Global Scans · Climate Action · Weekly Summary

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In September 2015, 193 world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development. If these Goals are completed, it would mean an end to extreme poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030.
Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

• The United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which is a group of hundreds of scientists that gives regular authoritative updates on warming, said it has medium confidence that there will not be a collapse before 2100 and generally downplayed disaster scenarios. The Washington Post
• The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has sounded a dire warning: global sea levels are projected to rise by about one meter by the year 2100. Blog
• In summary, the significance of hydrogen lies in its potential to address climate change, promote energy security, and drive innovation across various sectors, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable and resilient global energy system in achieving 2050 climate goals. MDPI
• Of the seven National Energy and Climate Plans that provided electricity demand forecasts for 2030, all show consumption increasing from 2020 levels, including increases of 13% for Italy and 17% for Spain. Ember
• The global economic climate remains subdued, coupled with high geopolitical risks amid the situation in the Red Sea, high interest rates, and domestic energy prices still well above their pre-pandemic level. The Telegraph
• Zimbabwe expects to harvest 2.28 million metric tons of maize in 2024, enough to meet its annual consumption, due to the promotion of farming practices aimed at reducing the impact of climate change, such as no till farming and water harvesting. ThePrint
• The combined effects of climate change pose a significant threat to global food security and create challenges in feeding a growing population of eight billion people. BioMed Central
• Biodiversity loss, one of the impacts of climate change and ecosystem disruption, poses a significant threat to Earth's future. IBM Blog
• Run by Somerset Wildlife Trust, it would help adapt and increase resilience to flooding and other risks linked to climate change in Somerset. Somerset Rivers Authority
• Across Somerset, the impacts of climate change mean that resilience and adaptation to flood risk will need to play a bigger part in Somerset's future. Somerset Rivers Authority
• With climate change, the mosquitoes that harbor Zika virus may shift their ranges northward, which could put even more people, including in the U.S., at greater risk, as well. Medical Xpress
• Decentralized energy production will become increasingly important in the future as a decisive factor in the global energy transition and in the fight against climate change. Trending Topics
• HOCHTIEF's North American civil engineering subsidiary Flatiron has won two major contracts worth a total of USD 350 million for projects to combat storm surges, rising sea levels and other environmental threats resulting from climate change. MarketScreener
• The Czech company Big Terra in collaboration with the National Association for Rural Development in Moldova will pioneer regenerative viticulture in Moldova and enhance resilience and sustainability against climate challenges. UNDP
• With bushfires increasing compared to other natural disasters and expected to intensify due to climate change, it is important for countries such as Australia to quantify their economic impact as part of routine practice, including supply-chain spillovers. ScienceDaily
• The UK alone (which accounts for about 1% of global emissions) will have little impact on climate change so long as the likes of the US and China (which together account for some 45% of emissions) keep polluting. The Week UK
• A team of scientists and engineers have landed in Antarctica to test a drone that will help experts forecast the impacts of climate change. BBC News
• Using wood-burning stoves increases the amount of carbon dioxide and methane released into the planet's air, which contributes to pollution and could be a factor in climate change. House Digest
• The US, the world's biggest exporter of gas last year, announced that it was pausing all pending export permits for liquified natural gas until it could come up with an updated criteria for approving new gas export projects that consider the impact of the climate crisis. The Guardian
• The Biden administration has paused further approvals of US liquified natural gas (LNG) exports pending the completion of federal studies that will assess the impact of the exports on climate change. Washington Weekly

Last updated: 11 February 2024