This overview sets the scene for the various modules in the Renewables 2024 Global Status Report Collection. It provides high-level trends on the status of renewables in the wider fossil fuel-dominated energy system in the context of global challenges such as climate change, development goals and the geopolitical landscape. Urgent …
Australia's deserts will expand southward and dry periods will lengthen as global warming alters key tropical circulations, according to new research by US scientists. The researchers studied how the Hadley Circulation – the movement of warm air and moisture away from the tropics – will be affected if carbon-dioxide emissions …
When it comes to carbon dioxide emissions, the first environmental problem that comes to mind is climate change. As humans pump more of this greenhouse gas into the air, the Earth gets warmer, and the climate changes in ways that could damage the economy, public health, infrastructure and society. But …
The climatic impact of CO2 and other greenhouse gases is usually quantified in terms of radiative forcing, calculated as the difference between estimates of the Earth’s radiation field from pre-industrial and present-day concentrations of these gases. Radiative transfer models calculate that the increase in CO2 since 1750 corresponds to a …
A major UN climate summit in Paris later this year should call on countries to make tough carbon cuts to avoid dangerous global warming, EU document says The world’s states should commit to a legally binding emissions cut of 60% by 2050, with five-yearly reviews, in a Paris Protocol to …
The Abbott government's confidence that its direct action climate policy will meet Australia's emissions reduction target is based on Australia's track record in environmental policy and not on modelling, a Senate estimates hearing has heard. Senators were told on Monday that the environment department and clean energy regulator had not …
It's no secret that ocean acidification is wreaking havoc on the corals, sea stars, sharks and others that live beneath the waves. But now new research shows that this phenomenon is hitting closer to home and threatening US coastal communities, too. A lot of marine life may face extinction in …
Though there is a fair understanding of the ways in which India's population is changing as well as of the social and economic implications of these changes, little attention has so far been paid to its possible environmental impact. This article attempts to understand how the changing demographic trends have …
Despite the dramatic recent weakening in global energy markets, ongoing economic expansion in Asia – particularly in China and India – will drive continued growth in the world’s demand for energy over the next 20 years. According to the new edition of the BP Energy Outlook 2035, global demand for …
This report introduces several methods the European Environment Agency (EEA) has developed for assessing and communicating early RES growth and the important knock-on effects that RES growth has on the energy sector and related areas. The report provides specific information at EU and country level on estimated RES progress in …
What does the decision to save groundwater in Punjab or Haryana have to do with air pollution in Delhi? Plenty. We need to know this because many actions have unintended and deadly consequences. Groundwater extraction for rice cultivation has created a big problem for Punjab. Over time, water levels have …
Sustainable biomass can play a transformative role in the transition to a decarbonized economy, with potential applications in electricity, heat, chemicals and transportation fuels. Deploying bioenergy with carbon capture and sequestration (BECCS) results in a net reduction in atmospheric carbon. BECCS may be one of the few cost-effective carbon-negative opportunities …
Visakhapatnam: The rising sea surface temperatures (SST) in the Bay of Bengal have been posing a threat to the existence of certain fish and other marine species. The variations in SST have been due to rampant pollution in sea and also due to human activities on the coast. Fishermen catch …
This paper outlines a draft recommended methodology for quantifying and reporting the potential emissions from the fossil fuel reserves held by coal, oil and gas companies. It concentrates only on the carbon stored in reserves and attempts to account for the primary routes in which this carbon is released into …
Calling for contributions from developing nations, the EU stated that geopolitical realities have changed significantly The European Union today said it expects India and other emerging economies to contribute to the Green Climate Fund after 2020, stating that 'geopolitical realities have changed significantly'. India, as part of LMDC and BASIC, …
Asking the international community to work together on climate change and not against each other, France on Thursday warned that a significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is not achievable without equitable access to sustainable development. Noting that 2015 will be a “defining moment” as far as climate change is …
Instead of giving advice, global companies should come forward with their plan of action to help developing nations like India reduce carbon emission and protect environment, newly created NITI Aayog's member Bibek Debroy said today. "Don't tell us what to do, unless you are prepared to do something," Debroy said …
Climate change mitigation can be attained at cheaper cost through forestry activities such as afforestation and reforestation India needs to adapt itself to deal with the adverse effects of climate change, says Ashwani Kumar, director-general, Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE). "Adaptation and mitigation are two keys that …
Theory and climate modelling suggest that the sensitivity of Earth’s climate to changes in radiative forcing could depend on the background climate. However, palaeoclimate data have thus far been insufficient to provide a conclusive test of this prediction. Here we present atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) reconstructions based on multi-site boron-isotope …
This document outlines one component of India’s INDC submission to the UNFCCC focussing on the renewable energy contribution to its future electricity mix. So far, the Government of India has articulated solar targets for renewable energy, which therefore deserves careful analysis.
