Sustainability Notice #6 (18-24 July)

World, Heatwaves, Wildfires, Floods and Drought: UK, Europe, US, Latin America, China, Iran and WMO

UK breaks record for highest temperature as Europe sizzles (Source Link)

Britain shattered its record for highest temperature ever registered amid a heat wave that has seared swaths of Europe, as the UK’s national weather forecaster said such highs are now a fact of life in a country ill-prepared for such extremes.

Weather tracker: record-breaking heat continues to scorch western Europe (Source Link)

UK temperatures exceed 40C while France and Portugal hit new highs, with some extreme consequences. Record-breaking heat continued to affect parts of western Europe during the past week, with UK temperatures exceeding 40C (104F) for the first time since records began.

Record-breaking heat in Europe spurs dangerous air pollution (Source Link)

The heat broke records across the UK and France and a path of destruction in its wake: Train tracks and roads in London buckled, homes burned down in what was the city fire service’s “busiest day since the ‘’WWII”, and parts of France and Portugal continued to blaze, forcing thousands to flee.

Heat torches Southern Europe, killing hundreds (Source Link)

Heatwaves broiling Europe spilled northward to Britain and fueled ferocious wildfires in Spain and France, which evacuated thousands of people and scrambled water-bombing planes and firefighters.

Extreme Heat Continues Its March Across Western Europe (Source Link)

Heatwaves that have caused fires to rage in southwestern France and Spain is moving north toward Britain, which may see its highest recorded temperatures ever.

Europe continues to burn as heat wave breaks records across continent (Source Link)

High temperatures are expected to continue across continental Europe as well as in the UK, ?left much of western Europe wilting under a scorching sun, smashing temperature records and feeding wildfires.

Firefighters battling wildfires in the UK face climate and cost of living crisis (Source Link)

Deadlier wildfires have spread on the continent of EU in recent days and weeks, in Spain, Portugal, France and Greece. But the UK’s experience is shocking nonetheless; the London Fire Brigade’s “busiest day since WW2”, in the words of mayor Sadiq Khan.

London shows how unprepared northern cities are for a warmer world (Source Link)

When storm clouds rolled into London, the rain brought with it much-needed relief for sweltering city residents after a day of record-breaking heat that drove wildfires, disrupted train travel and strained the city’s infrastructure and health services.

Madrid, Frankfurt, Vienna: How are European cities adapting to fiercer heatwaves? (Source Link)

Due to what’s known as the ‘urban heat island’ effect, cities get much hotter than other parts of the country as heat is trapped between tall buildings and soaked up by asphalt and concrete. From London to Lisbon, not all cities experienced the heatwave alike. What can we learn from those that are leading the way on climate adaptation?

Extreme heat warnings in effect in 28 states across US (Source Link)

The National Weather Service has warned that extreme heat will affect more than 100 million people in the US this week, and break temperature records in many areas across the country.

Mega-drought, glacier melt, and deforestation plague Latin America and the Caribbean (Source Link)

From the Amazon to the Andes and the snowy depths of Patagonia, extreme weather and climate change are causing mega-drought, extreme rainfall, deforestation and glacier melt across the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region, according to a UN report published.

Heatwaves to hit China from east to west as almanac's 'big heat' day looms (Source Link)

Heatwaves are forecast to return to China over the next 10 days after a brief respite, with high temperatures expected from east to west, meteorologists warned.

London shows how unprepared northern cities are for a warmer world (Source Link)

When storm clouds rolled into London, the rain brought with it much-needed relief for sweltering city residents after a day of record-breaking heat that drove wildfires, disrupted train travel and strained the city’s infrastructure and health services.

More than 20 killed in south Iran floods: state media (Source Link)

Flooding in southern Iran has killed at least 21 people and left others missing following heavy rainfall in the largely arid country, state media reported.

Gov. Parson issues emergency order in response to drought (Source Link)

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson in the US declared a drought alert as state agencies respond to an expanding drought that he said could lead to financial ruin for farm families

WMO warns of frequent heatwaves in decades ahead (Source Link)

Extreme heat in western Europe is causing devastating wildfires in France and Spain, unprecedented drought in Italy and Portugal, and the United Kingdom recorded its highest-ever temperature. With temperatures expected to remain above normal until the middle of next week, the World Metrological Organization (WMO) warned that heatwaves will occur more and more frequently, into the 2060s.

World, Countries and Climate Change: UK, US, EU, Germany, Venice, Chinese and Myanmar

UK Government Gives Green Light to Sizewell C Nuclear Project (Source Link)

The Sizewell C Project application has been granted development consent by the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. The UK said the application involves the construction of a new nuclear power station producing reliable, low-carbon electricity to help Britain achieve Net Zero.

In Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, UK’s two PM contenders have poor climate records (Source Link)

Parliamentarians from the UK’s Conservative Party have given their party members a choice between two candidates for the country’s next prime minister. While both have said they are committed to the UK’s target to reach net zero emissions by 2050, both have weak records on climate action.

Ben Goldsmith: next PM must back plan for farm subsidies to protect nature (Source Link)

Green Tory hits out at critics of Boris Johnson’s environmental land management policy. The next prime minister must press ahead with changes to farm subsidies that prioritize protecting nature and the environment, despite attacks on the policies from within the Conservative party, the prominent green Tory Ben Goldsmith has urged.

UK government touts ‘guilt-free flying’ on country’s hottest day on record (Source Link)

As the UK recorded a record high temperature, the government published its “jet zero” strategy to tackle one of the hardest to decarbonize sectors: aviation. The strategy launch at Farnborough International Airshow was delayed from morning to afternoon, while transport secretary Grant Shapps did a media round to explain why Britain’s roads and railways couldn’t handle the heat.

Biden announces modest climate actions; pledges more to come (Source Link)

President Joe Biden announced modest new steps to combat climate change and promised more robust action to come, saying, “This is an emergency and I will look at it that way.”

Massachusetts set to enable citizens to give climate finance to vulnerable nations (Source Link)

A bill expected to be adopted shortly by the state’s legislature will allow its citizens to voluntarily make a donation to the Least Developed Countries (LDC) fund when filing their tax returns.

EU to buy forest firefighting planes as climate crises intensify (Source Link)

The EU is in talks with manufacturers to buy firefighting planes to battle the increased risk of severe wildfires like those raging in Southern Europe, the bloc's head of crisis management told.

Old cars forced off road as Europe’s clean air zones nearly double (Source Link)

The number of clean air zones across Europe has risen 40% since 2019, forcing older and more polluting vehicles off the road, according to new research based on EU data. Low-emission zones (LEZs) have now been introduced in 320 European city regions, and that figure is expected to rise by more than half again, to 507, by 2025.

Destruction of nature as threatening as climate crisis, EU deputy warns (Source Link)

The human-made crisis engulfing the natural world is “just as threatening, perhaps even more so” than the climate crisis, one of the EU’s most senior officials has warned.

Germany promotes insurance-based ‘global shield’ for climate victims (Source Link)

Germany is working on a “global shield” to help communities in poor and vulnerable countries recover faster from climate disasters. It aims to fix flaws in the humanitarian system, which can deliver aid after disasters like drought or storms but slowly and patchily. Instead, the German government want to improve insurance and social security schemes so that support comes fast and systematically.

Venice is asking tourists to drink from water fountains instead of single use plastic bottles (Source Link)

Venice has launched a campaign to encourage tourists to drink from water fountains instead of using plastic bottles.

Chinese court rules bitcoin mining harms the climate (Source Link)

A Chinese court has quashed a cryptocurrency mining contract on the grounds that the emissions it generates accelerate climate change.?The judgment last week shows judges in China are starting to make a link between national carbon targets and energy-intensive activities.

Coup, Covid, climate: the triple threat chasing citizens from Myanmar’s rice bowl (Source Link)

Today, Myanmar’s agricultural capital in response to a growing food, job, and security crisis. Climate changes in the baking heartlands, Covid-19 and the military’s violent attacks on villages since its coup in 2021 have prompted an exodus of young people from the region.

EV, Hydrogen, Nuclear and Renewable: Chile, Toyota, Ford, Hyundai, Invisible Urban Charging, Connecticut, Amazon, Latitude Festival, ZeroAvia, Google, Chevron and Mizuho

Chile's first electric bus factory aims to ease fossil fuel dependency (Source Link)

Electric buses built by a Chilean company Reborn Electric Motor are now operating in the world's top copper-producing nation, as the country seeks ways to reduce its use of fossil fuels and achieve its environmental goals.

Toyota plans to roll out hydrogen fuel-cell trucks for the Japanese market next year (Source Link)

Automotive giant Toyota, along with three other partners, will work on the development of light-duty fuel cell electric trucks with a view to rolling them out in Japan next year.

Ford touts ample supply deals to hit electric vehicle goals (Source Link)

Ford says it has contracts to deliver enough batteries to produce electric vehicles at a rate of 600,000 globally per year by late in 2023.

Hyundai gets $1.8B in aid to build electric cars in Georgia (Source Link)

The state of Georgia and local governments are giving $1.8 billion in tax breaks and other incentives to Hyundai Motor Group in exchange for the automaker building its first U.S. plant dedicated to electric vehicles near Savannah, according to the signed agreement disclosed.

Company plans 6,000+ electric vehicle chargers in Florida (Source Link)

A New Zealand-based company Invisible Urban Charging announced it plans to install more than 6,000 electric vehicle chargers in Florida over the coming months.

Connecticut adds more electric vehicles to rebate program (Source Link)

Connecticut has begun rolling out a wide-ranging new law aimed at reducing vehicle emissions, including adding 10 more electric vehicles that will now be eligible for the state’s rebate program.

Amazon Kicks Off Rollout of 100,000 Electric Vehicle Delivery Fleet from Rivian (Source Link)

Amazon announced that it has started using electric delivery vehicles provided by EV company Rivian, as part of the internet and retail giant’s strategy to achieve net zero emissions across its operations by 2040. The electric vehicles were entered into service in cities including Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, Nashville, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle, and St. Louis.

“New stage”: Latitude Festival launches power park and charging station (Source Link)

More than 60 drivers who attended Latitude Festival this weekend took advantage of the ground-breaking electric vehicle (EV) charging service, which ensures their car is fully charged when they drive home. Online used car marketplace Cinch announced this week that it has launched the biggest EV charging initiative ever seen at the Suffolk UK festival.

ZeroAvia secures $30M in additional funding to get its hydrogen-electric planes to the skies (Source Link)

Hydrogen-electric plane developer ZeroAvia announced it has garnered an additional $30 million in funding from both new and returning investors, including International Airlines Group (IAG).

Google and Chevron invest in nuclear fusion startup that’s raised $1.2 billion (Source Link)

Google and Chevron are part of a $250 million funding raise announced for TAE Technologies, a nuclear fusion startup with an unconventional strategy that has now raised a total of $1.2 billion.

Mizuho Cuts Emissions 20% by Shifting Data Centers to Renewable Energy (Source Link)

Tokyo-based banking and financial services company Mizuho revealed that it has shifted seven large-scale properties in Japan to renewable energy, enabling the company to power its main data centers with 100% renewable energy.

Business, ESG, Funds and Initiatives: Iberdrola, Fifth Wall, ECB, IKEA and Amazon

Iberdrola Signs $550 Million Green Loan with EIB to Fund Wind & Solar Projects (Source Link)

Iberdrola announced a new €550 million green loan agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB) to help fund the development of a portfolio of wind farms and photovoltaic parks in Spain.

Fifth Wall Raises $500 Million for Real Estate Decarbonization Venture Fund (Source Link)

Real estate technology-focused venture capital firm Fifth Wall announced the $500 million close of its inaugural Climate Fund, aimed at investing in solutions to decarbonize the global real estate industry. Target areas for investment for the fund include software, hardware, renewable energy, energy storage, smart buildings, and carbon sequestration technologies.

ECB Climate Stress Test: Banks are Overexposed, Underprepared for Climate Risk (Source Link)

The European Central Bank (ECB) announced the results of its climate stress test, indicating that banks urgently need to accelerate the incorporation of climate risk into their risk management frameworks, and that banks remain heavily exposed to emissions-intensive industries.

IKEA Foundation injects $25m into global climate-friendly cooling initiative (Source Link)

IKEA's charitable arm is to funnel $25m into a global programme aimed at advancing more efficient, climate-friendly air conditioning and cooling systems.

New Amazon program grants $20,000 to up to five small businesses (Source Link)

New program supports small businesses that offer innovative, high-quality products built with sustainability in mind. Selected recipients receive $20,000, access to Amazon Launchpad, guidance, and selling opportunities.

UN and Climate Activism: COP27, UNGA, Greenpeace, Oil Pipeline, Italy, Germany, The Climate Clock and Green Man Festival

UN urged to move Cop27 from Egypt over ‘LGBTQ+ torture’ (Source Link)

A White House adviser and his partner have called on the United Nations to move a key climate change summit from Egypt due to the country’s treatment of LGBTQ people, citing fears that they and other activists would be targeted by security forces if they attend the talks.

Why the UN General Assembly must back the right to a healthy environment (Source Link)

In late July, the UN General Assembly is expected to vote on a draft resolution recognizing the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. The resolution recognizes the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment as a human right essential for the full enjoyment of all human rights and, among others, calls upon States and international organizations to adopt policies and scale up efforts to ensure a clean, healthy and sustainable environment for all.

Climate emergency is a legacy of colonialism, says Greenpeace UK (Source Link)

The climate and ecological crises are a legacy of systemic racism and people of colour suffer disproportionately from their harms, a Greenpeace UK report says. Globally, the report says, it is people of colour who, despite having contributed the least to the climate emergency, are now “disproportionately losing their lives and livelihoods” by the millions because of it.

Climate activists across the Global South and North unite to stop the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (Source Link)

On last month’s annual celebration known as Africa Day, activists in Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana and elsewhere held demonstrations targeting French oil giant TotalEnergies’ involvement in African fossil fuel extraction projects. A main focus of the protests was Total’s proposed East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline, or EACOP, which would transport 200,000 barrels of oil per day from western Uganda EACOP threatens to displace some 100,000 people whose homes lie in the pipeline’s path.

Climate activists glue hands to Botticelli masterpiece in Italy (Source Link)

Climate protesters glued themselves to Botticelli's celebrated Primavera painting at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence morning in front of shocked tourists, Italian media reports.

Climate activists gluing themselves to Berlin’s roads say they want to cause ‘peaceful friction’ (Source Link)

The 19-year-old recently ended up in jail for sticking herself to the road with superglue just that, in protest of what she believes is the German government's failure to act against climate change. Like-minded activists elsewhere in Europe have interrupted major sporting events such as the Tour de France and the Formula One Grand Prix in Silverstone in recent weeks, while others glued themselves to the frame of a painting at London’s Royal Academy of Arts.

Climate change 'deadline' crosses ominous threshold as activists warn world is nearly out of time (Source Link)

The Climate Clock, an online tool and algorithm designed to calculate humanity’s deadline for reducing global warming, fell below seven years Friday. The tool shows how much time is left to limit global warming to just 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Green Man festival owners accused of endangering protected habitats (Source Link)

Green Man festival, which rises up each August from the parkland in mid-Wales, is facing accusations that its plans for a sustainable future will threaten some of the most vulnerable and protected wildlife and habitats. Thus, the Welsh government is under pressure over its decision to spend ￡4.25m of public money to buy a farm in Talybont-on-Usk for the Green Man owners to use as a base for its expansion.

Research, Reports and Other: UK, Heatwaves, Circular Economy, Animals, Energy and Drought

UK is no longer a cold country and must adapt to heat, say climate scientists (Source Link)

This week temperatures of 40 degrees C have been predicted for the first time by the UK’s Meteorological Office, but climate models show these weather events are expected to become more common. Climate scientists have called for the UK to quickly adapt to extreme heat.

Heatwave: why extreme weather forecasts have improved so much (Source Link)

The UK has recorded its hottest ever temperature, passing 40℃ for the first time. But you can’t deny it had fair warning. It’s easy to take modern weather prediction technology and warning systems for granted, but the new advancements save lives. So what has changed?

Four things cool countries can learn from hot ones about dealing with heatwaves (Source Link)

With our planet heating up, we all need help coping with increasing temperatures in our day-to-day lives. There are lots of ways to try and adapt to extreme heat. Here are some suggestions that temperate countries can learn from hotter ones.

Deaths show need to adapt to climate change (Source Link)

France has already taken some steps to alleviate heat inequality after a 2003 heat wave caused 15,000 heat-related deaths, many of them older people left in city apartments and retirement homes without air conditioning.

EXPLAINER: What’s behind Europe’s spate of deadly wildfires? (Source Link)

Major wildfires in Europe are starting earlier in the year, becoming more frequent, doing more damage and getting harder to stop. And, scientists say, they’re probably going to get worse as climate change intensifies unless countermeasures are taken.

Investment fund assets to miss climate goals, research says (Source Link)

Global investment funds and top market indices are widely exposed to companies set to miss a critical goal for efforts to limit climate change, new research from ESG Book showed. Over 70% of assets on average across some 35,000 investment funds will contribute to global warming above 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) by 2050 without significant emissions reductions, ESG Book said.

Nine out of 10 Adults Don’t Know What the Circular Economy is, Survey Finds (Source Link)

Around 87% of U.K. adults haven’t heard of the circular economy or don’t know what it means, according to a new survey.

Australia losing animals, natural land as environment decays (Source Link)

A five-year government report found Australia’s environment continues to deteriorate due to climate change, resource extraction and other causes, prompting leaders on Tuesday to promise new laws and enforcement of them.

Climate change: New approach needed to gauge animal health impact on emissions (Source Link)

Animal health is important to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but greater investment is needed to evaluate the impact, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and partners said in a report.

Australian animals at risk as environment deteriorates: Government report (Source Link)

Australia has lost more mammal species than any other continent and has one of the worst rates of species decline among the world's richest countries, a five-yearly environmental report card released by the government said.

Climate Patterns Thousands of Miles Away Affect US Bird Migration (Source Link)

Every spring, migratory birds arrive in the continental United States from south and central America to breed. But precisely when they arrive each spring varies from year to year. In a NASA-led study published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, scientists have linked this variability to large-scale climate patterns originating thousands of miles away.

Chinese Paddlefish and Wild Yangtze Sturgeon Extinct – IUCN (Source Link)

The extinction of the Chinese Paddlefish and wild Yangtze Sturgeon, declared by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), unleashed a torrent of comments on China's social media platforms urging more environmental protection.

Hunger still rising across East Africa, says new UN-backed report (Source Link)

Over 50 million people in Eastern Africa will face acute food insecurity this year, according to a new study backed by the World Food Programme and Food and Agriculture Organization.

Plans for new coal plants in China rebound, with 8.63 GW approved in the first quarter of 2022 (Source Link)

Provincial governments across China approved plans to add a total 8.63 gigawatts (GW) of new coal power plants in the first quarter of 2022 alone, already 46.55% the capacity approved throughout 2021, new research from Greenpeace East Asia’s Beijing office shows.

Study finds solid-state batteries could reduce the carbon footprint of an EV battery by up to 39% (Source Link)

Solid-state batteries could reduce the carbon footprint of electric vehicle batteries by up to 39%, according to a study by European environmental NGO Transport & Environment from Minviro.

Study: Low-carbon technologies increase house prices by around ￡10,000 (Source Link)

Solar panels, air source heat pumps and electric vehicle (EV) charging points are increasing property values in England and Wales by an average of ￡10,000, while cutting carbon emissions and protecting residents from skyrocketing energy costs, new research has found.

Revealed: oil sector’s ‘staggering’ $3bn-a-day profits for last 50 years (Source Link)

Vast sums provide power to ‘buy every politician’ and delay action on climate crisis, says expert. The oil and gas industry has delivered $2.8bn (￡2.3bn) a day in pure profit for the last 50 years, a new analysis has revealed.

NASA images show extreme withering of Lake Mead over 22 years (Source Link)

Stark images of the “bathtub ring” around Lake Mead have come to symbolize the devastating effects of drought at America’s largest reservoir. Now, newly released satellite pictures from Nasa offer a new view of how dramatically water levels have declined over the past 22 years.