WBCSD and businesses in India unveil policy report on large-scale adoption of electric vehicles
Jun 24, 2021, at 11:57 pm
Geneva, Delhi/IBNS: Widespread adoption of electric vehicles (EV) is looked upon as a key factor in decarbonizing road transport and reducing environmental pollution in India, according to World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
Invasive pest spread another fallout from climate change, UN-backed study finds
Jun 04, 2021, at 09:01 pm
New York: Climate change is making pests which ravage important agricultural crops even more destructive, heightening threats to global food security and the environment, a UN-backed study published on Wednesday has found.
Everyone will lose unless humanity makes ‘peace with the planet’, declares Guterres
May 22, 2021, at 04:51 pm
New York: Humanity is “waging a war on nature”, threatening biodiversity loss, climate disruption and escalating pollution, the UN chief said on Friday.
Report reveals progress on environmentally protected areas, but quality must improve
May 21, 2021, at 07:33 pm
New York: Although the world has made major progress toward a decade-long target for environmental protection areas, it has fallen far short on commitments regarding their quality, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and partners said in a report published on Wednesday.
Sierra Leone sells rainforest for Chinese harbour, human rights group slams move
May 20, 2021, at 04:18 am
Rights groups and conservationists have criticized a $55m deal struck by the government of Sierra Leone with China to build an industrial fishing harbour on 100 hectares (250 acres) of beach and protected rainforest.
Reflect nature’s ‘true value’ in economic policies and decisions, UN chief urges
Mar 03, 2021, at 09:37 pm
New York: Nations must start weighing up the cost of economic profit against damage to the environment if they are to have a chance at a sustainable future, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Tuesday.
Scale up funding for climate adaptation programmes, Guterres urges
Jan 26, 2021, at 03:07 pm
New York: The UN Secretary-General on Monday called for urgent scaling up of funds for climate change adaptation and resilience building programmes, so they can offer real and lasting protection against the impact of major events such as droughts, floods and rising sea-levels.
People, planet on ‘collision course’, warns UN Development Programme
Dec 15, 2020, at 11:20 pm
New York: Countries must redesign their development pathways to reduce pressures exerted on the environment and the natural world, or risk stalling humanity’s progress, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has cautioned.
UN makes progress on 'greening the blue'
Dec 11, 2020, at 04:14 pm
New York: In 2019, the UN system continued to make steady progress towards reducing its environmental footprint, recording decreases in emissions and implementing advanced environment management systems.
Address water scarcity ‘immediately and boldly’, urges UN agriculture agency chief
Nov 27, 2020, at 03:52 pm
New York: More than three billion people live in agricultural areas with high levels of water shortages and scarcity, the UN agriculture agency said in a new report launched on Wednesday.
Carbon dioxide levels hit new record; COVID impact ‘a tiny blip’, WMO says
Nov 24, 2020, at 03:32 pm
New York: Levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere hit a new record of 410.5 parts per million in 2019, and are expected to keep rising this year, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said in its annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin on Monday.
Climate crisis: ‘Nowhere near the finish line’, says UN chief
Nov 20, 2020, at 03:36 pm
New York: Pointing to its “pioneering legislation and policies”, on Thursday the UN chief hailed the 27-member European Union (EU) as a “a leader on climate action”, that had shown that it was possible to cut emissions while achieving economic growth.
The natural environment is also a casualty of war, Guterres warns
Nov 07, 2020, at 02:55 pm
New York: The UN Secretary-General has called for better management of natural resources and ecosystems, highlighting that doing so could pave a path towards peace in war-torn societies and help crisis-affected countries boost sustainable development.
Bad situations ‘only get worse’ without disaster risk governance, UN chief says on International Day
Oct 14, 2020, at 03:45 pm
New York: With nations facing multiple crises simultaneously and a dramatic rise in extreme weather events in recent decades, the UN Secretary-General has called for strengthening disaster risk governance, to build a safer, more resilient world.
‘Staggering’ rise in climate emergencies in last 20 years, new disaster research shows
Oct 13, 2020, at 02:41 pm
New York: The first 20 years of this century have seen a “staggering” rise in climate disasters, UN researchers said on Monday, while also maintaining that “almost all nations” have failed to prevent a “wave of death and illness” caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
UN report highlights links between ‘unprecedented biodiversity loss’ and spread of disease
Sep 16, 2020, at 02:49 pm
New York: The continued degradation of the environment is increasing the likelihood of diseases spreading from animals to humans, warns a UN report on biodiversity, released on Tuesday.
Science, solidarity and solutions needed against climate change: Guterres
Sep 11, 2020, at 05:38 pm
New York: Concentrations of greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere are at record levels, and emissions that saw a temporary decline due to the pandemic are heading towards pre-COVID levels, while global temperatures continue to hit new highs, according to a major new UN report.
RANDOM THOUGHTS: When the hills cry
Sep 09, 2020, at 06:47 pm
Monsoon time. The sky pours, the earth looks fresh and distressed at the same time as flood waters submerge the landscape. I remember a time like this a couple of years ago. We were travelling to Guwahati from upper Assam. It had been raining heavily the previous day but now the sky was blue and a cool breeze was blowing. We were about to reach Jorabat. The name connotes a twin or joint- road. It is from this junction that one drives upwards to Meghalaya, the abode in the clouds, or continues towards the capital city of Assam, and vice versa.
Sep 08, 2020, at 03:14 pm
New York: The first International Day of Clean Air for blue skies is being commemorated around the world, on Monday, following the recognition by the United Nations General Assembly of the importance of clean air for the health and day-to-day lives of people.
From farm to fork: How food systems can power climate action
Sep 02, 2020, at 03:19 pm
New York: Taking specific steps to transform national food supply systems can help countries achieve climate goals and limit global warming to 1.5 degree Celsius, a new joint UN report on climate action has found.
India urged to lead global push for clean energy, climate action
Aug 28, 2020, at 10:21 pm
New York: India has a crucial role to play in promoting clean energy and climate action as the world looks to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Friday.
Odisha: Prawn dykes spreading over 100 acres of forest land in Bhitarkanika National Park demolished
Aug 19, 2020, at 12:19 am
Kendrapara/UNI: Prawn dykes, spread over an area of 100 hectares of forest land at Saralikuda under Mahakalapada block, were demolished by forest personnel of Bhitarkanika National Park.
Five things you should know about disposable masks and plastic pollution
Jul 31, 2020, at 03:26 pm
New York: The fight against plastic pollution is being hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, as the use of disposable masks, gloves and other protective equipment soars, but UN agencies and partners insist that, if effective measures are put into place, the amount of plastics discarded every year can be significantly cut, or even eliminated.
Environmental conditions found to affect stability of virus that causes COVID-19: Study
Jun 21, 2020, at 06:39 pm
New York: A new study led by Marshall University researcher M. Jeremiah Matson found that environmental conditions affect the stability of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in human nasal mucus and sputum.
Jun 11, 2020, at 12:44 pm
Today, tropical monsoons influence the weather greatly. This can be seen especially clearly from mid-May to late summer. The comfortable temperature and dry air are replaced by torrential rains. Weather forecast in India for the near future: forecasters warn residents thatthenorth-east gusty wind will start blowing soon. Only in autumn it will become possible to enjoy pleasant sides of the subequatorial climate.
World Environment Day: COVID-19 crisis demands fundamental rethink
Jun 06, 2020, at 09:43 am
New York: The COVID-19 health crisis should be seen as a clarion call to “fundamentally rethink our relationship” with natural ecosystems and shrinking biodiversity, the UN cultural agency chief said on Friday, World Environment Day.
Global environmental changes are leading to shorter, younger trees, finds new study
May 30, 2020, at 08:47 am
London/IBNS: Ongoing environmental changes are transforming forests worldwide, resulting in shorter and younger trees with broad impacts on global ecosystems, scientists say.
Key COP26 climate summit postponed to ‘safeguard lives
Apr 03, 2020, at 11:56 am
New York/IBNS: With no end in sight to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, the UN climate change talks which were due to take place in Scotland later in the year, have been postponed until October 2021.
As COP25 goes into the night, Guterres calls for more climate ambition
Dec 14, 2019, at 07:33 am
New York/IBNS: With national delegations thrashing out an outcome agreement at the UN COP25 climate change conference in Madrid, the UN chief has called on countries to be more ambitious, side strongly with science, and commit to stronger action.
Nov 27, 2019, at 09:18 am
New York/IBNS: Even if countries meet commitments made under the 2015 Paris Agreement, the world is heading for a 3.2 degrees Celsius global temperature rise over pre-industrial levels, leading to even wider-ranging and more destructive climate impacts, warns a report from the UN Environment Programme, released on Tuesday.