Japan Boosts Effort to Curb Methane Leaks From LNG Supply Chains
Japan is strengthening efforts to curtail methane emissions from liquefied natural gas as it sticks with a fossil fuel that's accelerating climate change.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said it will collaborate with the United Nations' Oil and Gas Methane Partnership 2.0 program and MiQ, a methane certification non-profit, to verify emissions from LNG imports into Japan.
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New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
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Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Is Mark Carney turning his back on climate action?
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It was written by: Deborah de Lange, Toronto Metropolitan University Read more: 'Canada is not for sale' — but new Ontario law prioritizes profits over environmental and Indigenous rights What Liberal Mark Carney's election win in Canada means for Europe How political leaders communicate climate policy should be a defining factor this election Deborah de Lange receives funding from SSHRC and ESRC. She is affiliated with The Liberal Party of Canada and The Writers' Union of Canada.
Forbes
2 hours ago
- Forbes
Where Do Sustainability, Affordability Sit In Pursuit Of Smart Cities?
Conceptual Image of a Smart City getty The concept of smart cities has risen in the estimation of urban planners of all descriptions around the world. Many believe or are led to believe a future smart city or an existing one that's so remodelled would enhance affordability and sustainability. But will it? To answer that, grasping the concept first should be the right starting point. In that respect, if assertions by the likes of Microsoft and IBM are taken at face value, a smart city is one that utilizes digital information and communication technology to enhance various aspects of urban life, from infrastructure to public services, citizen engagement to city tax receipts. This may involve using artificial intelligence, predictive analytics, and more, to improve operational efficiency, sustainability, and the overall quality of life for city dwellers. But will it? There are legitimate fears that AI is, might be, redesigning our cities by stealth from real-team adjustable traffic lights to computer generated digital twins mimicking what whole neighborhoods would potentially look like before even a single brick has been laid. Furthermore, all that kit and its deployment can't be cheap and someone has to pay for it, cue the taxpayer. The concept of smart cities came to fore at the Abu Dhabi Infrastructure Summit, held in the Emirate from June 17 to 18, 2025, and evoked mixed emotions from attendees albeit with numerous examples of successes. For instance, Singapore's holistic balance of economic growth and social inclusivity, or Copenhagen's Nordhavn district's 5-minute city model, or for that matter Abu Dhabi's own Masdar City which balances heritage, innovation and sustainability, given it is backed by the Emirate's global renewable energy champion Masdar. Such innovative cities claim to promote a strong sense of place and identity for their residents and community. But their affluence in many ways sets them apart too. Can their experience and inexorable march to 'smarter' ways be replicated elsewhere? The answer is a complex one, according to Daniel Liu, executive director of MORROW Intelligence, a Singapore-based urban advisory firm. Daniel Liu, executive director, MORROW Intelligence speaks at the Abu Dhabi Infrastructure Summit in ... More the UAE on June 18, 2025. ADIS 'Smart technologies that bring efficiencies are of immense importance and they are all very important evolutions of city management. But smart cities don't come before cities," Liu said at summit panel. "These are cities with their individual socioeconomic and investment parameters and critical municipal issues that need to be resolved. So, not all urban planners enjoy some of the advantages that say Singapore or Copenhagen would.' Liu added that if the ultimate goal of planners and developers was urban excellence, it is something that doesn't exist in a vacuum. 'Issues of economic and social development cannot be sidestepped. This will likely be a journey of over 30 to 50 years marked by evolving challenges for many cities in the world.' Smart Decisions Needed Too Discovering urban excellence, and a smarter future, might in many cases bottle down to making smart decisions and not just smart technology, said Emre Arolat, founding partner and principal, Emre Arolat Architecture. 'The best cities are those with a sense of community and harmony where there's access to housing, and perhaps the ability to reach life's essentials within a 15 minute walk or a bicycle ride, if not 5 minutes as noted in Danish city. That's a reasonable metric already at play in many urban centers, (e.g. some suburbs in Paris) and its down to smart thinking and building.' Affordable housing needs to be at the heart of it all and its something that can never be ignored. 'But building affordable housing doesn't mean you have to sacrifice building high value real estate or vice versa if planners work on concepts strategically,' he added. And local, provincial or Federal governments around the world can be the arbiters of where future demand may or may not be, so that the challenge can be met in a systematic way, even if the planning and decision making stage is aided by the deployment of digital tools. Asma Aljassmi, executive director of projects control and operations, Aldar Projects, speaks at the ... More Abu Dhabi Infrastructure Summit on June 18, 2025. ADIS Even desirable affluent places like Abu Dhabi think of affordable housing, according to Asma Aljassmi, executive director of projects control and operations, at Aldar Projects, a developer owned by the government of Abu Dhabi. 'At Aldar we have a clear roadmap for development. From the get-go we incorporate affordability in what we do, what we design and what be build. Its included in our masterplan for specific projects. Being desirable places to live and work in should not be the sole preserve of luxury developments.' Powering Up Smart Cities With there being rising clamor for sustainability, the carbon footprint of the smart cities will also be called into sharp focus. The more digital and connected they are, the more electricity they'll consume, and the bigger the call might be on the power grids servicing them. Quite like the data center conundrum of powering new age technology and consumer needs with fossil fuels has already reared its head. For, just like hyperscale data centers will be increasingly serviced by power generated from natural gas for decades, so will smart cities for a considerable amount of time. Therefore, any lowering of the carbon footprint achieve via digital connectivity and efficiency might well be negated by carbon emissions from the chosen power source. Abu Dhabi's renewables-powered Masdar City offers a rare example to the contrary, alongside many European, especially Scandinavian and German mid-sized townships. But renewables-powered smart cities largely remain a pipe dream. This matters, because cities represent nearly 80% of the world's consumption, and by that argument nearly 80% of the world's carbon emissions. It is also indicative of the fact that urbanization is proliferating and is unlikely to be reversed. So, the fight against climate change as well as improving living standards probably would be won or lost in the cities, whether they are smart cities or not. The significance of the task ahead cannot be understated.
