Future Ready Friday News Round Up
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Covering mostly the Asia-Pacific region with a global perspective, please take a few minutes to catch up on this week's new across our 4 megatrends shaping the future.
#Climate
Addressing climate challenges today and tomorrow demands a new outlook and new approaches. We have seen a rise in global temperatures and more intense and prolonged heat waves. We are experiencing more frequent and more powerful weather events and hazards, including hurricanes, floods, and wildfires. The number of billion-dollar events has increased over the past two decades, according to NOAA data.
The science is clear: if we want a livable planet, global warming needs to be limited as urgently as possible. While limiting global warming to 1.5°C is still just about possible, our collective ability to meet this target depends on three key factors: ambition, finance and accelerated action.
Carbon dioxide (CO?) emissions from fossil fuels continue to increase, year on year. The latest annual stocktake shows the world is on track to reach a new record: 37.4 billion tonnes of CO? emitted from fossil fuels in 2024. This is an increase of 0.8% from the previous year. Adopting renewable energy and electric vehicles is helping reduce emissions in 22 countries. But it’s not enough to compensate for ongoing global growth in fossil fuels.
Hundreds of schools are among critical infrastructure at risk from sea level rise now and in decades to come, data provided to the government shows. Fire stations, marae, energy infrastructure and airports are also at direct risk from coastal flooding and landslides, while about 80,000 homes and 140,000 people risk being cut off from all critical services during a major weather event, with just a small sea level rise.
The annual carbon budget report from the Global Carbon Project dropped on Wednesday morning, reminding diplomats at the COP29 climate summit in Baku exactly what they were there for. Contrary to some hopes that carbon dioxide emissions have now peaked, the report estimates 2024 will set a new record for fossil CO2 emissions of 37.4 billion tonnes – a 0.8 percent increase on last year.
#Society
? China’s job market braces for record number of fresh graduates next year | South China Morning Post
There will be more fresh university graduates in China next year than ever before, according to government estimates, with the increase likely to put more pressure on the job market as the economy struggles to get back up to full steam.
Social media has become integral to everyday life. Not many teens want to be extensively researched, so studies are pragmatic, require consent and findings are limited. As a result, we tend to hear that the effects are small or even inconclusive.
The mental health benefits of exercise for adults are well known, easing depression and reducing anxiety. Now, emerging research highlights its rising importance for children’s wellbeing. Staying active could be key to safeguarding and enhancing young people’s mental health.
领英推荐
The controversial Treaty Principles Bill has been introduced to Parliament by the New Zealand ACT Party under a coalition agreement. And earlier in the week, a Waitangi Tribunal report found the bill breaches the principle of partnership, the Crown's good-faith obligations and the Crown's duty to actively protect Māori rights and interests.
A crop of reports and surveys including MetLife World Benefits, KPMG and Crown Global Mobility help define what globally mobile employees need in today’s market and reflect signs of economic challenges easing, reports David Sapsted.
#Technology
? Low-carbon tech needs much fewer materials than it used to; this matters for resource extraction in the future Yes, we will need a large ramp-up period of mineral extraction as the world shifts to renewables, batteries, and electric cars, but the hope is that we then reach a better equilibrium where materials for new solar panels and turbines are coming from old ones that have reached the end of their life. Total circularity seems unlikely, but maybe we could get close.
A world-first soft robotic ‘hand’, developed by researchers at CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, could revolutionise the delicate, labour-intensive process of cultivating baby corals in laboratories, offering a groundbreaking approach to coral restoration efforts. ?The robotic hand, or gripper, was designed to be attached to a coral farming robot called Coral Husbandry Automated Raceway Machine (CHARM). ?
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has reported that Singapore has now installed over 15,300 electric vehicle (EV) charging points nationwide as part of the government’s push to establish a sustainable transportation network.
#Resources
?Microplastics Found in Dolphin Breath: A New Threat to Marine Mammals - Microplastics have long been a concern for ocean health, but a recent study reported in the Guardian has revealed a startling new finding: dolphins are inhaling these harmful particles when they come up for air. This marks the first time microplastics have been detected in dolphin breath, raising concerns about the potential impact on their respiratory systems.?
? Low-carbon tech needs much fewer materials than it used to; this matters for resource extraction in the future Yes, we will need a large ramp-up period of mineral extraction as the world shifts to renewables, batteries, and electric cars, but the hope is that we then reach a better equilibrium where materials for new solar panels and turbines are coming from old ones that have reached the end of their life. Total circularity seems unlikely, but maybe we could get close.
? ‘Catastrophic declines’: massive data haul reveals why so many plants and animals suffer after fire
Research published today in the journal Nature set out to answer that question. In a collaboration involving more than 100 scientists, we brought together data for more than 1,300 animal and plant species. As far as we know, it’s the world’s largest dataset of biodiversity responses after a single fire season.
The climate crisis underscores the urgent need to transition from extractive capitalism to a sustainable model that respects nature’s limits. Fighting climate change requires a transformative shift in capitalism to value nature beyond profit, encouraging a healthier relationship with the environment, as in Gabon.
SINGAPORE - Scientists say they have discovered the world’s largest coral in the remote Solomon Islands and that it is thriving, despite corals in tropical regions increasingly under threat from global warming.
With more than 1 million species now estimated to be threatened with extinction amid the intensifying triple planetary crisis, innovative finance for wildlife conservation has never been more urgent. Over half of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP) is dependent on nature, making biodiversity loss an increasing threat to financial stability and livelihoods.
Have a great and safe weekend.