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United Nation’s COP 26 climate change summit postponed till 2021 Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III- S&T NOTE: Please refer PT KUNJI SECTION for REVISE ENVIRONMENT IN 45 MINUTES BOOKLET. The 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which was planned to take place from 9-19 November 2020, in Glasgow, Scotland in the United Kingdom (UK) has been postponed to 2021 due to COVID-19.The date a
03 April, 2020 Earth Day and Earth Hour Part of: GS-III- Environment (PT-MAINS-PERSONALITY TEST) Earth Day is an annual event, celebrated on April 22. Worldwide events are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection. The theme of Earth Day 2019 is “Protect Our Species”. It was first celebrated in 1970, and is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network and celebrated in more than 193 countries each year. The idea of commemorating such
18 April, 2020 Steps to control Climate Change – Analysis by Dr.Anil Kakodkar Introduction On the occasion of National Technology Day, a day which marks the anniversary of Pokhran Nuclear Tests of 1998, Former Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission and Chairman, Rajiv Gandhi Science & Technology Commission, Padma Vibhushan Dr. Anil Kakodkar, has conveyed a message to the people of India, about Dealing with energy needs in the Context of Climate Crisis. Relation between HDI and Per Capita Energy
13 May, 2020 BIO International Convention The BIO International Convention is hosted by the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO). India is represented by the Minister of State for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences. The key benefits of attending the BIO International Convention are access to global biotech and pharma leaders via BIO One-on-One Partnering, exposure to industry thought-leaders and networking opportunities. BIO is the largest trade organization in the world that represe
Flattening the climate curve R. Sukumar is professor, Centre for Ecological Sciences and Divecha Centre for Climate Change, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru Part of: GS-III- Climate Change (PT-MAINS-PERSONALITY TEST) Leaders should act on the climate crisis with the same alacrity they have shown towards COVID-19 Context Two interrelated curves began their upward trend two centuries ago with the advent of the industrial age. The first curve was the atmospheric concentra
10 June, 2020 A convergence of crises Part of: GS-III- Climate change (PT-MAINS-PERSONALITY TEST) Policy ideas should marry employment and industrial priorities with green outcomes There is a growing debate about what the scarcity and privation wrought by the COVID-19 crisis will mean for our response to climate change. The very language used to describe the effects of climate change is now being deployed, correctly, to shape our understanding of a disease-ravaged near future: poverty, the failu
11 June, 2020 Assessment of Climate Change over the Indian Region GS- PAPER-3 Climate change (PT-MAINS-INTERVIEW) Recently, the first Assessment of Climate Change over the Indian Region has been published by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES). It is India’s first-ever national forecast on the impact of global warming on the subcontinent in the coming century. These projections, based on a climate forecasting model developed at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, wil
18 June, 2020 Carbon emissions sharply rebound as countries lift coronavirus restrictions Key Points Carbon emissions are now surging back to prepandemic levels as states and countries reopen, a grim reminder that the world is still grappling with accelerating climate change. By mid-June, global emissions rebounded to roughly 5% below 2019 levels and in emissions in China returned to pre-pandemic levels, according to an update in a May study published in the journal Nature Climate Change. During
19 June, 2020 Artic Sea It is located mostly in the Arctic North Polar Region in the middle of the Northern Hemisphere, besides its surrounding waters the Arctic Ocean is surrounded by Eurasia and North America. It is partly covered by sea ice throughout the year and almost completely in winter. The Arctic Ocean is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceans and it is also known as the coldest of all the oceans. The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) recognizes
22 June, 2020 Decarbonising Transport in India project GS- PAPER-3 Pollution PT-MAINS NITI Aayog in collaboration with International Transport Forum will launch the 'Decarbonising Transport in India' project on with the intention to develop a pathway towards a low-carbon transport system for India. Imp Points India has been a member of ITF, an intergovernmental organisation for transport policy, since 2008. The online event will inform transport and climate stakeho
23 June, 2020 Before the next health crisis By, Vinod Thomas is Visiting Professor at the National University of Singapore and a former senior vice president at the World Bank.@vthomas14 Context * Stalking the efforts of the government and the private sector to revive the economy in the time of COVID-19 are two dangers to people’s health — air pollution and greenhouse gases — and a weak public health system. A noxious cocktail * The avoided number of early deaths fro
07 July, 2020 PARIS commitment: Climate Change COP21 Part of: GS-III- Climate CHANGE (PT-MAINS-PERSONALITY TEST) In 2015 COP21, also known as the 2015 Paris Climate Conference, for the first time in over 20 years of UN negotiations, aimed at keeping global warming below 2°C. The key vision of Paris Agreement was to keep global temperatures “well below” 2.0C (3.6F) above pre-industrial times and “seek to limit” even more, to 1.5C. It pledged to curb emissi
09 July, 2020 Virtual Climate Action Part of: GS-III- Climate change (PT-MAINS-PERSONALITY TEST) Recently, the 4th edition of the virtual Ministerial on Climate Action was organised to advance discussions on implementation of the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The Ministerial: It was co-chaired by European Union, China and Canada. The participating countries exchanged their views on how they ar
09 July, 2020 Green-lighting ecological decimation amidst a pandemic By, Chitrangada Choudhury is an independent journalist working on issues of the environment; Aniket Aga teaches Environmental Studies at Ashoka University Reasons for increase in pandemics * Few countries are witnessing such severe direct and indirect devastation on account of the COVID-19 pandemic as India. Yet, there is little attention on the roots of our vulnerability * Our vulnerabilities lie not just in the absence of equit
09 July, 2020 IISER Bhopal scientists’ study on seed germination Introduction: A team of researchers at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Bhopal, has conducted a study on seed germination that could have a major impact on agriculture in the long run by helping determine the optimum timing of seed germination and thus ensure high plant yields. The study focused on the interplay between plant hormones like Abscisic acid (ABA) which inhibit the sprouting of the see
13 August, 2020 China’s climate commitment: How significant is it for the planet, and India? Context: China’s President Xi Jinping has promised that the country would be carbon net-zero by 2060, and has advanced the deadline for reaching emissions peak. What has China announced? Xi announced that China would be carbon net-zero by 2060. Net-zero is a state in which a country’s emissions are compensated by absorptions and removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. A
03 October, 2020 Pricing and Taxing Carbon Introduction: After China, the largest GHG emitter, announced that it would balance out its carbon emissions with measures to offset them before 2060, the U.S. and India are next in the list to take actions. India along with the U.S, China and Japan are some of the countries that are hardest hit by climate impacts. In order to mitigate the condition and reduce the GHG emissions, one smart approach is pricing Carbon. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has
29 September, 2020 Reject this inequitable climate proposal Introduction: In an extraordinary move in climate diplomacy, UN Secretary General, delivering the Darbari Seth Memorial Lecture, at the Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), in New Delhi, called on India to make no new investment in coal after 2020. The UN Secretary General call for India to give up coal immediately and reduce emissions by 45% by 2030 is a call to de-industrialise the country and abandon the population to a permanent low-devel
21 September, 2020 Context: Climate Change is one of the most important topics for UPSC Prelims 2021 and it is also important for Mains Answer Writing for IAS Mains 2021. Hence, AspireIAS has come up with a comprehensive document for Climate Change. What is Climate? Weather is what conditions of the atmosphere are over a short period of time, and climate is how the atmosphere "behaves" over relatively long periods of time (like 100 years). Climate change is a complex p
5 year Anniversary of Paris Agreement For complete Climate Change and their summits: Click here Context: Climate Change is one of the most important topics for UPSC Prelims 2021 and it is also important for Mains Answer Writing for IAS Mains 2021. Hence, AspireIAS has come up with a comprehensive document for Climate Change. The world gathered at the Climate Ambition Summit 2020 to celebrate and recognise our resolve in working toward a safer, more resilient world with net zero e
UPSC Climate Change - The future of Climate Policies Context: Climate Change is one of the most important topics for UPSC Prelims 2021 and it is also important for Mains Answer Writing for IAS Mains 2021. Hence, AspireIAS has come up with a comprehensive document for Climate Change. 2021 will be the year for a new global climate policy and India has the soft power to bring together the high and low emitters. Among the ‘major economies’, India will meet its Paris Agreement
Analysis of Climate Change in India Several parts of north India are in the grip of a severe cold wave. While winter may be longer and harsher in some regions due to La Niña, forecasters suggest that 2021 would still be among the Earth’s hottest years recorded. Rising temperatures have led to a sharp increase in climate extreme events in recent years. A recent report by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water found that 75% of districts in India, home to over half
India’s new draft “Arctic policy” India has unveiled a new draft ‘Arctic’ policy that, among other things, commits to expanding scientific research, “sustainable tourism” and mineral oil and gas exploration in the Arctic region. India expects the Goa-based National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research to lead scientific research and act as a nodal body to coordinate among various scientific bodies to promote domestic scientific research capacities
USA and Paris Climate Deal Joe Biden assumed office as President of the United States on January 20, 2021, and among the first orders he signed was one to restore America’s participation in the United Nations Paris Agreement on climate change. His decision on America’s return will take effect on February 19, which would be 107 days after its withdrawal under the Donald Trump administration became formal on November 4, 2020. Under President Barack Obama, the U.S. played an
Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure CDRI is to be seen as an international knowledge platform. Here, countries can collaborate to make their existing and new infrastructure strong enough to withstand natural disasters. It tries to bring countries together to share and learn from one another’s experiences to protect their infrastructure against disasters. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is operating as the interim secretariat of CDRI as of now.
UNEP Report on Environmental crises Introduction Three environmental crises — climate change; nature loss; and the pollution of air, soil and water — add up to a planetary emergency that will cause far more pain than COVID-19 in the long-term. UNEP Report In 2020, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) announced that, despite a dip in greenhouse gas emissions caused by the pandemic, the world is still headed for global warming of more than 3°C this century. T
Carbon Watch It is India’s first app to assess the carbon footprint of an individual. Carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gases-especially carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by particular human activity. Chandigarh became the first state or Union Territory in India to launch the mobile application Carbon Watch.
Why does it rain highest in Mawsynram? Because of the uneven relief of India due to the presence of a number of hill ranges, the monsoon is not able to shed its moisture evenly over India. Windward sides receive more rainfall and leeward sides receive less rainfall. Mawsynram lies in the funnel-shaped depression caused by the Khasi range in Meghalaya. The Bay of Bengal branch of monsoons is trapped in it and causes heavy rainfall. Decreasing rainfall trends The research an
Global Governance on climate change Introduction Joe Biden as U.S. President has catapulted climate change to the top of the global agenda, allowing him to keep his promise to “lead a major diplomatic push” to increase global climate ambition. The U.S.’s moves Interestingly, the U.S. is not just striding back to the Obama signature achievement of the Paris Accord with its voluntary commitments but also to the Bush days. This is, perhaps, best evidenced b
12 March, 2021 Green Bonds India has announced its intention to achieve all the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) by 2030. The first green bond was issued in 2015. This is an alternative to the Kuznets hypothesis that is used by developed countries to achieve SDG goals A green bond is a fixed-income instrument designed specifically to support specific climate-related or environmental projects. The green bond market in India includes: Corporates issue green bond
12 March, 2021 Data on Climate Vulnerability Ranking by various organizations of India’s Climate Vulnerability Status: HSBC ranking(2018) Placed India at the TOP among 67 nations in Climate vulnerability. Germanwatch(2020) India ranked 5th among 181 nations in terms of climate risk. India is 3rd largest Carbon Emitter after China and USA. Incidents supporting the same: 2013 Glacial flooding in Uttarakhand Heatwave in Delhi Hyderabad. 2018 Chennai Kerala Floods. Elsew
15 March, 2021 Indian Collaborative Research in Antarctica It is an Indo-Japanese project that was initiated during 2019 to reconstruct the past climate. In 2019 India-Japan under the aegis of the National Center for Polar and Ocean Research and the National Institute of Polar Research signed an MoU to share and carry out R & D in Antarctica Objective of SONIC To understand the ice sheet variability at the Schirmacher Oasis to examine East Antarctic Ice Sheet sensitivity and its re
17 March, 2021 The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) Background The idea behind the CDRI was announced by Mr Modi in 2016 at the Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR). The CDRI was launched by Prime Minister Modi in September 2019 at the UN Climate Action Summit. There, he declared India’s intention to work with partner countries and important stakeholders to create a coalition to work towards the ambition of improving the disaster resilience o
Carbon Neutrality-Why shouldn’t India adopt it? Introduction At the latest count by the non-profit Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), at the beginning of April, 32 countries had declared their proposed intention to achieve carbon neutral status by mid-century. Of these, only eight have any firm status, the rest being in the form of proposed legislation or mentions in policy documents. Since some months ago, the UN Secretary-General is urging all countries, especiall
08 April, 2021 Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier is Melting Researchers at a Sweden University released a new finding related to the melting of the Thwaites Glacier. About Thwaites Glacier: Thwaites Glacier is a 120 km wide, fast-moving glacier located in Antarctica. Because of its size (1.9 lakh square km), it contains enough water to raise the world sea level by more than half a meter. It’s melting already contributes 4% to global sea-level rise each year. It is estimated that it wou
14 April, 2021 National Climate Vulnerability Assessment Report The report titled ‘Climate Vulnerability Assessment for Adaptation Planning in India Using a Common Framework’, was released by DST, which identifies the most vulnerable states and districts in India with respect to current climate risk and key drivers of vulnerability. A total of 94 representatives from 24 states and 2 Union Territories participated in the nationwide exercise jointly supported by the DST and the Swiss Agency f
18 April, 2021 National Climate Vulnerability Assessment Report The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has recently released the National climate vulnerability assessment report. About National Climate Vulnerability Assessment Report: The National Climate Vulnerability Assessment Report identifies the most vulnerable states and districts in India, as per the current climate risk and key drivers of vulnerability. The report uses several key drivers of Vulnerability for the assessment-
21 April, 2021 The Global Climate 2020 GS-Paper-3: Environment – UPSC PRELIMS – Mains Application World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released its annual State of the Global Climate for 2020 on April 20, 2021. Irrespective of the widespread surmise that lockdowns and shutdowns to curb the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic would lower emissions and reduce the impact on climate, the report has scary findings. According to the report: Extreme weather combined with
29 April, 2021 Global Climate Risk Index 2021 GS-Paper-3: Environment – UPSC PRELIMS – Mains Application The Global Climate Risk Index analyses to what extent countries and regions have been affected by impacts of weather-related loss events (storms, floods, heat waves etc.). The report is annually released by Germanwatch, an environmental think tank and sustainable development lobbyist. The 16th edition of the Global Climate Risk Index was released on January 25, 2021. The Global CRI 2
28 April, 2021 The shift in Earth’s Axis-Climate Change GS-Paper-3: Environment – UPSC PRELIMS – Mains Application A new study has added the shifting of Earth’s axis to the list of consequences of climate change, which already includes rising sea levels, heat waves, melting glaciers and storms. While this change is not expected to affect daily life, it can change the length of the day by a few milliseconds. Earth’s Axis The Earth’s axis
05 May, 2021 Methane Emissions- Global Methane Assessment & Climate Change GS-Paper-3: Environment and climate change – UPSC PRELIMS – Mains Application “Human-caused methane emissions must be cut by 45 per cent to avoid the worst effects of climate change, a new United Nations report has said” Such a cut would prevent a rise in global warming by up to 0.3 degrees Celsius by 2045, the report added. It would also prevent 260,000 premature deaths, 775,000 asthma-related hos
09 May, 2021 Green contracts Introduction This article focuses on how Indian corporations can be a major character in the country’s story of sustainable growth. Need for green contracts As both consumers and corporations reap the benefits of large-scale manufacturing and services, they must equally share the responsibilities relating to the loss of resources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Some corporations contribute a fair share to building a clean and sustainable future.
19 April, 2021 Climate Change- Saudi Green Initiative and Middle East Green Initiative Introduction To combat climate change, Saudi Arabia has launched the Saudi Green Initiative and Middle East Green Initiative. Progress towards goals The two recent initiatives launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to combat the threat of climate change — the ‘Saudi Green Initiative’ and the ‘Middle East Gre
28 April, 2021 Leaders’ Summit on Climate- India-US Clean Energy Agenda 2030 Partnership Introduction Recently, the Leaders' Summit on Climate was convened by the US President virtually. 40 world leaders were invited to the event to underscore the urgency of stronger climate action. UN COP 26 United Nations Climate Change Conference, Conference of the Parties 26 (COP 26) in November 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland. India-US Clean Energy Age
26 April, 2021 Why do some corals withstand climate change better than others? In 2014 and 2015, the brown rice coral in Hawaii was completely bleached, but the blue rice coral recovered quickly after bleaching, and blue coral was unaffected by the elevated ocean temperatures. Researchers from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, U.S., have now decoded the reason for this resilience. Hawaiian blue rice corals have a deep blue pigment derived from algae called zooxanthellae that live inside t
13 June, 2021 Climate crisis to hit sooner What is the news? Climate change will fundamentally reshape life on Earth in the coming decades, even if humans can tame planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions, according to a landmark draft report from the UN’s climate science advisers obtained by AFP Earlier models predicted that we were not likely to see Earth-altering climate change before 2100. But the UN draft report says that prolonged warming even beyond the threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius
24 June, 2021 Climate Change Impact on Health With the monsoon making a revival over several parts of India, there is a rise in lightning-linked deaths. Over the years, the Home Ministry’s statistics consistently cited lightning as the biggest natural disaster-linked killer in India. The recent statistics from the National Crime Records Bureau, from 2019, said that year, there were 8,145 deaths in the country attributable to forces of nature. Of these, 35.3% deaths were reported due to &lsqu
13 July, 2021 Climate change has added over 1,000 lakes in Swiss Alps: study Glaciers there lost a full 2% of their volume last year alone Climate change has dramatically altered the Swiss Alp landscape — at a quicker pace than expected — as melting glaciers have created more than 1,000 new lakes across the mountains, a study published on Monday showed. The inventory of Swiss Glacial lakes showed that almost 1,200 new lakes have formed in formerly glaciated regions of the Swiss Alps sinc
20 July, 2021 The IITM-ESM Model (Earth System Model) The government has developed an indigenous climate model to predict the impact of climate change on monsoon in the country. A state-of-the-art Earth System Model (ESM) has been developed at the Centre for Climate Change Research (CCCR), the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES). The model development was done by the scientists at IITM Pune in collaboration with the international research comm
28 July, 2021 Pensilungpa glacier of Zanskar valley is retreating The Pensilungpa Glacier located in Ladakh’s Zanskar Valley is retreating due to an increase in temperature and decrease in precipitation during winters, a recent study has found. Since 2015, the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG) at Dehradun, an autonomous body under the Department of Science and Technology, has been working on various aspects of glaciology – glacier health (mass balance) monitoring, dynamics,
'Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis' IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report The Sixth Assessment Report has been finalised and approved by 234 authors and 195 governments and updates the scientific consensus on extreme weather, human attribution, the carbon budget, feedback cycles, and charts the future state of the climate since the Fifth Assessment Report of 2014. The 3,000-plus-page report said warming is already accelerating sea level rise and worsening extremes such as
Delhi metro earned Rs. 19.5 crores from Carbon credits Read the complete topic on Climate change on this link and then read this news. The Delhi Metro has earned? 19.5 crore from the sale of 3.55 million carbon credits collected over a period of six years from 2012 to 2018, in its bid towards gaining greater energy efficiency. In 2007, Delhi Metro became the first Metro or Railway project in the world to be registered by the United Nations under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM),
CLIMATE CHANGE and COP26 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Glasgow Context: HIGHLY Important for Prelims and Mains-ESSAY-GEO OPTIONAL About UNFCCC: The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), was signed in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development also known as the Earth Summit, the Rio Summit or the Rio Conference. India is among the select few countries to have hosted t
Net-Zero Emissions and India's Stand Context: Net Zero emission is highly important FOR prelims “Why after PARIS net zero emission becomes the new buzz to solve the problem of climate change and sea level rise. Why? India should not sign it…” What is NET ZERO EMISSION: Net zero emissions’ refers to achieving an overall balance between greenhouse gas emissions produced and greenhouse gas emissions taken out of the atmosphere. First, human-caused emi
CLIMATE CHANGE AND COP 26 Context: Climate change is important for UPSC Prelims and GS Paper 3 and Essay Writing Climate Change is a global emergency and is evident in various forms throughout the world. To protect the planet's proactive role from all the stakeholders is the need of the hour. UNFCCC: The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), was signed in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development
CLIMATE CHANGE AND COP 26 Context: This topic is important for UPSE GS Paper 3 and Essay. The race to tackle global warming At the Glasgow summit, nearly 120 countries will seek consensus on rules to cut emissions, mechanisms to adapt to climate events and compensation for nations for loss & damage. In Focus IPCC warned in August that the observed increase in global surface temperature showed unusual warming during the 1850-2020 period The gap between projected emissi
UNFCCC COP 26 Glasgow, Scotland Context: This topic is important for UPSE GS Paper 3. CoP26: Modi offers ‘Panchamrita’ concoction for climate conundrum at Glasgow Prime Minister Narendra Modi says India will become net zero by 2070. Prime Minister proposed a five-fold strategy for India to play its part in helping the world get closer to 1.5 degrees Celsius on the first day of the global climate meet in Glasgow. Several world leaders have descended or would turn
The right time for India to have its own climate law Context: This topic is important for UPSE GS Paper3. The country’s existing laws are inadequate in dealing with climate change; India’s situation is also unique. As the world watches the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26, from October 31 to November 12, 2021), the most important climate summit in years at Glasgow, Scotland, India has said it wants to be a part of the climate solution. The Indian propos
Study on Countries’ commitment to Climate Change Context: This topic is important for UPSE GS Paper 3. The findings, while optimistic, come amidst the deliberations underway at Glasgow. How effective are climate change pledges made by countries in containing global warming? A study published Friday in the journal Science finds that the latest Nationally Determined Contributions by 120 countries, as of September 30, improve the odds of global temperature rise staying below
Does India have a right to burn fossil fuels? Context: This topic is important for UPSC GS Paper 3. Developing countries like India have smartly put the argument related to fairer share in the carbon budget, and exposed the injustice done by developed countries. But why only fossil fuels can overcome the need of energy in developing countries, when renewable potentials are far too high in these countries. There has been quite a lot of debate on India’s dependence on c
The lowdown on India’s Glasgow announcement Context: This topic is important for UPSE GS Paper 3. The newly unveiled commitments at COP26 at Glasgow deserve examination as they came amidst very contradictory official signals. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surprise declaration on November 2, 2021, at the COP26 Climate Summit in Glasgow, Scotland, of striking enhancements in India’s emissions reduction targets did not, for several reasons, get the rave revie
Climate Change and COP 26 Context: This topic is important for UPSC GS Paper3. In spite of the risks it poses, the climate crisis is yet to get political resonance in India. The 26th United Nations Conference of Parties (COP) in Glasgow, Scotland may not have a significant outcome as yet in sight. Prior to the summit, there was a frantic attempt by leaders of western countries, particularly the United States and summit host the United Kingdom, to have most countries agre
UN FUND INSUFFICIENT FOR CLIMATE DISASTER: OXFAM Oxfam International released a report, which says the United Nations requires eight times more climate finance than 20 years ago to be able to provide humanitarian aid to low-income countries during climate-related disasters. It is also said that United Nation cannot provide poor countries with enough humanitarian relief to recover from climate disasters as rich donor countries are holding back their finances. CLIMATE DISASTER: Clim
13 June, 2022 CLIMATE TARGET 2030 Recently, India has enhanced its climate change targets for 2030. The Prime Minister of India made a number of new commitments to strengthen climate action from India at UNFCCC COP 26 (Click on the blue link to understand all about COP 26 and Climate Change before going through this topic) in Glasgow in 2021. Revised target
African ‘orphan’ Crop Researchers recently discovered genes in the regional food crops of Africa that can increase drought tolerance. About Orphan crops Orphan crops are wholesome regional food crops that could be extremely important in the fight against hunger. Although they are not traded worldwide, these crops have evolved to be able to flourish in inclement weather. Crops Or
Getting India to Net Zero In order to achieve its objective of net zero emissions by 2070, India will need to invest $10.1 trillion across its entire economy, according to a recent analysis. About the report The paper, titled "Getting India to Net Zero," was just made public in New Delhi. Former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd, who is also the president of the Asia Society Policy Institute, former UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, head of the Internatio
Rising Greenhouse Gas Image Source - Live Science Sea levels and greenhouse gas emissions reached new highs in 2021, according to a report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the United States. Findings: The study, which claimed that Greenland's ice sheet is already starting to melt to dangerous levels and will eventually raise sea levels without any warming, came out just days before the report. The dwellings of hundreds of millions of peopl
Climate Change and Health According to a recent Lancet report, over 3,30,000 persons died in India in 2020 as a result of exposure to particulate matter from fossil fuel combustion. Important Findings The report's title is Countdown on Health and Climate Change: Health at the Mercy of Fossil Fuels. The seventh annual global report is now available. Temperature Influence: Heat-related mortality in India increased by 55% from 2000 to 2004 to 2017-2021. Problemati
Emission Gap Report 2022: UNEP The Recent publication of the "Emissions Gap Report 2022" by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Concerning the Report The Report's current edition is its thirteenth. Theme: The Closing Window: Climate Change Requires Rapid Social Transformation Overview of the discrepancy between projected greenhouse gas emissions in 2030 and where they should be in order to prevent the worst effects of climate change. Major Find
COP27's Challenges The annual United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP27) will soon begin in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Shaikh. Climate Objectives and the CoP These annual meetings have been the driving force behind the global fight against climate change. However, the response has been inadequate in comparison to the magnitude of the challenge. Problems and Difficulties Action plans that fall short: The world has been deciding to reduce
Adaptation Gap Report 2022 According to the United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) Adaptation Gap Report, 2022, global efforts in adaptation planning, financing, and implementation are insufficient to prepare vulnerable communities around the world to adapt to the rising risks of climate change's impacts. The report discovered some progress on adaptation plans from national governments, but they are not financially supported. What are the Report's Findings?
World Heritage Glaciers in Danger: UNESCO A recent UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) study discovered that a third of the glaciers on the UNESCO World Heritage list are under threat, despite efforts to limit temperature increases. A glacier is a large, perennial accumulation of crystalline ice, snow, rock, sediment, and water that forms on land and moves down slope under the influence of gravity and its own weight. They are sensitive indicators of
2022 Provisional State of the Climate Report The provisional State of the Global Climate report, 2022, was recently published by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). In April 2023, the complete and final report is anticipated to be released. What are the Report's Highlights? Greenhouse gas concentrations rising: Carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (NO2) concentrations—the three principal greenhouse gases—were all at record high
Global Health and Climate Change Reliance on fossil fuels, according to the Lancet report on Health and Climate Change: Health at the Mercy of Fossil Fuels, raises the risk of disease, food insecurity, and other heat-related illnesses. What are the Report's Findings? Impact on Health: Climate change has an impact on the social and environmental determinants of health, such as clean air, safe drinking water, enough food, and safe shelter. Heatwave Exposure: Rapidly risi
An Assessment of Extreme Weather Events in India by CSE According to a recent report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), India will experience some form of natural disaster almost every day in the first nine months of 2022. Between January 1 and September 30, 2022, India recorded 241 extreme weather events. About the evaluation The report provides a comprehensive overview of the state of extreme weather in India over the course of the year. The report analyses e
Climate Change Performance Index 2023 The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2023 places India eighth. India was ranked tenth in the CCPI 2022. What is the CCPI? Since 2005, Germanwatch, the New Climate Institute, and the Climate Action Network have published an annual report. It is an independent monitoring tool for tracking the performance of 59 countries and the European Union in climate protection. These countries are responsible for more than 92% of global greenh
Climate Finance Countries recently agreed at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of Parties 27 in Sharm el-Sheikh (Egypt) that a complete transformation of the international financial system was required to significantly increase resources for Climate Action. The current funding for climate action amounts to only 1%-10% of the estimated needs. What is climate finance? It refers to local, national, or transnational financing derived
Global Sea-level Rise and Implications: WHO According to a recent assessment by the World Meteorological Organization, (WMO), the countries that are most at risk from sea level rise worldwide are India, China, Bangladesh, and the Netherlands. The Findings of the report: India, China, Bangladesh, and the Netherlands are the countries that are most at risk from sea level rise internationally, according to the World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) report, "Global Sea-level
Gross Domestic Climate Risk Report According to a recent analysis titled "Gross Domestic Climate Risk," the majority of Indian states face a significant risk of building environment damage as a result of climate change threats. India contains nine states in the 50 high-risk states, including Punjab, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Kerala, and Assam, according to the Cross-Dependency Initiative's (XDI) rating of Gross Domestic Climate Risk.
G7's Commitment Towards Carbon-free Electricity Production G7 nations met for two days in the northern Japanese city of Sapporo to discuss climate, energy, and environmental policies. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the need for energy security and renewable fuel sources has grown more urgent. The climate and energy ministers and envoys of the Group of Seven (G7) nations have committed to accelerating the phase-out of coal and securing carbon-free electri
According to UN Report, the money available to developing countries for adaptation measures to increasing climate change has been declining, and nowhere close to the scale of requirement. Adaptation Gap Report – It is an annual publication by United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) since 2014. It is a science based independent assessment of the global situation of adaptation to climate change. It is co-produced by UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centr
Recently, Adaptation and Loss and Damage (L&D) are in sharp focus due to intensification of climate crisis. What is the difference between adaptation and L&D? Adaptation L&D It refers to the actions taken to reduce the negative impacts of climate change It refers to the financial support provided to the countries that suffer from the unavoidable and irreversible impacts of climate change. I
India needs to secure a fair and equitable share of the global carbon budget at COP 28, as it is a key factor for limiting global warming. What is a global carbon budget? Global Carbon Budget - It is the amount of CO2 that humanity can emit while still having a chance to contain global warming within 1.5°Celsius compared with preindustrial levels, as advocated by the Paris Agreement. It is taken from the atmosphere, regional carbon emissions, CO2 emissions from
Climate resilient agriculture has the potential to assure food security, empower farmers, and protect our delicate ecosystems. What is Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA)? It is a comprehensive strategy for managing farmlands, crops, livestock, and forests that counteracts the negative impacts of climate change on agricultural productivity. FAO in 2019 said that CSA is an approach for transforming food and agriculture systems to support sustainable development and safeguard food
The British Antarctic Survey says that one of the world’s largest icebergs is drifting beyond Antarctic waters after being grounded for more than three decades. Origin – It split from the Antarctic’s Filchner Ice Shelf in 1986 but got stuck to the ocean floor for many years in the Weddell Sea. Size – Around 4,000 square kilometres (1,500 square miles). Movement – It has now ungrounded and is moving alo
The UNESCO report has stressed for mandatory participation of the vulnerable, neglected and marginalised individuals in policy decisions related to climate engineering. It is the intentional large-scale intervention in the Earth’s climate system to counter climate change. It is also known as geoengineering which involves 2 techniques. Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) – It removes and stores the emitted carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. It includes
Australia has offered refuge to citizens of Tuvalu because of the catastrophic impacts of climate change, in a landmark agreement. Under the pact, citizens of Tuvalu will have the right to live, work and study in Australia. Tuvalu is a nation of 9 coral islands nestled in the South Pacific, formerly known as the Ellice Islands. It has been defined by the United Nations as "extremely vulnerable" to the effects of climate change, with most of its landmass less than 5 met
A recent study says that Peru has lost more than half of its glacier surface in the last 6 decades, and 175 glaciers became extinct due to climate change between 2016 and 2020. The Chila mountain range lies in the Arequipa Region in the Andes of Peru. This mountain range is home to key first waters that give rise to the Amazon River, the longest and mightiest in the world, descend from the glacier. It has lost 99% of its glacial surface since 1962.
According to the recent United Nations (UN) report, 2023 is set to be the hottest year ever recorded. Published by – World Meteorological Organisation. The final report is due to be published in the 1st half of 2024. Climate chaos – In 2023, Green House Gas (GHG) levels, global temperatures, sea level rise reached record high, while Antarctic sea ice reached record low. Higher GHGs – Concentrations of the 3 main heat-trapping gases (carbon dioxide
According to a report from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), the decade from 2011-2020 was the warmest ever in history. The report provides a longer-term perspective and transcends year-to-year variability in our climate. It reports how extreme events undermines sustainable development and how improvements in early warnings and disaster management reduced the number of casualties. Released by – World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) at the UN Climate Ch
Joint initiative- United Arab Emirates as host of COP28 and the UNEP-led ‘Cool Coalition’. It is the world's first collective focus on energy emissions from the cooling sector. Passive cooling strategies- It outlines actions such as insulation, natural shading, ventilation and reflective surfaces, higher energy efficiency standards and a rapid phase down of climate-warming hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants. Aim- It commits the countries to reduce their cooling
The draft text on the Santiago Network has been adopted by the Parties and sent to the Conference of the Parties (COP) of UNFCCC at COP28 in UAE. It is a collaborative framework established as part of the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage(WIM) under the UNFCCC. Aim - To connect vulnerable developing countries with technical support and resources to effectively address and manage loss and damage caused by climate change. Genesis At COP19,2013&n
CCPI 2024 was released at the COP 28 event in United Arab Emirates. It is an annual report, 1st presented at the COP 11 in 2005. Compiled by – 3 environmental NGO’s German watch, New Climate Institute and the Climate Action Network. Aim – To enable transparency in international climate politics and comparability of countries’ efforts and progress. Coverage – It covers major emitters, 63 countries and the EU,
A new study published in ‘Nature’, tried to predict the effects of climate change on the physiological performance and distribution of organisms by studying the Otoliths. Otolith – They are small, white bio-mineralized ear stones in the head.Small calcium carbonate crystals are accumulated every day as very thin layers over a tiny core, and this forms an otolith. They are found in all fishes other than sharks, rays and lampreys but th
Climate change includes both global warming driven by human-induced emissions of greenhouse gases and the resulting large-scale shifts in weather patterns. Though there have been previous periods of climatic change, since the mid-20th century humans have had an unprecedented impact on Earth’s climate system and caused change on a global scale. Factors Affecting Climate Change Natural Factors – affect the climate over a period of thousands to millions of year
India was the fifth most affected country by climate change: It was not shocking when Germanwatch, an environmental non-profit think tank, reported in 2018, that India was the fifth most affected country by climate change, globally. In the last two years, the country has been hit by at least one extreme climate event every month. According to the World Risk Index 2020, India is the fourth-most-at-risk country in South Asia, after Bangladesh, Afgh
The WCAS, also known as the “high-level segment,” is part of COP-28 where world leaders or their representatives meet. They are expected to make statements regarding their countries’ intent and contributions to mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. India’s Climate Targets and Previous Commitments: During the 26th COP in Glasgow, Scotland in 2021, Prime Minister announced specific climate targets known as “Panchamrit.” Ach
Kerala’s Shaikh Hassan Khan now scales Mount Vinson in Antarctica recently to spread awareness of climate change happening in Antarctica. Mount Vinson, also known as Vinson Massif, is the highest mountain in Antarctica and one of the 7 Summits, which are the highest peaks on each of the world's 7 continents. Mount Vinson is located in the Sentinel Range of the Ellsworth Mountains, about 1,200 kilometers from the South Pole. It was discovered in 1935 by Americ
20 Dec,2024
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