Saudi Arabia hosts UN talks on drought, desertification
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia will host the COP16 UN conference on land degradation and desertification next week as the...
World leaders meet for climate talks, but big names missing raising concerns over global climate commitment
The small group of developed countries that currently contributes the money wants the donor pool expanded to include other rich...
Economy
Embracing renewables secures UAE’s green future
"COP28 saw all parties reach an agreement on the historic ‘UAE Consensus.’ This consensus includes achieving a well-organized, responsible, fair,...
- UAE, under Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber's leadership, actively promotes global renewable energy.
- The 'UAE Consensus' at COP28 sets specific goals for a zero-carbon energy system, Al Jaber adds.
Business
France flooded with applications for electric car leasing scheme
Paris, France - The French government has been flooded with applications from low-income households to lease a subsidized electric car from...
- Some 90,000 people have applied to the scheme since the start of the month, French Environment Minister Bechu said.
- President Emmanuel Macron unveiled the plan on social media in December as part of efforts to reduce carbon emissions in France.
Economy
Saudi Arabia to highlight role in dealing with global challenges at WEF meet
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Ibrahim Alkhorayef said that the Kingdom’s participation in the...
- Saudi Arabia’s participation in the annual meet underscores its pivotal role in the transition toward carbon neutrality.
- The Kingdom’s engagement provides an opportunity for communication with key players in the private sector globally.
Geostrategy
2023 hottest recorded year as Earth nears critical threshold
PARIS, FRANCE - The year of 2023 was the hottest on record, with the increase in Earth's surface temperature nearly crossing...
- Climate change intensified heatwaves, droughts and wildfires and pushed the global thermometer 1.48 C in 2023 above the preindustrial benchmark.
- Nearly half of 2023 exceeded the 1.5C limit, beyond which climate impacts are more likely to become self-reinforcing and catastrophic, said scientists.
Business
Energy companies to test CO2 capture in Brazil undersea oil field
PARIS, FRANCE - A consortium of Brazilian, British, French and Chinese energy firms will test new technology aimed at capturing CO2...
- The pilot unit will separate oil from CO2-rich natural gas at the bottom of the ocean and reinject the gas directly into the reservoir, TotalEnergies said.
- The company said the high pressure subsea separation (HISEP) technology has the potential to reduce the intensity of greenhouse gas emissions.
Makkah region sees 600% surge in green spaces within 5 months
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - There has been a 600% increase in green spaces in Makkah region from August to December...
- Remote sensing data analysis revealed that the total area of vegetation cover in Makkah in August was 3,529.4 square kilometers
- This area gradually rose over the following months with increased rainfall, reaching 26,256 square kilometers by the end of the year
Japan quake toll rises to 62 as weather hampers rescuers
The 7.5-magnitude quake on January 1 that rattled Ishikawa prefecture on the main island of Honshu triggered tsunami waves more...
- The regional government of Noto Peninsula announced Wednesday that 62 people had been confirmed dead and more than 300 injured, 20 of them seriously
- JMA said the quake which triggered a major tsunami warning, had a magnitude of 7.6 and was one of more than 400 to shake the region through Wednesday morning
Geostrategy
Jordan takes steps to raise position in Global Food Security Index, says minister
AMMAN, JORDAN - Agriculture Minister Khaled Al-Hneifat said the ministry has been working hard over the past year to create...
- One of the points to achieve this goal are the creation of a national database for food security.
- The other is the issuance of a unique system for the Food Security Council, the minister said.
Race against time after deadly Japan quake
The 7.5-magnitude quake, which hit Ishikawa prefecture on the main island of Honshu, triggered tsunami waves more than a meter...
- USGS said the quake had a magnitude of 7.5. Japan's meteorological agency measured it at 7.6 and said it was one of more than 150 to shake Noto peninsula
- Almost 33,000 households were without power in the region, which saw temperatures touch freezing overnight, the local energy provider said
Geostrategy
Sheikh Hamdan issues resolution regulating single-use products in Dubai
DUBAI, UAE - Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive...
- The aim of the resolution is to protect the environment, encourage people to adopt an eco-friendly lifestyle.
- The move also aims to encourage the private sector to promote the use of recycled products.
Saudi Arabia hosts UN talks on drought, desertification
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia will host the COP16 UN conference on land degradation and desertification next week as the...
Company News
Latest News
Sprinklers and drip irrigation help Iraqis beat drought
After four years of drought, Iraqi farmer Mohammed Sami was about to abandon his father's parched land, but then a...
Economy
Poorer countries need money before raising climate targets, says COP29 head
Copenhagen, Denmark - Developing countries should not have to set stricter targets for cutting their carbon emissions before funds are available...
Geostrategy
No oil and gas majors aligned with climate targets: report
An A grade would be potentially aligned with the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement to limit temperature rise to...
Most Read
Geostrategy
Women, rural poor most affected by climate change, says UN
PARIS, FRANCE – Heatwaves and floods inflict greater economic pain on rural women than men because climate change intensifies existing inequalities,...
- The report said rural, women-led households in low- and middle-income nations already face more financial burdens than men when disaster strikes.
- It estimated that if average temperatures increase one degree Celsius, women would face a 34 percent greater loss in total income compared to men.
Above-normal temperatures for March-May due to El Nino: UN
El Nino, the large-scale warming of surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, typically has the greatest...
- Though El Nino is now gradually weakening, its impact will continue over the coming months by fuelling the heat trapped in the atmosphere by greenhouse gases
- It is a naturally occurring climate pattern typically associated with increased heat worldwide, as well as drought in some parts of the world and heavy rains elsewhere
Economy
World resource extraction could surge 60 percent by 2060, UN warns
Paris, France - Extraction of Earth's natural resources could surge 60 percent by 2060, imperiling climate goals and economic prosperity, the...
- The hunger for natural resources -- everything from food to fossil fuels -- keeps growing by an average of more than 2.3 per cent per year, it said.
- Extraction and processing of the huge amount of resources accounts for over 60 percent of planet-warming emissions, the report said.