Latest news with #EarthSummit
Kuwait Times
22-05-2025
- General
- Kuwait Times
Biodiversity protection a shared responsibility for sustainability: EPA
KUWAIT: The Environment Public Authority (EPA) reaffirmed Thursday that the protection of biodiversity is a collective responsibility and a moral and humanitarian obligation, requiring unified national and global efforts to secure a prosperous present and a sustainable future for generations to come. Acting Director General of the EPA Nouf Behbehani made the remarks during a ceremony marking the International Day for Biological Diversity (IBD), organized by the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET), Kuwait Oil Tanker Company (KOTC), and the National Committee of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In her address, Behbehani noted that IBD, observed annually on May 22, commemorates the adoption of the Convention on Biological Diversity during the landmark 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. The summit, she said, marked a pivotal moment in global environmental governance with the adoption of three major conventions: the Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), forming the foundation of international environmental sustainability efforts. Behbehani highlighted that this year's celebration is held under the theme 'Be Part of the Plan,' which calls for harmonizing development with nature and underscores the urgent need to redefine humanity's relationship with the environment. She emphasized that safeguarding biodiversity is vital to ensuring food and water security, climate stability, and public health. She outlined four key pillars of the national biodiversity campaign: raising public awareness on the importance of biodiversity; updating national strategies in alignment with international frameworks; strengthening cross-sectoral collaboration to fulfill obligations under global environmental treaties; and encouraging development initiatives that prioritize environmental protection and long-term sustainability. Representing KOTC's Acting CEO Sheikh Khaled Ahmed Al-Malik Al-Sabah, Acting Director of the Health, Safety and Environment Group Mohammed Mirza reiterated the company's longstanding commitment to environmental stewardship. He affirmed KOTC's active role in promoting sustainable practices and supporting national initiatives aligned with Kuwait's environmental vision. Mirza highlighted the company's achievements, including the full operation of its LPG filling branches in Shuaiba and Umm Al-Aish using solar energy. He also pointed to the environmental compliance of the company's fleet, which adheres to international maritime regulations such as ballast water treatment systems and emission reduction measures. KOTC, he added, remains engaged in various environmental initiatives, including coastal cleanups, awareness campaigns, tree planting, recycling, and climate change mitigation. Meanwhile, Dr Wijdan Al-Oqab, Chairperson of the IUCN National Committee and President of the Kuwait Environment Protection Society (KEPS), emphasized Kuwait's international commitment to biodiversity through its ratification of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the submission of national reports. She called for a serious re-evaluation of the current environmental situation in the country and advocated for a shift from an exploitative relationship with nature to a balanced and cooperative approach. Dr Al-Oqab lauded the EPA's executive role in implementing environmental legislation and monitoring adherence to global agreements, in addition to the contributions of the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research and civil society organizations in advancing environmental awareness. She further praised KEPS' pioneering efforts in public education, including the production of Arab-recognized environmental documentaries such as 'Every Day a Bird' and 'Every Day a Plant,' which have documented Kuwait's wildlife and now serve as valuable scientific and educational resources across the Arab world and within Kuwaiti schools. The event underscored a unified call for action to protect biodiversity as a cornerstone of sustainable development and environmental resilience. — KUNA
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Eco growth & environment conservation must go together: Lalthansanga
Aizawl: Mizoram environment, forests & climate change minister Lalthansanga said on Thursday economic growth and environmental conservation must go together and that we must protect biological diversity as the foundation of the future of human beings, not just as a mere duty. Stating this at an event in observance of the International Day for Biological Diversity 2025, Lalthansanga said conservation must be kept a priority keeping in mind new risks that are emerging with the changing times. The International Day for Biological Diversity 2025 was observed in Aizawl, organised by the by Mizoram State Biodiversity Board and National Biodiversity Authority, with the theme 'Harmony with Nature and Sustainable Development'. The Mizoram State Biodiversity Board had organised high-school level painting competition, open photography competition and signboard design competition for biodiversity management committees to mark the occasion. The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity was established in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to work towards the conservation of biological diversity. India isa party to this convention and is among the 196 countries that have signed the agreement. The UN has been celebrating May 22 as 'International Day for Biological Diversity' since 2000 in commemoration of this convention.
Indian Express
22-05-2025
- General
- Indian Express
International Day for Biological Diversity 2025: Know the date, theme, history, and significance
International Day of Biodiversity 2025: Biological diversity, the concept first coined by Walter G. Rosen in 1985, entails the diversity of all life forms and is the pillar upon which we build civilisations and human existence, and their well-being depends. According to the UN, around 1 million plant and animal species are at present at risk of moving towards extinction, with human intervention posing a significant threat to biodiversity. As a result, to address this pressing issue and increase awareness of the urgent need to protect biodiversity globally, the UN established the International Day for Biological Diversity. While it was initially marked on 29th December, the UNGA (United Nations General Assembly) shifted the observance to May 22nd in 2000, as it commemorates the momentous adoption of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, back in 1992. This year's observance will fall on Thursday, May 22, 2025. It will be marked under the theme Harmony with Nature and Sustainable Development, which highlights the connection between this initiative and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Just two days to go until #BiodiversityDay! On 22 May, we celebrate the Convention on Biological Diversity, adopted in 1992—a milestone in protecting life on Earth. 2025 theme: Harmony with Nature and Sustainable Development 🔗 #ForNature — UN-Water (@UN_Water) May 20, 2025 It also emphasises the importance of advancing both agendas in tandem, as they mutually support one another, thereby instilling a sense of urgency, as five years are left to meet both near-term targets of the Global Biodiversity Framework and the SDGs.
Politico
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Quitting Paris was just the start
The Trump administration has been dropping hints it may exit the world's oldest climate treaty — a move that would go way beyond his withdrawal from the 2015 Paris Agreement. While in line with the president's anti-climate action agenda, a retreat from the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change could ultimately curtail President Donald Trump's international influence, writes Sara Schonhardt. 'If we pull out, then we essentially yield the field to anti-fossil-fuel interests,' George David Banks, who led international climate policy in the first Trump White House, told Sara. During his first term, Trump declined to exit the UNFCCC, which the Democratic-led Senate had ratified during George H.W. Bush's presidency following the 'Earth Summit' in Rio de Janeiro. The treaty's nearly 200 nations meet annually to chart paths for phasing down planet-warming pollution. One of those gatherings produced the Paris accord, which Trump has exited twice. But the Trump administration has offered clues it may take a more aggressive approach this time. For starters, it failed to submit an annual inventory of the nation's greenhouse gases to the U.N. by April 15 — violating a key obligation of the treaty for the first time ever. Then, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced he would eliminate the Office of Global Change, which oversees the country's participation in the U.N.'s annual climate conferences. 'This president inherited 30 years of foreign policy that was built around what was good for the world,' Rubio told reporters at a Cabinet meeting last month. 'Under President Trump, we're making a foreign policy now that's, what is it good for: America.' And finally, the Environmental Protection Agency indicated it would shutter its greenhouse gas reporting program, which provides the necessary data to the emissions inventory. 'It's completely scorched earth,' said Daniel Reifsnyder, who ran the now-axed Office of Global Change when the climate treaty was ratified. 'Submitting an emissions inventory is the basic requirement. And if you don't do that, how can you say you're taking part in the global response?' If Trump does pull the country out of the framework, it could be difficult for a new president to undo. Joining a treaty requires a two-thirds Senate vote — a high hurdle even in less polarized times — though some legal scholars say a new administration could rely on the 1992 Senate vote. Trump has made it clear that his administration isn't interested in curbing the pollution driving catastrophic climate change. But experts warned that formally exiting the treaty, or effectively quitting it by failing to comply with its basic principles, comes with other risks. 'That means that the rest of the world is going to figure out the direction they want to go in, and we're not going to be part of that conversation, and we're not going to be shaping that conversation as the U.S. government,' said Kate Guy, who served as a senior adviser to climate envoy John Kerry under former President Joe Biden. It's Wednesday — thank you for tuning in to POLITICO's Power Switch. I'm your host, Arianna Skibell. Power Switch is brought to you by the journalists behind E&E News and POLITICO Energy. Send your tips, comments, questions to askibell@ Today in POLITICO Energy's podcast: Benjamin Storrow breaks down why one of the largest offshore wind energy projects in the country could be canceled. Power Centers Trump ditches 'forever chemicals' ruleThe Trump administration will roll back a landmark regulation on 'forever chemicals' in drinking water, two weeks after EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin promised to address contamination from the toxic, man-made substances, writes Miranda Willson. Even low levels of the chemicals known as PFAS are linked to cancer, immune system problems, developmental effects and other health ailments. EPA-mandated testing has found them in nearly half of Americans' drinking water, writes Annie Snider. Skirting independent nuclear oversight?A review of four draft executive orders from the White House shows that the Trump administration may be looking for ways to bypass the independent Nuclear Regulatory Commission and challenge its central claim over nuclear safety standards, writes Francisco 'A.J.' Camacho. 'This is the detailed, agency-specific effort to override the historic independent agency construct,' said Stephen Burns, former chair of the NRC during the Obama administration. Landmark climate law extension California Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed a 15-year extension of California's signature cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gases — a cornerstone of the state's climate policies and a reliable revenue generator, writes Camille von Kaenel. Newsom's long-awaited proposal would reauthorize the state's quarterly auction of emissions permits and change the way some of the proceeds are spent. It comes months after Newsom first indicated his plans to do so and just weeks after Trump attacked the state's program in an executive order. In Other News DOGE cuts: NOAA is scrambling to fill forecasting jobs as hurricane season looms. Report: How the world's most powerful corporations have fought accountability for climate change. Subscriber Zone A showcase of some of our best subscriber content. An Arizona Republican's swing district is experiencing a clean energy boom. He may have to buck Trump to protect it. The Interior Department is moving to rescind a Biden-era Bureau of Land Management rule finalized last year that aimed to boost clean energy development on federal lands. Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia — headlined by a splashy $600 billion investment announcement — highlighted the tech industry's increasingly large role on a global stage once dominated by oil and gas. That's it for today, folks! Thanks for reading.
Iraqi News
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Iraqi News
Chairman of the Group of 77 and China confirms support for the climate change summit in Brazil
The representative of Iraq to the United Nations and the Chairman of the Group of 77 and China, Abbas Kazim Obaid, confirmed today, Friday, support for the climate change summit in Brazil. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a statement received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA): that "The representative of Iraq to the United Nations and the Chairman of the Group of 77 and China, Abbas Kazim Obaid, met with André Correa, the President-designate of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change COP30, which will be held in Brazil," noting that "the two sides discussed the multiple challenges facing the climate agreement, and ways to implement commitments and pledges to achieve common goals." The Iraqi representative, according to the statement, expressed "the support of the Group of 77 and China and its confidence in Brazil's leadership to make this international event a success and achieve the common priorities of developing countries," noting that "international environmental and climate action is still based on what was achieved at the Earth Summit organized by Brazil in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, and continuous communication ensures the success of the conference and meets the concerns of member states, and that this task is a shared responsibility that falls on everyone." For his part, the conference president thanked "the Chairman of the Group of 77 for his confidence and gratitude for the group's support for the presidency of the conference, and that part of his program is based on positive and successful communication with the negotiating groups, of which the Group of 77 is the most prominent and largest," praising "the level of readiness and seriousness shown by the Iraqi delegation, in its capacity as Chairman of the Group, in making the negotiating tasks entrusted to it a success, and raising the voice of developing countries in all available forums until the conference's work begins."
