https://www.scmp.com/rss/516858/feed Latest news and updates on the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (Cop28), which will be held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, between November 30 and December 12, 2023. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com President Donald Trump’s second term has been a wrecking ball for US climate policy – ripping the country out of the Paris Agreement, gutting climate science funding and abandoning global clean energy commitments. Fossil fuels are back at the centre of power, while international climate efforts scramble to fill the void left by a retreating America. Scientists flee to Europe, funding dries up for energy transitions and the United States, once a key player in climate diplomacy, now cedes... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3303970/asia-cant-afford-wait-us-wake-its-climate-duty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3303970/asia-cant-afford-wait-us-wake-its-climate-duty?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Mar 2025 01:30:08 +0000 The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded its deliberations in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, recently. Predictably, there was a deadlock between the participants over the date by which the detailed, three-part assessment on the climate crisis – the seventh in the series – will be presented to the United Nations. The report is a comprehensive review and a rigorously researched assessment of climate impacts, vulnerabilities and mitigation efforts. Some want the report to be... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3300953/can-china-and-india-step-fill-climate-void-left-trumps-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3300953/can-china-and-india-step-fill-climate-void-left-trumps-america?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Mar 2025 12:30:10 +0000 As Azerbaijan’s capital Baku prepares to host the Cop29 climate conference from November 11, Asia stands at a crossroads in the global fight against climate change. The region, home to 60 per cent of the world’s population and 53 per cent of global emissions, is emerging as an unlikely champion in the race to net zero. While challenges remain formidable and estimates suggest meeting its goals by 2050 will cost about US$70 trillion, Asia’s commitment to climate action is reshaping the global... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3284444/asia-emerging-unlikely-champion-race-net-zero?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3284444/asia-emerging-unlikely-champion-race-net-zero?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Nov 2024 12:30:08 +0000 Cop29, the UN climate change conference, convenes in Baku, Azerbaijan’s capital, from November 11-22. Compared to Cop28 host, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), less is known about Azerbaijan – but that is about to change. The South Caucasus country bridging Eastern Europe and Western Asia is poised to be a middle power in a multipolar world. Cop29 will focus on the funds needed to limit global warming to the Paris Agreement target of 1.5 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels. The contentious... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3284353/cop29-azerbaijans-moment-step-global-sunshine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3284353/cop29-azerbaijans-moment-step-global-sunshine?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Nov 2024 21:30:08 +0000 Over the past week, around 15,000 people, including heads of state and ministers, representing more than 190 countries have gathered in Cali, Colombia, for the Cop16 UN Biodiversity Conference. The setting is apposite: Colombia is one of the world’s most biodiverse countries. If the honourable aims of the 16th Conference of the Parties – to settle national biodiversity strategies and action plans, reform the global food system, which is the single biggest driver of biodiversity loss, and find... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3283704/cash-strapped-west-will-ignore-calls-protect-biodiversity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3283704/cash-strapped-west-will-ignore-calls-protect-biodiversity?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Oct 2024 08:30:08 +0000 The United States and China are closing the divide on the contentious issue of international climate finance, raising hopes for a breakthrough at a crucial climate conference in Azerbaijan, according to the host country’s chief negotiator. In an interview, Yalchin Rafiyev said he had received “positive signals” following recent high-level talks between the world’s two largest economies, which frequently assert themselves as leading voices for the Global North and South in international... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3279974/us-china-progress-sparks-hope-cop29-azerbaijan-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3279974/us-china-progress-sparks-hope-cop29-azerbaijan-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Sep 2024 19:25:05 +0000 It has been over five months since more than 110 countries at the Cop28 UN climate change conference agreed to double their energy efficiency improvements to an annual rate of 4 per cent as part of a deal towards meeting the Paris Agreement. What has Hong Kong done since? In many areas of environmental policy, Hong Kong has followed international practice. It recently adopted a taxonomy for sustainable finance, seeking consistency with guidelines issued by the Chinese government and European... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3262681/hong-kong-needs-start-decarbonising-its-buildings-heres-how?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3262681/hong-kong-needs-start-decarbonising-its-buildings-heres-how?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 May 2024 01:30:16 +0000 Given the likelihood of an extended heatwave this summer, the Indian government has ordered all gas-based power stations to be operational from May 1 to June 30. Power demand reached a record 243 gigawatts last September, and is forecast to hit 260GW this summer. India signed the Cop28 accord that calls for “transitioning away” from fossil fuels, but the country’s data on coal dependence indicates that this change is still far off. India has about 27GW of coal-based power capacity under... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3260196/chinas-and-indias-coal-habits-are-slowing-down-green-transition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3260196/chinas-and-indias-coal-habits-are-slowing-down-green-transition?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Apr 2024 07:30:18 +0000 Pope Francis on Sunday renewed his calls for the release of Israeli hostages and an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, as fresh truce negotiations between Israel and Hamas were due to begin. “I appeal once again that access to humanitarian aid be ensured to Gaza, and call once more for the prompt release of the hostages seized on October 7 and for an immediate ceasefire in the Strip,” the 87-year-old said in his Easter message in the Vatican, as concerns persist over his health. After... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3257346/pope-francis-leads-easter-vigil-vatican-after-health-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3257346/pope-francis-leads-easter-vigil-vatican-after-health-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Mar 2024 20:02:45 +0000 US special climate envoy John Kerry praised China’s climate commitments and emphasised the importance of personal relationships in diplomacy during his farewell tour of Washington. Kerry is leaving his cabinet-level position on Wednesday after three years, but said on Tuesday that he was not leaving the climate fight. Instead, he will remain “deeply involved” and redirect his attention to mobilising private capital to help the clean energy transition. He also said he hoped he and his former... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3254309/outgoing-us-climate-envoy-john-kerry-says-he-will-stay-involved-hopes-maintain-dialogue-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3254309/outgoing-us-climate-envoy-john-kerry-says-he-will-stay-involved-hopes-maintain-dialogue-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Mar 2024 21:54:49 +0000 The Cop28 UN climate summit held in Dubai last year concluded with an agreement that, for the first time, commits countries around the world to transition away from the use of fossil fuels. On the first day of the meeting, a new climate fund for loss and damage was established. The host country, the United Arab Emirates, has pledged to contribute US$100 million, and many other states have also agreed to chip in. The funds are intended for the countries most severely affected by climate... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3250631/it-time-developing-china-start-funding-un-climate-aid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3250631/it-time-developing-china-start-funding-un-climate-aid?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Feb 2024 11:00:08 +0000 Investing in firms and industries to help fund their transition to a low-carbon future is set to become a major theme in 2024, as demand for sustainable finance products in China and the Asia-Pacific region will remain robust despite elevated interest rates, fund managers and analysts said. Asia-Pacific, a region highly exposed to costly climate change-related events, needs to invest US$71 trillion to achieve net-zero emissions by mid-century, to answer the United Nations’ recent call for faster... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3246031/china-stokes-asia-pacific-demand-sustainable-finance-despite-rising-interest-rates-driven-beijings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3246031/china-stokes-asia-pacific-demand-sustainable-finance-despite-rising-interest-rates-driven-beijings?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Dec 2023 06:00:18 +0000 And so the annual tradition of exclaiming at how fast the year has flown by continues in 2023, a year that has been a mix of the stale and unique. Wars in Ukraine, Yemen, Syria, Sudan and other parts of Africa now have competition – from the Israeli-Hamas conflict. Yet again, the “hottest year” was parroted as climate change made the world sweat. But I am getting ahead of myself. Let’s look back at some phrases and numbers that defined this year. Hypocrisy – If one word encapsulates 2023, this... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3245772/after-hot-2023-wars-weather-may-2024-be-cooler?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3245772/after-hot-2023-wars-weather-may-2024-be-cooler?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Dec 2023 08:30:10 +0000 The Cop28 UN climate conference in Dubai ended with its first ever declaration on “transitioning” from fossil fuels and a bounty of promises and plans – at least 74 “pledges and declarations” and “new initiatives” were counted by Climate Action Tracker. But the question remains: what did we really get out it? On the first day of Cop28, delegates agreed to operationalise the “loss and damage” fund proposed at the previous Conference of Parties to help climate-vulnerable countries. But the over... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3245928/cop28s-bounty-climate-promises-what-did-we-really-get-out-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3245928/cop28s-bounty-climate-promises-what-did-we-really-get-out-it?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Dec 2023 01:30:15 +0000 With scorching heatwaves and the return of choking haze, Asia found itself at the sharp end of climate change throughout 2023, the warmest year ever in recorded history. But it was not all doom and gloom, as the UN conference on climate change in Dubai towards the end of the year signalled an eventual end to the fossil-fuel era. Here are some of the most impactful environment stories This Week in Asia covered in 2023. Asia’s rice price crisis Climate change-induced extreme weather unsettled... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3246056/dying-fish-fukushima-discharge-skyrocketing-rice-prices-asia-counts-its-losses-worlds-warmest-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3246056/dying-fish-fukushima-discharge-skyrocketing-rice-prices-asia-counts-its-losses-worlds-warmest-year?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Dec 2023 03:20:11 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. We have seen yet another UN climate change conference, this time in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. The objective of Cop28 and others before it has been to arrive at a set of globally... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3245596/cop28-so-are-we-anywhere-near-end-fossil-fuel-era?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3245596/cop28-so-are-we-anywhere-near-end-fossil-fuel-era?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Dec 2023 03:30:11 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. I am glad to see Ocean Park finally turning a profit (“Hong Kong’s Ocean Park posts HK$118.5 million surplus after years of running deficits”, December 13). By contrast, Hong Kong Disneyland... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3245425/why-not-move-loss-making-hong-kong-disneyland-mainland-chinas-sanya?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3245425/why-not-move-loss-making-hong-kong-disneyland-mainland-chinas-sanya?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Dec 2023 03:30:13 +0000 As the world tackles climate change with a heightened sense of urgency and renewed determination following the Cop28 United Nations climate conference in Dubai, it is critically important for nations to guard against restrictive trade measures. Seemingly unrelated and thus often treated as a separate issue, trade restrictions can significantly affect global climate goals and threaten to derail the transition to a greener economy. An example of this is the European Union’s carbon border tax,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3245291/us-and-eu-trade-barriers-not-only-hurt-china-they-also-derail-climate-action?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3245291/us-and-eu-trade-barriers-not-only-hurt-china-they-also-derail-climate-action?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Dec 2023 21:30:09 +0000 Japan is offering to help Asia-Pacific nations curb emissions with various technologies, including a climate solution that critics say may extend the life of fossil fuel power plants. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s government on Monday hosted a meeting of leaders from the Asia Zero Emission Community, which includes Indonesia and Thailand, offering decarbonisation solutions such as bendable solar panels and offshore wind. One technique being promoted is co-firing, which uses less-polluting... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3245479/japan-offers-help-asia-curb-emissions-will-its-co-firing-technology-extend-use-fossil-fuel-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3245479/japan-offers-help-asia-curb-emissions-will-its-co-firing-technology-extend-use-fossil-fuel-power?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Dec 2023 09:59:05 +0000 Global Impact is a weekly curated newsletter featuring a news topic originating in China with a significant macro impact for our newsreaders around the world. Sign up now! Cop28, the 28th United Nations climate change conference attended by negotiators from 197 nations and the European Union, concluded with a historic consensus on Wednesday in Dubai. Following two weeks of intense negotiations, the 198 parties agreed on a landmark deal that calls on nations to “transition away” from fossil fuels... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3245405/global-impact-cop28-hails-historic-transition-away-oil-gas-and-coal-really-end-fossil-fuel-era?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3245405/global-impact-cop28-hails-historic-transition-away-oil-gas-and-coal-really-end-fossil-fuel-era?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Dec 2023 06:00:22 +0000 This year’s Cop28 UN climate summit in Dubai came right after the International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing, held to strengthen and showcase China’s unbeatable manufacturing and logistics capabilities. Having attended both events, I see China’s connecting role as more important than ever. Though the supply chain expo was largely hosted to bolster the Chinese economy, it also shows China’s underappreciated role in addressing climate change. The good news out of Cop28 is a historic agreement to... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3245107/face-it-chinas-clean-energy-firms-are-key-cop28-climate-goals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3245107/face-it-chinas-clean-energy-firms-are-key-cop28-climate-goals?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Dec 2023 08:30:09 +0000 The recently concluded Cop28 UN climate change conference took place while two major wars are being fought. Until we can foster peace among ourselves, achieving a harmonious coexistence with nature seems improbable. A key focus of the Dubai summit was to establish a “loss and damage” fund to help developing countries cope with and recover from the devastating impact of climate change. There is no denying that the world’s most impoverished countries are being hit the hardest by global warming and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3244982/climate-action-first-we-must-stop-fighting-among-ourselves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3244982/climate-action-first-we-must-stop-fighting-among-ourselves?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Dec 2023 21:30:12 +0000 A UN climate deal that approved a call to transition away from fossil fuels has been hailed as a major milestone and a cause for at least cautious optimism. But many climate scientists said the joyful sentiments of world leaders did not accurately reflect the limited ambition of the agreement. Michael Mann, a climatologist and geophysicist at the University of Pennsylvania, criticised the vagueness of the fossil fuel statement, which has no firm, accountable boundaries for how much countries... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3245030/cop28-climate-scientists-push-back-against-cheer-over-historic-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3245030/cop28-climate-scientists-push-back-against-cheer-over-historic-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Dec 2023 04:57:32 +0000 The United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai ended on Wednesday with a message signalling the eventual end to the fossil fuel era, but its lack of a clear timeline could leave parts of developing Asia increasingly vulnerable to climate shocks, experts said. The conference, also known as Cop28, adopted within minutes of its presentation the proposed text for a final climate deal that acknowledges for the first time the need for “transitioning away from fossil fuels” and “accelerating... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3244967/asias-climate-goals-risk-over-cop28s-modest-transition-fossil-fuels-we-have-one-foot-grave?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3244967/asias-climate-goals-risk-over-cop28s-modest-transition-fossil-fuels-we-have-one-foot-grave?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Dec 2023 11:40:30 +0000 Nearly 200 nations meeting in Dubai on Wednesday approved a first-ever call for the world to transition away from fossil fuels, the top culprit of climate change behind a planetary crisis. After 13 days of talks and another sleepless night in a country built on oil wealth, the Emirati leadership of the Cop28 summit banged a gavel to signal the world had reached consensus. “You did step up, you showed flexibility, you put common interest ahead of self-interest,” said Cop28 president Sultan Al... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3244890/proposed-cop28-climate-deal-calls-transitioning-away-fossil-fuels?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3244890/proposed-cop28-climate-deal-calls-transitioning-away-fossil-fuels?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Dec 2023 03:54:23 +0000 With just hours to go before the United Nations climate summit in Dubai was scheduled to end, there was some good news and some bad news. The good news was China and the United States, the world’s top two polluters, had been in “intensive” talks over the past two weeks in the United Arab Emirates to find a climate deal “acceptable to all parties”, as China’s top negotiator Xie Zhenhua put it. It shows despite their intensifying divisions, the rival powers can still work together on some of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3244800/chinas-role-spotlight-cop28-climate-talks-dubai-enter-final-phase?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3244800/chinas-role-spotlight-cop28-climate-talks-dubai-enter-final-phase?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Dec 2023 08:38:25 +0000 Hong Kong marine tech start-up Archireef will partner with the Middle East’s biggest bank, First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), to deploy terracotta tiles that will help restore the degraded reef ecosystem off the Arabian Gulf coast. FAB will fund the deployment of 400 such tiles across a 100 square metre area off the coast of Abu Dhabi, which will support the recovery and development of underwater natural ecosystems, according to an announcement on Monday at the 28th United Nations Climate Change... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3244773/hong-kongs-archireef-partners-first-abu-dhabi-bank-restore-marine-ecosystems-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3244773/hong-kongs-archireef-partners-first-abu-dhabi-bank-restore-marine-ecosystems-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Dec 2023 05:01:22 +0000 The world’s climate negotiators on Tuesday haggled beyond a host-imposed deadline for a deal as at-risk nations voiced fury over a proposed compromise that stops short of phasing out fossil fuels. The Emirati president of the Cop28 summit had pressed the nearly 200 nations to reach an ambitious deal by the official end of talks at 11am (3pm Hong Kong time), in an effort to force decisions. But after another late night, there was no sign that the talks were anywhere near completion, with... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3244712/cop28s-watered-down-draft-text-criticised-omitting-fossil-fuel-phase-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3244712/cop28s-watered-down-draft-text-criticised-omitting-fossil-fuel-phase-out?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Dec 2023 15:12:27 +0000 [The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] Ambassador Majid Al Suwaidi, director general of the 28th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), has delivered a compelling call to action for developed countries to unite in mobilising capital to support emerging markets in their transition to clean energy. Held from November 30 to December 12 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), COP28 addressed the first Global... https://www.scmp.com/presented/news/people-culture/environment/topics/rethinking-climate-agenda/article/3244615/cop28-climate-finance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/presented/news/people-culture/environment/topics/rethinking-climate-agenda/article/3244615/cop28-climate-finance?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Dec 2023 06:40:54 +0000 Are we seeing the contours of a global consensus taking shape for a low-carbon future? The first day of the Cop28 UN climate conference in Dubai saw a surprising breakthrough: governments agreed to operationalise the contentious “loss and damage” mechanism for particularly vulnerable countries. The move may unlock the potential of more ambitious outcomes. So far there have been significant positive developments, with pledges by 118 countries to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030, and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3244280/cop28-leaders-must-deliver-meaningful-climate-action-or-face-public-fury?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3244280/cop28-leaders-must-deliver-meaningful-climate-action-or-face-public-fury?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Dec 2023 08:30:10 +0000 Italian environmentalists used a dye to turn Venice’s Grand Canal green on Saturday in protest at what they said was a lack of progress at the Cop28 climate summit in Dubai. The protesters from the Extinction Rebellion group, dangling from the Rialto Bridge over the canal with the aid of climbing ropes, also displayed a banner that read: “Cop28: While the government talks, we are hanging by a thread.” Small stretches of rivers and canals in Italian cities, from the Po in Turin in the north to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3244520/climate-protesters-turn-venices-grand-canal-green?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3244520/climate-protesters-turn-venices-grand-canal-green?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Dec 2023 17:39:37 +0000 Whether we care about the battle against climate change, we are all going to have to help pay for it – either directly through higher taxes or indirectly through having part of our savings and investment diverted to the fight. As things are, we pay taxes and then assume we’ve done our bit in battling global warming but much of the money we invest (or which is invested on our behalf) in stock markets will also need to be diverted to the fight. This is one of the two inconvenient truths that need... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3244254/cop28-how-fight-climate-change-when-we-dont-even-have-commander?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3244254/cop28-how-fight-climate-change-when-we-dont-even-have-commander?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Dec 2023 08:30:16 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. I refer to the article, “Autocratic UAE, host of Cop28 climate talks, allows limited protests and critics in” (December 3). Amid escalating global warming, addressing climate change requires a... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3244154/cop28-must-uphold-rights-climate-activists-asia-and-beyond?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3244154/cop28-must-uphold-rights-climate-activists-asia-and-beyond?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Dec 2023 03:30:13 +0000 The hot and dry climate in the Middle East provides ample opportunities for Hong Kong greentech firms to showcase their energy-saving solutions for buildings, according to companies. Finding local partners remains a challenging hurdle, they said. Hong Kong-based consultancy M Concept Studio’s technology can reduce the energy use of conventional air conditioning systems while also improving indoor air quality, Paul Chan Yim-cheong, chairman and co-founder, said in an interview from the Cop28... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3244043/cop28-middle-east-holds-immense-potential-hong-kong-proptech-firms-deploy-energy-saving-solutions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3244043/cop28-middle-east-holds-immense-potential-hong-kong-proptech-firms-deploy-energy-saving-solutions?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Dec 2023 07:08:11 +0000 Earth is on course for a series of catastrophic tipping points that would cause misery for billions of people unless fossil fuels are ditched urgently, a group of more than 200 researchers has warned. Tipping points refer to natural systems becoming increasingly stressed to the point that they irreversibly change, often with disastrous consequences. Researchers likened the process to a person gradually leaning back on a chair until they lose balance and fall. Examples of tipping points include... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3244005/earth-course-catastrophic-tipping-points-scientists-warn?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3244005/earth-course-catastrophic-tipping-points-scientists-warn?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Dec 2023 02:48:53 +0000 Rising from the bare expanse of the large salt desert that separates India from Pakistan is what is likely to be the world’s largest renewable energy project when completed three years from now. The solar and wind energy project will be so big that it will be visible from space, according to developers of what is called the Khavda renewable energy park, named after the village nearest to the project site. At the site, thousands of labourers install pillars on which solar panels will be mounted.... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3243923/salt-deserts-bordering-pakistan-india-builds-its-largest-renewable-energy-project?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3243923/salt-deserts-bordering-pakistan-india-builds-its-largest-renewable-energy-project?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Dec 2023 00:00:19 +0000 Amid criticism over its new plan to control emissions of methane, China’s special climate envoy Xie Zhenhua said the country had taken steps to address the greenhouse gas, including reusing it in the coal and oil sectors. Speaking at the China pavilion at the United Nations climate change summit in Dubai on Monday, Xie said China had “already done a lot” to control methane emissions, state-backed China News Service reported. China issued its first ever methane plan last month, but critics have... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3243943/cop28-china-has-done-lot-methane-climate-envoy-says-country-faces-criticism-over-plan-tackle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3243943/cop28-china-has-done-lot-methane-climate-envoy-says-country-faces-criticism-over-plan-tackle?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Dec 2023 12:30:08 +0000 The world in the past year has burned through a third of the total amount of carbon it can pump into the atmosphere and still have a 50:50 chance of keeping global warming below a critical threshold, according to new research from an international team of more than 120 scientists. The “carbon budget” necessary to keep alive hopes of that 50 per cent chance of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius has declined to 275 billion tonnes (gigatonnes) in the past year – equal to about seven... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3243818/cop28-only-7-years-left-global-carbon-budget-limit-warming-15-degrees-emissions-keep-rising-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3243818/cop28-only-7-years-left-global-carbon-budget-limit-warming-15-degrees-emissions-keep-rising-report?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Dec 2023 00:30:15 +0000 Global fossil fuel emissions are on track to grow by 1.1 per cent in 2023 compared to last year, hitting a record high mainly driven by China and India, according to projections from the annual Global Carbon Budget. Fossil fuel emissions in 2023 are expected to increase by 4 per cent in China, 8.7 per cent in India and 0.5 per cent for the rest of the world, while dropping by 7.4 per cent in the European Union and 3 per cent in the United States, a team of more than 120 researchers from nearly... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3243797/cop28-china-india-drove-worlds-global-fossil-fuel-emission-growth-study-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3243797/cop28-china-india-drove-worlds-global-fossil-fuel-emission-growth-study-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Dec 2023 00:01:15 +0000 Participants at the United Nations’ Cop28 climate talks Sunday found themselves greeted by the rarest sights in the United Arab Emirates – public protests. From the largest demonstration seen in the UAE since the start of the raging Israel-Gaza war to environmental issues, activists allowed into the UAE can protest under strict guidelines in this autocratic nation inside the summit. Meanwhile, human rights researchers from organisations long banned by the country also have been let in, providing... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3243700/autocratic-uae-host-cop28-climate-talks-allows-limited-protests-and-critics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3243700/autocratic-uae-host-cop28-climate-talks-allows-limited-protests-and-critics?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Dec 2023 15:24:15 +0000 The Hong Kong Jockey Club has partnered with the century-old Rockefeller Foundation to bolster public health across the globe and protect some of the most vulnerable people from the impacts of climate change. The racing and gambling operator’s new Institute of Philanthropy and the United States-based foundation signed a formal statement of collaboration in Dubai on Sunday during the first Health Day conference at Cop28, the United Nations climate change summit. The alliance aimed to provide... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3243691/hong-kong-jockey-club-partners-rockefeller-foundation-bolster-public-health-protect-vulnerable?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3243691/hong-kong-jockey-club-partners-rockefeller-foundation-bolster-public-health-protect-vulnerable?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Dec 2023 12:49:09 +0000 For the world’s grimmest top job, look no further than the United Nations’ secretary general, Antonio Guterres. As the catastrophic corrosion of multilateral cooperation spreads, with wars, forced migration, pandemics and global warming blighting millions of lives, his warnings have become steadily shriller – and unwelcome and ignored. From the shell-shocked streets of Kyiv, to the beleaguered Rafah crossing linking Egypt to the shattered open-air prison camp known as Gaza, and the Cop28 UN... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3243639/cop28-learn-china-climate-action-underpromise-and-overdeliver?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3243639/cop28-learn-china-climate-action-underpromise-and-overdeliver?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Dec 2023 11:30:10 +0000 Thousands of hospitals worldwide are “at high risk of total or partial shutdown from extreme weather events” if fossil fuels are not phased out by the end of the century, a report by XDI, a climate-risk data analysis company, said on Saturday. The report comes as world leaders meet to discuss the impact of climate change on health at the Cop28 United Nations climate summit in Dubai, and the benefit to health of reducing emissions. Cop28: War on climate change must transcend all other... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3243669/cop28-thousands-hospitals-high-shutdown-risk-if-fossil-fuels-are-not-phased-out-report-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3243669/cop28-thousands-hospitals-high-shutdown-risk-if-fossil-fuels-are-not-phased-out-report-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Dec 2023 07:03:34 +0000 Efforts to finance just and equitable climate action have long been ensnared in a web of mistrust and discord. Now, expanding turmoil in the Middle East threatens to strain the fractured global economy further. The result? Financial resources that could be directed towards mitigating climate change are instead being funnelled into the machinery of war and aid for those affected by it. This complex landscape sets the stage for the Cop28 UN climate change conference in the United Arab Emirates, a... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3243382/cop28-war-climate-change-must-transcend-all-other-conflicts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3243382/cop28-war-climate-change-must-transcend-all-other-conflicts?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Dec 2023 21:30:09 +0000 More than 110 nations pledged to triple the world’s renewable energy within seven years at United Nations climate talks on Saturday, as the United States pushed to slash methane emissions and boost nuclear capacity. With smoggy skies in Dubai highlighting the challenges facing the world, leaders at the Cop28 conference threw their support behind voluntary pledges aimed at ramping up alternatives to fossil fuels. A massive deployment of solar, wind, hydroelectric and other renewables is crucial... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3243633/united-states-leads-call-triple-nuclear-power-cop28?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3243633/united-states-leads-call-triple-nuclear-power-cop28?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Dec 2023 09:50:41 +0000 After 30 years of debate, a climate change reparation fund was finally adopted on the first day of the Cop28 meeting in the United Arab Emirates on November 30. It is designed to compensate vulnerable small nations and allow them to cope with the impacts of climate change – but a recent agreement between Australia and the small Pacific nation of Tuvalu provides a different and what some see as a worrying template. Although the “Australia-Tuvalu Falepili Union” – which in the Tuvalu language... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3243631/australia-tuvalu-treaty-sparks-migration-fears-threat-sovereignty-amid-climate-battle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3243631/australia-tuvalu-treaty-sparks-migration-fears-threat-sovereignty-amid-climate-battle?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Dec 2023 09:25:45 +0000 Britain’s King Charles wore a tie bearing the colours and symbols of the Greek national flag to a climate conference on Friday, days after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak snubbed his Greek peer Kyriakos Mitsotakis in a row over the Parthenon sculptures. Charles, who wore the tie when he met Sunak on the sidelines of Cop28 in the United Arab Emirates and when he delivered a speech at the event, has Greek lineage through his father, the late Prince Philip who was born on the Greek island of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3243602/king-charless-greek-flag-tie-dubai-cop28-summit-raises-eyebrows-amid-uk-athens-row-over-parthenon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3243602/king-charless-greek-flag-tie-dubai-cop28-summit-raises-eyebrows-amid-uk-athens-row-over-parthenon?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Dec 2023 03:20:35 +0000 UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged world leaders at the Cop28 climate summit to plan for a future without fossil fuels, saying there was no other way to curb global warming. Speaking a day after Cop28 president Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber proposed embracing the continued use of fossil fuels, Guterres said: “We cannot save a burning planet with a fire hose of fossil fuels.” “The 1.5-degree [Celsius] limit is only possible if we ultimately stop burning all fossil fuels. Not reduce. Not abate,”... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3243587/cop28-president-un-chief-clash-over-future-fossil-fuels-entire-humanity-paying-price?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3243587/cop28-president-un-chief-clash-over-future-fossil-fuels-entire-humanity-paying-price?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Dec 2023 15:05:22 +0000 The absence of Xi Jinping and Joe Biden from the largest ever climate summit may be a sign that neither the Chinese nor American President has high expectations from the event, analysts have said. World leaders and more than 70,000 delegates have travelled to Dubai for the two-week United Nations climate change summit, known as Cop28, but the leaders of the world’s two largest polluters are staying away. Cop28 prepares temperature check on climate at Dubai meeting “High-level leaders generally... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3243584/cop28-us-and-chinese-leaders-absence-threatens-undermine-dubai-climate-change-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3243584/cop28-us-and-chinese-leaders-absence-threatens-undermine-dubai-climate-change-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Dec 2023 14:23:55 +0000 United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, whose country is hosting the Cop28 climate summit, announced on Friday the establishment of a US$30 billion climate fund for global climate solutions that aims to attract US$250 billion of investment by the end of the decade. Dubbed Alterra, the fund will allocate US$25 billion towards climate strategies and US$5 billion specifically to incentivise investment flows into the Global South. In collaboration with global asset... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3243558/cop28-uae-sets-us30-billion-fund-bridge-global-climate-finance-gap?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3243558/cop28-uae-sets-us30-billion-fund-bridge-global-climate-finance-gap?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Dec 2023 11:18:22 +0000