Kuala Lumpur (Hilary Chiew) – At their first meeting since the Paris climate summit, Ministers and representatives from Brazil, South Africa, India and China (BASIC) reiterated the importance of raising pre-2020 actions in building trust amongst the Parties to pave…
Category: Treaties
Papua New Guinea 1st to have climate plan under Paris deal
By Eliza Northrop Washington DC – On March 29, Papua New Guinea became the first country to formally submit the final version of its national climate action plan (called a “Nationally Determined Contribution,” or NDC) under the Paris Agreement. The…
Keys to success of Paris Agreement: World Bank climate policy officer
The historic climate agreement reached by more than 190 nations in December 2015 will require more than just the individual efforts of participating countries to meet their commitments to mitigate climate change. Too often overlooked is the crucial role the…
Kim Jong Un criticizes S.Korea’s ‘hysterical’ president
Experts worry that harsh invective by leaders could escalate, lead to local provocations Ha-young Choi Kim Jong Un directly criticized South Korean President Park Geun-hye’s “hysteria” and “rash behavior” on Friday, saying it would result in her destruction.
26 States fight Obama’s carbon emissions plan to curb global warming
The plan would establish the first-ever national standards to limit carbon pollution from power plants. A group of U.S. states led by coal producer West Virginia and oil producer Texas on Tuesday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to put a…
Huge fight in Paris to ensure ‘contributions’ are not mitigation-centric
Penang (T Ajit) — A proposal by the Like-Minded Developing countries (LMDC), aimed at ensuring that nationally determined contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement are comprehensive and not mitigation-centric, was a hard fought battle that eventually succeeded in being reflected…
Debate behind closed doors on temperature goal in Paris deal
21 December, Penang (T Ajit) — The long-term temperature goal and how to operationalize it was discussed at length among Parties before compromise was reached in the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The…
What countries agreed to under the Paris Agreement – TWN
Penang, 18 December (Meena Raman) – The adoption of the Paris Agreement, under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has been heralded by many countries as a historic moment and a critical point in the global effort…
Paris agreement marks “turning point” in history
Governments around the world have for the first time in history committed to cutting greenhouse gas emissions to tackle climate change, signalling an end to the fossil fuel era. Heads of businesses and organisations give their reactions to this landmark…
Paris Agreement adopted after last minute ‘technical corrections’
Geneva, 14 Dec (Meena Raman and Hilary Chiew)- The Paris Agreement, under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was finally adopted evening of Saturday, 12 December, after four years since the launch of the process to develop…
World leaders hail Paris deal: ‘best chance to save planet’ – Obama
Delegates from 195 nations agree on new accord to keep average temperature increases below 2 degrees C. US President Barack Obama has hailed the landmark climate accord reached in Paris as strong and historic, calling it the best chance to…
Not just an agreement, but a just agreement needed
By: Tetet Nera-Lauron Paris – Three days into the 21st Conference of Parties (COP) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), negotiations are nearing fever pitch as the December 4 deadline for a revised draft text of…
Pressuring the poachers
by Michael Meyer Nairobi – At one of Hanoi’s priciest restaurants, a group of Vietnamese businessmen meet their new American partners to celebrate their latest venture. “A toast!” someone exclaims. They raise their glasses, filled with the finest scotch, which…
Fifty years of climate dithering
by Stefan Rahmstorf Sydney – In November 1965, US President Lyndon B. Johnson was presented with the first-ever government report warning of the dangers that could result from burning large amounts of fossil fuels. Fifty years is a long time…
Biggest polluters set to miss deadline for climate change action
Less than a week before the United Nations deadline for countries to file greenhouse-gas pledges necessary to keep a global climate change deal on track, it looks like most of the world is missing in action. Ahead of the March…
Lima agrees deal – but leaves major issues for Paris
By Diego Arguedas Ortiz LIMA (IPS) – After a 25-hour extension, delegates from 195 countries reached agreement on a “bare minimum” of measures to combat climate change, and postponed big decisions on a new treaty until the 21st Conference of…
UN members assent deal at Lima climate talks
United Nations members have reached an agreement on how countries should tackle climate change. Delegates have approved a framework for setting national pledges to be submitted to a summit next year. Differences over the draft text caused the two-week talks…
US-China climate deal: Maker or breaker?
by Sunita Narain In my previous article I wrote that India should demand an ambitious climate change deal, because we need the world to stay safe—below the guardrail of 2°C rise in temperature. I also said that for the deal…
Will new climate treaty be a thriller, or shaggy dog story?
By Stephen Leahy Uxbridge, Canada (IPS) – This December, 195 nations plus the European Union will meet in Lima for two weeks for the crucial U.N. Conference of the Parties on Climate Change, known as COP 20. The hope in…
Climate treaties must recognise and protect eco defenders
River otters, lichen on trees and coral in oceans are not just beautiful to look at, they tell us something important about the environment around them.
Foggy weather affects normal life in Joypurhat
Normal life and vehicular movements were badly affected for the third consecutive day today as a mild cold wave coupled with dense fog continued sweeping in the district.
Savvy bar-tailed godwit equipped for climate challenge
The bird world’s long-distance champion is probably savvy enough to cope with climate change, researchers believe.
Esa’s Cryosat mission detects continued West Antarctic ice loss
West Antarctica continues to lose ice to the ocean and this loss appears to be accelerating, according to new data from Europe’s Cryosat spacecraft.
Climate change impact poses serious threat to indigenous fish species
Adverse impact of climate change has been posing a serious threat to the fish species, particularly the indigenous small ones, in vast Barind tact consisting the districts of Rajshahi, Naogaon and Chapainawabgonj.
Climate change poses threat to livelihood in Barind tract
Adverse impact of climate change has started posing a serious threat to the farming sector alongside overall living and livelihood condition in vast barind tract consisting the districts of Rajshahi, Naogaon and Chapainawabgonj for the last couple of years.
Developing nations bear the brunt of extreme weather
Warsaw – Haiti, the Philippines and Pakistan were the countries that suffered the most due to extreme weather events in 2012, according to the Global Climate Risk Index released yesterday at the UN Climate Change Conference in Warsaw, Poland.
Japanese experts conduct earthquake drill in Motijheel Coloney
A team of Japanese experts on Saturday conducted an earthquake evacuation drill in Motijheel colony in the city to give a first hand idea to the colony inhabitants that how community people should react during a massive tremor.
Enhanced GO-NGO efforts for reducing disaster risk stressed
Speakers at a discussion here have stressed for coordinated and enhanced GO-NGO efforts involving the community people and early preparedness for reducing disaster risks, losses of lives and damages of properties.
Int’l Day for Disaster Reduction Sunday
The International Day for Disaster Reduction will be observed in the country on Sunday as elsewhere across the globe to raise awareness of how people are taking action to reduce their risk to disasters.
Change in temperature unlikely
Light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely to occur at many places over Chittagong, Barisal, Khulna and Sylhet divisions and at a few places over Dhaka, Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions in 24 hours till…