Sustainability Notice #16 (26 September - 2 October)

World, Fires, Typhoon, Floods, Hurricane and Drought: Brazil, Vietnam, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Florida, Canada, Cuba and Kenya

Worst Brazil forest fires in a decade, yet election silence (Source Link)

Satellite sensors detected over 42,000 fires in 30 days according to Brazil’s national space institute. It is the first time since 2010 that fires in the Amazon surpassed 40,000 in a single month.

Weather tracker: Typhoon Noru wreaks havoc across south-east Asia (Source Link)

Hurricane Ian has been in the headlines but it is not the only storm that has been causing havoc in the past week. Typhoon Noru struck south of the city of Da Nang in Vietnam, heading westwards to Thailand.

Battered by Floods and Trapped in Debt, Pakistani Farmers Struggle to Survive (Source Link)

The recent flooding has plunged small farmers in sharecropping arrangements further into debt with their landlords — a cycle that has worsened as extreme weather events become increasingly common.

Community teams are helping climate-hit Bangladeshis resettle (Source Link)

Power in Social Action (YPSA) is helping families in Bangladesh navigate the complexities of relocation after cyclones, rising sea levels, and other detrimental effects of climate change.

Ian leaves dozens dead as focus turns to rescue, recovery (Source Link)

Dozens of Florida residents left their flooded and splintered homes by boat and by air as rescuers continued to search for survivors in the wake of Hurricane Ian, while authorities in South Carolina and North Carolina began taking stock of their losses.

Hurricane Ian could cost US $67bn in economic damages (Source Link)

Hurricane Ian has battered Cuba and Florida, killing at least 12 people, leaving millions without power, destroying homes and ravaging key regional industries, such as tobacco and citrus fruits.

TikTok Just Became a Go-To Source for Real-Time Videos of Hurricane Ian (Source Link)

The video hosting platform frequented by Gen Z has had over 1.7 billion views on #HurricaneIan . Also, planetary health “prescriptions,” blue lakes turning green and the landfill next door.

After Ian, Florida college students left homeless by floods (Source Link)

Students living at the complex near the UCF campus carried out water-logged clothes in garbage bags, used a pontoon and an air mattress to rescue friends and moved furniture out of flooded apartments. Cars were submerged in brown water in the apartment complex’s parking lot, which resembled a lake.

Before, after images show Hurricane Ian storm surge completely destroyed some Sanibel Island, Florida hotels (Source Link)

Many beach cottages that lined the shores of Sanibel Island were wiped away by Hurricane Ian’s storm surge, new aerial imagery from NOAA shows.

Fiona: Homes washed into the sea and thousands without power as storm batters Canada (Source Link)

Post-tropical storm Fiona battered eastern Canada with hurricane-strength winds, torrential rains and huge waves which swept away houses and left hundreds of thousands without power.

Cubans protest in Havana for 2nd night over lack of power (Source Link)

Groups of Cubans protested in the streets of Havana for a second night, decrying delays in fully restoring electricity three days after Hurricane Ian knocked out power across the island.

Kenya is 'praying for rain' as worst drought in decades kills endangered wildlife (Source Link)

Kenya's worst drought in four decades has killed almost 2 per cent of the world's rarest zebra in three months - and 25 times more elephants than normal over the same period.

World, UN, COP27 and Countries: UN, Egypt, China, Brazil, Italy, EU, Greece, Bulgaria, US, Australia and UK

UN urges investment in clean, sustainable tourism, as numbers bounce back (Source Link)

International tourism is showing strong signs of recovery, with tourist numbers rising to 57 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. On World Tourism Day, marked on Tuesday, the UN is calling for a major global rethink of the sector, to ensure that tourism is sustainable, and benefits local communities.

In Pivotal Climate Case, UN Panel Says Australia Violated Islanders’ Human Rights (Source Link)

The UN Human Rights Committee has declared that the Australian government violated the human rights of Indigenous Torres Strait Islanders by failing to adequately protect them from the severe impacts of climate change.

PODCAST: Avoiding ‘climate suicide’, transforming education, fighting hate speech – exclusive Guterres interview (Source Link)

An exclusive interview with UN Secretary-General António Guterres to discuss some of the key international issues on his agenda, including the climate crisis, the need to urgently transform education, and how to tackle the worrying rise in xenophobia and hate speech.

Egypt's COP27 Presidency sets out vision for UN Climate Change Conference and urges world to act now (Source Link)

Egypt’s COP27 Presidency set out its vision for the 2022 UN Climate Change Conference, taking place in November. The aim to make COP27 an “implementation COP” by urging action across prior agreements through all areas of climate change need with a focus on protecting people from the immediate impacts of climate change, ensuring no one is left behind.

Egypt working to prioritise ‘loss and damage’ at COP27 (Source Link)

The Egyptian presidency of the COP27 UN climate talks is “working on how to include…[loss and damage] on the formal agenda of the November summit, as pressure grows from vulnerable countries to prioritise the issue, the country’s special representative of the summit said.

Targeted policies needed to boost investment in climate change fight (Source Link)

Ahead of the next UN climate change conference (COP27), UNCTAD has underscored the growing urgency of shoring up investment to combat the existential threat facing humanity. Previous estimates indicate that annual climate adaptation costs in developing countries could reach $300 billion in 2030 and, if mitigation targets are breached, as much as $500 billion by 2050.

Government policy spurs investment in Chinese climate tech (Source Link)

Chinese President Xi Jinping made an unexpected announcement in an address to the United Nations. He declared China would "aim to have CO2 emissions peak before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060," a level of ambition that surprised many international climate advocates.

Fate of Amazon rests on Brazil election, say experts (Source Link)

The fate of the Amazon rests on Brazil’s national election, according to experts, who say a continuation of the rampant destruction under President Jair Bolsonaro could push the world’s biggest rainforest past an irreversible tipping point. In contrast, a victory for the former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who oversaw a sharp decline in deforestation when in power, could lead to the razing of forests falling by 90%, scientists estimate.

Giorgia Meloni: Everything we know so far about the new Italian PM’s climate views (Source Link)

Italy held its latest general elections, which saw Giorgia Meloni and her right-wing bloc obtain a landslide.?

EU agrees windfall tax on energy firms (Source Link)

The European Union has agreed to impose emergency measures to charge energy firms on their record profits. Ministers have agreed windfall taxes on certain energy companies as well as mandatory cuts in electricity use.

European Regulators Propose New SFDR Disclosures for Nuclear and Gas Investments (Source Link)

The joint committee of Europe’s three primary financial regulatory agencies, the European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs) announced proposals to add disclosures to the EU’s Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) relating to investments in fossil gas and nuclear energy activities.

Greece-Bulgaria pipeline starts operations to boost non-Russian gas flows (Source Link)

Greece and Bulgaria have started commercially operating a long-delayed gas pipeline, which will help decrease southeast Europe's dependence on Russian gas and boost energy security.

Exclusive: U.S. seeks allies as split emerges over global plastics pollution treaty (Source Link)

The US is seeking to form a coalition of countries to drive negotiations on a global plastic pollution treaty, weeks after a similar group involving several other G7 nations was launched.

Federal Government’s $20 Billion Embrace of ‘Climate Smart’ Farming (Source Link)

The Biden administration committed $22 billion this summer toward Agriculture Department programs using that approach, the largest federal investment to date in climate-smart practices.

New York expedites efforts to ban the sale of new gas cars by 2035 (Source Link)

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced she is ordering state regulators to make changes necessary to require all new passenger cars, pickup trucks and SUVs sold in the state to be zero emissions by 2035.

Amid rising seas, island nations push for legal protections (Source Link)

“Climate change induced sea level rise is a defining issue for many Pacific Island states and like most climate change issues, Pacific Island states have been at the forefront of challenging international law to develop in a way which is equitable and just,” said Fleur Ramsay, head of litigation and climate lead of the Pasifika Program at the Australia-based Environmental Defenders Office.

Government to spend ￡1.5bn on UK home efficiency upgrades ahead of winter (Source Link)

The government has announced that it is spending as much as ￡1.5bn to help around 130,000 social housing and low-income properties in the UK upgrade their properties with a range of energy efficiency measures.

Beavers are now a protected species in England 400 years after they were hunted to extinction (Source Link)

Beavers are now a protected species in England, 400 years after they were hunted to extinction. While celebrating this historic day, environmental groups have expressed concern that the beavers’ newly-won European protected species status is itself under threat from the UK government.

Business, Energy, EV and Aviation: Google, Superyachts, Smart Cities, Belfast, Alice, EU, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, China, Feds, Vestas, Citroen, Jaguar Land Rover, Eviation, Microsoft, Alaska Airlines and easyJet

Google 'airbrushes' out emissions from flying, BBC reveals (Source Link)

The way Google calculates the climate impact of your flights has changed. Flights now appear to have much less impact on the environment than before.

Amid global turmoil, superyachts are selling more than ever. Here's why (Source Link)

The world is in turmoil. The specter of global conflict lurks on the horizon. Energy prices are putting the squeeze on millions. But in Monaco, at the yachting world's most glamorous event, it's business as usual. This week, superyachts with a combined value of somewhere near $3.8 billion gathered together in the azure waters of the tiny European principality for the 31st annual Monaco Yacht Show.

From Scotland to Sweden: How smart cities are helping residents save energy (Source Link)

The university town of Ume?, in Sweden, is almost completely dark in winter. Encouraging residents to take public transport on cold, gloomy mornings requires some persuasion, but the city is more insightful than most about the needs of the people living there.

Could a ‘flying’ electric ferry be the perfect zero-carbon transport solution for busy cities? (Source Link)

One of the world’s most advanced electric passenger ferries could soon link Belfast and Bangor in Northern Ireland. They can carry up to 150 passengers with the design mitigating the effects of seasickness and reducing the strength of waves that can damage the shoreline.

All-electric aircraft 'Alice' makes its first test flight in a milestone for zero-carbon aviation (Source Link)

According to Atmosfair, a German climate protection NGO, a passenger on a short return trip between London and Rome has a carbon footprint of 234 kg of CO2.

Flight-free travel: Europe’s latest long-distance train routes for 2022 (Source Link)

As flight-free travel gains momentum, European train journeys are experiencing a renaissance. Changing the way you travel is one the best ways to reduce your carbon footprint. According to Eurostar, flying from London to Paris emits 14 times more CO2 than travelling by train.

Climate bill could create 1,000 new companies, says head of investment at Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures (Source Link)

The Inflation Reduction Act passed by Congress includes the biggest investment in U.S. history to fight climate change. “I bet you there’s somewhere between 300 to 1,000 companies that will exist now because of this bill that would not have existed,” said Carmichael Roberts, head of investment for Breakthrough Energy Ventures, the climate fund founded by Bill Gates.

China’s flood of new electric cars cost 20% more to insure than fuel-powered cars (Source Link)

In general, the insurance premium for new energy cars — which includes electric — is about 20% higher than it would be for a comparable traditional fuel-powered car, said Wenwen Chen, director at S&P Global Ratings, who leads the firm’s research for China insurance.

Feds commit $50 million to for-profit nuclear fusion companies, chasing the ‘holy grail’ of clean energy (Source Link)

The Department of Energy officially announced that $50 million will go toward private nuclear fusion companies in public-private partnerships.

Vestas launches ‘world’s tallest onshore tower for wind turbines’ (Source Link)

Danish firm Vestas said it was launching an onshore wind turbine tower with a hub height measuring 199 meters, in the latest example of how the sector is turning to increasingly large structures.

Citroen announces EV concept which uses recycled cardboard and has a top speed of 68 mph (Source Link)

French automaker Citroen released details of a new electric concept vehicle, with its CEO telling that the electrification of individual transport represented an important part of a sustainable future.

Jaguar Land Rover to retrain 29,000 staff worldwide to prepare for all-electric future (Source Link)

More than 60 per cent of Jaguar Land Rover employees globally to be retrained to develop, manufacture, and service electric vehicles over the next three years.

'The next era of aviation': Eviation hails first electric 'commuter' plane flight (Source Link)

US battery plane developer is aiming to have its first zero emission aircraft commercially operating within five years.

Microsoft and Alaska Airlines are working with this startup to make clean jet fuel from carbon emissions (Source Link)

Sustainable aviation fuel, commonly called SAF, has so far been expensive to produce, but new startups are now creating clean fuels out of carbon at a much cheaper cost.

easyJet Puts Zero Emission Flying Technology at Center of Climate Plan (Source Link)

Low-cost airline easyJet announced the release of its net zero roadmap, outlining the company’s plan to address its climate impact and achieve net zero emissions flying by 2050.

Business, ESG and Initiatives: UK Business Leaders, Net Zero Festival, Asia, Nestle,?Costco, Albertsons, Facebook, Bain, SHEIN, Deloitte, Santander, Flora, Climate Club, BNP Paribas, Brookfield, CIBC, Fed, Societe Generale and Salesforce

UK business leaders: Corporate climate action top priority despite economic woes (Source Link)

Net zero still a priority but crises will likely affect direction of decarbonization measures, experts from Unilever, CBI and Phoenix Group warn at Net Zero Festival.

Net Zero Festival: Firms urged to put data at the heart of decarbonisation strategies (Source Link)

From the energy network to the push to meet Scope 3 supply chain emissions targets, the importance of data in the drive to decarbonise the economy was emphasised during a number of workshop sessions at this week's Net Zero Festival.

Green Growth: Capturing Asia’s $5 trillion green business opportunity (Source Link)

The addressable market size for green businesses in Asia is expected to reach between $4 trillion and $5 trillion by 2030. Entering the green space will come with risks, but also potential rewards for businesses that move early.

Nestle to stop sourcing from Indonesian palm oil producer AAL (Source Link)

Food giant Nestle plans to stop sourcing from subsidiaries of Astra Agro Lestari (AAL), a major Indonesian palm oil producer accused by environmental groups of land and human rights abuses.

Costco and Albertsons are using this tech startup to reduce waste and lower carbon emissions (Source Link)

Covered products include food, chemicals, plastics and product packaging, to name a few. By identifying every ingredient, Smarter Sorting can inform a company specifically how to better dispose of it, recycle it, or, perhaps in the case of food, donate it to a food bank. Albertsons, Costco and Wegmans are clients.

Facebook and Bain have a new tool to help employees track their contributions to climate change (Source Link)

As part of the launch, Climate Club announces it has raised $6.5 million. Early customers include Meta, Facebook’s parent company, and Bain, the management consulting conglomerate.

Bain Partners with Top Universities to Upskill all Global Consultants on ESG (Source Link)

Global management consultancy Bain & Company announced the launch of the Further Academy, a major upskilling initiative to provide post graduate-level ESG training to all of its global consultants.

Online Fashion Retailer SHEIN Announces New Value Chain Climate Commitments (Source Link)

Global fashion e-retailer SHEIN announced a series of new climate commitments, aimed at reducing its absolute value chain emissions by 25% by 2030.

Deloitte Launches Learning Program to Boost Sustainability & Climate Capabilities (Source Link)

Global professional services firm Deloitte announced the launch of its new global Sustainability & Climate learning program aimed at enhancing the skills and capabilities of its 415,000 global employees and building the proficiency of its professionals on climate and sustainability issues.

SBTi Launches Guidance for Science Based Climate Targets for Ag, Forest and Land-Based Sectors (Source Link)

The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) announced the launch of the Forest, Land and Agriculture (FLAG) Science Based Target Setting Guidance, providing a standard method for companies in land-based sectors to set science-based emissions reduction targets aligned with global climate goals.

Deloitte Announces 10-Year, $1.5 Billion Social Impact Commitment (Source Link)

Global professional services firm Deloitte announced a 10-year social impact commitment aimed at fostering a more equitable society, including investments of $1.5 billion.

Santander, EIT InnoEnergy Team up to Launch Climate Tech Venture Fund (Source Link)

Spanish multinational financial services company Banco Santander and sustainable energy-focused innovation and investment platform EIT InnoEnergy announced a new collaboration to launch a new climate tech fund aimed at channeling capital into climate tech start-ups primarily.

Sustainable Brands e-Commerce Platform Flora Raises $9 Million (Source Link)

San-Francisco based sustainable tech company, Flora, announced that it has raised $9 million in a seed funding round, as it prepares for the launch of its sustainable e-commerce platform.

Climate Club Raises $6.5 Million for Platform Aimed at Driving Employee-Level Climate Action (Source Link)

Carbon reduction startup Climate Club announced its public launch, with $6.5 million in seed funding aimed at expanding its enterprise platform designed to drive employee-level climate action.

BNP Paribas AM Launches Paris-Aligned Biodiversity ETF (Source Link)

BNP Paribas Asset Management announced the launch the BNP Paribas Easy ESG Eurozone Biodiversity Leaders PAB UCITS ETF, a new fund aimed at providing investors with reduced potential impact on biodiversity.

Brookfield Announces $1.5 Billion in Renewable Energy Acquisitions (Source Link)

Brookfield Asset Management’s flagship listed renewable power company Brookfield Renewable announced an agreement, alongside institutional partners, to acquire renewable energy developer Scout Clean Energy for $1 billion in cash, as well as the closing of its $540 million acquisition of commercial and distributed solar company Standard Solar.

CIBC Sets Goal to Reduce Financed Emissions from the Power Sector (Source Link)

Canada-based financial institution CIBC announced the latest in a series of targets to reduce carbon intensity of financed emissions high-emitting sectors, with a new goal to reduce emissions intensity in its power generation portfolio by 32% by 2030, compared to 2020.

Fed to Launch Climate Risk Resilience Tests with Big Banks (Source Link)

The U.S. Federal Reserve Board announced that it will launch a pilot climate scenario analysis with six large banks, aimed at assessing the resilience of the financial institutions to various climate scenarios.

Societe Generale Invests in Impact Analysis and Ratings Provider Impak Ratings (Source Link)

Impact ratings and analysis provider Impak Ratings announced that it has raised €4.5 million in a Series A funding round, with investors including Societe Generale’s venture capital arm.

Salesforce Enters the Carbon-Credit Business (Source Link)

Business-software provider Salesforce Inc. is launching a marketplace for carbon credits that it says will tackle transparency and quality issues in the fast-growing field.

Climate Justice: UK Government, Princeton, German Government and Captain Sir Tom Moore Protests

Liz Truss’s ‘destructive’ plans have angered environmental groups – here’s why (Source Link)

Several leading conservation charities including the RSPB, National Trust and Wildlife Trust have voiced anger over the new government’s “destructive” approach to nature. The groups have urged their 8 million members to write to MPs demanding that key nature protections are not weakened and that environmental commitments made in the Conservative’s election manifesto are not abandoned.

The new UK Government is attacking nature – don’t let this happen in your name (Source Link)

The new UK Government has launched an unprecedented attack on nature and the laws that protect it. On Friday, the new UK Government announced further plans to create at least 38 ‘Investment Zones’ in England which could trash planning rules – meaning housing and commercial developments could be incentivized to damage nature with little or no restriction.

‘Attack on nature’: Conservation charities say UK is scrapping vital environmental protections (Source Link)

The UK’s recent mini-budget has been branded an “attack on nature” by conservation groups who say it could lead to environmental protections being rolled back. On Friday, Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng announced the creation of 38 new investment zones across the country - low-tax, low-regulation areas where planning restrictions could be lifted to encourage growth.

Princeton’s $38 Billion Endowment to Exit Holdings in Fossil Fuel Companies (Source Link)

Princeton University’s $38 billion endowment will eliminate all holdings in publicly traded fossil fuel companies as part of the university’s fossil fuel dissociation policy, and as part of its commitment to achieving a net zero portfolio, according to a statement from the university.

Europe’s fight for clean air: German government latest to be sued over toxic pollution (Source Link)

German citizens are suing the government over toxic air pollution levels which they say are violating their fundamental rights. Seven claimants, from Germany’s four most polluted cities, are bringing the case. They include asthma sufferers and parents acting on behalf of their children.

Climate activist 'pours human faeces' on Captain Sir Tom Moore memorial in protest over private jets (Source Link)

Sir Tom, who walked 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday to raise more than ￡32m for the NHS, died in 2021 after testing positive for COVID-19. Footage appears to show a climate activist pouring human faeces on a memorial for Captain Sir Tom Moore. The 21-year-old woman was wearing a T-shirt that said: "End UK Private Jets."

Research, Report and Other: Positive Environmental Stories, Bill Gates, Prince Harry, China, Arctic Ocean, Environment Agency, COP15, Methane Release, Ozone Layer, Hurricanes and Cyclones, Climate Crisis, Renewables, Green Fuels, Russian Pipelines, EV, Joby Aviation, Weak Pound, Dark Data, Wildfire Smoke, Trash on Mars, Capercaillie Bird, Public Procurement, Crypto, COP26, Water in the Middle East, ESG Backlash and Investing in Sustainable Business

Here are all the positive environmental stories from 2022 so far (Source Link)

There's a lot to be worried about when it comes to the climate and nature crises, but when a sense of hopelessness becomes the overarching emotion, apathy begins to creep in too. Last year three environmental educators, all part of EcoTok, penned this excellent piece for us about dealing with eco-anxiety and the need to remain hopeful - or "stubbornly optimistic", as Christiana Figueres puts it.

Bill Gates: You’ll never solve climate change by asking people to consume less (Source Link)

Climate change is being fueled by the release of greenhouse gas emissions and those emissions are coming from every sector of the global economy: Electricity, manufacturing, transportation, agriculture, industrial processes. This idea is quixotic, according to Bill Gates, who founded Breakthrough Energy, an investment fund for climate technology and innovation, in 2015 and published “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster” in 2021.

Prince Harry wildlife NGO under fire after elephants kill three in Malawi (Source Link)

Two wildlife organisations, including one headed by Prince Harry, have been accused of caring about animals more than people after three men died following an elephant translocation in Malawi.

How China targets the global fish supply (Source Link)

The Chinese ships since 2016 have operated off South America virtually all day, all year, moving with the seasons from the coasts of Ecuador to Peru and eventually to Argentina, where they have fished for what amounts collectively to more than 16,000 days already this year.

Arctic Ocean acidifying up to four times as fast as other oceans, study finds (Source Link)

Acidification of the western Arctic Ocean is happening three to four times faster than in other ocean basins, a new study has found.

Environment Agency knew sewage was being dumped into rivers years ago, leak reveals (Source Link)

The Environment Agency knew raw sewage was being illegally dumped into English rivers from wastewater treatment works a decade ago, a leaked report shows.

Drought could continue into 2023, Environment Agency warns (Source Link)

Drought conditions in much of England are expected to continue into 2023, the Environment Agency has said.

Cop15 is an opportunity to save nature. We can’t afford another decade of failure (Source Link)

In 1992, at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, there was a wave of enthusiasm about tackling the great environmental problems, and so governments set up three UN conventions to deal with climate change, biodiversity loss and desertification. Since then, the climate crisis has been treated as separate to the biodiversity crisis, yet there is huge overlap between the two.

Methane Might Be a Bigger Climate Problem Than Thought, Study Finds (Source Link)

Methane Might Be a Bigger Climate Problem Than Thought, Study Finds. Flaring, meant to burn off the planet-warming gas at industrial sites, doesn't always work as intended, according to researchers.

Methane blast in Baltic Sea highlights global problem (Source Link)

Scientists have been measuring the scale of the massive methane leak from damaged pipelines in the Baltic Sea, with the latest figures equating the levels of gas escaping to the annual emissions of some whole countries. It is believed to be the single biggest recorded gas leak over a short period of time.

Nord Stream rupture may mark biggest single methane release ever recorded, U.N. says (Source Link)

The ruptures on the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline system under the Baltic Sea have led to what is likely the biggest single release of climate-damaging methane ever recorded, the United Nations Environment Programme said.

Scientists predict the hole in the ozone layer will close in the next 50 years (Source Link)

In the late 20th century, human emissions of certain damaging chemicals began to affect the number of ozone molecules in the atmosphere. This has resulted in a dramatic hole opening up over Antarctica every year caused by complex meteorological and chemical processes.

Climate Change: Hurricanes and cyclones bring misery to millions, as Ian makes landfall in the US (Source Link)

Hurricane Ian caused devastation across western Cuba and increased its strength and size as it made landfall mid-afternoon local time, in the United States; meanwhile Typhoon Noru underwent an “explosive” intensification before it hit the Philippines, the UN Meteorological agency, has said.

How the escalating climate crisis is impacting global livelihoods (Source Link)

The climate crisis is getting worse, impacts are intensifying and their effects are already being felt across communities, businesses and markets globally, resulting in starvation, poverty and increased financial risks.

Researchers push to make polluters put carbon back in the ground (Source Link)

A group of researchers is ramping up a campaign to make polluters put carbon back in the ground. As oil and gas companies rake in record profits, a team from Oxford University is making the case governments should force them to capture and store a share of the emissions from their products.

Hurricane Ian: Climate change could increase intensity of storms, say environmental experts (Source Link)

Hurricane Ian swept through the state of Florida in the US, leaving over 2.5 million people without power, flooding residential cities and damaging homes.

Scaling up renewables means big changes to electricity networks (Source Link)

Never noticed until things go wrong, grid operators around the world work second-by-second to balance demand for electricity with supply. That means keeping tabs on power stations, solar farms and wind turbines.

Energy crisis will speed up transition to green fuels, says head of renewables agency (Source Link)

The energy crisis caused by the Ukraine war will likely accelerate the transition to greener fuels in the medium term, according to the head of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

Russian pipeline leaks spark climate fears as huge volumes of methane spew into the atmosphere (Source Link)

Climate scientists acknowledged that it is hard to accurately quantify the exact size of the emissions and say the leaks are a “wee bubble in the ocean” compared to the massive amounts of methane emitted around the world every day. Denmark’s Energy Agency said emissions from the gas leaks correspond to about one-third of the country’s annual greenhouse gas emissions.

EV sales to hit all-time high in 2022, IEA says, but more work needed to put world on net-zero path (Source Link)

The IEA says both EVs and lighting are “fully on track for their 2030 milestones” in its net-zero by 2050 scenario. Paris-based organization says 2022 is “expected to see another all-time high for electric vehicle sales, lifting them to 13% of total light duty vehicle sales globally.”

EV charge points in Britain are now nearly as expensive as gasoline, research shows (Source Link)

The U.K. wants to stop the sale of new diesel and gasoline cars and vans by 2030. It will require, from 2035, all new cars and vans to have zero-tailpipe emissions.

Joby Aviation can’t hit production targets on time, according to short sellers’ report (Source Link)

Joby Aviation, which is developing quiet, clean electric aircraft, has tantalized shareholders with plans to launch an Uber-like air taxi service into the market by 2024.

Three reasons a weak pound is bad news for the environment (Source Link)

The day before new UK chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-budget plan for economic growth, a pound would buy you about $1.13. This study looks at why the weak pound is bad news for the UK’s natural environment and its ability to hit climate targets.

‘Dark data’ is killing the planet – we need digital decarbonization (Source Link)

More than half of the digital data firms generate is collected, processed and stored for single-use purposes. This “dark data” is anchored to the real world by the energy it requires. This is a significant energy cost that is hidden in most organisations. Maintaining an effective organisational memory is a challenge, but at what cost to the environment?

Wildfire Smoke Can Harm Kids’ Ability to Learn (Source Link)

The analysis draws on eight years of standardized test scores from nearly 11,700 public school districts across six grades, as well as estimates of daily smoke exposure derived from satellite measurements. The researchers found test scores in English language arts and math dropped significantly during school years even at low levels of smoke exposure, and that test-score impacts grew as students’ smoke exposure worsened.

Humans Have Already Left a Staggering Amount of Trash on Mars (Source Link)

We’re all enamored by humanity’s impressive efforts over the past 46 years at exploring Mars. But on the decidedly less glamorous side of things, we’re leaving behind a surprising amount of trash — about 15,694 pounds of debris so far, according to a new essay by West Virginia University.

Emergency plan to save the capercaillie bird launched as numbers plummet (Source Link)

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said the latest population survey found its estimated population had fallen from roughly 1,114 in 2015/16 to about 542 birds last winter, putting it at a critically low level.

Public procurement can play a bigger role in greening construction (Source Link)

This purchasing power means that what they decide to buy (or not) can influence the market and what products businesses offer. This is why green public procurement can play a big role in achieving climate goals.

How is Crypto Affecting the Climate? (Source Link)

A conversation with Costa Samaras, the White House’s chief advisor for energy policy, about the impact crypto is having on the climate.

Lack of Global Collaboration Risks COP26 Goals, IEA Report Says (Source Link)

A lack of global collaboration in rolling out sustainable technologies is hampering efforts to meet key targets set at last year’s COP26, according to an independent report commissioned by nations that attended the landmark conference hailed as a critical turning point in tackling climate change.

Could the Middle East run out of water? How the UAE gets around the problem (Source Link)

The Middle East and North Africa are rich in oil and gas, but it’s witnessing a shrinking supply of one of earth’s most critical resources: water. Twelve of the 17 most water-stressed countries in the world are in the region, according to 2019 findings from the World Resources Institute.

There’s an ESG backlash inside the executive ranks at top corporations (Source Link)

In public, U.S. corporations say the right things about environment, social and governance factors as part of their mindset. But how do executives really feel about the push to make ESG a core component of management philosophy?

Why investing in sustainable business is good for business (Source Link)

‘Getting it done’ was the theme of Climate Week in New York. To hit net zero by 2050, climate economists say the world needs to invest 2–3% of GDP each year, but the world could experience -10% off GDP if we don’t.