देशों के बीच सहयोग का एक नया अध्याय लिख सकता है, जिससे वैश्विक जलवायु लक्ष्यों को साधने में मदद मिल सके। Climateकहानी

• Director General Office

UN climate talks to focus on money to help poor nations cut carbon pollution

A complex international two-week-long game of climate change poker is convening. The stakes? Just the fate of an ever-warming world. Curbing and coping with climate change’s worsening heat, floods, droughts and storms will cost trillions of dollars and poor nations just don’t have it, numerous reports and experts calculate. As United Nations climate negotiations started Monday in Baku, Azerbaijan, the chief issue is who must ante up to help poor nations and especially how much. The numbers are enormous. The floor in negotiations is the $100 billion a year that poor nations — based on a categorization made in the 1990s — now get as part of a 2009 agreement that was barely met. Several experts and poorer nations say the need is $1 trillion a year or more. “It’s a game with high stakes,” said Climate Analytics CEO Bill Hare, a physicist. “Right now the fate of the planet depends very much on what we’re able to pull off in the next five or 10 years.” But this year’s talks, known as COP29, won’t be as high-profile as last year’s, with 48 fewer heads of state scheduled to speak. The leaders of the top two carbon polluting countries — China and the United States — will be absent. But if money negotiations fail in Baku, it will handicap 2025’s make-or-break climate negotiations, experts say. Not only is dealing with money always a touchy subject, but two of the rich countries that are expected to donate money to poor nations — the United States and Germany — are in the midst of dramatic government changes. Even though the United States delegation will be from Biden Administration, the reelection of Donald Trump, who downplays climate change and dislikes foreign aid, makes U.S. pledges unlikely to be fulfilled. The overarching issue is climate finance. Without it, experts say the world can’t get a handle on fighting warming, nor can most of the nations achieve their current carbon pollution-cutting goals or the new ones they will submit next year. “If we don’t solve the finance problem, then definitely we will not solve the climate problem,” said former Colombian deputy climate minister Pablo Vieira, who heads the support unit at NDC Partnership, which helps nations with emissions-cutting goals. Nations can’t cut carbon pollution if they can’t afford to eliminate coal, oil and gas, Vieira and several other experts said. Poor nations are frustrated that they are being told to do more to fight climate change when they cannot afford it, he said. And the 47 poorest nations only created 4% of the heat-trapping gases in the air, according to the U.N. About 77% of the heat-trapping gas in the atmosphere now comes from the G20 rich nations, many of whom are now cutting back on their pollution, something that is not happening in most poor nations or China. “The countries that are rich today have become rich by polluting the Earth,” said Ani Dasgupta, president of World Resources Institute. The money being discussed is for three things: Helping poor nations switch from dirty fossil fuels to clean energy; helping them adapt to the impacts of a warming world such as sea level rise and worsening storms; and compensating vulnerable poor nations for climate change damage. “Should the global community fail to reach a (finance) goal, this is really just signing the death warrant of many developing countries,” said Chukwumerije Okereke, director of the Center for Climate Change and Development in Nigeria. Michael Wilkins, a business professor who heads Imperial College’s Centre for Climate Finance and Investment in the U.K., said since 2022 total climate finance has been nearly $1.5 trillion. But only 3% of that is actually geared toward the least developed countries, he said. “The Global South has been repeatedly let down by unmet pledges and commitments,” said Sunita Narain, director general of New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment. “Finance is really the key component that compels all types of climate action,” said Bahamian climate scientist Adelle Thomas, adaptation director at the Natural Resources Defense Council. “Without that finance, there’s simply not much that developing countries in particular can do.”

• Down To Earth

Andhra Pradesh में 60 दिनों तक चरम मौसम का सामना करना पड़ा

विशाखापत्तनम: सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट Centre for Science and Environment (सीएसई) की रिपोर्ट ‘क्लाइमेट इंडिया 2024: एक्सट्रीम वेदर इवेंट्स का आकलन’ के अनुसार, आंध्र प्रदेश में 1 जनवरी से 30 सितंबर, 2024 तक 274 दिनों की अवधि में से 60 दिनों में मौसम की स्थिति बहुत खराब रही। प्रतिकूल परिस्थितियों के कारण राज्य में 60 लोगों की मौत हो गई, जबकि कृषि, आवासीय और पशुधन का भी काफी नुकसान हुआ। इस अवधि के दौरान, राज्य में फसलों और घरों को काफी नुकसान हुआ। 2,62,840 हेक्टेयर में फैली फसलों को नुकसान पहुंचा, जबकि 85,806 घरों को आंशिक या पूर्ण नुकसान पहुंचा, जिससे आंध्र प्रदेश देश में सबसे अधिक प्रभावित घरों वाला राज्य बन गया। इसके अलावा, इन चरम मौसम की घटनाओं के परिणामस्वरूप 501 जानवरों की मौत की सूचना मिली। पूरे भारत में, 274 दिनों में से 255 दिन चरम मौसम देखा गया, जिससे 3.2 मिलियन हेक्टेयर फसलें प्रभावित हुईं, 2,35,862 घरों को नुकसान पहुंचा और 3,238 लोगों की मौत हुई। इस दौरान राष्ट्रव्यापी पशु हानि 9,457 से अधिक रही। रिपोर्ट में आंध्र प्रदेश में विशिष्ट चरम घटनाओं पर भी प्रकाश डाला गया। 12 दिनों में बिजली और तूफान आए, जिससे 17 लोगों की जान चली गई। राज्य में 33 दिनों तक भारी बारिश, बाढ़ और भूस्खलन ने प्रभावित किया, जिसके परिणामस्वरूप 43 मौतें हुईं। इसके अतिरिक्त, राज्य में मार्च से जून के महीनों में तीन गर्म रातें देखी गईं - जिन्हें ऐसी रातें कहा जाता है जब न्यूनतम तापमान सामान्य से 4 - 6.4 डिग्री सेल्सियस अधिक रहा। रिपोर्ट में 'बहुत भारी' और 'बेहद भारी' बारिश के बीच अंतर किया गया है, जिसमें कहा गया है कि ऐसी घटनाओं को केवल तभी चरम के रूप में वर्गीकृत किया जाता है जब वे नुकसान पहुंचाती हैं। राज्य में 19 दिनों में दर्ज की गई हीटवेव भी चिंता का विषय रही। रिपोर्ट में हीटवेव को अधिकतम तापमान में सामान्य से 4.5 - 6.4 डिग्री सेल्सियस की वृद्धि के रूप में परिभाषित किया गया है, जबकि गंभीर हीटवेव 6.4 डिग्री सेल्सियस से अधिक की वृद्धि को दर्शाता है। उन्होंने चेतावनी दी कि जलवायु परिवर्तन Climate change के खिलाफ सार्थक उपायों के बिना, चरम मौसम के प्रभाव तेज होने की संभावना है। अपने विश्लेषण में, रिपोर्ट ने पाया कि भारत ने 2024 के पहले नौ महीनों में 90% से अधिक समय तक चरम मौसम की घटनाओं का अनुभव किया। लेखकों ने इस बात पर प्रकाश डाला कि चरम मौसम की घटनाओं की आवृत्ति, जो पहले हर सदी में एक बार होने की उम्मीद थी, अब हर पाँच साल या उससे कम समय में हो रही है। रिपोर्ट में कहा गया है, "यह आवृत्ति सबसे कमजोर आबादी को प्रभावित करती है, जिनके पास नुकसान और क्षति के इस अथक चक्र के अनुकूल होने के लिए संसाधनों की कमी है," रिपोर्ट में जलवायु लचीलापन उपायों को बढ़ाने की तत्काल आवश्यकता पर बल दिया गया है। रिपोर्ट खतरे की घंटी बजाती है सीएसई रिपोर्ट ने इन प्रवृत्तियों के निहितार्थों पर एक सख्त चेतावनी जारी की। लेखकों ने कहा, "यह रिपोर्ट अच्छी खबर नहीं है, लेकिन यह एक आवश्यक चेतावनी है, प्रकृति के प्रतिशोध को पहचानने और इसे कम करने के लिए आवश्यक तत्काल कार्रवाई करने का आह्वान है।" उन्होंने चेतावनी दी कि जलवायु परिवर्तन के खिलाफ सार्थक उपायों के बिना, चरम मौसम के प्रभाव और भी तीव्र हो सकते हैं। उन्होंने इस बात पर प्रकाश डाला कि चरम मौसम की घटनाओं की आवृत्ति और गंभीरता अब हर पाँच साल या उससे भी कम समय में हो रही है

• Down To Earth

Andhra Pradesh experiences 60 days of extreme weather

VISAKHAPATNAM: Andhra Pradesh experienced extreme weather conditions on 60 days out of the 274-day period from January 1 to September 30, 2024, according to a report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) titled ‘Climate India 2024: An Assessment of Extreme Weather Events’. The adverse conditions led to 60 human casualties in the State, while agricultural, residential, and livestock losses were also substantial. During this period, the State recorded significant damage to crops and homes. Crops covering 2,62,840 hectares were reported as damaged, while 85,806 houses sustained partial or total damage, marking Andhra Pradesh as the State with the highest number of affected homes in the country. Additionally, 501 animals were reported dead as a result of these extreme weather events. Throughout India, extreme weather was observed on 255 out of 274 days, affecting 3.2 million hectares of crops, causing damage to 2,35,862 houses, and resulting in 3,238 human deaths. Nationwide animal losses stood at over 9,457 during this time. In Andhra Pradesh, specific extreme events were also highlighted in the report. Lightning and storms occurred on 12 days, leading to the loss of 17 lives. Heavy rainfall, floods, and landslides affected the State for 33 days, resulting in 43 fatalities. Additionally, the State experienced three warm nights - defined as nights when minimum temperatures remained 4 - 6.4ºC above normal-in the months of March through June. The report distinguished between ‘very heavy’ and ‘extremely heavy’ rainfall, noting that such events were classified as extreme only when they caused damage. Heatwaves, recorded on 19 days in the State, were also a concern. The report defined a heatwave as an increase in maximum temperature by 4.5 - 6.4ºC above normal, while a severe heatwave represented a rise of more than 6.4ºC. They cautioned that, without meaningful measures against climate change, the impacts of extreme weather will likely intensify. In its analysis, the report observed that India experienced extreme weather events for over 90% of the first nine months of 2024. The authors highlighted that the frequency of extreme weather events, previously expected once every century, are now occurring every five years or less. “This frequency overwhelms the most vulnerable populations, who lack the resources to adapt to this relentless cycle of loss and damage,” the report added, stressing the urgent need for enhanced climate resilience measures. Report rings danger bells The CSE report issued a strong warning on the implications of these trends. “This report is not good news, but it is a necessary warning, a call to recognise nature’s backlash and the urgent action required to mitigate it,” the authors noted. They cautioned that, without meaningful measures against climate change, the impacts of extreme weather will likely intensify. They highlighted that the frequency and severity of extreme weather events are now occurring every five years or less

• Director General Office

UN climate talks to focus on money to help poor nations cut carbon pollution

BAKU, Azerbaijan — A complex international two-week-long game of climate change poker is convening. The stakes? Just the fate of an ever-warming world. Curbing and coping with climate change's worsening heat, floods, droughts and storms will cost trillions of dollars and poor nations just don't have it, numerous reports and experts calculate. As United Nations climate negotiations started Monday in Baku, Azerbaijan, the chief issue is who must ante up to help poor nations and especially how much. The numbers are enormous. The floor in negotiations is the $100 billion a year that poor nations — based on a categorization made in the 1990s — now get as part of a 2009 agreement that was barely met. Several experts and poorer nations say the need is $1 trillion a year or more. ''It's a game with high stakes,'' said Climate Analytics CEO Bill Hare, a physicist. ''Right now the fate of the planet depends very much on what we're able to pull off in the next five or 10 years.'' But this year's talks, known as COP29, won't be as high-profile as last year's, with 48 fewer heads of state scheduled to speak. The leaders of the top two carbon polluting countries — China and the United States — will be absent. But if money negotiations fail in Baku, it will handicap 2025's make-or-break climate negotiations, experts say. Not only is dealing with money always a touchy subject, but two of the rich countries that are expected to donate money to poor nations — the United States and Germany — are in the midst of dramatic government changes. Even though the United States delegation will be from Biden Administration, the reelection of Donald Trump, who downplays climate change and dislikes foreign aid, makes U.S. pledges unlikely to be fulfilled. The overarching issue is climate finance. Without it, experts say the world can't get a handle on fighting warming, nor can most of the nations achieve their current carbon pollution-cutting goals or the new ones they will submit next year. ''If we don't solve the finance problem, then definitely we will not solve the climate problem,'' said former Colombian deputy climate minister Pablo Vieira, who heads the support unit at NDC Partnership, which helps nations with emissions-cutting goals. Nations can't cut carbon pollution if they can't afford to eliminate coal, oil and gas, Vieira and several other experts said. Poor nations are frustrated that they are being told to do more to fight climate change when they cannot afford it, he said. And the 47 poorest nations only created 4% of the heat-trapping gases in the air, according to the U.N. About 77% of the heat-trapping gas in the atmosphere now comes from the G20 rich nations, many of whom are now cutting back on their pollution, something that is not happening in most poor nations or China. ''The countries that are rich today have become rich by polluting the Earth,'' said Ani Dasgupta, president of World Resources Institute. The money being discussed is for three things: Helping poor nations switch from dirty fossil fuels to clean energy; helping them adapt to the impacts of a warming world such as sea level rise and worsening storms; and compensating vulnerable poor nations for climate change damage. ''Should the global community fail to reach a (finance) goal, this is really just signing the death warrant of many developing countries," said Chukwumerije Okereke, director of the Center for Climate Change and Development in Nigeria. Michael Wilkins, a business professor who heads Imperial College's Centre for Climate Finance and Investment in the U.K., said since 2022 total climate finance has been nearly $1.5 trillion. But only 3% of that is actually geared toward the least developed countries, he said.

• Down To Earth

Harsh weather sends up deaths by 144% in Telangana

HYDERABAD: Over 1,81,419 acres of crop area were affected, 66 people died, and 4,350 animal (big and small) deaths were reported, all due to extreme weather events which spanned over 50 days from January 1 to September 30, revealed ‘India Climate Report 2024’, launched by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and its publication, Down to Earth. CSE report said there had been a staggering 144% increase in human deaths caused by extreme weather conditions this year compared to 2022. While 27 deaths took place due to extreme weather conditions in 2022, in 2024 the number increased to 66. The extent of crop-affected areas also doubled in 2024. The extent of crop-affected areas in 2022 was 42,000 acres, against 1.81 lakh acres in 2024. Astonishingly, the current year witnessed more deaths than in 2022, although the number of days of heavy rains, and floods were significantly fewer. The number of heavy rain and flood days was 21 in 2024 and 31 in 2022. The number of days of occurrence of heatwave also increased to 12, and 13 in 2024. These figures indicate a change in the patterns of change of extreme weather conditions such as heatwaves, coldwave, and cloudbursts. The said report mentioned that the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change defines extreme weather events as occurrences that are “rare at a particular place and time of year”. The CSE has sourced data on extreme events from the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), and the Disaster Management Division (DMD).

• Solid Waste Management and Circular Economy

India's Footwear Hub Agra Faces Challenging Task in Handling 45 tonnes of Waste Every Day

The city of Agra in North India has, not one, but two legacies of the Mughal Era. The Taj Mahal, needless to say, is better known of the two, certainly among the 1.15 international tourists who visit every year. It is the other one, the humongous footwear industry, which is turning out to be the city's bugbear. The numbers are staggering. The Agra footwear industry caters to 65% of the domestic demand, and at the same time generates 45 tonnes of waste every single day. India cannot do without the city's footwear industry. After all, it produces close to 1 million pairs every single day. The result is that the city is bursting at its seams—with the by-product of the footwear industry, namely its waste. Researchers have found that a total of 6,821 footwear manufacturing units operate in Agra—including home-based businesses, domestic market and exporters—and produce about 0.9–1 million pairs of footwear per day, with 45 tonnes per day (TPD) of footwear waste generated. Of the total footwear waste of 13.71 TPD generated by informal household-based business units, about 21%, i.e. 2.87 TPD, returned for reuse and recycling. The remaining quantity of waste—79% (10.84 tonne)—is presumably disposed of in drains or dhalaos, leaked into the Yamuna River, or collected and disposed of to the Kuberpur dumpsite. All this makes for a deep probe, which is not only environmentally crucial, but also has a bearing on both the survival of Agra as a much-touted Smart City, as well as India's footwear industry, which should find itself in the doldrums were production to be affected in Agra. This is where New Delhi-based environmental thinktank Centre for Science and Environment stepped in: "to comprehensively examine the challenges and opportunities associated with footwear waste, encompassing both its generation during manufacturing and subsequent disposal." The year-long study has since been completed, and the output is a report titled Footwear Waste Management in Agra: A Ground Assessment. Caught between the medieval and the modern The origin of the Agra footwear industry is fascinating. All the more fascinating if one were told that the footwear industry actually started as a recycling enterprise. So—as legend has it—long before the magnificent Taj Mahal was dedicated by Emperor Shah Jahan to his departed wife Mumtaz Mahal, the city had joined the ranks of Delhi, Lahore and Srinagar as a major trading centre. The Mughals were connoisseurs of sumptuous recipes and one of the ingredients that was imported in huge quantities was asafoetida, called hing in North India (as also in many other Indian languages). This hing would be imported from Afghanistan and Iran, assiduously packed in leather containers called mushak. Now, these mushaks were considered waste after the hing had been extracted: after unpacking, the leather packaging would be thrown away. It is not known, but this disposal practice would have possibly caused a waste problem of the times... till the craftsmen of the city figured out that these leather items could be repurposed: into making footwear. And, the footprint of that legacy can be found even to this day—in the market called Hing Ki Mandi (the market for asafoetida) which houses over 5,000 shops that sell footwear. Shoemaking that had thrived during that Mughal Era, surviving British Raj, and burgeoning after Independence, today sees itself back to where it had all started. The city needs to find a feasible solution to the waste of its footwear industry. Today’s state of waste The two major footwear associations of the city—Agra Footwear Manufacturing Export Chambers (AFMEC) and the Agra Shoe Manufacturers’ Association (ASMA)—together account for about 650 manufacturers. The CSE study estimated the number of total informal footwear manufacturers at 6,821. About 900 informal manufacturers are members of the Juta Dastkar Federation (JDF) and the Bhim Yuva Vyapar Mandal (BYVM). The 150 medium-scale manufacturers, under the aegis of the AFMEC, are the bigger lot of the city, and work for international brands in the UK, US, EU and UAE. Each unit can produce about 2,500 pairs of footwear every day. The maximum cumulative daily production capacity is about 500,000 pairs. In the process of production about 0.05 kg of waste is generated per pair of footwear. The small-scale manufacturers of the ASMA produce about 0.025 kg of waste per pair. ASMA’s per pair waste generation is less than AFMEC’s primarily because the range of products they offer is extremely wide. Interestingly, recycling works here too: The CSE team found that the waste generated in the manufacture of one type of product (footwear) is partially used in producing another category of product (belts, purse, smaller sized footwear, etc.). Then, there are the micro-scale manufacturers. The industry provides livelihood to over 6,000 families who manufacture footwear at home. These home-based businesses (HBBs) in four zones of the city produce 195,872 pairs, by using 85.7 TPD raw materials every day, and generate around 13.71 TPD of waste. The waste generated amounts to 0.07 kg for a pair. In terms of composition, 40% of the waste is leather, and about 36% are synthetic polymers (polyvinyl chloride, ethyl vinyl acetate, styrene butadiene rubber, polyurethane and thermoplastic elastomers). The bottom of the pyramid The base of the footwear industry is huge, and this is where the challenges lie. The biggest problem is the indiscriminate disposal of footwear waste due to lack of space for storing at manufacturing units. After all, over two-thirds of these units are home-based and informal in nature. These are small to very small dwellings with inadequate space for manufacturing and even less space to store footwear waste. No wonder, many dispose of this waste either outside their house’s doors, in nearby dustbins (if available) or in drains. The local authority has limited formal collection systems in place. About 57% of the footwear waste is directly or indirectly collected by the fleet of the Agra Nagar Nigam (ANN) from the doorstep or community bins or even from drains (ANN cleans drains at irregular intervals to avoid blockage of drains). As of now, there is no formal system for processing and treatment of footwear waste in Agra. So, the remaining 43 per cent is littered across the city in drains and open spaces or even burnt.

• Director General Office

UN climate talks to focus on money to help poor nations cut carbon pollution

BAKU: A complex international two-week-long game of climate change poker is convening. The stakes? Just the fate of an ever-warming world. Curbing and coping with climate change's worsening heat, floods, droughts and storms will cost trillions of dollars and poor nations just don't have it, numerous reports and experts calculate. As United Nations climate negotiations started Monday in Baku, Azerbaijan, the chief issue is who must ante up to help poor nations and especially how much. The numbers are enormous. The floor in negotiations is the $100 billion a year that poor nations — based on a categorization made in the 1990s — now get as part of a 2009 agreement that was barely met. Several experts and poorer nations say the need is $1 trillion a year or more. “It's a game with high stakes,” said Climate Analytics CEO Bill Hare, a physicist. “Right now the fate of the planet depends very much on what we're able to pull off in the next five or 10 years.” But this year's talks, known as COP29, won't be as high-profile as last year's, with 48 fewer heads of state scheduled to speak. The leaders of the top two carbon polluting countries — China and the United States — will be absent. But if money negotiations fail in Baku, it will handicap 2025’s make-or-break climate negotiations, experts say. Not only is dealing with money always a touchy subject, but two of the rich countries that are expected to donate money to poor nations — the United States and Germany — are in the midst of dramatic government changes. Even though the United States delegation will be from Biden Administration, the reelection of Donald Trump, who downplays climate change and dislikes foreign aid, makes U.S. pledges unlikely to be fulfilled. The overarching issue is climate finance. Without it, experts say the world can't get a handle on fighting warming, nor can most of the nations achieve their current carbon pollution-cutting goals or the new ones they will submit next year. “If we don't solve the finance problem, then definitely we will not solve the climate problem,” said former Colombian deputy climate minister Pablo Vieira, who heads the support unit at NDC Partnership, which helps nations with emissions-cutting goals. Nations can't cut carbon pollution if they can't afford to eliminate coal, oil and gas, Vieira and several other experts said. Poor nations are frustrated that they are being told to do more to fight climate change when they cannot afford it, he said. And the 47 poorest nations only created 4% of the heat-trapping gases in the air, according to the U.N. About 77% of the heat-trapping gas in the atmosphere now comes from the G20 rich nations, many of whom are now cutting back on their pollution, something that is not happening in most poor nations or China. “The countries that are rich today have become rich by polluting the Earth,” said Ani Dasgupta, president of World Resources Institute. The money being discussed is for three things: Helping poor nations switch from dirty fossil fuels to clean energy; helping them adapt to the impacts of a warming world such as sea level rise and worsening storms; and compensating vulnerable poor nations for climate change damage. “Should the global community fail to reach a (finance) goal, this is really just signing the death warrant of many developing countries," said Chukwumerije Okereke, director of the Center for Climate Change and Development in Nigeria. Michael Wilkins, a business professor who heads Imperial College's Centre for Climate Finance and Investment in the U.K., said since 2022 total climate finance has been nearly $1.5 trillion. But only 3% of that is actually geared toward the least developed countries, he said. “The Global South has been repeatedly let down by unmet pledges and commitments,” said Sunita Narain, director general of New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment. “Finance is really the key component that compels all types of climate action,” said Bahamian climate scientist Adelle Thomas, adaptation director at the Natural Resources Defense Council. “Without that finance, there's simply not much that developing countries in particular can do.” It's an issue of both self-interest and justice, Thomas and others said. It's not charity to help poor nations decarbonize because rich nations benefit when all countries cut emissions. After all, a warming world hurts everyone.

• Down To Earth

India’s climate crisis in 2024: Over 3,000 deaths, Homes destroyed in extreme weather events

Extreme weather events caused by climate change are having a bad effect on life. The situation is such that in the first nine months of the current year, 93 percent i.e. 255 out of 274 days faced heat and cold winds, cyclones, lightning, heavy rainfall, floods and landslides. Due to these incidents, 3,238 people lost their lives, 32 lakh hectares of crops were affected. 2,35,862 houses and buildings were destroyed, while about 9,457 animals were killed. This horrific picture has come to the fore in the report released on Friday by Sunita Narayan, Director General of the Center for Science and Environment (CSE). India had the ninth driest month According to the ‘State of Extreme Weather Report’, extreme weather events have had a more serious impact in 2024 than in 2022 and 2023. 2024 also set several climate records. January was India’s ninth driest month since 1901. In February, the country recorded its second-highest minimum temperature in 123 years. May recorded the fourth-highest average temperature and July, August and September all recorded their highest minimum temperatures since 1901. Sunita Narain said, ‘Events that used to happen once a century are now happening every five years or less.’ The last nine months have seen all kinds of events from lightning and storms to 32 states and the resulting continuous monsoon rains, which led to floods in various areas, killing 1,021 people. Heavy rainfall, floods and landslides in Assam for 122 days Heavy rainfall, floods and landslides occurred in Assam alone for 122 days, submerging large parts of the state and devastating communities. Floods across the country killed 1,376 people. Madhya Pradesh experienced extreme weather every second day, the highest in the country. Kerala recorded the highest number of deaths at 550, followed by Madhya Pradesh (353) and Assam (256). Central region had highest number of deaths at 1,001 Andhra Pradesh had highest number of houses destroyed (85,806), while Maharashtra, which witnessed extreme weather events on 142 days, suffered more than 60 per cent of the crop area affected across the country, followed by Madhya Pradesh (25,170 hectares). Central region had highest number of deaths at 1,001.

• Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Delhi Air Pollution: Are Harsher Penalties for Stubble Burning Missing the Mark?

Are we prepared for the climate crisis staring us in the face? The Quint wants to go big on telling the most important stories of our time. Support us to tell them. Become a member now. Last week, the Central government updated its air quality management rules, increasing the penalties for stubble burning, effective immediately. The penalties now stand at Rs 10,000 for farmers who have two to five acres of land, and Rs 30,000 for farmers with more than five acres. The notification came days after the Supreme Court pulled up the government over its inaction in combatting air pollution in Delhi, calling the Environmental Protection Act 'toothless'. Around the same time, however, a new study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a Delhi-based environmental think tank, pointed out that stubble burning contributes only 8 percent to Delhi's air pollution. If that's the case, is increasing penalties just another example of bike shedding, focused more on optics than substance?

• Down To Earth

Telangana में खराब मौसम के कारण मौतों में 144% की वृद्धि

हैदराबाद: सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट Centre for Science and Environment (सीएसई) और इसके प्रकाशन डाउन टू अर्थ द्वारा जारी ‘भारत जलवायु रिपोर्ट 2024’ में खुलासा किया गया है कि 1,81,419 एकड़ से अधिक फसल क्षेत्र प्रभावित हुआ, 66 लोगों की मौत हुई और 4,350 जानवरों (बड़े और छोटे) की मौत हुई। ये सभी 1 जनवरी से 30 सितंबर तक 50 दिनों तक चली चरम मौसम की घटनाओं के कारण हुए। सीएसई की रिपोर्ट में कहा गया है कि 2022 की तुलना में इस साल चरम मौसम की स्थिति के कारण होने वाली मौतों में 144% की वृद्धि हुई है। 2022 में चरम मौसम की स्थिति के कारण 27 मौतें हुईं, जबकि 2024 में यह संख्या बढ़कर 66 हो गई। 2024 में फसल प्रभावित क्षेत्रों का दायरा भी दोगुना हो गया। 2022 में फसल प्रभावित क्षेत्रों का दायरा 42,000 एकड़ था, जबकि 2024 में यह 1.81 लाख एकड़ था।