PRESS/NEWS

Your location: Home > > Press > Press Headlines

Press Headlines

The "press headlines" is a daily compilation providing a general overview of international media coverage of climate change-related issues, that does not purport to be exhaustive. The information contained in the compilation is taken as is from sources external to the UNFCCC secretariat, that are freely available on the Internet. No evaluation on the part of the UNFCCC secretariat has been done in terms of the information that they contain. The UNFCCC secretariat makes no warranty, either express or implied, as to the accuracy, reliability or content of such information.

updated: 18 June 2013 10:13

Frontpage >>

China to launch carbon market trading scheme China is set to launch its first carbon trading scheme Tuesday in the southern city of Shenzhen. It’s one of seven pilot cities for emissions trading before a national rollout.	CNTV

Finance ministers set for UN climate talks invite Finance ministers are set to be invited to the forthcoming UN climate summit in Warsaw in November, RTCC understands.	RTCC

Renewable Energy Roadmap For Central America — Time To Develop One Nearly 22 percent of the world’s electricity is now supplied by renewable energy, and Central America is part of this global transition. The region is a worldwide leader in hydropower and geothermal energy, and most Central American countries are developing wind power projects.	Clean Technica

Climate change drops off G8 summit agenda The crisis in Syria and the ongoing economic downturn have pushed climate change out of the spotlight at the G8 summit this week. - See more at: http://www.rtcc.org/climate-change-drops-off-g8-summit-agenda/#sthash.pKgTC3DG.dpuf	RTCC

Veteran of climate talks begins to feel slight momentum toward progress Climate change is slowly starting to crawl back up the political agenda both domestically and internationally after years in the doldrums following the chaos of failed climate talks in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 2009.	ClimateWire

Climate Change Impact of Individual Transportation Choices Reported in New Study A new study of the individual carbon footprint from leisure or business travel reveals that while air travel continues to have the largest environmental impact, people's terrestrial transportation preference can still make a big difference in how much individual actions contribute to climate change.	Environmental Science and Technology

Caribbean Looks at Financial Approach to Combat Climate Change The Caribbean has the unenviable reputation as one of the most disaster-prone regions in the world, a situation exacerbated by climate change and vulnerability that experts warn could have significant economic consequences if unaddressed.	IPS

Look Out Below: Antarctic Melting From Underneath Ice experts have long known that Antarctica is losing ice at the margins of its vast ice sheets, where the frozen continent meets the sea — presumably, they thought, from icebergs breaking off and floating away.	Climate Central

Mayors Vow to Strengthen Defenses Against Extreme Weather As unprecedented extreme weather and climate change wreak havoc across the country, 48 local elected officials today committed themselves to fortifying their cities, towns, and counties.	Environmental News Service

Religions seen slow to go green; Pope has chance to inspire Few religious communities have gone as far in fighting climate change as a church in Queensland, Australia, which has 24 solar panels bolted to the roof in the shape of a Christian cross.	Reuters



Bonn talks make "concrete progress" towards global climate deal United Nations talks aimed at securing a global deal on climate change in 2015 made solid progress at the latest meeting in Bonn, even though a key negotiating track was suspended early in the week.	Business Green

Climate talks shift from curbing emissions to adapting Efforts to curb global warming have quietly shifted as greenhouse gases inexorably rise. The conversation is no longer solely about how to save the planet by cutting carbon emissions, it is becoming more about how to save ourselves from the warming planet’s wild weather.	AP

Climate Commission report says 80 per cent of fossil fuel reserves must stay in the ground The latest Climate Commission report has warned that 80 per cent of global fossil fuel reserves will have to stay in the ground if the planet is to avoid dangerous climate change.	ABC News

UN Climate Change Conference in Bonn sees concrete progress toward new agreement and speeding up climate action The UN Climate Change Conference in Bonn, Germany, ended on Friday after making concrete progress towards a new universal climate change agreement and on creating solutions to increase existing global action to deal with climate change.	Emirates News Agency

Climate-Proofing Cities Is A Hot Topic At Bonn Conference From Bangkok to Miami, cities and coastal areas across the globe are already building or planning defenses to protect millions of people and key infrastructure from more powerful storm surges and other effects of global warming.	AP

Pakistan can expect worse heatwaves to come, meteorologists warn Near-record temperatures in Pakistan have claimed hundreds of lives and devastated crops in the third major heatwave in four years.	The Guardian

China’s First Carbon Trading Market Goes Online This Week China is already set to launch its first carbon trading market this week. Reports said it will be officially opened on Tuesday. Shenzhen, a Special Economic Zone, will be China's first carbon emissions trading market.	International Business Times

China makes fresh promises on air pollution, pledges support for solar China's cabinet approved new measures to combat air pollution on Friday, in the latest step by China's new leadership to address the country's enormous environmental problems, with pollution a key source of rising social discontent in China.	Reuters

Obama to unveil climate package in July With his administration under pressure from environmentalists to reject the Keystone XL pipeline project, President Obama plans to unveil a package of separate actions next month focused on curbing US greenhouse gas emissions.	Boston Globe

EPA confirmation delay raises questions about U.S. carbon rules With a Senate vote on President Barack Obama's nominee to head the Environmental Protection Agency still in limbo, speculation is rising about the fate of a proposed emissions rule for new power plants that was scheduled to have been finished in April.	Reuters



Climate science debate has cost precious time, expert warns Floods, bushfires and this year's scorching summer heatwave have raised awareness of the dangers of climate change, but an "infantile" debate over the validity of the science has cost Australia precious time, according to a key Climate Commission expert.	The Guardian

ECOWAS moves to combat climate change vulnerability IN a renewed effort to mitigate the impact of natural disaster in Economic Community of West African (ECOWAS) region, member countries have moved to strengthen preparedness and response capacities to climate change and natural disasters.	The Guardian Nigeria

Mixed-bag climate conference closes in Bonn BONN — Talks towards a worldwide climate pact wrapped up Friday with delegates claiming progress, even though a procedural bust-up with Russia blocked important work.	AFP

Signs Of Trouble And Progress As Bonn Climate Talks Wrap Up Much like recent extreme weather events in Europe and the United States, this month’s intersessional in Bonn, Germany could be described as volatile. But despite some “stormy” discussions, rays of light could still be seen in some areas.	WRI Insights

Global warming agreement still on course for 2015 The world is still on course for an international agreement to tackle global warming in 2015 despite days of bickering in Bonn over how decisions are made under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).	Irish Times

EU positive over 2015 climate deal despite Russia row UN climate envoys are confident two weeks of talks have seen progress in key sectors, despite a row with Russia that has threatened to overshadow the Bonn meeting.	RTCC

Peru to host 2014 UN climate talks BONN, Jun 14 – Peru will host the 2014 ministerial-level climate conference — a key meeting just one year before the deadline for a new, global deal on curbing global warming, the UN’s climate chief said Friday.	AFP

UN climate talks marred by decision-making spat BONN, Germany (AP) - U.N. climate talks have hit a stumbling block that some delegates say poses a serious challenge to their already slow-moving attempt to craft a global response to climate change.	The AP

UN Global Warming Talks Blocked by Russia Set Back Six Months The United Nations global warming talks have been set back by six months after Russia and its allies blocked progress at a group charged with implementing decisions of the 190 nations involved in the discussions.	Businessweek

Russian stance a potential block to climate deal It was a historic moment in UN climate talks: with most countries in favour and only a group of OPEC members objecting, the German environment minister chairing the conference banged down her gavel to launch negotiations on a treaty to fight global warming.	Sydney Morning Herald



U.N. climate change conference in Bonn adjourns the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Bonn, Germany, say they made progress toward reaching a new universal climate change agreement.	UPI

LDCs demand clarity on climate-change mitigation finance from developed States The United Nations (UN) Least Developed Countries (LDCs) collective has requested that industrialised nations provide detailed information about the finance they are willing to provide to aid vulnerable States in their adaptation to, and mitigation of, climate change.	Creamer Media's Engineering News

Africa: 'Carbon Farming' Makes Waves At Stalled Bonn Talks Uxbridge — U.N. climate talks have largely stalled with the suspension of one of three negotiating tracks at a key mid-year session in Bonn, Germany.	AllAfrica.com

EU positive over 2015 climate deal despite Russia row UN climate envoys are confident two weeks of talks have seen progress in key sectors, despite a row with Russia that has threatened to overshadow the Bonn meeting.	RTCC

UN chief urges youth efforts to combat against climate change UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Thursday called on the youth to work towards tackling the problem of climate change, which is a threat to global development and the health of the planet.	Xinhua

Airlines must reduce their emissions If the world is to head off dangerous climate change and somehow keep a global temperature rise under 2 C, we need all hands on deck. That includes airlines.	China Daily

World leaders warned on risks of climate change With time running short to agree a post-2020 international deal to tackle climate change, a new report warns that inaction puts the world at risk of greater climate volatility.	EurActiv.com

Developing Countries Lead Global Shift to Green Energy Emerging economies such as Mexico and India are shifting energy investments into renewable resources while industrialised countries hesitate, noted two new United Nations reports released Wednesday in Nairobi, Kenya.	IPS

Burning coal responsible for over 20,000 deaths a year in Europe Air pollution from Europe's 300 largest coal power stations causes 22,300 premature deaths a year and costs companies and governments billions of pounds in disease treatment and lost working days, says a major study of the health impacts of burning coal to generate electricity.	The Guardian

Govts inch towards framework for global CO2 market Governments may this year launch a global framework to tie together national and regional greenhouse gas reduction efforts, a move that U.N. climate negotiators meeting in Germany this week said could lay the groundwork for a global carbon market.	Reuters Point Carbon



Russia warns talks on 2015 climate deal are “incredibly slow” The UN working group tasked with creating the new 2015 climate deal has been working far too slowly and has to get its act together by the end of 2013, Russia negotiator Oleg Shamanov has told RTCC.	RTCC

Cheaper solar panels fuel rise in renewable energy A dramatic drop in the price of solar power technology last year helped the continued growth of renewable energy, according to a U.N.-backed report published Wednesday.	AP

New York's Sea-Level Plan: Will It Play in Miami? Mayor Michael Bloomberg's announcement yesterday of a $19.5 billion, multidecade plan to defend New York City against rising seas and severe storms illustrated two truths that resonate far beyond his home city.	National Geographic News

Emission cuts lead to cleaner Calif. air Cuts in diesel emissions have drastically reduced the amount of pollutants in the air that cause global warming in California, potentially valuable information in the fight to save the world's climate from a predicted catastrophe, a study by University of California and government researchers said Wednesday.	San Francisco Gate

Facebook likes renewable energy, launches Arctic data centre Facebook has shared news that its latest and potentially greenest data centre went live this week, boasting renewable energy supplies and an impressive energy efficiency rating.	Eco-Business.com

Analysis: are countries meeting climate finance obligations? How are we going to deliver climate finance at a sufficient scale to help developing countries mitigate and adapt to climate change? Parties to the UN Climate Convention (UNFCCC) are struggling to agree on the answer to this question.	RTCC

Pacific Island technical paper wins support at UN climate talks Pacific Island proposals to move UN climate negotiations forward by focusing on the technical aspects of cutting greenhouse gas emissions appear to have received a favourable hearing at talks in Bonn.	RTCC

UN climate row: a sign world leaders are paying attention? [Opinion] In a negotiation where the existence of whole countries, the livelihoods of millions of people, and massive investments in technology and infrastructure are at stake, we should be worried if there is no controversy.	RTCC

How to launch action on climate change [opinion] As the latest round of United Nations climate change negotiations in Bonn, Germany, draws to a close after another series of familiar delays, it is important to recall the tremendous scale of the challenge we face and the precious little time remaining to meet it.	Reuters AlertNet

Renewable Energy Investments Shift to Developing Nations Renewable energy investments are shifting to developing nations as countries from Morocco to Chile pursue power sources that wean them off fossil fuel imports, two studies promoted by the United Nations said.	Bloomberg



'It's my generation's responsibility to fight climate change' Even the smallest breakthrough in climate negotations can be measured in lives saved, says Wael Hmaidan, the director of the Climate Action Network.	Deutsche Welle

UN climate meeting dealt blow as key talks suspended Mounting optimism that the UN's long-running climate change talks were making good progress in the run-up to the crucial Paris Summit in 2015 were dealt a major blow yesterday as a key negotiating track was suspended at the latest meeting in Bonn.	BusinessGreen

Russian block at climate talks A KEY panel at UN climate talks in Bonn went into deep freeze on Tuesday as Russia ignored pleas to end a procedural protest that observers said put narrow politics above global interests.	The Australian

Al Gore says President Obama slacking off on climate change and needs to 'get moving' Al Gore dished out some tough words criticizing President Obama for slacking off on efforts to curb climate change. The former vice president called on Obama to "get moving" and "present a plan" on how to stem the tide of global warming.	Daily News

Australian prime minister and Arnold Schwarzenegger join forces to fight climate change Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard joined forces with former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to urge global action on climate change, saying politics must be put aside.	Australian

Robert Redford Stars in Ads Calling for Action Against Climate Change (Video) Environmental activist and actor Robert Redford has enlisted in a multimedia campaign to push President Barack Obama to act on his promises concerning climate change by making coal-fired power plants cut the carbon pollution they produce.	Hollywood Reporter

Procedural wrangling blocks progress at climate talks in Bonn U.N. climate talks have suffered a setback after one of three bodies meeting at a two-week conference in Bonn, Germany, suspended its work without even adopting an agenda.	AP

U.S.-China climate deal called "breakthrough" but no long-term cuts yet China and the United States took a major step in the fight against climate change over the weekend, but what was termed a "breakthrough" might not do much in the longer term to lock in legally binding carbon emission cuts from the world's two biggest emitters of greenhouse gases.	Reuters

India rejects linking emission reduction to financial resources India has made it clear that it will not support a global climate change regime that simply links commitment to reduce carbon emissions to a country's financial resources.	Economic Times

Venezuela albergará reunión de la ONU sobre Cambio Climático en 2014 Venezuela será sede de la Reunión Ministerial preparatoria rumbo a la XIV Conferencia de las Partes de la Convención Marco de Naciones Unidas para el Cambio Climático (CMNUCC), prevista para 2014.	Telesur



Global warming may up flood risk in India, Southeast Asia Unchecked global warming may increase the risk of flooding at the end of this century in 42 per cent of the Earth's land surface, including parts of India, Southeast Asia and Africa, a new study has warned.	PTI

Bloomberg makes ambitious plan to protect NYC, but will next mayor carry it out? A $20 billion plan to gird New York with levees, flood gates and other defenses is a bold stroke from a mayor who saw the city through Superstorm Sandy and has championed preparedness for global warming. But the future of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s sweeping proposals will largely rest with his successor.	AP

Africa's worst drought tied to West's pollution The biggest drought to hit the planet in the 20th century, the Sahel drought, sucked Central Africa dry from the 1970s to the 1990s. The severe famines that resulted killed hundreds of thousands of people during this period and gained worldwide attention.	LiveScience

Behind the Climate Finance Headlines	IPS

Nigeria: Climate Change is Threat to Nigeria's Vision 20 - 2020 - World Bank The World Bank on Monday released two reports addressing and providing solutions to the challenges posed by climate change to Nigeria.	Premium Times

Montreal Protocol shows way for climate action: Wynn	Reuters

Here’s how the world can get on track with climate goals	Grist

Climate change – what next after the 2C boundary?	Guardian

Global carbon emissions hit record high in 2012 China led a rise in global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to a record high in 2012, casting doubt over the chances of limiting global warming to what scientists regard as an acceptable level.	Reuters

Global warming 'to be double the 2 degree target': IEA Global temperatures are on track to rise by more than double the two-degree Celsius (3.6-degree Fahrenheit) warming goal set by the UN unless urgent measures are taken, the International Energy Agency warned Monday.	AFP



Qatar assures support to Poland for COP19 meet: Attiyah The Chairman of the Administrative Control and Transparency Authority and Chairman of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 18) H E Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah yesterday presided over the third meeting of the Bureau of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) with UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres in attendance.	The Peninsula

After release of report, UN climate change body reiterates now is crucial moment' to act With United Nations-backed climate talks underway in Germany, the UN climate change body today reiterated that international efforts to mitigate the phenomenon are insufficient to meet the goal of keeping global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.	Malaysia Sun

Al-Attiyah attends climate conference HE the Chairman of the Administrative Control and Transparency Authority and Chairman of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 18) Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah yesterday presided over the third meeting of the Bureau of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).	Qatar News Agency

Waiting on climate deal ‘will set path to 5°C warming’ The world cannot afford to wait for a new global climate change agreement to come into force in 2020, because doing so will mean an end to hopes of limiting global warming to moderate levels, one of the world’s foremost authorities on energy has warned.	Guardian

EU Should Move Beyond Carbon Market to Shut Coal, IEA Says The European Union needs to think of other ways to prevent new coal-fired power stations from being built because its carbon market won’t achieve that this decade, according to the International Energy Agency.	Bloomberg

UN body urges efforts to check global warming With United Nations-backed climate talks underway in Germany, the UN climate change body Monday reiterated that international efforts to mitigate the phenomenon are insufficient to meet the goal of keeping global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.	IBNS

The IEA thinks we can still avoid 2°C of global warming. Here’s how. For anyone who’s in favor of preventing the planet from heating up, there’s bad news and good news in the latest big report from the International Energy Agency.	Washington Post

China Has Invested Billions Of Dollars In Renewable Energy Projects In US, Europe It is a well known fact that China is the leader in developing domestic renewable energy infrastructure, but an analysis of the country’s foreign investment shows that it has also made significant contributions in the development of renewable energy infrastructure across the world.	Cleantechnica

Report: 800K residents and fourth of NYC could be in flood zone by 2050s due to global warming By the 2050s, more than 800,000 New York City residents could be living in a flood zone that would cover a quarter of the city’s land and New Yorkers could sweat out as many 90-degree days as is now normal for Birmingham, Ala., as effects of global warming take hold, a scientists’ group convened by the city says	AP

How to Attract Private Investment in Clean Energy (editorial)	Bloomberg



U.N. panel smoothes path for African CO2 reduction schemes Developers of emission reduction projects in ten African nations face less red tape to earn carbon credits after a U.N. panel last week agreed rule changes it hopes will re-invigorate its ailing carbon market.	Reuters

Malaysia takes lead in climate talks As a new round of climate talks takes place in Bonn, Malaysia is coordinating the G77 in the Durban Platform, insisting that developing countries’ rights are respected.	Malaysia Star

UN environment chief welcomes US, China agreement to target potent greenhouse gas The head of the United Nations environment agency welcomed today the decision by China and the United States – two of the planet's biggest greenhouse gas emitters - to cooperate on phasing down production of a group of synthetic chemicals in order to combat climate change.	UN News Centre

Worry over scarcer credits propels US carbon market RGGI A pioneer US carbon market is climbing after an intervention meant to grapple with a surplus of credits that has also dogged Europe’s emissions trading system.	Financial Times

Climate change impacting food supply in Ghana Nearly 700,000 people in Ghana are staring at hunger as climate change has started taking a toll on food security in this West African nation of 25 million people, a survey shows. The phenomenon, according to an agrcultural expert, will further aggravate the frequency of droughts and storms which will affect food production.	IANS

Warming places SE Asia, India at higher risk of flood Rising carbon emissions will place parts of India, China, Southeast Asia, East Africa and the northern Andes at a higher risk of extreme floods, a study published on Sunday says	AFP

Ganges, Nile and Amazon seen suffering more floods from warming Climate change is likely to worsen floods on rivers such as the Ganges, the Nile and the Amazon this century while a few, including the now-inundated Danube, may become less prone, a Japanese-led scientific study said on Sunday.	Reuters

Tokelau workshopped on harnessing freshwater amid climate change threats Tokelau has been encouraged to better manage its rainwater, as its only source of freshwater.	Radio New Zealand International

Central Europe under water: Floods wreak havoc in Germany and Hungary Tens of thousands of people forced to evacuate their homes as further dramatic rises in the levels of the swollen Elbe and Danube rivers continued to cause chaos	The Independent

IEA's Didier Houssin: the world's energy future is not hopeless As part of an institution that is raising the alarm about the future of the planet, you would expect Didier Houssin, director of sustainable energy policy at the International Energy Agency (IEA), to be gloomy.	Guardian



A Rare Step Forward on Climate Change	Huffington Post

U.N. Climate Talks Pick Back Up in Bonn The next round of U.N. climate change talks began in Bonn, Germany—the final round of midyear negotiations before the 19th Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on NChange in November.	National Geographic

Latin American NGOs back Peru as 2014 UN climate talks host Latin American civil society organizations are backing Peru’s bid to host COP20 in 2014. The launch of the joint declaration, signed by more than 60 organisations,coincides with a pending decision about who will host COP20 at the latest meeting of the UNFCCC currently underway in Bonn, Germany.	RTCC

UN chief hails science’s contribution in addressing climate change The scientific community plays a key role in finding new ways to combat climate change, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today, stressing that governments must use scientific data to mobilize resources and take action against this global threat.	UN News Centre

Russian protests block UN climate talks Procedural protests by Russia held up part of the UN climate talks on Friday for the fifth successive day, according to frustrated delegates at the labyrinthine negotiations in Bonn.	AFP

Climate fund beats $US30b goal Japan and Norway topped a list of industrialised nations that beat a $US30 billion ($31 billion) funding goal for climate-protection projects in poorer countries, Climate Analytics said as it urged better coordination in future rounds.	Bloomberg

UN Climate Change Talks Stalled by ‘Russian Issue’ One of the three groups at the UN Climate Change Conference in Bonn, Germany, is unable to start its work because the sides have failed to agree on an issue about the rules of procedure put forward by Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.	RIA Novosti

UN climate talks stalled as Russia seeks rule change U.N. climate talks in Bonn remained stalled for a fourth day on Thursday as Russia, Belarus and Ukraine sought to address what they said is a lack of formal decision-making rules after the countries were snubbed at a previous meeting.	Reuters Point Carbon

Affirmative action can restore gender balance at UN climate talks – report Quotas and targeted funding could be used to boost the participation of women at the UN climate talks, a new report by UN Women and the Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice (MRFCJ) has recommended.	RTCC

WHO launches new tool to estimate health costs of climate change WHO/Europe developed a new tool to help Member States estimate the costs associated with damage to health due to climate change, and those of adaptation in various sectors to protect health.	WHO



Climate science tells us the alarm bells are ringing (opinion)	Washington Post

UN Climate Negotiators in the Hot Seat The fate of Earth’s climate hangs on UN climate negotiations taking place in Bonn this week to shape a global climate change agreement to be adopted by 2015 that would take effect in 2020.	ENS

Global carbon trading system needs urgent support warns UN chair The world’s main system of carbon trading needs urgent support from governments if it is to continue functioning effectively and give developing countries access to green technologies.	RTCC

Show Leadership on Climate, West Told Developing countries have said the key to having a successful climate agreement by 2020 is for the West to show leadership	Zimbabwe Business News

Mexican President Presents National Climate Change Strategy Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto this week presented a National Climate Change Strategy aimed at developing “green growth” in the country.	OOSKAnews

India, Germany sign development cooperation accord India and Germany Thursday signed an umbrella agreement on financial and technical cooperation in the field of energy, environment and management of natural resources, a statement said Thursday.	New Kerala

EU Proposes Lowest Allowed Limit for Imported Carbon Credits The European Union’s regulatory arm proposed to set the quota for international carbon credits at the lowest level allowed by law after imports aggravated a record glut of permits in the EU emissions-trading system.	Bloomberg

Building energy efficiency: C40 and ULI join forces to reduce carbon emissions C40 Cities and the Urban Land Institute (ULI) have formed a partnership to support C40 City officials in their efforts to reduce the energy consumption and carbon emissions of private buildings in each of their cities around the world.	National Geographic

African countries need robust climate change policies There is the need for African countries to formulate and implement robust policies, to mainstream climate change adaptation and mitigation into national and sub-national development plans.	Business Ghana

Climate change part of primary studies STUDENTS in the country are encouraged to learn more about climate change at primary school level so they can better analyse changes now and in the future	Fiji Times



West Africa: Minister Tasks West African Countries On Climate Change Mrs Hadiza Ibrahim Mailafia has called on West African countries to increase public awareness of the risks posed by climate change and natural disasters so as to reduce the vulnerability associated with them.	Daily Trust

Floods in Germany - a sign of climate change? Many regions of Germany, and other parts of Central Europe, have been hit severely by flooding in the wake of unusually heavy rain.	Deutsche Welle

Change the climate for India’s poor (opinion)	The Hindu

UN climate envoys urged to accelerate loss and damage planning Countries at acute risk from climate change related weather events could slip into a poverty trap unless a mechanism for helping them cope with loss and damage is established, a leading climate scientist has warned.	RTCC

Brazil reports sharp drop in greenhouse emissions Brazil’s greenhouse-gas emissions fell nearly 39% between 2005 and 2010, according to an inventory released today by the country's government.	Nature

Solar Powered Boat Begins ‘Deepwater’ Scientific Expedition The world’s largest solar powered boat, MS Tûranor PlanetSolar, established a new speed record for a solar-powered transatlantic crossing on May 18 of this year. She did this by beating her own record that was set on her 2010 voyage.	Cleantechnica

Food management critical in climate change fight The importance of managing food in the fight against global warming was reinforced by national and international diplomats during the Environmental Community Health Organisation’s (ECHO) first National Environmental Youth Convention on Wednesday, which was held to mark World Environment Day.	Guyana Times

UN presses NZ to set emissions reduction target The United Nations is putting the heat on the New Zealand Government over its failure to come up with a new binding greenhouse gas emissions target.	TVNZ

Mongolia Opens $122 Million Wind Farm With Aim to Cut Pollution Mongolia is scheduled to start operations at its first wind farm this month, a $122 million project that’s the biggest power plant in 30 years and part of a government effort to cap pollution cloaking the capital city.	Bloomberg

Najib renews pledge for a greener Malaysia Noting that environmental protection is close to his heart, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has renewed his pledge for a greener Malaysia.	Bernama



Dems urge Obama to get climate agreement from Chinese President Xi President Obama should press Chinese President Xi Jinping to curb emissions of a short-lived, but highly potent heat-trapping pollutant when the leaders meet this week in California, a group of House and Senate Democrats wrote Wednesday to Obama.	The Hill

Art Confronts Maldives’ Climate Change Controversy On the quay leading to the Arsenale exhibition complex, a block of ice melts in a rare blast of spring warmth. Elsewhere in the city, coconuts were bob on the choppy waters of the canals during the opening week of the 55th Venice Biennale.	IPS

Brazil's Jirau hydro project world's largest CDM-registered renewable plant The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has recognized Brazil's 3,750-MW Jirau hydropower plant under its Clean Development Mechanism.	Hydroworld

Climate change: let's bury the CO2 problem (comment)	Guardian

Bonn delegates to tackle impasse over REDD+ climate change negotiations Negotiators attending a UN climate change conference next week are expected to propose setting up a REDD+ governing body, which could help provide a solution to how countries monitor, report and verify successful emissions reductions	Thomson Reuters Foundation

World Environment Day: Think. Eat. Save. The time has obviously come in the daily hustle and bustle of our lives to give a thought to global warming as the very food we need for our survival could be at threat.	Deccan Chronicle

World Environment Day: Zee Media's 'My Earth My Duty' begins today Zee Media has brought another edition of India’s biggest environmental awareness initiative, ‘My Earth My Duty’. The fourth edition of the campaign is being launched on the occasion of World Environment Day on June 5.	DNA

Britain reject tough CO2 cut target for power sector British lawmakers on Tuesday rejected an amendment to the coalition government's Energy Bill which would have locked the power sector into tough carbon cuts from 2014, two years earlier than planned, and limited new gas plants being built after 2020.	Reuters

Japanese Solar Industry Soaring In the space of two days at the end of May three separate reports were released covering the soaring growth of Japan’s solar industry. Not only can solar replace nuclear power in Japan, but it is also set to become the world’s largest solar revenue market in 2013, thanks at least in part to a surge in installations in Q1.	Cleantechnica

Tata Power’s Karnataka wind farm registered under UN clean project Tata Power said its 50.4-MW wind power project at Gadag in Karnataka has been registered under the clean development mechanism (CDM) programme by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.	Hindu Business Line



German utility RWE backs 40 percent carbon cut The European Union should aim for a 40 percent cut in carbon emissions for 2030 and strengthen its emissions trading scheme, but steer clear of a fixed carbon price, the chief executive of German utility RWE AG said.	Reuters

Climate change causing US wildfire season to last longer, Congress told US forest service chief says hotter, drier conditions mean wildfire season lasts two months longer than it did 40 years ago	Guardian

Climate change keeping early birds from getting worms: study New research suggests that climate change is starting to keep early birds from getting the worms. In a groundbreaking study that wouldn't have been possible even a few years ago, scientist Kevin Fraser from York University in Toronto says that shifting seasons due to global warming have thrown the delicate timing of bird nesting and food availability out of whack.	CTV/Canadian Press

Ecuador’s Fragile Páramo Ecosystem Threatened by Climate Change The “páramos” or high plateaus of Ecuador, a crucial source of water, are showing signs of extreme fragility and a troubling loss of capacity to conserve this vital resource and sustain the survival of numerous species found nowhere else on earth.	IPS

Building on momentum: Two ways to make progress at the Bonn climate talks	Thomson Reuters Foundation

Carbon rise spurs urgent call at UN climate talks Negotiators on Monday launched a new round of UN climate talks with warnings that a newly breached threshold was a wakeup call to tackle surging carbon emissions.	AFP

USA and China intensify climate cooperation China and the USA are finalising details of their new climate pact ahead of a meeting between President’s Xi and Obama in California this week.	RTCC

Fair Climate Fix Gives U.S. Three Times Effort Assigned to China An equitable fix to climate change would assign the U.S. almost three times the effort of cutting carbon dioxide output as China, which in 2006 became the biggest emitter, research by the Stockholm Environment Institute suggests. +limpio%22	Bloomberg Businessweek

83 developing states call for clear climate finance & emission pledges Concrete plans to deliver finance, technology and capacity building to combat climate change are still woefully inadequate, 83 developing nations have warned in a statement at the United Nations climate negotiations.	RTCC

Pacific has a hurdle to climb, says SPREP Pacific Island countries have a huge hurdle to climb as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process gets complicated.	Solomon Star



Airlines agree on plan to offset emissions Global airlines have agreed on a proposal for tackling aircraft emissions in a bid to break international deadlock over an issue that has stoked fears of a carbon trade war.	Reuters

Airlines agree to curb their greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 International Air Transport Association resolution calls on world governments to agree measures to manage carbon dioxide	Guardian

US Tops In Renewable Energy Attractiveness As Sector Comes Of Age The US unseated China as the most attractive country for renewable energy investment in 2012, according to Ernst & Young’s (E&Y) May 2013 “Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index”	Cleantechnica

UK minister warns of 'massive gamble' on climate UK Energy Secretary Ed Davey will make his strongest attack yet on climate change skeptics he accuses of purveying a what he calls a “seductive” and “dangerous” message that global warming has stopped.	Bloomberg

India lags behind China in tackling climate change: Expert India has failed to meet its commitments towards tackling climate change mainly due to bureaucratic hurdles, while China, the world's biggest polluter, has a better record, an expert said here.	PTI

Delivery central to success of UN climate talks – Figueres Negotiations towards a global climate deal in 2015 will not be effective unless countries demonstrate they are implementing clean energy policies at home, UN climate chief Christiana Figueres has warned.	RTCC

Building On Momentum: 2 Ways To Make Progress At The Bonn Climate Talks Delegates at the April UNFCCC intersessional in Bonn, Germany made some encouraging progress. As negotiators gather again this week, it’s important that they build on this progress and take action on two key topics: raising ambition, and establishing core elements of the 2015 international climate action agreement.	WRI Insights

China, US step up climate change cooperation Senior officials from China and the United States, the world's two largest economies and greenhouse gases emitters, agreed on Friday to intensify their cooperation on climate change.	ChinaDaily

Renewables Club Founded By 10 Countries On the invitation of the German Environment Minister Peter Altmaier, high-level representatives from 10 countries have gathered in Berlin to establish the Renewables Club on June 1st, 2013.	CleanTechnica

Carbon dioxide levels show emission reduction not enough Carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere has surpassed 400 parts per million for the first time, according to measurements taken at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s Mauna Loa Observatory (MLO) in Hawaii in May.	The Mainichi



Climate Envoys Urged to Draft Plan B on Failure of Global Target Climate policy makers must come up with a new global target to cap temperature gains because the current goal is no longer feasible, according to a German study.	Bloomberg

Brazil Receives Requests For 392 MW Of Solar Power Projects Within One Week 392 megawatts (MW) of solar is a lot. Brazil, which has been a wind energy leader for a long time, has started to get going in the solar energy arena.	CleanTechnica

Washington to Study Use of Solar Energy The city of Washington will undergo a solar energy analysis to determine if solar energy could save the city money in energy costs.	Missourian

Climate change threatens 82% of native California fish Climate change threatens most of California's native freshwater fish -- many of which don't exist anywhere else in the world -- with extinction, a new study says.	USA Today

[Opinion] China, U.S. Agree To Save Planet From Climate Change China and the United States agreed to step up joint efforts to save the planet on Friday. Though so far both are doing a — how do I say this and be impartial — a subpar job at it when compared to their smaller peers in Europe and Latin America.	Forbes

The Week Ahead: International Climate Talks Resume nternational U.N. climate negotiations will resume June 3 in Bonn with a goal of establishing a pathway for an agreement in 2015 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.	Bloomberg BNA

Renewables Club Founded By 10 Countries On the invitation of the German Environment Minister Peter Altmaier, high-level representatives from 10 countries have gathered in Berlin to establish the Renewables Club on June 1st, 2013.	Cleantechnica

UN Urges Deeper Pollution Cuts in Biggest Challenge for Humanity Governments worldwide must step up efforts to save the planet from global warming in the biggest challenge humanity has ever undertaken, according to United Nations’ climate chief Christiana Figueres.	Bloomberg

Big firms should report environmental impact -UN panel Big companies should report their impact on the environment in addition to their earnings under a U.N. plan to boost economic growth and ease poverty by 2030, according to recommendations by a panel of world leaders released on Thursday.	Reuters

UN panel calls for end to extreme poverty by 2030 A high-level U.N. panel recommended an ambitious roadmap Thursday to tackle the world's major challenges, from climate change to equality for women, with a key goal of ending extreme poverty everywhere by 2030.	AP



EU denies climate policy hinges on German election The EU’s climate and energy policy will not be swayed by the result of this year’s German election its lead climate negotiator has told RTCC.	RTCC

Indigenous carbon conservation project to start selling credits Amazonian tribe to protect their rainforest home against encroachment and illegal logging has finally been validated and verified under a leading carbon accounting standard, enabling it to begin selling carbon credits, reports Forest Trends, an NGO that helped support the project.	mongabay.com

Poland, Finland seek cleaner Baltic, renewable energy investments Finland and Poland are looking to cooperate on cleaning up the Baltic Sea and renewable energy investments, Finnish Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen says.	UPI

Australia on course to beat 2020 renewable energy target, says study Australia is on course to surpass its renewable energy target by deriving 22.5% of its power from sources such as solar and wind by 2020, according to a new study.	Guardian

Australia Approaches 22% Renewables By 2020, 51% by 2050 Australia may be one of the most coal-dependent economies in the world, but by the end of this decade, it may have one of the greenest global grids.	Cleantechnica

UNICEF: Children bear brunt of climate health impacts When talking about the impacts of climate change on health, it is impossible to overlook the specific impacts on child health.	RTCC

Climate change linked to more pollen, allergies, asthma From the roof of the Gottlieb Memorial Hospital in the Chicago suburbs, an 83-year-old retired doctor finds troubling evidence of why so many people are sneezing and itching their eyes.	USA Today

Pacific islands’ deadly threat from climate change (opinion)	Washington Post

EU's greenhouse gas emissions sink to lowest since 1990 Greenhouse gases emitted by the European Union fell by 3.3 percent in 2011 to their lowest level since 1990, the European Environment Agency said on Wednesday.	Reuters

Ban Ki-moon could oversee climate target debate The EU has suggested that a UN meeting of world leaders on climate change to be convened next September could host a debate on climate change targets.	RTCC



UK emissions fell further than other EU nations after mild 2011 Greenhouse gas emissions dropped 7% in the UK, compared with an EU average of 3.3%, according to new data	Guardian

EU greenhouse gas emissions lowest to date The EU's environmental agency says the 27-nation bloc's greenhouse emissions in 2011 were the lowest since it began monitoring them in 1990.	AP

US needs to work with India, China on climate change: Report The US, which accounts for 18 per cent of the global carbon dioxide emissions, needs to work with India and China to make meaningful improvement on issues related to climate change and resource scarcity, a Congressional report has said.	Economic Times

As Glaciers Melt, Alpine Mountains Lose Their Glue, Threatening Swiss Village Marco Bomio recalls that bright Sunday morning in June 2006 as if it were yesterday. Mr. Bomio, 59, a school principal and mountain guide, attended a religious service on a high mountain meadow to mark the founding of a local guide group.	NY Times

Japan's 'Super Cool Biz' targets women With the so-called Super Cool Biz campaign set to start on Saturday, Japan's Environment Ministry is promoting fashion, makeup and odour-fighting laundry detergents to help keep women cool and stylish during the summer.	Yomiuri Shimbun

Is More Global Warming Hiding in the Oceans? The HMS Challenger set sail 135 years ago. It was the world's first scientific survey of ocean life. But the HMS Challenger also studied ocean temperatures along the way by dropping thermometers attached to Italian hemp ropes hundreds of meters deep – an effort that has been used as a baseline for global warming in oceans since pre-industrial times.	US News & World Report

CARIFORUM completes training in adaptation planning STARTING today, the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) will host a one-week regional training workshop intended to educate CARIFORUM countries about conducting vulnerability and capacity assessment (VCA) studies.	Jamaica Observer

UAE solar power capacity to reach 20GW by 2030 The UAE could economically deploy solar power generation capacity of more than 20GW by 2030 if avoided and opportunity costs of new fossil power generation are fully considered and transparent, stable, predictable and enforceable regulatory and policy frameworks are implemented, said a senior industry expert.	Arab News (Saudi Arabia)

Philippines Ramps Up Renewable Energy As the Philippines grapples with frequent power outages and a growing demand for energy, government agencies and private groups say the answer to the country’s power needs may lie in alternative sources.	Jakarta Globe

World Organization Warns Forests Disappearing in Paraguay A global environmental organization warned that at current rates, deforestation will remove the significant existing forests of eastern Paraguay in five to ten years from now.	Prensa Latina



Mount Everest region glaciers retreating as climate warms Even the world’s tallest mountain – first conquered by man 60 years ago today – cannot escape climate change.	Washington Post

Africa: Continent Roots for Agriculture in Global Climate Change Talks (opinion)	The Star

Can China really turn its emissions around by 2025? (opinion)	NewScientist

Debate Over on Climate Change, Says Chief UN Climate Negotiator Interview with Christiana Figueres	KQED

World Could Cut Emissions by 19.8 Billion Tons by 2020, UN Says The world could cut emissions by as much as 19.8 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2020, according to a technical paper published by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.	Bloomberg Businessweek

EU seeks 2014 deadline for nations' greenhouse gas plans All countries should outline their long-term plans for curbing greenhouse gases next year, earlier than favored by Washington, to revive the stalled fight against climate change, the European Union proposed on Tuesday	Reuters

EU seeks pathway to strong UN climate deal in 2015 All countries should outline their long-term plans for curbing greenhouse gases next year, earlier than favoured by Washington, to revive the stalled fight against climate change, the European Union proposed on Tuesday (28 May).	EurActiv

T&T, US sign deal on ‘clean’ energy Trinidad and Tobago and the United States Department of Energy have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate cooperation on scientific, technical and policy aspects of energy efficiency and clean energy technologies through the exchange of ideas and information.	Trinidad Express

EU Lawmakers Seek Limits on Carbon Fix Should Block Attempt Fail Lawmakers from the biggest group in the European Parliament are seeking to restrict a proposed carbon-market fix should their attempt to block the stopgap measure fail, according to a document obtained by Bloomberg News.	Bloomberg Businessweek

97% global warming consensus meets resistance from scientific denialism The robust climate consensus faces resistance from conspiracy theories, cherry picking, and misrepresentations	Guardian



EU Carbon Price Expectations Plunge 47% in a Year, IETA Says European Union carbon price expectations through 2020 have fallen 47 percent since last year, the International Emissions Trading Association said.	Bloomberg

Solar Energy's Sunny Future Over the past several years, the solar industry has been trying to recover from a crash in the price of silicon—a key component in the construction of solar panels.	National Journal

Tata Power aims to add 150-200MW wind energy capacity annually Looking to strength its renewables portfolio, Tata PowerBSE -1.04 % plans to add 150-200 MW wind energy and 30-50 MW solar power generation capacities every year in the country.	Economic Times

Pacific Parliamentarians at climate change talks in Australia (audio) Representatives of four Pacific nations' parliaments are in Australia this week for meetings and workshops on climate change.	ABC Radio Australia

Climate change adaptation: So simple, a caveman could do it	Grist

EPA's greenhouse gas power grab will damage economy (opinion)	Politico

Insurance and Climate Change... It's Complicated (blog)	Huffington Post

Decline in biodiversity of farmed plants, animals gathering pace A decline in the diversity of farmed plants and livestock breeds is gathering pace, threatening future food supplies for the world's growing population, the head of a new United Nations panel on biodiversity said on Monday.	Reuters

Africa: Climate Change Still Haunts AU Fifty years on, the African Union has encountered sizeable successes and numerous challenges in politics and economics. One of the biggest forceful challenges it faces today, which was scant threat in 1963 when it was formed, is climate change.	The Herald

PANOS wants more coverage of Climate Change issues An official at PANOS Caribbean believes the media can do more in sensitizing people on the effects of climate change	West Indies News Network



Sami people facing environment threat IT is a long way from the remote snow-covered mountains of Sweden to Darwin but for Elisabeth Utsi Gaup it has been a journey worth taking so she can get her message out about the plight of her people.	AAP

Gambia: FAO Trains Farmers On DRR, Climate Change The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) recently held a two-day capacity building for farmers on Disaster Risk Reduction and adaptation to climate change at Somita Mixed Farming Centre in Foni, West Coast Region.	The Daily Observer (Banjul)

Beneath A Glacier's White, Researchers See Green In the news business, an evergreen is a story that doesn't have to run on a particular day, but can stay fresh for a long time.	NPR

Report says hundreds of buildings vulnerable to flooding from rising sea levels at Port Fairy A report has found potentially disturbing effects of rising sea levels on the popular tourist town of Port Fairy, in south-western Victoria.c	ABC News Australia

First Brazil 2014 World Cup Solar Powered Stadium Opens As preparations for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil hit the final stretch, the first of many solar-powered stadiums being used for next year’s tournament was recently put in the spotlight with an inauguration event.	Cleantechnica

Shifting climate zones portend massive ecosystem upheaval Many plants and animals are already have a tough time keeping up with rapid changes in their habitat due to global warming, and there are signs that even greater ecosystem climate upheaval is ahead.	Summit County Citizens Voice

Namaste, NAMAs - our hope for tackling climate change (opinion)	eco-business.com

Climate change: we’re not doomed quite yet	Telegraph

Emissions peak hard to predict, expert says Many variables will factor into when China's greenhouse gas emissions will peak, and the issue requires more in-depth analysis, Zhou Dadi, vice-chairman of the National Energy Advisory Committee, told China Daily on Friday.	China Daily

Climate change drowning Senegal, 'Venice of Africa' Ameth Diagne was asleep when the first waves lapped at his back door, the lukewarm, salty water seeping into his bedroom an impassive portent of the final days of his 650-year-old fishing community.	AFP



Britain calls for EU target to halve emissions by 2030 Britain has challenged Europe to sign up to an ambitious target of cutting carbon emissions by 50 per cent by 2030.	The Independent

Green groups attack government resistance to EU climate change goals Campaigners and industry experts criticise government plan to block new EU-wide renewable energy targets	Guardian

Goma West inaugurates Committee on climate change A nine-member committee has been inaugurated to promote ownership, sustainability and successful implementation of climate change and health project in Gomoa West District.	Ghana Business Network

Community Solar May Be Next Big Thing In Australia Renewables The momentum for a big push into community solar projects appears to be gathering pace, with several different organisations planning public launches in the next month, and suggestions that several dozen projects could be built on NSW rooftops in coming years.	Cleantechnica

'The Sumatran rainforest will mostly disappear within 20 years' In only a few years, logging and agribusiness have cut Indonesia's vast rainforest by half. The government has renewed a moratorium on deforestation but it may already be too late for the endangered animals –and for the people whose lives lie in ruin	Guardian

Keen photographers urged to snap tidal changes An online project is encouraging people to help create a record of rising sea levels.	ABC News Australia

Comment: Health overlooked in our response to climate change	RTCC

Uncertainty no excuse for procrastinating on climate change	Business Spectator

EU: 2030 climate policy must address global UN deal EU heads of state have agreed to look at the bloc’s 2030 climate and energy targets this year as it continues preparations for the 2015 UN climate deal.	RTCC

Kiribati welcomes chance to highlight climate change plight The vice president of Kiribati, Teima Onorio, says consultations on legal protections for those displaced by natural disasters are an opportunity for Kiribati to focus attention on climate change.	radio



Disaster risk must be part of new development goals - global forum Work on reducing the risk of disasters cannot be separated from efforts to tackle climate change and to move towards more sustainable development, an international conference on disaster risk reduction agreed this week.	Thomson Reuters Foundation

U.S. carbon tax could boost revenue, curb climate change - report A tax on carbon dioxide emissions could help the United States mitigate climate change while significantly increasing government revenue, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said this week.	Reuters

Saint Lucia signs up for the Carbon War Room’s ‘Ten Island Renewable Challenge Saint Lucia announced its intention to move towards a clean energy future by becoming the next economy to join Carbon War Room’s Ten Island Challenge	Renewable Energy Focus

Gov. Brown keeps pressing climate change crusade Gov. Jerry Brown warned scientists and policymakers Thursday that they are losing the war on climate change and urged them to become advocates for the planet.	AP

Pacific people must live with dignity: Cook Islands Speaker Pacific people must be allowed to live in dignity on their own islands instead of relocating due to climate change, says Cook Islands Parliament Speaker Nikki Rattle.	Islands Business

Tonga eyes wind energy future after building first turbine Pacific nation says up to 2.3MW of wind energy capacity could be installed, helping the country phase out expensive fossil fuel imports	BusinessGreen

Heat-related deaths may increase with climate change Heat-related deaths in New York City's borough of Manhattan may rise about 20 percent over the next decade, according to a new study.	Fox News

The Climate-Change Wars Begin This Summer The biggest piece of President Obama’s second-term agenda is his widely expected plan for the Environmental Protection Agency to issue new carbon regulations for power plants, a move that could bring the United States in line with the greenhouse-gas-reduction goals it agreed to in Copenhagen and open the way for an international treaty to control climate change.	New York Magazine

A mission on climate change (opinion)	Washington Post

World on course to run out of water, warns Ban Ki-moon Freshwater supply and water quality under pressure, warns UN secretary general on International Day of Biological Diversity	Guardian



New EU climate policy unlikely before 2015: Poland The European Union is unlikely to hammer out its new policy on global warming ahead of a global climate deal that could be clinched in 2015, Poland's environment minister said Wednesday.	AFP

Saudi Arabia sees win-win in solar energy boom A slide in solar power costs and a surge in oil prices over the last few years has made solar power a win-win strategy for Saudi Arabia: saving billions of dollars of crude for export while making electricity at less than half the cost.	Reuters

EU summit set to turn climate agenda upside down Europe’s plan to decarbonise its economy by 2050 could be turned on its head at a summit today (22 May) if EU heads of state and government sign off on measures prioritising industrial competitiveness over climate change in draft conclusions seen by EurActiv.	EurActiv

Merkel protege struggles with Germany's green revolution Chancellor Angela Merkel appointed him for his charm and political skill as marshal of her vision of a 'green revolution' in Europe's biggest power market. A year on, Peter Altmaier finds himself spurned by many environmentalists, disdained by industry and viewed cooly by a public wary of the costs.	Reuters

Eight utilities call on EU leaders to revitalize energy policy The CEOs of eight key European energy companies have released a joint statement underlining the seriousness of the current challenges facing the region's energy sector and proposing appropriate policy action, ahead of a European Council summit Wednesday that is set to focus on energy.	Platts

Fiji to review disaster policy and plan Fiji’s outdated Disaster Management policy and plan are currently under review with a view to incorporate disaster risk reduction and climate change into a new national plan.	Fiji Broadcasting Corporation

Maibarara project gets CDM registration The 20-megawatt Maibarara geothermal project has successfully secured registration as a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) venture sanctioned under the Kyoto Protocol of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.	Manila Bulletin

Climate change boosted human development: study Early humans living in South Africa made cultural and industrial leaps in periods of wetter weather, said a study Tuesday that compared the archaeological record of Man's evolution with that of climate change.	AFP

Bangladesh farmers battle water woes Fahima Begum rises each morning at dawn and walks two kilometers to a small pond, the nearest source of fresh water. On her way she passes the rusty old hand-pumped tube well that used to supply water to her village in Bangladesh's arid Barind region until the water table here dropped out of reach.	Asia Times

Beijing Art Show Confronts Climate Change Residents of this smog-choked city are uniquely prepared for an impassioned discussion of the environment, whether it’s the state of the air or the fears about food and water safety.	Wall Street Journal



Natural disasters, climate change, and the ‘burn it all downers’ (opinion)	Washington Post

Could a Chinese carbon cap pave the way for a global climate deal?	Grist

Absolute emissions cap proposed for China According to local Chinese media, the government’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has proposed that China adopt an absolute cap on its greenhouse gas emissions by 2016.	Business Spectator

China agrees to impose carbon targets by 2016 The battle against global warming has received a transformational boost after China, the world's biggest producer of carbon dioxide, proposed to set a cap on its greenhouse gas emissions for the first time.	The Independent

UNEP says Bright Moon partnership reaffirms China's green aspirations The UN Environment Program (UNEP) agency said Monday China is currently a strategic and significant player in the advancement of green transformation and sustainable development globally.	Xinhua

World must face up to climate-driven disasters: UN The world needs to wake up to the risk of a spike in natural disasters linked to climate change and strive to find ways to cut the human and economic cost, the United Nations warned on Tuesday.	AFP

China reveals details of first carbon trading scheme Operating details of China’s first pilot carbon-trading scheme, in Shenzhen, have been released as it gets ready to launch next month, and as the country prepares to roll out seven pilot schemes by 2014.	Financial Times

Could radio help mitigate climate change in the Congo Basin? Climate change is hitting the Congo Basin region hard and while communities there and in other parts of Africa struggle to adapt to rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns, scientists are trying to help — using radio to spread the word.	Thomson Reuters Foundation

Climate change threatens Gulf monarchies' survival Qatar-based author Mari Luomi says the Persian Gulf monarchies will have to change to be sustainable in the era of climate change. But reaping the benefits of the fossil fuel economy has blinded most of them to that.	Deutsche Welle

Namibia: Biodiversity Action Day Marked Namibia's environment has started turning into an enemy that conspires with nature, while poor farming practices, excessive mining and deforestation have contributed to environmental degradation, according to the Minister of Environment and Tourism, Uahekua Herunga.	New Era



Asia-Pacific leaders warn of water conflict threat Fierce competition for water could trigger conflict unless nations cooperate to share the diminishing resource, leaders from Asia-Pacific nations warned on Monday.	AFP

Majority thinks global warming, clean energy should be priorities Global warming and clean energy should be priorities for Congress and the president, a majority of Americans said in a recent survey.	LA Times

Extreme global warming seen further away than previously thought Extreme global warming is less likely in coming decades after a slowdown in the pace of temperature rises so far this century, an international team of scientists said on Sunday.	Reuters

LDCs in UNFCCC to confer in June Representatives of all 49 member countries in the Least Developed Countries Group (LDC Group) in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), are scheduled to gather in Bonn of Germany to discuss the upcoming framework of the 2015 protocol from June 3 to 14.	The Himalayan

Global warming has not stalled, insists world's best-known climate scientist Prof James Hansen warns public not to be fooled by 'diversionary tactic' from deniers	Guardian

Abu Dhabi’s first greenhouse gas data to fight climate change The capital has released its first report on greenhouse gas emissions from every sector in the emirate to help in the global battle against climate change by reducing the emissions.	Gulf News

Tonga constructs its first wind turbine Tonga is building its first wind turbine, and the country’s sole power company hopes to turn wind energy into one of Tonga’s major electricity sources.	Radio New Zealand International

S. Africa to build wind farm in search for clean energy In a further move in developing clean energy, South Africa will build a wind farm which will generate up to 100 MW of power, it was announced on Monday.	Xinhua

Niue already implementing integrated approach to addressing DRR and Climate Change Niue, like other Pacific Island Countries, is already implementing an integrated approach to addressing disaster risk management and climate change.	Islands Business

Antarctic Outpost To Use Wind, Solar Energy To Survive Grab your parkas, everyone. It’s already late May and winter is almost here. Well, it is if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, anyway. And no place feels winter more deeply than the Antarctic, where a new research station is being planned that will run on renewable energy, even during the unfathomable cold and dark of austral winters.	Earth Techling



Coal Tax To Fund India’s 750 MW Solar Power Capacity Addition Plan In 2013 The Indian government is set to repose millions of dollars in financial support for solar power project developers from the coal tax corpus it has accumulated over the last few years.	Cleantechnica

On climate change, Obama faces an attack from his left flank If you want to get a sense of how impatient some of President Obama’s most loyal supporters are getting when it comes to climate change, consider this: They’re planning to conduct protests at meetings of the grassroots advocacy organization run by his former top campaign aides.	Washington Post

Put the Environment at the Center of the Global Economy: An Argument for the Eco-Currency	Huffington Post

Floods, cyclones … business and governments must wake up to disaster	Guardian

Drawing in US, China and finance critical to climate deal - S. Africa Building a new, ambitious global climate agreement by 2015 will require drawing in China and the United States, and boosting financial help for poor nations so they feel “energised” to act, South Africa’s climate change ambassador has said.	AlertNet

EU carbon permit surplus doubles in 2012 The surplus of permits in the EU’s carbon market more than doubled last year to 2bn, according to fresh data that Brussels hope will rally support for its controversial plan to boost carbon prices.	Financial Times

US states look to cut greenhouse gases A growing number of American states are looking at ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the absence of federal climate change legislation, with a northeastern scheme for trading carbon becoming a model.	Financial Times

German split may delay EU carbon fix Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition blocked an opposition move to debate and vote on Europe's carbon market, highlighting the government's reluctance to take a stance on a proposed fix before Sept. 22 elections.	Sydney Morning Herald

Nigeria: Senate Task Government On 2013 Flood Prediction The Senate has mandated its committee on Water Resources, Environment, Maritime Transport and Special Duties to find out the level of Government's preparedness to tackle the impending challenges from predicted rain floods in 2013.	Daily Trust

South Asia in Search of Coordinated Climate Policy With a combined population of over 1.7 billion, which includes some of the world’s poorest but also a sizeable middle class with a growing spending capacity, South Asia is a policymaker’s nightmare.	IPS



Regional council takes first steps to reflect global interests The Arctic Council added China and five other countries as official observers yesterday, expanding the focus of the organization and underscoring the complicated politics created by newly open waters in the north because of climate change.	ClimateWire

Ukraine Carbon Offset Usage Soars as EU Ban Talk Boosts Demand Factories, utilities and airlines snapped up a flood of carbon offsets from Ukraine and Russia to comply with European Union emission targets in 2012 amid speculation the credits would face usage restrictions.	Bloomberg

Spring of 2012 was earliest on record, too early? The spring of 2012 shattered almost every imaginable record for warmth in the U.S. Trees bloomed and buds burst weeks ahead of schedule. Now scientists who study plant stages and their relationship to climate say it was the earliest spring on record.	Washington Post

Citizen Scientists Map Global Emissions Arizona State University atmospheric scientist Kevin Gurney is mapping carbon dioxide emissions for the entire planet and he wants you to help.	Voice of America

Nearly 100% of new California electricity to be solar Herman Trabish of Greentech Media has happened across a pretty interesting find — 97% of new electricity generation capacity in line to be added to the California grid in the second half (2H) of 2012 is from solar power projects.	Reneweconomy

Blue crabs in Maine? Something fishy about global warming Warming oceans are changing the mix of species in the world's fisheries as fish try to remain in waters in their preferred temperature range, according to a new study.	Christian Science Monitor

Analysis: Obama climate agenda faces Supreme Court reckoning	Reuters

The green entrepreneurs There have been many signs that green entrepreneurship is coming of age in India. A report published in this newspaper on Thursday says that several renewable energy firms are now trying to raise capital by listing on the Singapore Stock Exchange.	10

Climate research nearly unanimous on human causes, survey finds Of more than 4,000 academic papers published over 20 years, 97.1% agreed that climate change is anthropogenic	Guardian

UN: $2.5 trillion in disaster losses since 2000 Economic losses from disasters since 2000 are in the range of $2.5 trillion, a figure at least 50 percent higher than previous international estimates, according to a U.N. report released Wednesday.	AP



Historic carbon peak soon to become global average: WMO After seeing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere surpass a historic threshold last week, the world should brace for the new peak level to soon become the global annual average, the World Meteorological Organization warned Tuesday.	AFP

Drawing in US, China and finance critical to climate deal - S. Africa Building a new, ambitious global climate agreement by 2015 will require drawing in China and the United States, and boosting financial help for poor nations so they feel “energised” to act, South Africa’s climate change ambassador has said.	Thomson Reuters Foundation

Scientists say united on global warming, at odds with public view Ninety-seven percent of scientists say global warming is mainly man-made but a wide public belief that experts are divided is making it harder to gain support for policies to curb climate change, an international study showed on Thursday.	Reuters

Analysis: Obama climate agenda faces Supreme Court reckoning With a barrage of legal briefs, a coalition of business groups and Republican-leaning states are taking their fight against Obama administration climate change regulations to the U.S. Supreme Court.	Reuters

Carbon Capture Able to Be Competitive by 2020s, U.K. Group Says Technology to trap carbon emissions from coal- and gas-fired power plants and store it underground has the potential to be cost-competitive with other green energy in the U.K. by the early 2020s, a government adviser said.	Bloomberg

China May Not Import Credits as UN Seeks Carbon-Emissions Market China, the world’s largest greenhouse-gas emitter, probably won’t import carbon credits for two decades as global diplomats craft a new emissions market that will increase supply, the nation’s climate negotiator said.	Bloomberg Businessweek

Climate Change Has Shifted the Locations of Earth's North and South Poles Increased melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet and other ice losses worldwide have helped to move the North Pole several centimeters east each year since 2005	Scientific American

World's fish are migrating to escape global warming Hot, hot, hot. Fish the world over are migrating to escape global warming. For several years now, some fishers have been noticing changes in their nets. In places, new species are being caught. Sea bass and red mullet have moved north into British waters. Pacific salmon have swum to the Beaufort Sea, where – according to Dan Pauly of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada – the Inuit have no name for them.	NewScientist

Gambia: More Rural Farmers Trained On DRR and Adaptation to Climate Change The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture continued its community-based step-down training initiative on disaster risk reduction and adaptation to climate change for Gambian farmers with training programmes held recently in the North Bank and Upper River Regions respectively.	The Daily Observer (Banjul)

Solar Lights & Water Pumps Can Help To Alleviate Poverty Can solar power help eradicate extreme poverty in the developing world? As we’ve shown a number of times, many social entrepreneurs think so, and are investing their time and money in a variety of technologies.	Cleantechnica



More power to solar energy The government has received a white paper from the industry suggesting steps to enhance solar energy projects	The Hindu

Poor countries endanger development by spending less than promised Countries are barely funding social protection, gender equality and climate change programmes, crucial for meeting sustainable development goals after 2015, a report by Oxfam and Development Finance International (DFI) said on Thursday.	Guardian

Let's reconnect green issues and development post-2015 Post-2015 discussions offer a chance to link the environmental and development agendas — it shouldn't be bypassed	SciDev.Net

Paris projected as pivotal climate point We'll always have Paris. Paris is a nice place for a romance, or restaurants, or writing poems, or all of the above, by all accounts. But how about Paris as a place to settle the world's global warming troubles?	USA Today

South Korea to launch world’s most ambitious emissions trading scheme – report South Korea is set to introduce its emissions trading scheme which could be the most ambitious in the world, concluded a key report of Bloomberg New Energy Finance, in collaboration with Ernst & Young.	eco-seed

Kerry: US must do more on climate change The US response to climate change has been inadequate, Secretary of State John Kerry has admitted. Speaking en route to the Arctic Council Ministerial meeting in Sweden, Kerry praised his host’s efforts in cutting its emissions, but said his own country;’s performance was a matter of ‘regret’.	RTCC

Sea levels in Europe could rise up to 1m by 2100, say scientists Cities around Europe could face sea level rises of a metre or more by the end of the century when storm surges are factored in, according to research that helps address some of the biggest uncertainties about climate change	Financial Times

Ice melt, sea level rise, to be less severe than feared: study A melt of ice on Greenland and Antarctica is likely to be less severe than expected this century, limiting sea level rise to a maximum of 69 cm (27 inches), an international study said on Tuesday.	Reuters

ONGC registers Tripura project under CDM ONGC on Tuesday said it has registered the OTPC power project of its ONGC Tripura Power Corporation Ltd (OTPC) as a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) under the Kyoto Protocol.	The Hindu Business Line

For Insurers, No Doubts on Climate Change From Hurricane Sandy’s devastating blow to the Northeast to the protracted drought that hit the Midwest Corn Belt, natural catastrophes across the United States pounded insurers last year, generating $35 billion in privately insured property losses, $11 billion more than the average over the last decade.	NY Times



Climate change may be baring Mount Everest A warming climate is melting the glaciers of Mount Everest, shrinking the frozen cloak of Earth’s highest peak by 13% in the last 50 years, researchers have found.	LA Times

World’s poorest set to assume leadership role at UN talks “The time is gone to think of this whole thing in terms of aid. I am one of those who argues the age of aid is over”.	RTCC

Buyers, not banks or agents, push for greener homes IT IS home buyers, not banks or estate agents, who are pushing a nascent trend towards green architecture that incorporates devices and design attributes that save energy and water, and reduce the emission of greenhouse gases linked to climate change, according to research released on Tuesday.	BusinessDay

Young brigade's green agenda A group of college students and fresh graduates is making its own efforts to protect environment and to create awareness among people about the need to protect environment.	The Hindu

Helen Clark: 'We're living as if we had four planets'	Deutsche Welle

In Google “Limelight” — Bike To Work Week, Google Bike Maps, & Taking Back Your Neighborhood May 17th is National (US) Bike to Work Day, set aside to honor the holistic living practice of bicycling for transportation purposes. For open-air-loving bicyclists, it is the best idea since apple pie.	Cleantechnica

What will it take for policymakers to act on climate change?	Thomson Reuters Foundation

Why the world faces climate chaos	Financial Times

World in a 'new danger zone' as CO2 hits record levels: UN With a CO2 level of 400 parts per million (ppm) announced last week, the highest in human history, the world "crossed an historic threshold and entered a new danger zone," she said in a statement urging policy action.	Sapa-AFP

Ahead of June climate change talks, UN body urges coordinated response to CO2 ‘danger zone’ In the face of “clear and present danger,” the United Nations climate change body is warning that a stepped-up coordinated response is needed to fend off the impacts of climate change after the world’s carbon-dioxide concentrations surpassed their highest level in 4 million years.	UN News Centre



Germany's Merkel eyes tougher carbon targets German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she's confident that European Union member states can agree to more ambitious climate protection targets.	Bloomberg

UN faces uphill battle to reduce global airline emissions Little progress has been made in a United Nations' effort to craft an agreement to lower greenhouse gas emissions from international air travel, raising doubts that its civil aviation body can deliver a final resolution by a September target date, several government officials said on Monday.	Reuters

A Rare Bipartisan Clean Energy Bill Is Ready for Passage An investment tool that is helping finance $400 billion worth of fossil fuel projects could be available to renewables—as soon as the bill can pass.	InsideClimateNews.org

Climate Refugees? More coastal villages may have to relocate due to eroding shorelines and coastal flooding	Islands Business

A Change in Temperature Since 1896, scientists have been trying to answer a deceptively simple question: What will happen to the temperature of the earth if the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere doubles?	NY Times

UN convenes meeting on role of technology and innovation for sustainable development Senior United Nations officials, policymakers, civil society representatives and other stakeholders gathered today at UN Headquarters in New York for a special Economic and Social Council forum on mobilizing science, technology and innovation for sustainable development.	UN News Centre

Rainforest plays critical role in hydropower generation Deforestation in the Amazon region could significantly reduce the amount of electricity produced from hydropower, says a new study.	BBC

Fewer Rain Forests Mean Less Energy for Developing Nations, Study Finds The loss of tropical rain forests is likely to reduce the energy output of hydroelectric projects in countries like Brazil that are investing billions of dollars to create power to support economic growth.	NY Times

Solar power industry sees bright future in Massachusetts Sometime this summer, what had been 17 acres of useless space atop a capped landfill on Holyoke Street will start generating 2.7 megawatts of power with solar panels.	The Republican

Is climate change fueling an epidemic? If you haven’t heard of valley fever, you’re not alone. Although cases in states like California are rising, public awareness is low and misdiagnoses from doctors are sadly high. The AP reported an 850 percent spike in cases across the country from 1998 to 2011, with California and Arizona being the worst states.	Salon



Carbon dioxide level crosses milestone at Hawaii site The amount of climate-warming carbon dioxide in the atmosphere topped 400 parts per million at a key observing station in Hawaii for the first time since measurement began in 1958, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said on Friday.	Reuters

Climate change forecast to shrink habitat of common plants, animals The habitats of many common plants and animals will shrink dramatically this century unless governments act quickly to cut rising greenhouse gas emissions, scientists said on Sunday after studying 50,000 species around the world.	Reuters

Climate change 'will make hundreds of millions homeless' It is increasingly likely that hundreds of millions of people will be displaced from their homelands in the near future as a result of global warming.	The Guardian

'Dramatic decline' warning for plants and animals More than half of common plant species and a third of animals could see a serious decline in their habitat range because of climate change.	BBC

China ‘Moving to Lead on Climate Change,’ Says Report Both China and the U.S., the world’s two principal emitters of greenhouse gases, have been making significant recent progress on tackling climate change, a report by an influential Australian advisory group says.	Climate News Network

Climate change: swift political action can avert a carbon dioxide crisis The news that concentrations of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere reached a level of 400 parts per million last week might not appear to have immediate significance.	The Guardian/The Observer

USA holds key to aviation emissions deal United Nations negotiations to contain emissions from planes and ships recommence in Montreal and London this week, with hopes for a global climate change deal in 2015 resting on these two sectors.	Responding to Climate Change

Rising temperatures increase health risks Summer is almost here, and with it likely some blistering hot days. A recent study suggests the elderly should beware when the temperature spikes, because they face an increased risk of winding up in the emergency room short of breath on those days.	Baltimore Sun

Solar power all set to heat things up as state pushes the rooftop scheme After making rain water harvesting a mass movement, the state government is now working towards a mass revolution in generating solar power from the rooftops, according to chairman and managing director of Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency, Sudeep Jain	New Indian Express

Women and Men Experience Climate Change Differently: Report The World d Bank 2010 annual report World Development Report 2010 was on the world present urgent challenge how to address the issue of Climate Change and Development.	Sudan Vision Daily



Cities need the resilience to face future Sandys Whether or not Hurricane Sandy had a connection to climate change, climate change will make future Hurricane Sandys more common, imposing enormous costs on cities.	Sun Herald

Rules to measure climate ambition could be agreed at UN summit in Warsaw Specific criteria that countries can base emission reduction plans on needs be agreed at the Warsaw climate summit at the end of 2013, an influential campaign group has warned.	RTCC

UN Carbon Has Biggest Jump Since 2011 as EU Factories Tap Quota United Nations Certified Emission Reduction credits had their biggest one-day gain since Dec. 20, 2011 amid speculation factories and utilities are using the carbon offsets to meet European Union pollution targets.	Bloomberg Businessweek

Global Environment Facility launches new drive to detox planet A leading development bank has launched a new drive to cut the levels of harmful chemicals released into the atmosphere.	RTCC

Ghana seeks to have Africa’s largest solar power plant Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama on Thursday said government had provided provisional licenses for nine organisations to invest in energy generation.	Ghana Business Network

Charles: 'Climate change sceptics are turning Earth into dying patient Heir to throne intervenes on issue dividing coalition, making outspoken criticism of attempts to tackle global warming	Guardian

World's first green bank loans $1bn in first months of operation Britain's Green Investment Bank (GIB), the world's first bank solely focused on lending to clean energy projects, said it allocated 635 million pounds ($988 million) in funding over its first five months of operation.	Reuters

The measure of global warming AT NOON on May 4th the carbon-dioxide concentration in the atmosphere around the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii hit 400 parts per million (ppm).	The Economist

Biden defends Obama’s climate change record Vice President Biden is rebutting claims that the Obama administration hasn’t pushed hard enough on climate change and defending President Obama’s first-term record.	The Hill

Obama's EPA nominee stalled as Republicans boycott vote Republican senators on Thursday stalled the confirmation of President Barack Obama's pick to lead the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, saying they were "completely unsatisfied" with answers provided by Gina McCarthy on several topics.	Reuters



Shepherd or shoot goats in the name of climate change O’Hare airport will finally get its goats. The Department of Aviation of the City of Chicago has awarded a contract to a private firm to provide 25 goats to munch vegetation at the city’s airport. These “green lawn mowers” will help reduce carbon dioxide emissions to sustain the planet.	Washington Times

Women are 'key drivers' in climate change adaptation Plans to protect ecosystems and help people adapt to climate change ― also known as ecosystem-based adaptation (EBA) ― must involve vulnerable groups, including women and communities greatly hit by global warming if they are to succeed	SciDev.Net

How the WTO could build the arsenal against climate change	Climate Spectator

Framework of global climate deal starts to emerge As another barge gorged with coal drifted past down the Rhine, France’s lead climate negotiator Paul Watkinson tweeted: “one day the barges will be filled with wind and sun:-)”.	RTCC

Climate justice group to highlight campaign with climb of Everest A Nepalese expedition, Climbing for Climate Justice , led by four-time world record climber Sherpa Pemba Dorje, will start climbing Mount Everest tomorrow and plans to reach the summit of the world’s highest mountain peak on May 26th.	Irish Times

SA identified as a green tax trailblazer SOUTH Africa been identified by audit, tax and advisory service firm KPMG International as a world leader in using tax as a tool to drive sustainable corporate behaviour and achieve green policy goals, in a report yesterday.	BusinessDay

Climate finance: the elephant that’s not even in the room If the conversation on equity and overall tone of discussions at last week’s UN climate change talks in Bonn was a pleasant surprise, other aspects of the negotiations remained uninspiring.	RTCC

Carbon Market Champions Undeterred by Kyoto Dead-End, EU Says Carbon-market supporters from China to California will push for emissions trading even as they prepare for the end of the United Nations Kyoto Protocol in seven years, Europe’s top climate negotiator said.	Bloomberg

Prince Charles attacks global warming sceptics Prince uses speech at St James's Palace to single out 'confirmed sceptics' and environmentally unfriendly businesses	Guardian

Ed Davey hits out against coalition climate change sceptics Energy and climate change secretary will use a major speech at Clarence House to promise stronger action on global warming	Guardian



Gov't puts final touches on Climate Change Dep't GOVERNMENT is, within weeks, to begin advertising for core staff members for the long-awaited Climate Change Department.	Jamaica Gleaner

Global warming: A call for peace on climate and conflict Among the most worrying of the mooted impacts of climate change is an increase in civil conflict as people compete for diminishing resources, such as arable land and water.	Nature

Action to halt global warming will save my nation Minister Tony de Brum of the Republic of the Marshall Islands describes the clear and present danger posed by climate change to his nation, and urges the world to act against this threat.	Thomson Reuters Foundation

Germany Says Climate Talks Move Beyond Blame Game Before Warsaw Climate talks that ended today in Berlin moved beyond a “blame game,” said Germany’s Environment Minister Peter Altmaier, after recent disagreements.	Bloomberg Businessweek

Merkel calls for redoubling of efforts to reach climate change treaty German Chancellor Angela Merkel this week called for a redoubling of efforts to forge a new U.N. agreement on climate change by 2015.	UPI

U.S., South Korean Leaders Affirm Climate Change Cooperation In her first foreign visit since taking office in February, South Korean President Park Geun-hye joined with President Barack Obama today to declare both governments’ intention to fight climate change.	ENS

U.S. envoy sees new plan energizing global climate talks The United States' new proposal to let countries draft their own emissions reduction plans rather than working toward a common target can unlock languishing U.N. climate negotiations, the U.S. climate change envoy said on Tuesday.	Reuters

Rising seas in southern Caribbean offer dark preview of future amid climate change The old coastal road in this fishing village at the eastern edge of Grenada sits under a couple of feet of murky saltwater, which regularly surges past a hastily-erected breakwater of truck tires and bundles of driftwood intended to hold back the Atlantic Ocean.	AP

Sustainable cities: cutting emissions and opening up data Cities are getting smarter as energy-saving innovations go mainstream and local governments open vast troves of data to provide value for the community	Guardian

EU embraces green infrastructure package The European Union adopted a new strategy yesterday (6 May) aimed at promoting green infrastructure, and putting natural processes at the heart of its spatial planning.	EurActiv



Pacific islands look for model to combat changes due to global warming Islanders must adapt as environmental impact of climate change affects centuries-old ways of life	Guardian

Climate Change Makes Life Tougher for Solomon Island Farmers Life is difficult enough for communities on the remote southern Weather Coast of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. Sustaining a livelihood from the land is a daily struggle on the steep coastal mountain slopes that plunge to the sea, made worse by the absence of adequate roads, transport and government services. And now, climate change is taking its toll on the already precarious food situation here.	IPS

Global warming changing nature of coral reefs: New Zealand scientist Global warming might be killing off many species of coral as the world's oceans acidify, but the future for biodiversity in coral reefs might not be as bleak as previously forecast, according to a study by New Zealand and Australian scientists.	Xinhua

Carbon tax is best option Congress has (editorial)	Washington Post

Green energy saves more than the environment (by Helen Clark)	Thomson Reuters Foundation

This isn't the weather we grew up with	Guardian

Merkel raises hopes for EU carbon fix German Chancellor Angel Merkel raised hopes for Europe's flagging emissions trading scheme (ETS) late last week by calling for action to be taken this year to revive plans to tackle the over-supply of carbon allowances in the market.	BusinessGreen

EU ministers urge July decision on carbon market: draft Governments and members of the European Parliament must decide on a plan to prop up the EU carbon market by July at the latest, a joint statement from nine energy and environment ministers, said.	Reuters

Rich Countries Drag Feet at Climate Talks Another week of international climate negotiations ended in Bonn, Germany last Friday, but there was little mid-level bureaucrats could do when world leaders remain in thrall to the fossil fuel industry, say environmentalists.	IPS

Ministers back moves to raise EU carbon prices Energy and environment ministers from the EU’s three biggest economies have backed moves that would raise carbon prices across the bloc.	Financial Times



Al-Attiyah attends Berlin climate change conference HE the Chairman of the Administrative Control and Transparency Authority Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah, who is also the president of the UN Conference on Climate Change (COP18 ) attended the fourth ministerial meeting on climate change here yesterday.	Gulf Times

Clinton announces plans for a Latin America initiative later this year in Rio de Janeiro The Clinton Global Initiative is taking its formula of a powerhouse gathering of global leaders to a new part of the world.	Washington Post

Indonesia Launches Forest Governance Index To Strengthen REDD+ As the two-year moratorium on deforestation faces expire, Indonesia has launched its first forest governance index to address the current state of forest protection and management of central and provincial government.	Antara News

South Africa: New power generation Investment in renewables is surging. But will wind and solar be enough to meet the country’s needs?	Financial Times

Africa: Rain Will Get Extreme Due to Global Warming, Says Nasa Study A NASA-led study provides new evidence that global warming may increase the risk for extreme rainfall and drought. The study shows for the first time how rising carbon dioxide concentrations could affect the entire range of rainfall types on Earth.	The New Vision

Encouraging signs of progress from Bonn climate talks	AlertNet

Political will to tackle climate change faces Petersberg Dialogue test The desire of leading nations to address the causes of global warming will be tested at the Petersberg Climate Dialogue in Berlin this week.	RTCC

Countries focus on ‘concrete solutions’ to build new UN-backed global climate accord Delegates from more than 160 countries have agreed on a set of climate change policy measures as part of an ongoing United Nations-led effort to create a new, universal climate accord by 2015 to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) from pre- industrial levels.	Islands Business

European carbon market in trouble As the centerpiece of Europe’s pledge to lead the global battle against climate change, the region’s market for carbon emissions effectively turned pollution into a commodity that could be traded like gold or oil. But the once-thriving pollution trade here has turned into a carbon bust.	Washington Post

Poland and France co-operating on 2015 climate deal Poland and France are collaborating on the 2015 global climate deal, according to a spokesperson for Poland’s Environment Minister Marcin Korolec.	RTCC



Climate change may bring drought to temperate areas, study says Climate change may increase the risk of extreme rainfall in the tropics and drought in the world's temperate zones, according to a new study led by NASA.	LA Times

Mills: EPA cuts estimate on leaks from gas operations The Environmental Protection Agency has dramatically lowered its estimate of amount of the potential heat-trapping gas leaks come from natural gas production. It is great news for natural gas producers, consumers, and the environment.	Times Record News

Hawaii in Climate Change Bullseye Tropical cyclones of the future may have the Hawaiian islands in their cross hairs, according to a new study of how climate change will alter eastern Pacific Ocean storms near the end of the 21st century.	Discovery

Surge in valley fever blamed on climate change California and federal public health officials say that valley fever, a potentially lethal but often misdiagnosed disease infecting more and more people across the nation, has been on the rise as a warming climate and drought have kicked up the dust that spreads it.	Washington Post

Arctic Ocean 'acidifying rapidly' The Arctic seas are being made rapidly more acidic by carbon-dioxide emissions, according to a new report.	BBC

It's crunch time for a climate change deal (by Ed Davey)	Times of Oman

Countries focus on ‘concrete solutions’ to build new UN-backed global climate accord Delegates from more than 160 countries have agreed on a set of climate change policy measures as part of an ongoing United Nations-led effort to create a new, universal climate accord by 2015 to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) from pre- industrial levels.	UN News Centre

Climate negotiators inch closer to global pact The UN climate conference in Bonn, Germany ended with delegates expressing tempered optimism that a new global pact may be within reach. Strong divisions remain as developing nations demand increased support.	Deutsche Welle

Successful week of talks in Bonn looks towards finalising ‘dynamic’ climate deal in 2015 Consensus that agreement must be able to adapt to emerging science on climate	Irish Times

Nations seek flexible climate approach, but no breakthrough in Bonn New, more flexible ways to fight climate change were sketched out on Friday at the end of a week of talks between 160 nations, but there was no breakthrough in bridging a deep divide between China and the United States.	Reuters



US urges light-touch regulation of emissions as climate heats up This week’s Bonn talk’s saw battle lines drawn between countries looking for a binding deal and those seeking a ‘pledge and review’ process	Irish Times

EU calms Kyoto Protocol ratification storm The European Union has moved to assure nations taking part at the UN climate negotiations that the second period of the Kyoto Protocol (CP2) will be ratified by member states in 2013.	RTCC

Warming caused super storms: UN Global warming was to blame for super storms that killed hundreds of people last year, and record levels of ice thaw in the Arctic, the United Nations has warned.	NZ Herald

Historical responsibility of developed countries unevadable As global representatives gathering at German city of Bonn for a new round of UN climate change talks, China's Chief Negotiator Su Wei warned developed countries that their historical responsibility for climate change is unevadable.	Xinhua

Countries to build new UN-backed global climate accord Delegates from more than 160 countries have agreed on a set of climate change policy measures as part of an ongoing United Nations-led effort to create a new, universal climate accord by 2015 to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) from pre- industrial levels.	IBNS

China nears launch of large emissions trading pilot programs China will soon begin its grand experiment to rein in climate change, using the nation's regionwide carbon markets as the building blocks for what could become the world's second-largest emissions trading market.	ClimateWire

Is China really a climate change leader? A new report portrays China as a leader in tackling climate change but its emissions are still rising dramatically	Guardian

Figueres: 2015 climate deal must kickstart green growth The proposed 2015 climate change deal must ‘kickstart’ green growth and offer a clear vision of how countries can transform their economies, the UN climate chief has told RTCC.	RTCC

A global deal on climate change will be reached at Paris summit in 2015, says Ethiopian negotiator A global agreement on climate change will “definitely” be reached in 2015, according to Ethiopia’s chief negotiator Tewolde Egziabher. “The question is how effective an agreement it will be,” he told The Irish Times .	Irish Times

UN Envoys Consider 2050 Carbon Target in Climate Deal Talks Envoys at United Nations global warming talks are considering whether to adopt a target for carbon emissions around 2050 as they struggle to work toward a deal to limit climate change that they aim to agree on in 2015.	Bloomberg



Low-key U.S. plan for each nation to set climate goals wins ground A U.S.-led plan to let all countries set their own goals for fighting climate change is gaining grudging support at U.N. talks, even though the current level of pledges is far too low to limit rising temperatures substantially.	Reuters

Zero emissions power is possible, and we know what it will cost To avoid 2 degrees of climate change, global carbon emissions will need to be reduced by at least 50% by 2050. For developed countries such as Australia with higher carbon emissions this will mean cuts closer to 80%: it essentially implies decarbonising the stationary energy sector in Australia.	The Conversation

White House warned on imminent Arctic ice death spiral Senior US government officials are to be briefed at the White House this week on the danger of an ice-free Arctic in the summer within two years.	Guardian

Climate change: The battle against carbon heats up In February 2011, the Australian government established an independent body, the Climate Commission, to provide unbiased scientific information to the public about climate change. Although meant primarily for Australia, the reports of the commission are now attracting global attention.	Economic Times

Rescue for global climate change – country-by-country efforts As a country with over 15,000 islands, climate change will have a significant impact on our economy and the welfare of our people.	Jakarta Post

Unburnable fuel MARKETS can misprice risk, as investors in subprime mortgages discovered in 2008. Several recent reports suggest that markets are now overlooking the risk of “unburnable carbon”.	The Economist

John Kerry faces quandary over US Keystone XL pipeline When John Kerry delivered his first major address as secretary of state, his most powerful message was not about the rabbit hole that is the Middle East or the US’s “pivot” towards Asia. It was about the environment.	Financial Times

What would ‘wartime mobilization’ to fight climate change look like?	Grist

Bonn climate change talks going ‘surprisingly well’, say delegates “The most surprising thing is that there’s an awful lot of common sense being spoken on a whole range of issues, and it’s getting better as the week goes on,” said Matthew Kennedy, of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland.	Irish Times

Attiyah urges govts to act on Doha climate meet decisions HE the Chairman of the Administrative Control and Transparency Authority Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah, who is also President of the Climate Change Conference (COP18), has called on the governments to act on the decisions taken at the Doha climate change negotiations.	Gulf Times



Fiji assures G77 protection of all positions Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Amena Yauvoli has assured members of Group 77 that under Fiji’s chairmanship all positions of the Group is protected.	Fijivillage.com

KNPC''s flare gas recovery project wins CDM certification The Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) has announced that its flare gas recovery project in Al-Ahmadi refinery was to get the certification and approval of the Clean Development Mechanism Board of the Kyoto Protocol on global warming.	KUNA

China leads in climate change's 'critical decade' China is fast becoming a world leader in the fight against climate change. In the past year, it has halved the growth in electricity demand, continued to increase its wind and solar energy production, and is in the process of developing emissions trading schemes to cover a quarter of a billion people.	NewScientist

EU energy policy uncertainty deterring green investment, peers warn House of Lords committee says clear post-2020 energy strategy needed to draw pension funds and insurance companies into supporting €1trn of European energy projects	BusinessGreen

City advised to grow ’healthily’ The need is growing for the sustainable development of Jakarta, and for the city to be more resilient against the impact of climate change, to be able to compete economically with other cities in the world.	Jakarta Post

Masdar to cooperate in green energy projects New memorandum of understanding signed with UK Green Investment Bank to explore opportunities	Gulf News

Climate change: When rain, rain won't go away "I'd never seen the river that high," says Susan Hammond. "But I was pretty certain the bridge wasn't going anywhere."	USA Today

Give our children a voice	Fiji Times

Rich countries blamed for setting climate talks ‘back a decade’ The UN climate talks have lost a decade of progress because of the failings of rich nations, according to a group of developing countries.	RTCC

Least Developed Countries call for immediate action on Climate Change The 49-member group of least developed countries (LDCs) taking part in international negotiations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) which began in Bonn, Germany Monday, April 29, 2012, has called for swift action in dealing with issues raised.	Ghana Business News



China leads in climate change's 'critical decade' China is fast becoming a world leader in the fight against climate change. In the past year, it has halved the growth in electricity demand, continued to increase its wind and solar energy production, and is in the process of developing emissions trading schemes to cover a quarter of a billion people.	NewScientist

Philippines joins world climate talks to drive climate action now The Philippines is among the developing countries which joined the talks to urge developed nations not to stray from the principles and provisions of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change treaty and raise climate action ambition at the opening of this year’s first round of climate talks.	eco-business.com

Adapt faster to changing climate, Europe warned Cities around Europe may have to erect flood defences similar to the Thames Barrier as tidal surges become more likely	Guardian

Abu Dhabi to invest $1.5bn in UK green energy Abu Dhabi on Wednesday will sign a deal to invest a reported $1.5bn in the UK alternative energy market, the UK’s Department of Energy & Climate Change has confirmed.	Arabian Business

U.S. pragmatic approach leads climate talks: Wynn A U.S. submission to U.N.-backed negotiations shows how a scaled-down global climate deal which falls short of a full treaty can be agreed in 2015.	Reuters

Op-ed: The effects of global warming impacts Latinos the hardest	NBC News

Climate change demands that Asean's future is cooperative (opinion)	The Nation

Climate chief warns of 'urgency' as CO2 levels rise The UN's climate chief called for urgency Monday as she opened a new round of global talks amid warnings that Earth-warming carbon dioxide levels were approaching a symbolic threshold never seen in human history.	AFP

Carbon dioxide emissions reachest highest point in three million years Developed countries to come under pressure at Bonn conference to fulfil pledges of funding for poorer nations to cope with climate change	Irish Times

Small island states issue climate compensation warning Pacific Island states at risk from rising sea levels have indicated they will push for compensation unless global emissions are brought under control.	RTCC



Scientists warn of rising CO2 concentrations, despite stabilizing global temperatures Scientists at the U.S. government’s Earth Systems Research laboratory in Hawaii reported Monday that the concentration of carbon dioxide could pass 400 parts per million for the first time in the next few days.	Daily Caller

EU uncertainty likely to affect global carbon markets The head of the world’s only global emissions trading scheme (ETS) says EU climate ambition is central to ensuring carbon markets are a success.	RTCC

Threatened small islands call for "concrete" climate action The latest round of U.N. climate talks, a second session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP), resumed this week in Bonn, Germany.	Thomson Reuters Foundation

China becoming ‘world’s renewable energy leader’ China is rapidly assuming a global leadership role on climate change alongside the U.S., a new study said Monday, but it warned greenhouse gas emissions worldwide continue to rise strongly.	AFP-Jiji

Adapt faster to changing climate, Europe warned Cities around Europe may have to erect flood defences similar to the Thames Barrier as tidal surges become more likely	Guardian

Kiribati schools get climate change book A book which aims to teach primary school children in Kiribati about climate change has gained interest from around the world, with requests to print the book in several languages.	Radio New Zealand International

Five Reasons We Need a New Global Agreement on Climate Change by 2015	Huffington Post

China becoming global climate change leader: study SYDNEY — China is rapidly assuming a global leadership role on climate change alongside the United States, a new study said Monday, but it warned greenhouse gas emissions worldwide continue to rise strongly.	AFP

Greenhouse gases in new danger zone The world's carbon dioxide levels are on the cusp of reaching 400 parts per million in the atmosphere for the first time in 3 million years.	The Age

2 Big Issues To Watch At This Week’s Bonn Climate Talks It’s been almost four months since the last UNFCCC negotiations in Doha, Qatar (COP 18). Countries decided in Doha to finalize the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, wrap up a series of decisions on the Bali Action Plan, and outline a plan to establish an international climate agreement by 2015.	World Resources Institute



Poorest nations show low-carbon will in climate talks LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The world's least developed countries are sending out signals that they are willing to put their economic development on a low-carbon path, but questions remain as to how this can be achieved without more financial and technology support from rich nations.	Thomson Reuters Foundation

Can Fossil Fuel Divestment Prevent The Carbon Bubble From Bursting? Could the same movement that brought down Apartheid be the key tactic in convincing America to go fossil fuel free and preventing a new financial crisis?	CleanTechnica

Carbon bubble makes Australia's coal industry ripe 'for financial implosion' Australia's huge coal industry is a speculative bubble ripe for financial implosion if the world's governments fulfil their agreement to act on climate change, according to a new report.	The Guardian

Oil-Rich Russia Works To Increase Renewable Energy Share… A Bit The Energy Ministry of Russia has submitted a draft law to Dmitri Medvedev that is intended to support the deployment of renewable energy sources, including solar power, wind power, and hydroelectric power.	CleanTechnica

Plants slow climate change by forming cloud sunshade - study (Reuters) - Plants help to slow climate change by emitting gases as temperatures rise that lead to the formation of a sunshade of clouds over the planet, scientists said on Sunday.	Reuters India

Ireland: EU consensus exists for setting 2030 greenhouse gas targets There is a consensus among European energy and environment chiefs backing new 2030 greenhouse gas reduction targets, Irish Energy Minister Pat Rabbitte says.	UPI

Obama campaign launches plan to shame climate sceptics in Congress Campaign group Organizing for Action says it is time to call out US politicians who deny the science behind climate change	Guardian

Developing nations put climate change at heart of development plans Representatives of governments in Africa and Asia have formed a network to support efforts to factor climate change into their development plans.	Vibe Ghana

EU politicians back compromise on car emission targets EU politicians on Wednesday backed a compromise deal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles from 2020 and also called for a 2025 target that would make cars even more fuel efficient.	Reuters

Annual Renewable Energy Investment Set To Sky-rocket By 2030 The next 15 years and more are going to be interesting ones for the renewable energy industry, as the cost of manufacturing and installation drop and the public face of fossil fuels continues to be tarnished.	Cleantechnica



UNEP warns of emissions link to mobile phone demand Rising levels of greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation caused by metal production must be urgently addressed, a new report from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) warns.	RTCC

Gambia: Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance Gambia Chapter Launched Civil Society Organisation, farmer network organisations, NGOs, in collaboration with the Department of Water Resources and the University of the Gambia last Monday launched the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance Gambia chapter, at the Tango conference hall.	The Point (Banjul)

Minister urges youth to protect environment MINISTER OF Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change Robert Pickersgill, is encouraging young persons to play a greater role in protecting the environment.	Jamaica Gleaner

Top security official in Nigeria blames climate change for worsening insecurity Climate change is in part to blame for rising conflict and crime in Nigeria, according to the president's National Security Advisor, Colonel Sambo Dasuki.	mongabay.com

Against the odds, young Egyptians push for climate action In this fast-growing city of 6.7 million people, roads littered with garbage are a common sight. Cairo’s poor drainage systems produce contaminated pools of stagnant water, and the main thoroughfares are jammed with cars emitting thick, black clouds of diesel exhaust.	Thomson Reuters Foundation

UNDP climate change meet ends The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and the Government of Sierra Leone on Wednesday held a Validation Workshop to strengthen climate monitoring capabilities so that communities in Sierra Leone can adapt to climate change.	Awoko Newspaper

Uganda Government to Set Up Climate Change Unit The government has set up a climate change unit to improve farmer incomes through monitoring weather patterns and climate change variations.	The New Vision

Caribbean Tourism Stakes Salvation on Greener Policies Tourism, widely regarded as the mainstay of Caribbean economies, is being challenged to remain sustainable in an era of climate change and its impact on beaches, rivers and other attractions.	IPS

Small farmers hold the key to tackling climate change	Thomson Reuters Foundation

Carbon tax on the table in the Senate	Washington Post



UN climate fund risks becoming ‘a closed bank’, warns NGO	RTCC

UN Says Clean Energy Funding Too Low to Halt Climate Harm UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the funds flowing to renewable power and efficiency aren’t sufficient to avert environmental calamities and that investors must move more quickly to back new energy technologies.	Bloomberg

China ends production of HCFC greenhouse gases China has agreed to end the production of industrial hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) by 2030.	RTCC

Climate watchdog eyes tax reform Countries such as the UK that have relatively tough rules on cutting carbon dioxide emissions might have to start taxing imported goods from countries with weaker environmental laws, the government’s official climate watchdog has warned.	Financial Times

UN Carbon Emission Credits Drop to Record 1 Cent as EU Ban Nears Prices for United Nations carbon offsets fell to the lowest ever as a ban on the use of some credits approached and as factories and power stations surrendered permits and credits to cover emissions in 2012.	Bloomberg

China to phase out super greenhouse gas Some eight billion tonnes of greenhouse gases could be kept out of the atmosphere if China sticks to a deal with the United Nation's Montreal Protocol to eliminate the production of hydro-fluorocarbons (HCFCs).	mongabay.com

Slow Start on Environment in Second Obama Term SHORTLY after winning re-election in November, President Obama promised assertive leadership on climate change and energy. In his State of the Union address in February, he vowed that if the assembled lawmakers failed to pass broad climate legislation, he would act unilaterally.	NY Times

The White House’s ‘all of the above’ energy strategy goes global As President Obama’s national security adviser Tom Donilon speaks Wednesday at the launch of Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, we thought it would be worth highlighting some of his speech’s key points	Washington Post

Developing nations put climate change at heart of plans Representatives from governments in Africa and Asia have formed a network to support their efforts to factor climate change into their development plans.	IIED

Nigeria: NSA Blames Insecurity On Climate Change The National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), Tuesday blamed the widespread insecurity in different parts of the country on the phenomenon of climate change.	This Day



Focus on climate change VILLAGERS of Navitilevu and Mataso in Ra recently took part in an important training session on helping children and young people manage and reduce risks associated with changes in the climate.	Fiji Times

Australian research helping Ethiopian agriculture adjust to changing climate (audio) Australian dryland farming expertise is being seen as a model for other countries as they learn to live with changed climate.	ABC News Australia

UN climate chief predicts 2015 talks won't fail Governments are more serious and the impact of climate change is more dramatic, improving chances of a groundbreaking global warming pact in 2015 in contrast with the failure of such an effort in 2009, the U.N. climate chief said Tuesday.	AP

U.S. should do more on climate change to aid economy - UN's Figueres The United States should do more to fight climate change and help industry catch up on missed economic opportunities in clean energies, the head of the U.N. Climate Change Secretariat said on Tuesday.	Reuters

Work on 2015 climate deal set to start in Bonn UN talks to construct a legally binding climate change deal are set to start on April 29, amid warnings from scientists that greenhouse gas emissions are rising too far, too fast.	RTCC

France backs plan for EU 2030 renewables targets Move leaves UK increasingly isolated in arguing against a post-2020 renewable energy target	BusinessGreen

EU commissioner warns time running out on moves to halt climate change The world will not be able to feed an extra 2 billion people by 2050 if it continues to “throw away 30 to 50 per cent of the food we produce”, EU environment commissioner Janez Potocnik warned in Dublin yesterday.	Irish Times

UK CO2 emissions rising, government advisers warn A new report has laid bare the UK's pretensions to have cut greenhouse gas emissions over recent years.	BBC

Pakistan farmers grapple with climate change Government attempts a new insurance scheme to protect farmers from floods and other worsening weather problems.	Al-Jazeera

UN-backed Asian forum highlights transportation's role in sustainable development Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed efforts by Asian countries meeting at a United Nations-backed regional forum to address transportation as part of the effort to fight climate change and achieve sustainable development.	Pakistan News.Net



Rajasthan Becomes Second Indian State To Cross 500 MW Solar Power Capacity The western Indian state of Rajasthan recently became the second state to have an operational solar power capacity of over 500 MW. Last year, another western state, Gujarat, achieved this milestone with its aggressive solar power policy.	Cleantechnica

'Simple lifestyle key to containing climate change' For the first time in Asia, the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies on Environment and Development (CIIEMD), Mexico, is conducting its annual international congress at Bharathidasan University.	The Hindu

Can EU climate leadership survive next round of UN talks? International climate negotiations are now ratcheting up after something of a post-Durban hiatus.	RTCC

Renewables investment set to triple by 2030 Annual investment in renewable energy technologies, such as wind turbines and solar panels, is likely to jump by 230 per cent by 2030 as the industry drives down costs and starts widespread deployment of baseload green technologies, such as biofuels.	BusinessGreen

MPs apologise to Pacific over NZ failure to sign climate change pac Rising sea levels, falling fish stocks and more extreme storms have proven destructive and deadly, Pacific leaders told a Wellington forum at the weekend.	Islands Business

Climate Change Hangs on Nations’ Cooperation This year’s Earth Day theme is on climate change, and leaders from many countries are making a determined effort to prevent global temperatures from rising even further and to respond to drastic changes in the weather worldwide.	Jakarta Globe

On Earth Day 2013, a planetary report card on global warming When Earth Day observances first began in 1970, Cleveland had recently doused a pollutant-fueled fire on a section of the Cuyahoga River. Cities were often shrouded in thick blankets of smog. And large portions of Lake Erie were so fouled by industrial, farm, and sewage runoff that sections of the 241-mile-long lake were pronounced dead.	Christian Science Monitor

Qatar builds its first ultra-low energy villa Qatar’s first ultra-low energy villa, a landmark project that could revolutionise the way people think about building homes in the entire Middle East region, was launched at the Barwa City in Doha yesterday.	Gulf Times

Bangladesh focuses on adaptation as climate fears grow Climate adaptation planning is likely to become a priority for Bangladesh’s leaders as the hopes of keeping global temperatures within safe limits decrease.	RTCC

Copenhagen makes an ambitious push to be carbon neutral by 2025 More bicycle lanes, biomass generation, public transit, cooling buildings with seawater – it's all intended to make Copenhagen the world’s first carbon-neutral capital by 2025.	Christian Science Monitor



Impacts of Climate Change on Coral Reefs and the Marine Environment It is estimated that 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface area is made up of oceans,1 the most productive habitat, comprising 75 per cent of all known species.	UN Chronicle

Climate zones will shift faster as world warms Earth's regional climate zones will shift more quickly in response to warming as the globe grows hotter in coming decades, according to a study published online in Nature Climate Change	Nature

Opinion: A unique moment for energy and earth	MSNBC

Last 30 years were the warmest in the last 1,400 years From 1971 to 2000, the world's land areas were the warmest they have been in at least 1,400 years, according to a new study in Nature Geoscience. The massive new study, involving 80 researchers from around the world with the Past Global Changes (PAGES) group, is the first to look at continental temperature changes over two thousand years, providing insights into regional climatic changes from the Roman Empire to the modern day.	Mongabay.com

Why Europe’s carbon collapse won’t kill emissions markets For carbon markets across the world it was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Plummeting European Union carbon prices following a key EU vote seem to demonstrate in the clearest terms that cap and trade is doomed to fail.	Cleantechnica

How a new carbon standard seeks to benefit women worldwide Women are the majority of the world's farmers, yet carbon mitigation projects in agriculture and forestry are rarely designed in ways that benefit their economic and social status. So says Jeannette Gurung, a Bangkok-based women's development advocate whose group WOCAN (Women Organising for Change in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management) is trying to change that through the Women's Carbon Standard.	BusinessGreen

UN Climate Leader Christiana Figueres  to Speak at UMass Boston Christiana Figueres, the top United Nations leader on climate change, will speak at the University of Massachusetts Boston on April 24 to discuss how the international community can act decisively to blunt the impacts of global climate change.	PRWEB

IMF Rejects Fossil Fuel Subsidies, Calls for Reform Fossil fuel subsidies provided by both rich and poor countries to keep their citizens happy are holding back the world economy, accelerating climate change and damaging the health of current and future generations, according to the International Monetary Fund. The worst offender of all is the United States, which allows annual subsidies of $502 billion on fossil fuels. China with $279 billion and Russia at $116 billion are the two next largest offenders.	Climate News Network

Can EU climate leadership survive next round of UN talks? International climate negotiations are now ratcheting up after something of a post-Durban hiatus. A UNFCCC Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action will be hosted in Bonn, between 29 April and 3 May 2013.	Responding to Climate Change

Wind energy continues to grow on the list of greentech choices Chances are you’ve heard that we’re using a lot of energy every day and need to, you know, slow our roll. We’ve done an excellent job figuring out how to use fossil fuels, but what about our other natural resources? Wind, some say, is our next best thing.	Venturebeat.com



Petrol pumps in region shift to solar energy As you drive on Vaijapur road near Aurangabad, don't be surprised if you spot huge solar panels near petrol pumps. Harrowed by constant load shedding, owners of petrol pumps in the region, especially those in rural areas, are switching to solar power.	Times of India

Breakthrough technology that uses solar energy to augment intermittent wind energy One of Israel’s leading investment firms in renewable energy, Capital Nature, has recently invested in a young Israeli company, Augwind, who has developed a technology that provides solutions to the challenges of wind power production. The technology developed by Augwind has successfully found a way to utilize wind generated energy combined with solar energy, even when the wind isn’t blowing.	EcoSeed

Joining hands on Earth Day The observation of Earth Day this year takes up a critically important theme - the Faces of Climate Change - focusing on how global warming affects individuals and what they can do to protect the planet. As it does every year since it started 43 years ago, Earth Day seeks to promote awareness and activism. It deserves wholehearted support, for the global climatic challenge is serious and time is short.	The Straits Times

U.S., Japan, G8 Commit to Climate Change Action Support for global action to curb climate change is growing stronger within the G8 group of the world’s largest industrial democracies, which includes the United States and Japan.	ENS

China Plans to Complete Climate Change Draft Law in Two Years China plans to draw on the experience of seven regional carbon markets as it drafts new national legislation in one or two years, according to the country’s lead climate negotiator.	Bloomberg

23-nation group on clean energy to clear financing hurdles The 23-nation grouping on clean energy today decided to chalk out ways to clear the financing hurdles that have halted progress of the initiative.	Economic Times

China climate chief says EU CO2 crisis will not hurt domestic plans The crisis facing the European carbon market will not deter China from plans to establish its own emissions trading platform or its other climate pledges, the senior official responsible for climate change said on Thursday.	Reuters

Gorbachev Sees Global Failure to Address Eco-Risks Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev on Thursday painted a dim picture of the world's environmental progress, two decades after he founded the environmental group Green Cross International.	AP

Carbon bubble will plunge the world into another financial crisis – report The world could be heading for a major economic crisis as stock markets inflate an investment bubble in fossil fuels to the tune of trillions of dollars, according to leading economists.	Guardian

Mayor Bloomberg announces major private sector involvement in PlaNYC C40 Chair and Mayor of New York Michael R. Bloombergannounced this morning that ten private companies have joined the Carbon Challenge, a PlaNYC initiative that encourages businesses, universities, hospitals, and other private organizations to slash carbon emissions to reduce the impact of climate change.	National Geographic



Germany energy transition faces cuts after European Parliament vote Germany says it is facing a funding gap in its transition to green energy after a European Parliament vote against reforming the European Union's emissions trading scheme.	UPI

Is climate change taking a break? The cold start into spring has made people in parts of Europe wonder if the climate is really warming. Global temperatures have not been rising in recent years. Is the earth cooling instead of warming?	Deutsche Welle

With a climate regime crumbling, could a solution be in Asia?	eco-business.com