Latest news with #carbonemissions
Arab News
a day ago
- Business
- Arab News
Israel's Gaza war producing ‘staggering' carbon footprint
LONDON: The emissions caused by Israel's war on Gaza as well as estimated reconstruction costs are greater than the annual footprint of 100 individual countries, new research has found. The war caused more carbon emissions than the annual combined total of Costa Rica and Estonia in its first 15 months. The research, published by the Social Science Research Network, was shared exclusively with The Guardian. Destroying, clearing and rebuilding the Gaza Strip could produce 31 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e), researchers from the UK and US found. There is no obligation for states to record military emissions to the UN's climate body, with researchers warning that the lack of accountability could lead to an underreporting of the global carbon footprint. The study's data, which also includes estimates of emissions relating to Hamas and Hezbollah activity, highlights the asymmetry between each side. Hamas's use of bunker fuel and rockets accounted for about 3,000 tCO2e, just 0.2 percent of the conflict's total carbon footprint. Israel's use of weapons, equipment, tanks and ordnance produced 50 percent of emissions, the study found. Researchers also included estimated emissions from Yemen's Houthi militia, which has traded strikes with Israel over the course of the war. Iran and Israel's tit-for-tat attacks, and the war in southern Lebanon, were also recorded. All military activity arising from the Gaza war produced the equivalent, in emissions, of charging 2.6 billion smartphones or running 84 gas power plants for a year. The figure includes the tC02e estimate — 557,359 — of the pre-war construction of Hamas's tunnel network and Israel's 'iron wall' barrier surrounding Gaza. The findings could eventually help calculate claims for reparations, The Guardian reported. More than 99 percent of the tCO2e generated between Oct. 7, 2023, and the temporary ceasefire in January this year was attributed to Israeli bombardment and the invasion of Gaza. US involvement in the emissions was also highlighted by researchers. They found that almost 30 percent of greenhouse gases generated in the same period came from regular resupply flights carrying military equipment to Israel from American stockpiles in Europe. Israel's destruction of Gaza has produced an estimated 60 million tonnes of toxic rubble that requires clearing, producing what researchers warned would be the biggest emissions toll of the conflict. Removing debris, rebuilding 436,000 destroyed apartments, roads, 700 schools, mosques and administrative sites will produce an estimated 29.4 million tCO2e. Zena Agha, analyst for Palestinian policy network Al-Shabaka, said: 'This report is a staggering and sobering reminder of the ecological and environmental cost of Israel's genocidal campaign … But this is also the US, UK and EU's war, all of which have provided seemingly limitless military resources to enable Israel to devastate the most densely populated place on the planet. 'This brings home the destabilizing (regional) impact of the Israeli settler state and its inseparability from the western military-industrial complex.' In producing the report, researchers used open-source information, media articles and data from independent groups, including UN agencies. Hadeel Ikhmais, head of the climate change office at the Palestinian Environmental Quality Authority, said: 'Wars not only kill people but also release toxic chemicals, destroy infrastructure, pollute soil, air and water resources and accelerate climate and environmental disasters. 'War also destroys climate adaptation and hinders environmental management. Not counting carbon emissions is a black hole in accountability that allows governments to get away from their environmental crimes.'
BBC News
a day ago
- Business
- BBC News
British Sugar given £7.5m to cut carbon emissions at Wissington site
British Sugar has been given £7.5m in funding to help overhaul crop drying processes with the aim of cutting carbon emissions by 25%. The company, which operates a factory in Wissington, Norfolk, plans to use the money to install emission-cutting technology including heat pumps and carbon capture. The government funding is part of a £37m project to revolutionise the on-site drying process with gas dryers replaced by steam dryers to save 193,000 MWh a year in energy usage. Terry Jermy, Labour MP for South West Norfolk, said: "This is excellent news as British Sugar is a pillar of our country and region with regards to production and innovation." The company needs to clean, shred, boil and process the beet crop into different grades of sugar for food and confectionary manufacturers. Phil McNaughton, head of decarbonisation at British Sugar, said the project would "not be possible" without the funding. He said the change was a "significant milestone" in the company's aim of achieving a net zero operation."We look forward to working together with the government in the future to utilise new technologies and continue decarbonising our operations."In recent years British Sugar has also invested in an evaporation plant at the Wissington factory. It was awarded the money as part of the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund. The government hopes the investment will help to cut carbon emissions and improve the efficiency of operations while supporting local jobs and economic growth. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Japan Times
a day ago
- Business
- Japan Times
Nippon Steel to invest in electric furnaces with government support
Nippon Steel said Friday that it will invest ¥868.7 billion in introducing electric furnaces at its domestic steel plants, with support from the industry ministry. The ministry announced that it will provide up to ¥251.4 billion in aid for the company's changeover from blast furnaces. Since the steel-making process produces a large amount of carbon emissions, steelmakers are now taking measures to decarbonize, including replacing blast furnaces, which use coal and other substances to make steel, with electric furnaces. Nippon Steel aims to cut its carbon dioxide emissions by 30% in 2030 compared with levels in 2013, and realize net-zero emissions in 2050. The company is set to spend ¥630.2 billion in installing one electric furnace at its Kyushu Works' Yawata Area in Kitakyushu, ¥140 billion for adding one electric furnace at the Hirohata Area of its Setouchi Works in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, and ¥98.5 billion in renovating and restarting one existing electric furnace at its Yamaguchi Works in the city of Shunan, Yamaguchi Prefecture. After starting steel production by the second half of fiscal 2029, the three electric furnaces are expected to have a total annual output of 2.9 million tons.
BBC News
a day ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Solar farm by M1 Watford Gap services approved
Plans to install more than 15,000 solar panels on farmland near the M1 Watford Gap services have been will be put on an 18-acre (7.3 hectare) field close to the service station, the A5 and existing Northamptonshire Council received no objections to the Walker, from developer PS Renewables, told the authority's planning committee it was "a relatively small solar farm comprising a single field". The meeting of the council's strategic planning committee on Tuesday heard the panels would have little visual impact due to warehousing and wind turbines in the backdrop, the Local Democracy Reporting Service built, the site could generate up to 6mw of renewable electricity, which the applicants advised would be enough to power 2,100 Walker told the committee: "The solar farm will contribute to the reduction of carbon emissions in line with legal requirements - and will importantly be electricity generated in the UK for use in the UK."He added the site was not previously used for growing crops but instead held livestock, which would continue once the solar farm was operational in the form of sheep committee members voted unanimously to approve the project. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Wall Street Journal
a day ago
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
Nippon Steel to Invest $6 Billion to Cut Carbon Emissions
Nippon Steel 5401 0.68%increase; green up pointing triangle plans to invest $6 billion to increase production of steel using electric arc furnaces in a bid to reduce carbon emissions. The Japanese steelmaker said Friday that it would invest 868.7 billion yen, equivalent to $6.02 billion, to establish three electric furnaces in Japan and that it expects the Japanese government to provide up to ¥251.4 billion in support. Nippon Steel said the investment will increase production capacity by about 2.9 million tons a year, with operations scheduled to commence by the fiscal year starting April 2029. The company said the conversion to electric arc furnaces from blast furnaces for steelmaking will significantly reduce CO2 emissions. Electric arc furnaces melt steel scrap to make new steel products, while in a conventional blast furnace, coke made from coal is used for smelting iron ore. The conversion to electric arc furnaces, though, will require substantial capital investment and lead to higher costs of raw materials and electricity, the company said. Nippon Steel recently received conditional approval from President Trump to take control of U.S. Steel under what he described as a partnership. Trump's announcement last week signaled that the Tokyo-based company could eventually enter the American steel market and make the big investments envisioned when it reached a $14.1 billion deal to take over U.S. Steel. Write to Kosaku Narioka at
