CCC, clean energy firm sign agreement to enhance local climate action plans
The partnership with First Gen Corporation aims to capacitate representatives local governments in enhancing Local Climate Change Action Plans (LCCAPs)......»»
Legarda: Ensure implementation of laws, translate national plans, policies into local action to enhance resilience
Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda called for greater solidarity, cooperation, and action in enhancing the country’s resilience in light of the intensifying effects of the climate crisis and the crippling effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. “The massive scale of the climate crisis has never been more evident than today. We have to recognize that our planet […] The post Legarda: Ensure implementation of laws, translate national plans, policies into local action to enhance resilience appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
Climate pledges still ‘nowhere near’ enough for 1.5C: UN
PARIS, France — International climate pledges remain far off track to limit temperature rises to 1.5 degrees Celsius, according to a UN report released Wednesday, less than two weeks ahead of high-stakes negotiations to tackle global warming. The combined climate pledges of more than 190 nations that signed up to the 2015 Paris climate deal put Earth on track to warm around 2.5C (36 degrees Fahrenheit) compared to pre-industrial levels by the century’s end, the UN said. With the planet already battered by climate-enhanced heatwaves, storms and floods after just 1.2C of warming, experts say the world is still failing to act with sufficient urgency to curb greenhouse gas emissions. “We are still nowhere near the scale and pace of emission reductions required to put us on track toward a 1.5 degrees Celsius world,” said Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change. “To keep this goal alive, national governments need to strengthen their climate action plans now and implement them in the next eight years.” The UN’s climate experts have said emissions — compared to 2010 levels — need to fall 45 percent by 2030 in order to meet the Paris deal’s more ambitious goal. In this latest report, the UN said that current commitments from governments around the world will in fact increase emissions by 10.6 percent by 2030. When nations met in Glasgow last year for a previous round of climate negotiations, they agreed to speed up their climate pledges to cut carbon pollution and increase financial flows to vulnerable developing nations. An aerial view shows a destroyed in a flooded area following heavy rainfalls near Kastamonu, on August 11, 2021. From flash floods to forest fires, drought to “sea snot”, Turkey is bearing the brunt of increasingly frequent disasters blamed on climate change. Demiroren News Agency (DHA) / AFP ‘Disappointing’ But only 24 countries, of 193, had updated their plans at the time of the report, which Stiell said was “disappointing”. “Government decisions and actions must reflect the level of urgency, the gravity of the threats we are facing, and the shortness of the time we have remaining to avoid the devastating consequences of runaway climate change,” he said. He called on governments to revisit and strengthen their carbon cutting plans in line with the Paris temperature goals before the UN climate meeting, which will be held from November 6 to 18 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Nations are meeting in the shadow of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and cascading global crises of hunger, energy prices and living costs, exacerbated by extreme weather. Scientists have warned that any rise above 1.5C risks the collapse of ecosystems and the triggering of irreversible shifts in the climate system. In the last year alone, the world has seen unprecedented floods, crop-withering heatwaves and wildfires across four continents. With the impacts slamming hardest into countries least responsible for fossil fuel emissions, calls have grown louder for richer polluters to pay “loss and damage” to vulnerable nations. In a landmark report this year on climate impacts and vulnerabilities, the UN’s 195-nation Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned that time had nearly run out to ensure a “liveable future” for all. That report was signed off by the same governments that will return to negotiations in Egypt......»»
Biden to sign executive orders on Day 1, amid high alert for inauguration
Joe Biden’s top aide said Saturday the incoming president would sign about a dozen executive orders on his first day in office, as police fearing violence from Trump supporters staged a nationwide security operation ahead of the inauguration. Authorities in Washington, where Wednesday’s inauguration will take place, said they arrested a man with a loaded handgun and more than 500 rounds of ammunition at a security checkpoint, underscoring the tension in the US capital which is resembling a war zone. However, the man’s family told US media he was a security guard, rejecting the idea he was intent on causing harm. Incoming Biden chief of staff Ron Klain said in a memo to new White House senior staff that the executive orders would address the pandemic, the ailing US economy, climate change and racial injustice in America. “All of these crises demand urgent action,” Klain said in the memo. “In his first ten days in office, President-elect Biden will take decisive action to address these four crises, prevent other urgent and irreversible harms, and restore America’s place in the world,” Klain added. As he inherits the White House from Donald Trump, Biden’s plate is overflowing with acute challenges. The US is fast approaching 400,000 dead from the Covid-19 crisis and logging well over a million new cases a week as the coronavirus spreads out of control. The economy is ailing, with 10 million fewer jobs available compared to the start of the pandemic. Biden this week unveiled plans to seek $1.9 trillion to revive the economy through new stimulus payments and other aid, and plans a blitz to accelerate America’s stumbling Covid vaccine rollout effort. On Inauguration Day Biden, as previously promised, will sign orders including ones for the US to rejoin the Paris climate accord and reverse Trump’s ban on entry of people from certain Muslim majority countries, Klain said. “President-elect Biden will take action — not just to reverse the gravest damages of the Trump administration — but also to start moving our country forward,” Klain said. – 500 rounds of ammunition – Meanwhile, Washington was under a state of high alert after a mob of President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol on January 6. The assault left five people dead, including a police officer. Security officials have warned that armed pro-Trump extremists, possibly carrying explosives, pose a threat to Washington as well as state capitals over the coming week. Thousands of National Guard troops have been deployed in Washington and streets have been blocked off downtown with concrete barriers. On Friday night, police arrested a Virginia man at a security checkpoint where he tried to use an “unauthorized” credential to access the restricted area where Biden will be inaugurated. As officers checked the credential against the authorized access list, one noticed decals on the back of Wesley Beeler’s pick-up truck that said “Assault Life,” with an image of a rifle, and another with the message: “If they come for your guns, give ’em your bullets first,” according to a document filed in Washington, DC Superior Court. Under questioning, Beeler told officers he had a Glock handgun in the vehicle. A search uncovered a loaded handgun, more than 500 rounds of ammunition, shotgun shells and a magazine for the gun, the court document said. Beeler was arrested on charges including possession of an unregistered firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition. But Beeler’s father Paul told The New York Times his son had been working as a security guard on the Capitol grounds. Asked if the younger Beeler supported a peaceful transition of power, Paul Beeler told the newspaper, “That’s the reason he’s there.” In addition to the heavy security presence in Washington, law enforcement was out in force in state capitals around the country to ward off potential political violence. Mass protests that had been planned for the weekend did not materialize on Saturday, with security far outnumbering Trump supporters at several fortified statehouses, US media reported. In St Paul, Minnesota, for example, hundreds of law enforcement officers, some armed with long guns, ringed the Capitol with National Guard troops providing backup. The number of protesters totaled about 50......»»
New law needed to manage minerals for clean energy shift — study
The extraction of minerals needed for renewable energy technologies drives deforestation and the climate crisis, threatens water sources, and displaces people......»»
Climate action takes root in Intramuros
Youth, artistic collectives and climate advocates gathered recently at the historical memorial in Plazuela de Santa Isabel, Intramuros for a local arts fair, sharing stories and art about collective memory and hope in the midst of the climate crisis......»»
Indonesian group seeks partner for infrastructure, energy projects
An Indonesian group is looking to partner with a local firm to tap opportunities in the infrastructure and energy sectors in the country......»»
Oil, gas firms to pursue expansion plans
Oil and gas companies are pushing through with plans to expand their operations despite a global climate emergency, according to sustainability think tank Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development......»»
Bikers for clean energy say no to proposed BNPP revival
“This bike ride is in response to the many issues confronting the planned revival of the BNPP, the calls for clean energy, and how the government should respond to the impacts of climate change." The post Bikers for clean energy say no to proposed BNPP revival appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
Scatec eyeing 2.4 GW of wind projects in Philippines
Norwegian company Scatec is expanding its renewable energy portfolio in the Philippines, with plans to develop 2.4 gigawatts of wind projects, with the Aboitiz Group to be its likely local partner......»»
Norway to help Philippine RE development
Norway plans to introduce new renewable energy technologies to the Philippines in support of the country’s push to utilize more clean energy sources......»»
Cebu City, private firm ink deal for waste-to-energy project
CEBU CITY, Philippines — By 2024, a waste-to-energy (WTE) facility will rise and operate in Cebu City. This was the target set after Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama signed on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022, the Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) that the city entered into with the private entity New Sky Energy, Inc. for the Cebu […] The post Cebu City, private firm ink deal for waste-to-energy project appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
DSWD taps LGUs help in releasing educational aid
MANILA - The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will sign a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to avoid a repeat of the "uncontrolled" crowd that swarmed its central office on the first day of the distribution of educationa.....»»
DSWD taps LGUs help in releasing educational aid
MANILA - The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will sign a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to avoid a repeat of the "uncontrolled" crowd that swarmed its central office on the first day of the distribution of educationa.....»»
PH firm gets US funding to develop up to 3GW wind power
MANILA - The Philippines' bid to increase the share of renewable energy among its sources got a boost following the awarding of a grant by the US government to a local firm to develop up to three-gigawatt wind power capacity.In a briefing on Saturday, US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken.....»»
Solon pushes for rehabilitation of Agus-Pulangi power plants
MANILA - A lawmaker on Friday said the rehabilitation of the Agus-Pulangi hydropower complex (APHPC) should be a top priority of the Marcos administration to ensure a clean and reliable energy source in Mindanao while fighting climate change.Davao City First District Representative Paolo Dut.....»»
Commentary: Will local actions matter in the global effort on climate change?
In the case of climate change, doing the right thing may be in our best interest as far as energy policy and economic development are concerned......»»
Binay named to Global Covenant of Mayors Board
Makati Mayor Abby Binay has been appointed to the board of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy an alliance for climate leadership with more than 10,500 member cities and local governments around the world......»»
Asia-Pacific needs to take bold action on energy sector
Manila-based Asian Development Bank is urging economies in Asia Pacific to address climate change through changes in the energy sector, especially as the region recovers from the pandemic......»»
Google further strengthens commitment to sustainability
In line with its longstanding commitment to climate action and environmental stewardship, Google announced several updates and initiatives this Earth Day week including its progress towards its goal to operate entirely on 24/7 carbon-free energy by 2030, a powerful Google and Arts Culture project, and an animated video Google Doodle. .....»»
The climate pledges of the world s top emitters
Under the Paris Agreement on climate, nearly every country will have to drastically reduce their carbon emissions, and they were supposed to submit renewed plans to do so by the end of 2020......»»