Latest news with #ParisAgreement
Scoop
10 hours ago
- Health
- Scoop
World Health Assembly: Health Community Hails Adoption Of Climate & Health Action Plan, But Slams Fossil Fuel Omissions
Geneva, 27 May 2025 The Global Climate and Health Alliance (GCHA) today welcomed the adoption by the World Health Organization's 78th World Health Assembly (WHA78) of the Global Action Plan (GAP), which will take forward last year's Resolution on Climate Change and Health, while criticising the removal of mention of fossil fuel subsidies from the text. 'We welcome the adoption of the Global Action Plan as a crucial tool for protecting human life from the impacts of climate change', said Rosie Tasker, Clean Air Liaison at the Global Climate and Health Alliance, which is made up of more than 200 organisations addressing climate change. 'This important milestone was only made possible by significant efforts by the co-facilitators and regional leaders from governments, supported by the health community'. 'However, the absence of any mention of the impacts of fossil fuels or the need for fossil fuel subsidy reform misses a key opportunity to emphasise these connections in the minds and policies of governments around the world', added Tasker. 'Crucially, its adoption marks the start of a new phase where governments and WHO are committing to accelerated action on climate and health.' Key strengths of the Global Action Plan include a call for member states to integrate health into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs - countries' national climate commitments under the Paris Agreement) and integrate climate into national health strategies, policies and plans; a strong focus on maximising the health co-benefits of mitigation and adaptation activities across different government sectors; and a commitment to engage communities and civil society organisations in the development, implementation and evaluation of climate and health strategies. However, the plan's path to adoption was made difficult by a number of member states calling for postponement, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Russia, Bahrain, Venezuela, supported by other countries from the WHO's Eastern Mediterranean region that have been calling for the plan's postponement. But, over the course of discussions on Monday afternoon, these voices were far outweighed by more than 60 countries who took to the floor to share why it was critical to adopt the global action plan. A small number of high-income countries, including the UK, Germany, Australia and Japan, supported the action plan as a whole, but officially noted their objections to language on Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capacities (CBDR-RC), a concept included in the Paris Agreement, which calls for global solidarity in climate change responses. 'Without action to mitigate climate change through reduction of fossil fuel use, the health impacts of climate change will soon outstrip the capacities of health systems to respond', said Tasker. 'To counter this, governments must make climate a core part of national health strategies, and health a key part of countries' Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs); governments must include a stronger focus on vulnerable groups such as women and children, older adults, LGBTQ, refugee and migrant populations, and people with poor mental health or disabilities.' 'The adoption of the Global Plan of Action means that governments must now recognise and respond to the profound role that climate change and its primary driver, fossil fuels, play in determining health outcomes for people around the world', concluded Tasker. About GCHA The Global Climate and Health Alliance is a consortium of more than 200 health professional and health civil society organisations and networks from around the world addressing climate change. We are united by a shared vision of an equitable, sustainable future, in which the health impacts of climate change are minimised, and the health co-benefits of climate change mitigation are maximised.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
France says it has common ground with China on environment
France and China have found "points of convergence" on the environment, French minister for ecological transition Agnes Pannier-Runacher said Friday at the end of a visit to Beijing. Her trip came ahead of the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC), which is due to start in Nice on June 9, and the COP30 climate summit in Brazil in November. After the United States again withdrew from the landmark Paris climate agreement once President Donald Trump returned to office in January, France has advocated for the European Union and China to form a united front on environment and climate. "Points of convergence were clearly felt," Pannier-Runacher told AFP after holding meetings with multiple Chinese officials, including environment minister Huang Runqiu and natural resources minister Guan Zhi'ou. "Commitment to the Paris Agreement" and "multilateralism" were two such points, she said. Pannier-Runacher said she was hoping for a joint-statement ahead of the COP30 summit to help give momentum to negotiations. "At a time when science is doubted by some, when the impact of climate deregulation on our lives is contested (...) it is important for the European Union and China to assume their responsibilities," she said. Huang told Pannier-Runacher that China would "keep observing the objectives set by the Paris accord and work with all parties to promote positive results" at the COP30 summit, a statement issued by his ministry said. China is the world's top emitter of greenhouse gases, but has embraced renewable energy sources, electric vehicles and is working to reduce carbon emissions. It plans to peak carbon emissions by 2030 and reach net zero by 2060, and some analysts have speculated that slowing growth and rapid renewable installations mean emissions have already levelled off. Emissions indeed fell in the first quarter of 2025, an independent think tank said earlier this month. Pannier-Runacher hailed China's "dynamism," saying all could learn from its "quickness" on adopting renewable energy technologies. The French minister also said China was a leader in those technologies, and expressed hope it would invest in France and other European countries to create jobs. ehl/tc-sst/bgs
France 24
12 hours ago
- Business
- France 24
France says it has common ground with China on environment
Her trip came ahead of the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC), which is due to start in Nice on June 9, and the COP30 climate summit in Brazil in November. After the United States again withdrew from the landmark Paris climate agreement once President Donald Trump returned to office in January, France has advocated for the European Union and China to form a united front on environment and climate. "Points of convergence were clearly felt," Pannier-Runacher told AFP after holding meetings with multiple Chinese officials, including environment minister Huang Runqiu and natural resources minister Guan Zhi'ou. "Commitment to the Paris Agreement" and "multilateralism" were two such points, she said. Pannier-Runacher said she was hoping for a joint-statement ahead of the COP30 summit to help give momentum to negotiations. "At a time when science is doubted by some, when the impact of climate deregulation on our lives is contested (...) it is important for the European Union and China to assume their responsibilities," she said. Huang told Pannier-Runacher that China would "keep observing the objectives set by the Paris accord and work with all parties to promote positive results" at the COP30 summit, a statement issued by his ministry said. China is the world's top emitter of greenhouse gases, but has embraced renewable energy sources, electric vehicles and is working to reduce carbon emissions. It plans to peak carbon emissions by 2030 and reach net zero by 2060, and some analysts have speculated that slowing growth and rapid renewable installations mean emissions have already levelled off. Emissions indeed fell in the first quarter of 2025, an independent think tank said earlier this month. Pannier-Runacher hailed China's "dynamism," saying all could learn from its "quickness" on adopting renewable energy technologies. The French minister also said China was a leader in those technologies, and expressed hope it would invest in France and other European countries to create jobs.
India.com
12 hours ago
- Science
- India.com
BIG trouble for Pakistan amid India's suspension of Indus Water Treaty as glaciers in Hindu Kush to..., will create water crisis in...
India recently suspended the Indus Water Treaty and the melting of glaciers in the Hindu Kush will further deepen the water crisis in the enemy country. (File/Representational) Following the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty by India following the heinous April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistan may be staring at a severe water crisis in the near future as more than 75 percent of glacial ice in the Hindu Kush mountains is expected to melt away by the end of this century. According to a study published in the 'Science' journal. glaciers in the Hindu Kush — an 800-kilometre-long mountain range that stretches from Central and South Asia to the west of the Himalayas– are at risk of losing 75 percent of its glaciers in the 70-80 years if global temperatures rise by 2 degrees Celsius from pre-industrial levels. The Hindu Kush mountains are a key source of water for nearly two billion people in countries such as India, China, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bhutan, and Bangladesh as some of the world's largest rivers flow through this mountain range. But the news is especially troubling for Pakistan due to India recently holding the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) in abeyance, which has already affected water flow in the enemy country. Water crisis to hit entire Asia As per the study, the melting of glacial ice in the Hindu Kush would have far-reaching consequences such as creating a water crisis of unprecedented levels across all of Asia. The study estimates that the Himalayas and Caucasus could retain 40-45% of their glacial ice if countries manage to limited the temperature rise 1.5 degrees Celsius as outlined in the Paris Agreement. However, based on the current trajectory of a 2.7 degree Celsius temperature rise by the end of the century, these mountains, including the Hindu Kush, could lose up to 75-80 percent of their glacial mass, the study warns. Over 2 billion at risk The study was published as the first UN Conference on Glaciers is underway in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, where more than 50 countries are gathered to discuss and tackle the looming crisis. 'Melting glaciers are threatening lives on an unprecedented scale, including the lives and livelihoods of over 2 billion people in Asia. Switching to clean energy to reduce planet-warming emissions is the most effective way to slow down this phenomenon,' Yingming Yang, Vice-President, Asian Development Bank (ADB), said in his address at the UN conference. According to the study, the researchers used eight glacier models to assess the fate of more than 200,000 glaciers around the world under different warming scenarios, and the results were frightening. The researches found that glacial mass will continue to decline at a rapid pace in the coming decades, even if global temperatures are stabilized. The study warns that the long-term effects of this phenomenon will last for centuries to come and immediate measures need to taken to minimise the damage. 'Our study makes it abundantly clear that every fraction of a degree matters,' said co-lead author Dr Harry Zekkolaari.
News18
16 hours ago
- Science
- News18
2°C Global Temperature Rise Could Melt 75% of Hindu Kush Himalayan Glaciers: Report
Last Updated: The study highlights that limiting global warming to 1.5°C, as per the 2015 Paris Agreement, could help preserve glacier ice across all Himalayan regions A new scientific study warns that a 2°C rise in global temperature could melt up to 75% of the Hindu Kush Himalayan glaciers by the century's end. These glaciers feed rivers that sustain nearly two billion people. Published in the journal Science, the study underscores the grave impact of climate change on one of the world's most vital water sources. The study indicates that if countries manage to limit the temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, 40-45 percent of the ice in the glaciers of the Himalayas and the Caucasus Mountains could be preserved. Conversely, if the global temperature rises by 2.7 degrees Celsius by the century's end, only one-fourth of the world's glacier ice would remain. The study further highlights that the most significant glacier regions for human communities, such as the European Alps, the mountain ranges of the western US and Canada, and Iceland, would be severely affected. At a two degrees Celsius increase, these regions could lose almost all their ice, with only 10-15 percent remaining at 2020 levels. The Scandinavian mountains face an even graver threat, as no ice would be left on their glaciers at this temperature level. The study underscores that adhering to the 1.5 degree Celsius target set by the 2015 Paris Agreement would help preserve some glacier ice across all regions. The melting of glaciers poses a significant risk of submerging the world's plains. In response to this pressing issue, world leaders are gathering in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, for the first United Nations Conference on Glaciers starting on Friday. More than 50 countries are participating, including ministerial or high-level officials from 30 countries. Asian Development Bank Vice President Yingming Yang stated in Dushanbe, 'Melting glaciers are threatening life on an unprecedented scale, impacting the livelihoods of more than two billion people in Asia. Adopting clean energy to reduce emissions that warm the planet is the most effective way to slow the melting of glaciers." Dr. Harry Jekolaari, co-lead author of the study at Vrije University Brussel, emphasised, 'Our study has made it clear that even a slight increase in temperature matters. The choices we make today will have an impact for centuries and will determine how much of our glaciers can be preserved." First Published: May 30, 2025, 18:57 IST
