Latest news with #350.org
Scoop
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
350.org Pacific Reacts To Albanese Win In Australia Federal Elections
Canberra - Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese secured a second term after the Labour party won the federal elections last night. Pacific youth across Australia are heartened by the result after weeks of voter awareness campaigns for Pacific communities, but will continue to hold the Albanese government accountable to their promises. Jacynta Fa'amau, Pacific Campaigner says, 'Pacific communities voted on issues that matter to us, issues that align with our values. Young Pacific Islanders living in Australia know that the cost of living crisis is connected to the climate crisis and we deserve to have a future free of both. The result is an indication that Australia isn't falling prey to the divisive politics of the far right, but there is still work to be done. Labour has made climate promises in the past and we intend to hold them accountable to these. The returned Albanese government will aim for clean energy to provide more than 80% of power by 2030. While this election means Australia voted for renewable energy over dangerous nuclear tactics, we will continue to push the new government to take real action to phase out fossil fuel production. This starts by ending the approval of new coal and gas projects. This country remains one of the world's largest exporters of coal and gas, and this is Australia's biggest contribution to the devastation of our island homes. The plans for renewable energy are a step in the right direction, but Australian climate policy will still be inadequate without phasing out fossil fuel production'
The Independent
03-04-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Trump's tariffs cannot stop clean energy revolution – but they will hurt American businesses
President Donald Trump 's sweeping new tariffs have rattled global markets and sparked fears of trade wars that could affect everything from consumer prices to climate goals. As economists warn of inflation and industry leaders brace for higher costs, there are fears that the ripple effects could show in sectors like clean energy, where supply chains depend heavily on global trade. The new Trump policy imposes a universal 10 per cent tariff on almost all imported goods, with higher 'reciprocal' rates targeting some of the biggest trading partners of the US. China faces a 34 per cent rate, South Korea 25 per cent, Japan 24 per cent, and India 26 per cent. These countries happen to be the world's leading exporters of solar panels, batteries, wind components, and electric vehicles. In the US, business leaders and economists warn that these tariffs will fuel inflation and raise prices on everything from food and toys to wine and solar panels. Former vice president Mike Pence called the tariffs "the largest peacetime tax hike in US history", estimating that the new measures could cost American families over $3,500 a year. Tariffs imposed during Mr Trump's first term were largely passed on to consumers and analysts said they were expecting a similar outcome this time. "Trump's tariffs won't slow the transition to renewables, they'll only hurt ordinary people, particularly Americans," Andreas Sieber, associate director of policy and campaigns at told The Independent. "His record tells a different story than his claims: tariffs are tanking US stocks and fueling inflation." The renewable energy sector is already facing headwinds in the US, with developers lately reporting shortages of critical equipment like transformers, switchgear and circuit breakers. The new tariffs are expected to worsen the shortages and push up the costs of infrastructure such as wind turbine towers and transmission lines, many of which rely on imported steel and components. Albert Gore, executive director of the Zero Emission Transportation Association, told the Associated Press that the tariffs introduce "uncertainty and risk into an industry that is creating jobs and bringing new economic opportunities across the country." The cost pressures come at a time when US power demand is climbing, driven by electrification and data centre growth. While US industries may struggle to absorb the shock, the global clean energy transition is expected to continue largely unaffected. That's because the US is no longer central to the international clean tech trade. China, which dominates the manufacturing of solar, wind and EV components, sends only 4 per cent of its clean tech exports to the US, down from much higher levels a decade ago. "The global clean energy landscape has undergone a seismic shift," Sieber told The Independent. "A decade ago, developed economies dominated solar and wind installations. Today, the US is just 7 per cent of the global solar market. In this global surge, the US is increasingly a footnote." On the other hand, emerging and developing economies are expected to account for 70 per cent of solar PV deployment, 60 per cent of wind, and 60 per cent of battery storage by 2030, according to the International Energy Agency. Many countries have already adjusted their supply chains to minimise exposure to US policy volatility. India, for instance, may see short-term benefit from the tariff differential with other Asian peers. "There are multiple layers of impacts that need to be factored, domestic markets, export effect, and currency effect. India is currently still better positioned compared to Asian peers. While short term, there may be some impact on the GDP and local currency, in the long term, we expect businesses to adapt and continue innovating to build further resilience,' Nakul Zaveri, partner and co-head of Climate Investment Strategy at LeapFrog Investments, said. 'The country's energy demand will be at an all-time high and we see that as an opportunity for further accelerating the adoption of domestic non-fossil energy sources within the energy mix. Overall we see India continue to be a bright spot among EMs and present policy stability in a volatile environment." Some analysts warned that Mr Trump's tariffs could have secondary effects in developing economies. 'The US is pressuring India to raise tariffs on Chinese green tech as part of ongoing trade negotiations,' Alicia García-Herrero, chief economist for Asia-Pacific at Natixis, said. 'If that happens, it could make clean energy imports more expensive for India.' Although global supply chains are unlikely to be fundamentally disrupted, there is a potential for ripple effects if countries retaliate or if prices of certain goods rise due to a reshuffling of demand. But most analysts agree that the transition is well underway, and no single country can hold it back. Mr Trump has framed the tariffs as an act of economic self-defence, arguing that for decades, allies and rivals alike have taken advantage of the US. But critics across the political spectrum have voiced concerns that the move will isolate their country and undermine its economic and climate ambitions. "Trump likes to say he gets economic policy, but his record during his first term and the first weeks of his second term speak a very different language," Mr Sieber said. "He cannot stop the energy transition, he will mostly harm ordinary people in the US having to pay higher prices."
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Greenpeace $660mn damages ruling shocks global NGOs
Civil society groups on Thursday condemned a US court order that Greenpeace pay over $660 million in damages to an oil pipeline company as a chilling attack on climate action around the globe. Environmental defenders rallied behind Greenpeace after the shock ruling by a North Dakota jury fuelled concerns that courtrooms were increasingly being used to smother critics. "It sends a dangerous message: that fossil fuel giants can weaponize the courts to bankrupt and silence those who challenge the destruction of our planet," said Anne Jellema, executive director of advocacy group The judgement "is not only an attack on Greenpeace -- it is an assault on the entire climate movement, clearly intended to chill the resistance to fossil fuels", she added in a written statement to AFP. Energy Transfer (ET), the Texas-based pipeline operator awarded the damages, has denied any attempt to stifle free speech by suing Greenpeace. The company had accused the environmental advocacy group of orchestrating violence and defamation during the construction of the contentious Dakota Access Pipeline project nearly a decade ago. The jury awarded more than $660 million in damages across three Greenpeace entities, citing charges including trespass, nuisance, conspiracy, and deprivation of property access. Brice Bohmer from Transparency International, a global corruption watchdog, said the lawsuit was "unconscionable" but evidence of a much wider problem. "This kind of activity is becoming increasingly common across climate action, with fossil fuel actors undermining progress wherever possible," he said. - Global threat - ET initially sought $300 million in damages through a federal lawsuit, which was dismissed. It then shifted its legal strategy to North Dakota's state courts -- one of the minority of US states without protections against so-called "Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation" or SLAPPs. Throughout the years-long legal fight, ET's billionaire CEO Kelcy Warren, a major donor to President Donald Trump, was open about his motivations, saying in interviews that he wanted to "send a message". Matilda Flemming, director of Friends of the Earth Europe, said she was "appalled" by the verdict but warned it was not an isolated case. "The right to protest is under threat across the world, from big corporations and self-interested politicians who threaten our democracies," she said. Greenpeace has vowed to continue its advocacy and its international body is counter-suing ET in the Netherlands, accusing the company of nuisance lawsuits to stifle dissent. Rebecca Brown, president and CEO of the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), said the fight for environmental justice would go on. "No abusive company, lawsuit, or court decision will change that," she said in a statement on Wednesday after the verdict was handed down. np-jmi/sbk
Asharq Al-Awsat
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Japan Sets New 2035 Emissions Cut Goal
Japan Tuesday pledged to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 60 percent in the next decade from 2013 levels but climate campaigners said the target fell short of what was needed under the Paris Agreement to limit global warming. Under the Paris accord, each country is supposed to provide a headline figure to the United Nations for cutting heat-trapping emissions by 2035, and a detailed blueprint for how to achieve this. Japan is heavily dependent on imported fossil fuels as the world's fifth largest single-country emitter of carbon dioxide after China, the United States, India and Russia. On Tuesday Tokyo's environment ministry said the country would slash emissions 60 percent by the 2035 fiscal year. The world's fourth-largest economy also aims to cut emissions by 73 percent by fiscal 2040 as part of its new Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) -- a voluntary pledge to be submitted to the UN later on Tuesday. Nearly 200 nations had been required to deliver their fresh climate plans by February 10 but just 10 did so on time, according to a UN database tracking the submissions. The Japanese ministry said Tuesday that its "ambitious targets (are) aligned with the global 1.5 degree Celsius goal and on a straight pathway towards the achievement of net zero by 2050". But Masayoshi Iyoda from international environmental group noted that scientists say an emissions cut of 81 percent by 2035 is needed for Japan to honor its commitments to the 1.5 degree objective. "This is a major failure in Japan's attempt to transition to a future of renewable energy that is fair and just," he told AFP. Kazue Suzuki of Greenpeace Japan also said the new target was "far too low", calling for a 78 percent reduction given "our responsibility as an industrially advanced country". - Renewable future? - UN climate chief Simon Stiell has called the latest round of national pledges "the most important policy documents of this century". Yet just a handful of major polluters handed in upgraded targets on time, with China, India and the European Union the biggest names on a lengthy absentee list. There is no penalty for submitting late targets, which are not legally binding but act as an accountability measure to ensure countries are taking climate change seriously and doing their fair share toward achieving the Paris goals. In 2016, Japan committed to a 26 percent reduction in emissions by 2030. It strengthened this in 2021 to 46 percent by 2030 compared to 2013 levels. The Japanese government also on Tuesday approved its latest Strategic Energy Plan -- which includes an intention to make renewables the country's top power source by 2040. Nearly 14 years after the Fukushima disaster, Japan also sees a major role for nuclear power to help it meet growing energy demand from AI and microchip factories. So a previous pledge to "reduce reliance on nuclear power as much as possible" was dropped from the new plan. A draft plan released in December had said Japan would jointly promote renewable energy and hydrogen fuel with its ally the United States. But after President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the Paris Agreement last month, mentions of a US-led clean economy framework were deleted. "We've made certain tweaks" following Trump's announcements, an industry ministry official told reporters Monday. But "it doesn't mean Japan's broader efforts towards a 'green transformation' will be changed significantly", he said. Nearly 70 percent of Japan's power needs in 2023 were met by power plants burning coal, gas and oil -- a figure Tokyo wants to slash to 30-40 percent over the next 15 years. Almost all these fossil fuels must be imported, at a cost of around $470 million per day according to Japanese customs. Under the new plans, renewables such as solar and wind are expected to account for 40-50 percent of electricity generation by 2040.
Express Tribune
10-02-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Environmental activism
A few years ago, I stood among thousands of people at a climate march, holding a placard that read: There is no Planet B. The energy was electrifying, the voices determined, and for the first time, I truly felt the weight of environmental activism. It is more than just protests or petitions - it is a call to protect our shared home. Environmental activism is no longer an abstract movement led by scientists or policymakers; it has become deeply personal for millions worldwide. One of the most striking demonstrations took place on September 27, 2019, when approximately 100,000 people gathered at Vancouver City Hall, joining millions across the globe, to demand immediate action on climate change. It was Vancouver's largest protest in 35 years, proving that climate concerns are no longer confined to policy rooms - they are on the streets, in homes, and on the minds of ordinary people like us. What is it that motivates someone to take a stand? Personal connection to nature plays a significant role. Growing up, I spent summers near the Indus River, marveling at its vastness. But in recent years, seeing its declining water levels and increasing pollution made me realise how fragile our environment truly is. Studies confirm that those who feel connected to nature adopt sustainable behaviours - whether it's reducing waste, conserving energy, or advocating for policy changes. But environmental activism extends beyond personal habits; it is about seeing oneself as part of a larger movement. Movements led by organisations like Greenpeace and have shown how activism can influence policies. We have seen governments tighten regulations on carbon emissions, phase out fossil fuels, and invest in renewable energy - all because public pressure left them no choice. However, there are still many hurdles. Governments and corporations often resist meaningful change, prioritising short-term economic gains over long-term environmental sustainability. When I observe countries like Sweden, Germany and New Zealand, I see how strong green political parties are reshaping national environmental policies, setting a global benchmark for sustainability. Sweden's Green Party has been pivotal in pushing carbon neutrality and renewable energy goals, striving for a fossil fuel-free future by 2045 through investments in hydroelectric and wind energy. In Germany, Alliance 90/The Greens has led the Energiewende (energy transition), promoting solar and wind power, which has resulted in strict climate regulations, carbon pricing, and green technology advancements. Similarly, New Zealand's Green Party champions biodiversity protection, eco-friendly urban planning, and plastic waste reduction. Australia, Canada and the UK are also witnessing growing green political movements. All that goes to underscore that environmental activism is not just about advocacy; it is, in fact, a political force, shaping policy, climate action, and economic transformation worldwide. Closer to home, Pakistan's environmental movement is gaining momentum, but it still has a long way to go. With the country battling deforestation, pollution and climate-induced disasters, environmental activism is no longer an option - it is a necessity. Political parties have launched initiatives like Sindh's Mangrove Restoration Project and Punjab's Green Development Program, but their impact remains limited due to policy inconsistencies and poor execution. Government's commitment to sustainability is often overshadowed by infrastructure projects that harm the very environment they claim to protect. Pakistan must move beyond symbolic environmental efforts and embed climate resilience into its core policies. Cross-party collaboration, strict governance, and public accountability are essential for protecting natural resources and ensuring long-term sustainability. If people from diverse age groups, ethnicities, religions and political backgrounds can unite for climate marches worldwide, Pakistanis can also come together to demand stronger environmental policies.
