Dharura ya tabianchi ni matokeo ya moja kwa moja ya matumizi ya kaboni nzito ardhini na kwa kilimo, uchukuzi, michakato ya ujenzi na michakato ya viwanda na vyanzo chafuzi vya nishati. Bila mabadiliko makubwa kwa sekta hizi na bila kupunguza athari za hewa ya ukaa, kuna matumaini kidogo ya kulinda sayari dhidi ya athari mbaya za joto ulimwenguni.
Upeperushaji huu wa moja kwa moja utakufanya upate habari za hivi punde kutoka kwa Kongamano la Umoja wa Mataifa la Mabadiliko ya Tabianchi, linalojulikana kama Kongamano la Nchi Wanachama (COP29) Mfumo wa Umoja wa Mataifa wa Mabadiliko ya Tabianchi (UNFCCC) utakaofanyika nchini Baku, Azerbaijan.
12 Nov
2024
16:27
WHO report: five climate actions could save two million lives a year
Derrick Milimo
A new report from the World Health Organisation (WHO) released for COP29 has highlighted the climate actions that could save two million lives every year. The most impactful action would be phasing out hundreds of billions of dollars of fossil fuel subsidies and taxing fossil fuels, which the report claims would save 1.2 million lives a year.
The other actions are installing heatwave warning systems; phasing out fossil fuel use in primary healthcare facilities and homes; and protecting clean water and sanitation from climate damage.
These actions would not only save lives but would bring in US$4 in benefits for each dollar invested. “The climate crisis is a health crisis, which makes prioritising health and well-being in climate action not only a moral and legal imperative, but a strategic opportunity to unlock transformative health benefits for a more just and equitable future,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.
12 Nov
2024
15:30
Focus on climate finance as world leaders speeches continue
COP29
World leaders speeches continue in Baku, with the focus very much on funding the response to the climate crisis, particularly by those most affected by it.
The president of the Maldives - long threatened by the catastrophic effects of the climate crisis – Mohamed Muizzu said: “The new climate finance goal must reflect the true scale of the climate crisis,” he said. “The need is in trillions [of dollars], not billions.”
For us the environment and ocean are more than resources, they are our cultural identity,” Muizzu said. “Their protection remains our sacred duty.” He added: “As we look around the globe we see funds flowing freely to wage war,” but not to fund climate finance.
This was echoed by the president of Marshall Islands, Hilda Heine, who pointed out the “fallacy that their short-term interests are worth the destruction on their doorstep and they will escape without blame.”
The Marshall Islands, like the Maldives, faces an existential threat from rising sea levels as a result of human-induced climate change.
It is hoped that COP29 will result in a new collective and quantified goal on climate finance which would see countries agree ona new financial target to support developing countries in their climate actions post-2025. This finance would - among other things - help countries pay for a green energy transition.
12 Nov
2024
13:59
UNFCCC head: Failure to tackle climate crisis will result in inflation on steroids
UN Climate Change/Kamran Guliyev
Simon Stiell, the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has warned world leaders that a failure to tackle the climate crisis will result in "inflation on steroids."
Speaking at the World Leaders Summit, he said: “The climate crisis is a cost-of-living crisis, because climate disasters are driving up costs for households and businesses,” he said, emphasising that the benefits of climate finance were global in scale.
“Let’s learn the lessons from the pandemic when supply chains were smashed,” Stiell said. “Climate finance is global inflation insurance.”
He also highlighted the fact that climate action is not just necessary for the planet, but for stronger economies and human health.
“Cheap, clean energy can be the bedrock of your economies. It means more jobs, more growth, less pollution choking cities, healthier citizens and stronger businesses.”
12 Nov
2024
13:20
On now: Report highlights how nitrous oxide is harming ozone and climate
The Global Nitrous Oxide Assessment launching today shines a spotlight on a critical but often overlooked climate threat. Nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas and the top ozone-depleting substance. Nitrous oxide is mostly emitted from synthetic fertilisers and manure in agriculture.
Rising faster than expected, its emissions threaten both our climate and ozone layer. The report highlights actionable steps to cut emissions by more than 40 per cent, with deeper reductions achievable through transformations in food systems and society. As part of the essential nitrogen cycle, nitrous oxide plays a crucial role in our global food system but demands urgent attention for sustainable solutions.
New UNHCR Report highlights link between climate change, conflict and displacement
Ab Rashid/UNDP Climate
People forced to flee war, violence and persecution are increasingly finding themselves on the front line of the global climate crisis, a new report warns, exposing them to a lethal combination of threats but without the funding and support to adapt.
The report, released today by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, in collaboration with 13 expert organisations, research institutions and refugee-led groups, shows how climate shocks are interacting with conflict, pushing those who are already in danger into even more dire situations.
According to the report – No Escape: On the Frontlines of Climate Change, Conflict and Forced Displacement – by 2040 the number of countries facing extreme climate-related hazards is expected to rise from 3 to 65, the vast majority of which host displaced people. Similarly, most refugee settlements and camps are projected to experience twice as many days of dangerous heat by 2050.
What are UNEP’s ‘Gap’ Reports and why are they important?
The next two weeks will see two UNEP reports referenced a lot, both in media reports and in negotiations. Theseregular climate-related assessments are the Adaptation Gap Report and the Emissions Gap Report, while UNEP partners with other groups on a third, theProduction Gap Report. They analyse the state of the climate and provide policymakers with a roadmap for action, often being cited by heads of state and negotiators at COPs.
UN Secretary-General: World must pay up or humanity will pay the price
Pexels/Azam Khan Ronnie
UN secretary general António Guterres gave a strong speech at the World Leaders Summit today, highlighting the costs of climate inaction and emphasising that the climate crisis is here now.
“Families running for their lives before the next hurricane strikes; Workers and pilgrims collapsing in insufferable heat; Floods tearing through communities, and tearing down infrastructure; Children going to bed hungry as droughts ravage crops. All these disasters, and more, are being supercharged by human-made climate change,” he said.
“But there is every reason to hope,” Guterres said. “It’s time to deliver and humanity is behind you.”
Guterres listed three priorities. First “emergency” emissions reductions, with the G20 countries leading. Second, protecting people from the ravages of the climate crisis, especially the most vulnerable, which will require hundreds of billions of dollars. Third, delivering the overall finance goal, which should be at least US$1tn a year and is the key task at COP29.
“Developing countries eager to act are facing many obstacles: scant public finance; raging cost of capital; crushing climate disasters; and debt servicing that soaks up funds,” he said. “Developing countries must not leave Baku empty-handed. A deal is a must.”
It’s the second day of COP29 with a range of events, discussions and panels on across Baku Stadium. Today is the first day of the World Leaders Climate Action Summit, which features heads of state and government. Speakers today include UK leader Keir Starmer and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey. However leaders such as Joe Biden, Xi Jinping and the EU's Ursula von der Leyen.
Events include a high-level discussion on climate finance; a ministerial dialogue on scaling up investment for tripling renewables and doubling energy efficiency; the launch of a UNHCR report on the link between climate change, conflict and displacement; an event on delivering climate action in agriculture and food systems; and the “operationalization” of the Loss and Damage Fund that was agreed upon at least year’s COP28 in Dubai.
11 Nov
2024
18:16
What is multilateralism and why is it important?
Ever wondered how exactly international environmental agreements get signed off? Well, wonder no more as this video explains how seminal treaties like the Montreal Protocol and the Minamata Convention were born, and learn about the ongoing multilateral efforts such as the groundbreaking plastic pollution treaty.
11 Nov
2024
16:27
World Urban Forum highlights crucial climate role cities play
Pexels
Last week saw the 12th World Urban Forum (WUF) take place in Cairo, where the crucial role cities need to play in effective climate action was highlighted.
Elisabeth Mrema, UNEP Deputy Executive Director, emphasized the crucial role of cities in climate action, highlighting their responsibility for more than 70 per cent of global CO2 emissions and the need for localized climate solutions.
UNEP led more than 15 events on the topics of urban finance, climate-resilient and nature-positive cities, extreme heat, food waste, plastic pollution, and sustainable mobility. The event also saw the relaunch of the 2024 Food Waste Index Report and the 2024 State of Finance for Nature in Cities report, highlighting the importance of multilevel governance and cross-sectoral cooperation for sustainable urban development.
UNEP-led events focused on everything from addressing funding gaps to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals to how cities can help achieve a reduction cooling-related emissions by 68 per cent by 2050, as well as the need to develop green and resilient buildings.
