Open this photo in gallery: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen addresses a session at the World Economic Forum annual meeting, in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 21.FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images
As expected, day two of the World Econo... [3808 chars]

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday that ‘Europe will stay the course, and keep working with all nations that want to protect nature and stop global warming’

The Globe and Mail

European leaders at Davos vow to stick to Paris climate agreement despite Trump’s withdrawal

Analysts and diplomats suggest that the United States' second withdrawal from the Paris Agreement could have more profound effects globally than the initial exit in 2017. President Trump's decision to leave the climate pact creates uncertainties in c... [636 chars]

The U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement marks a significant setback in global climate efforts. Analysts warn of increased global warming, disrupted climate financing, and potential deterrence of U.S. green investments, as President Trump halts U.S. participation in international climate agreements and domestic initiatives.

Devdiscourse

Impact of Second U.S. Exit from Paris Agreement Looms Large

About half of Americans “somewhat” or “strongly” oppose withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement, according to a new Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll. Only about 2 in 10 US adults “somewhat” or “strongly” in favor of ... [6215 chars]

President Donald Trump says he will again withdraw the United States, a top carbon polluting nation, from the landmark Paris climate agreement, dealing a blow to worldwide efforts to combat global warming and once again distancing the U.S. from its closest allies.

CP24 Toronto

U.S. will withdraw from Paris climate agreement, Trump says

Open this photo in gallery: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign town hall at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center & Fairgrounds on Oct. 14 in Oaks, Pa., alongside South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem listens. Trump's broader climate and energy ... [3223 chars]

The decision would place the United States alongside Iran, Libya and Yemen as the only countries in the world outside the 2015 pact to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celcius above pre-industrial levels

Trump will withdraw the U.S. again from Paris climate agreement, White House says

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.
TRANSITION OF POWER. Former US President Joe Biden reacts as US President Donald Trump applauds during his Presidential Inauguration at the Rotu... [3222 chars]

The announcement, in a document from the White House, reflects Trump’s skepticism about global warming

Rappler

Trump to withdraw from Paris climate agreement, White House says

Nature, Culture and Inequality Author : Thomas Piketty, tr. Willard Wood ISBN-13 : 978-1915590886 Publisher : Scribe Guideline Price : £12.99
Equality; What it Means and Why it Matters Author : Thomas Piketty and Michael Sandel ISBN-13 : 978-15095655... [10125 chars]

Among the French economist’s arguments is that ‘no credible solution to the challenge of global warming is imaginable without a drastic reduction in inequality’

The Irish Times

New books about inequality by Thomas Piketty: Counterpoints to the Trump-Musk war on the state

Gloucestershire County Council has been slammed for a campaign to encourage residents to switch from cow's milk to alternatives. Nigel Farage branded the initiative "an utter load of complete nonsense" and criticised what he called "global warming lu... [1927 chars]

Nigel Farage branded the initiative "an utter load of complete nonsense" and criticised what he called "global warming lunatics".

Birmingham Live

UK households warned to 'stop' drinking semi-skimmed, skimmed or full fat milk

If you’re reading this on the web or someone forwarded this e-mail newsletter to you, you can sign up for Globe Climate and all Globe newsletters here.
Good afternoon, and welcome to Globe Climate, a newsletter about climate change, environment and r... [7126 chars]

We’ve officially hit global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels

Globe Climate: 2024 exceeded 1.5 C for the first time

Samanth Subramanian and Emily Wright Jan 14, 2025 – 5.00am Save Share Copy link Copied Email LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Copy link Copied Share via... Gift this article Subscribe to gift this article Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when... [589 chars]

Machines need to get better at ignoring stuff because right now the energy they guzzle to process all the data they receive makes them a global warming risk.

The Australian Financial Review

Why the world needs lazier robots

It's official — 2024 was the hottest year on record and the first calendar year in which the earth was more than 1.5 degrees Celsius warmer than pre-industrial times.
That's a significant number, because it's the target that world leaders agreed to u... [6870 chars]

Temperatures in 2024 officially exceeded the Paris Agreement target. Does that mean the world has failed?

ABC News

In 2024 global warming topped 1.5C. Have we failed the Paris Agreement?

Six people huddle around a table, their brows furrowed in concentration as they piece together the puzzle of the changing climate. The task before them is deceptively simple yet profoundly complex: tracing the cascading impacts of greenhouse gas emissions on everything from biodiversity loss and ocean acidification to famine and human health.
This is no ordinary discussion. It's a 'climate fresk'. Over the course of three hours, this group embarks on an emotional journey that shifts from confusion, sorrow and grief to hope and optimism. Together, they uncover the web of connections linking human activities to the planet's deeply interconnected climate system.
Growing numbers of universities, businesses, community organisations and even friends are hosting these workshops, online or face-to-face, with over 2 million participants to date.
Climate fresk is an evidence-informed interactive workshop that enables people to get to grips with what climate change is, what it means for them, and what they can do about it.
Anna Morfitt
Developed originally as 'la Fresque du Climat' by Cédric Ringenbach, a French engineer and climate change specialist, Climate fresk has been used in 162 countries since its inception in 2015. The name draws inspiration from frescoes or mural paintings, reflecting the idea that each group creates its own visual map of climate change. This mural is personalised with annotations highlighting aspects that felt important, surprising, or personally meaningful to the participants. The goal is to accelerate the participants' understanding of climate change and inspire positive action.
During each workshop, participants lay out and connect postcard-sized printed images demonstrating the links between agriculture, transport, energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. They connect threats to food security and biodiversity with disease, heatwaves and flooding alongside the additional pressures of human migration, growing inequality and conflict.
Each card distils conclusions from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – the UN body that gathers scientific evidence on climate change for world leaders. As they map out the impact of humans on Earth's climate system, people can begin to identify ways in which different parts are connected and the role of feedback loops in accelerating climate change.
Head, heart and hands
Climate fresk creates space and time to learn about climate change and to identify collective, equitable actions that can be taken – something that young people and adults are demanding from their education.
Research consistently demonstrates that knowledge is not enough when it comes to climate change. There is a need for education to be personally relevant and meaningful and for participatory and affective approaches.
Once the system has been mapped out, friends, colleagues or strangers can share their emotional responses to climate change. Research indicates that having feelings heard, validated, respected and acted on offers some mental health protection against climate anxiety.
Emotions are also a key trigger for climate action. Through the discussion in a climate fresk workshop, relevant actions to improve the situation can be identified, along with where responsibility lies for change, and what people with different spheres of influence can do, creating a shift from powerlessness and anxiety to hope and optimism.
Discussions frequently explore the impact and ease of different actions. Facilitators often draw on research on the effectiveness of different actions.
Actions identified from workshops we have been involved with include: having climate change conversations, changing banking and pension funds to more sustainable options, contributing to local council meetings, embedding climate change in education, sharing positive climate change news, reducing use of air travel, reducing consumption, changing diets and joining or supporting climate action groups.
As researchers focusing on how best to engage the general public with climate science and take climate action, we're struck by the ability of Climate Fresk to appeal to people of all ages, professions and backgrounds to discuss one of the greatest challenges of our time.
Research shows that many of us underestimate how much others care about climate change. By creating a space for open dialogue, the workshops can show people that their concern is shared, find inspiration in others' actions, and collaborate ambitiously on solutions.
The cards offer a shared scientific knowledge base for entering into conversations about climate change, fostering discussions that might not happen in other environments. These conversations go beyond facts to explore our emotional responses together and identify concrete things we can do by ourselves and with others, linking the head, heart and hands.
Sarah Clayton
While a climate fresk is easily replicable, it is not static. Facilitators regularly meet up to share their challenges and successes, and to identify changes needed in light of new evidence and thinking.
The latest version of the workshop has reduced the emphasis on the physical science basis of climate change and the focus on climate change impacts. In place, it has increased attention to preventing and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The climate fresk has inspired other interactive tabletop workshops including the Biodiversity Collage, Circular Economy Collage, the Ocean Collage and Textiles Untangled.
As we come together to meet our global obligations under the Paris agreement and empower all members of society to engage in climate action through education, Climate Fresk is an accessible way to begin these collective conversations.
Don't have time to read about climate change as much as you'd like?
Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation's environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 40,000+ readers who've subscribed so far.

How interactive ‘climate fresk' workshops are trying to accelerate environmental awareness around the globe

Six people huddle around a table, their brows furrowed in concentration as they piece together the puzzle of the changing climate. The task before them is deceptively simple yet profoundly complex: tracing the cascading impacts of greenhouse gas emissions on everything from biodiversity loss and ocean acidification to famine and human health.
This is no ordinary discussion. It's a "climate fresk". Over the course of three hours, this group embarks on an emotional journey that shifts from confusion, sorrow and grief to hope and optimism. Together, they uncover the web of connections linking human activities to the planet's deeply interconnected climate system.
Growing numbers of universities, businesses, community organizations and even friends are hosting these workshops, online or face-to-face, with over 2 million participants to date.
Climate fresk is an evidence-informed interactive workshop that enables people to get to grips with what climate change is, what it means for them, and what they can do about it.
Developed originally as "la Fresque du Climat" by Cédric Ringenbach, a French engineer and climate change specialist, Climate fresk has been used in 162 countries since its inception in 2015. The name draws inspiration from frescoes or mural paintings, reflecting the idea that each group creates its own visual map of climate change. This mural is personalized with annotations highlighting aspects that felt important, surprising, or personally meaningful to the participants. The goal is to accelerate the participants' understanding of climate change and inspire positive action.
During each workshop, participants lay out and connect postcard-sized printed images demonstrating the links between agriculture, transport, energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. They connect threats to food security and biodiversity with disease, heat waves and flooding alongside the additional pressures of human migration, growing inequality and conflict.
Each card distills conclusions from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)—the UN body that gathers scientific evidence on climate change for world leaders. As they map out the impact of humans on Earth's climate system, people can begin to identify ways in which different parts are connected and the role of feedback loops in accelerating climate change.
Head, heart and hands
Climate fresk creates space and time to learn about climate change and to identify collective, equitable actions that can be taken—something that young people and adults are demanding from their education.
Research consistently demonstrates that knowledge is not enough when it comes to climate change. There is a need for education to be personally relevant and meaningful and for participatory and affective approaches.
Once the system has been mapped out, friends, colleagues or strangers can share their emotional responses to climate change. Research indicates that having feelings heard, validated, respected and acted on offers some mental health protection against climate anxiety.
Emotions are also a key trigger for climate action. Through the discussion in a climate fresk workshop, relevant actions to improve the situation can be identified, along with where responsibility lies for change, and what people with different spheres of influence can do, creating a shift from powerlessness and anxiety to hope and optimism.
Discussions frequently explore the impact and ease of different actions. Facilitators often draw on research on the effectiveness of different actions.
Actions identified from workshops we have been involved with include: having climate change conversations, changing banking and pension funds to more sustainable options, contributing to local council meetings, embedding climate change in education, sharing positive climate change news, reducing use of air travel, reducing consumption, changing diets and joining or supporting climate action groups.
As researchers focusing on how best to engage the general public with climate science and take climate action, we're struck by the ability of Climate Fresk to appeal to people of all ages, professions and backgrounds to discuss one of the greatest challenges of our time.
Research shows that many of us underestimate how much others care about climate change. By creating a space for open dialogue, the workshops can show people that their concern is shared, find inspiration in others' actions, and collaborate ambitiously on solutions.
The cards offer a shared scientific knowledge base for entering into conversations about climate change, fostering discussions that might not happen in other environments. These conversations go beyond facts to explore our emotional responses together and identify concrete things we can do by ourselves and with others, linking the head, heart and hands.
While a climate fresk is easily replicable, it is not static. Facilitators regularly meet up to share their challenges and successes, and to identify changes needed in light of new evidence and thinking.
The latest version of the workshop has reduced the emphasis on the physical science basis of climate change and the focus on climate change impacts. In place, it has increased attention to preventing and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The climate fresk has inspired other interactive tabletop workshops including the Biodiversity Collage, Circular Economy Collage, the Ocean Collage and Textiles Untangled.
As we come together to meet our global obligations under the Paris agreement and empower all members of society to engage in climate action through education, Climate Fresk is an accessible way to begin these collective conversations.

How interactive 'climate fresk' workshops are trying to accelerate environmental awareness around the globe

(MENAFN- The Conversation)
Six people huddle around a table, their brows furrowed in concentration as they piece together the puzzle of the changing climate. The task before them is deceptively simple yet profoundly complex: tracing the cascading impacts of greenhouse gas emissions on everything from biodiversity loss and ocean acidification to famine and human health.
This is no ordinary discussion. It's a 'climate fresk' . Over the course of three hours, this group embarks on an emotional journey that shifts from confusion, sorrow and grief to hope and optimism. Together, they uncover the web of connections linking human activities to the planet's deeply interconnected climate system.
Growing numbers of universities, businesses, community organisations and even friends are hosting these workshops, online or face-to-face, with over 2 million participants to date.
Climate fresk is an evidence-informed interactive workshop that enables people to get to grips with what climate change is, what it means for them, and what they can do about it.
Developed originally as'la Fresque du Climat' by Cédric Ringenbach, a French engineer and climate change specialist, Climate fresk has been used in 162 countries since its inception in 2015. The name draws inspiration from frescoes or mural paintings, reflecting the idea that each group creates its own visual map of climate change. This mural is personalised with annotations highlighting aspects that felt important, surprising, or personally meaningful to the participants. The goal is to accelerate the participants' understanding of climate change and inspire positive action.
During each workshop, participants lay out and connect postcard-sized printed images demonstrating the links between agriculture, transport, energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. They connect threats to food security and biodiversity with disease, heatwaves and flooding alongside the additional pressures of human migration, growing inequality and conflict.
Each card distils conclusions from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – the UN body that gathers scientific evidence on climate change for world leaders. As they map out the impact of humans on Earth's climate system, people can begin to identify ways in which different parts are connected and the role of feedback loops in accelerating climate change.
Climate fresk creates space and time to learn about climate change and to identify collective, equitable actions that can be taken – something that young people and adults are demanding from their education .
Research consistently demonstrates that knowledge is not enough when it comes to climate change. There is a need for education to be personally relevant and meaningful and for participatory and affective approaches .
Once the system has been mapped out, friends, colleagues or strangers can share their emotional responses to climate change. Research indicates that having feelings heard, validated, respected and acted on offers some mental health protection against climate anxiety.
Emotions are also a key trigger for climate action . Through the discussion in a climate fresk workshop, relevant actions to improve the situation can be identified, along with where responsibility lies for change, and what people with different spheres of influence can do, creating a shift from powerlessness and anxiety to hope and optimism.
Discussions frequently explore the impact and ease of different actions. Facilitators often draw on research on the effectiveness of different actions .
Actions identified from workshops we have been involved with include: having climate change conversations, changing banking and pension funds to more sustainable options, contributing to local council meetings, embedding climate change in education, sharing positive climate change news, reducing use of air travel, reducing consumption, changing diets and joining or supporting climate action groups.
As researchers focusing on how best to engage the general public with climate science and take climate action, we're struck by the ability of Climate Fresk to appeal to people of all ages, professions and backgrounds to discuss one of the greatest challenges of our time.
Research shows that many of us underestimate how much others care about climate change . By creating a space for open dialogue, the workshops can show people that their concern is shared, find inspiration in others' actions, and collaborate ambitiously on solutions.
The cards offer a shared scientific knowledge base for entering into conversations about climate change, fostering discussions that might not happen in other environments. These conversations go beyond facts to explore our emotional responses together and identify concrete things we can do by ourselves and with others, linking the head, heart and hands.
While a climate fresk is easily replicable, it is not static. Facilitators regularly meet up to share their challenges and successes, and to identify changes needed in light of new evidence and thinking.
The latest version of the workshop has reduced the emphasis on the physical science basis of climate change and the focus on climate change impacts. In place, it has increased attention to preventing and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The climate fresk has inspired other interactive tabletop workshops including the Biodiversity Collage , Circular Economy Collage , the Ocean Collage and Textiles Untangled .
As we come together to meet our global obligations under the Paris agreement and empower all members of society to engage in climate action through education, Climate Fresk is an accessible way to begin these collective conversations.
Don't have time to read about climate change as much as you'd like?
Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation's environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 40,000+ readers who've subscribed so far.
MENAFN16012025000199003603ID1109098318
MENAFN16012025000199003603ID1109098318

How Interactive 'Climate Fresk' Workshops Are Trying To Accelerate Environmental Awareness Around The Globe

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A new analysis by UCLA climate scientists with wildfire expertise links climate change to approximately a quarter of the extreme vegetation dryness when the Palisades and Eaton fires began.
Read the analysis: Climate change a factor in unprecedented L.A. fires
Key takeaways include: Climate change may be linked to roughly a quarter of the extreme fuel moisture deficit when the fires began.
The fires still would have been extreme without climate change, but probably somewhat smaller and less intense.
Given the inevitability of continued climate change, wildfire mitigation should be oriented around (1) aggressive suppression of human ignitions when extreme fire weather is predicted, (2) home hardening strategies, and (3) urban development in low wildfire risk zones.
UCLA climate scientists Alex Hall, Park Williams, Gavin Madakumbura and others at UCLA's Climate & Wildfire Research Initiative consider the factors that contributed to the fire, 'to quantify how unusual these factors are, in the context of the natural weather and climate variability.' They explore and provide numbers and context to the two wet winters, the long dry spell, the fuel-moisture changes and the extreme Santa Ana winds. They conclude with the role of climate change:
'We believe that the fires would still have been extreme without the climate change components noted above, but would have been somewhat smaller and less intense. Continued climate change is inevitable over the coming decades, and therefore so is the expectation of even more intense wildfires when all of the other necessary conditions for fire occur (e.g. fuel abundance, dryness, extreme winds, and ignitions). Thus wildfire mitigation should be oriented around factors we can control, and the damages we can prevent.'

L.A. fires: Vegetation 25% drier due to climate change

Climate change refugia are locations that have experienced lower climate change exposure or lower climate change velocity relative to other locations, over short or long timescales (for example, spanning glaciation periods) 1. These relatively stable refugia can shelter species from the increasing effects of warming in the future. Identifying local, regional and global climate refugia and considering conservation actions that ensure species' access to such refugia is a useful conservation tool 2.
However, ecosystems and their biodiversity are threatened not only by climate change, but also by other global change factors that include chemical pollution, noise pollution, light pollution, invasive species and atmospheric nitrogen deposition 3, 4, 5. Just as climate change refugia can shelter species from ongoing future warming, locations with low levels of these anthropogenic stressors could be important sites to protect biodiversity.
Here, I discuss two potential pathways for aligning the concept of climate change refugia with the realities of global change (Fig. 1). First, currently known climate change refugia could be evaluated for their exposure to other global change factors, and conservation priorities could vary depending on the extent of overlap; climate change refugia with high exposure to other factors might be deemed less viable refugia going forward. Second, locations deemed to have low exposure to both climate change and other global change factors could be identified and prioritized as new 'global change refugia'.
a, Existing climate change refugia are examined for overlap with other global change factors (indicated by the coloured regions); conservation actions depend on the extent of overlap. Left, in the ideal scenario, the climate change refugium is not exposed to other global change factors and thus protection of the site should be escalated. Right, in the worst-case scenario, the climate change refugium is vulnerable to several other global change factors and is a lower priority for continued protection. b, New refugia are designated global change refugia on the basis of having low numbers of global change factors. Refugia can be designated on the basis of having low levels of multiple factors (left) or on the basis of having low levels of a single focal factor (right); the latter is analogous to the establishment of climate change refugia.
Mapping and counting global change factors
Both pathways towards integrating global change factors with climate refugia require maps of global change variables at sufficiently high resolution. Such global maps at 100-km 2 grid level or coarser resolution already exist, for example, for light pollution, nitrogen deposition and land use 6. Progress is being made towards improving spatial resolution of existing maps and mapping an increasing number of global change factors, or at least suitable proxies (for example, transport infrastructure as a proxy for invasive species potential 6).
The next step in evaluating the viability of climate change refugia or designating global change refugia is to identify areas that are exposed to a relatively low number of global change factors. Normalized ranking 6 or threshold-based approaches 7 can be used to establish which factors, including climate variables, exceed a certain threshold level to be considered a likely threat. In some cases, direct evidence from dose–response studies could inform the designation of threat levels, but these response–surface studies are generally rare in ecology. The number of factors that exceed designated thresholds (hereafter, 'factor number') can then be compared across locations; for example, a site with a factor number of two has relatively less exposure to global change factors as compared to a site with a factor number of six.
Assessing viability of existing climate change refugia
Considerable effort has already gone into identifying areas buffered from critical climate threats. Whether or not these climate refugia are viable under other forms of global change can be assessed by evaluating the overlap with the count of global change factors (Fig. 1, left).
There are two extreme outcomes: the ideal scenario and the worst-case scenario. In the ideal scenario (Fig. 1a), climate refugia could have a low factor number. Such areas should be considered priority conservation areas; substantial effort should be made to keep these exceptionally valuable areas as free from additional pressures as possible. In the worst-case scenario, climate change refugia could have a high factor number. Such areas might need to be deprioritized for further conservation action, because they are unlikely to protect species and ecosystems from the range of global change effects beyond climate.
Even if conservation decision-makers prefer to focus on protecting existing climate refugia regardless of other global change threats, perhaps this insight about other global change factors can at least serve to motivate careful monitoring of the development of these other threats and to implement management interventions to counter effects of threats beyond climate, to the extent that this is possible.
Designating new global change refugia
I now argue that global change refugia could be identified de novo, in locations that have not previously been designated as climate refugia (Fig. 1b). Pristine and promising locations for protection might exist that are not currently identified as climate change refugia.
Designating global change refugia on the basis of the factor count described here is preferable because it would shelter species and ecosystems from the whole palette of anthropogenic stressors. However, this approach is the most data-intensive because, ideally, data for all global change factors should be mapped out to identify contiguous areas with the lowest factor number. Although the concept is relatively new and has not yet been attempted at the global scale, an assessment of multiple stressors in southern California, USA, identified 'super-refugia' as sites with relatively few extremely warm summers, fires, altered river channels and human-affected trails, and argued that these sites should be priority locations for protected area expansion 8.
A less data-intensive option would be to identify specialized global change refugia, or locations with low exposure to a particular global change factor. One example is the designation of 'dark sky places', areas that have been spared the influence of artificial light at night 9. Similar areas could be established as microplastic refugia, antibiotic resistance gene refugia or chemical pollution refugia, depending on the particular conservation goal.
Global change refugia in conservation and restoration
Given the imperative under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework to protect 30% of land area by 2030, ensuring that protected land is resilient to climate change and other global change factors is critically important. Identifying and protecting global change refugia would be a powerful step to help to safeguard biodiversity and ecosystems, and to prevent losses of species due to the full range of global change factors beyond climate change. Climate change refugia have occasionally been considered in conservation planning efforts under the 30×30 framework 10 and preliminary examples suggest that including multiple factors in such prioritizations is possible 8. Global change refugia should become part of the conversation in the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, and the potential new Intergovernmental Science-Policy panel on chemicals, waste and pollution prevention, which could be established by the UN Environment Programme in 2025.
Making progress on the establishment of global change refugia as a conservation tool requires attention to several fundamental knowledge gaps. Further research is needed to identify what number of global change factors is critical for species and ecosystems, and whether all factors should be weighted equally or whether some should receive higher weights in calculations of cumulative threats. Finally, whether a site is exposed to two divergent factors (for example, invasive species and synthetic organic chemicals) versus two highly similar factors (for example, two different heavy metals) might need to be considered beyond simple factor counts.
In addition to informing area-based conservation, global change refugia could inform restoration priorities, and contribute to progress on goals related to the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Biological material (for example, seeds or soil inoculum) from global change refugia could be useful for initiating restoration efforts elsewhere, where certain species have been lost. Likewise, global change refugia could be considered as reference sites to guide the trajectory of restoration efforts. Safeguarding such sites by designating them as global change refugia would ensure their continued conservation and restoration value in the future.

Global change refugia could shelter species from multiple threats

KARACHI: DawnMedia has announced hosting an international climate change conference, Breathe Pakistan, in Islamabad on Feb 6–7.
The two-day event, to be held at the Jinnah Convention Centre, is divided into 15 dynamic sessions with more than 90 speakers from 11 countries and a host of climate change experts from the conference's principal partner, the United Nations, and also from the World Bank.
Additionally, the conference will include experts from the federal Ministry of Climate Change, and from the strategic partner for the conference — the Government of Punjab — as well as those from other provinces, and the corporate sector, both public and private, says a press release on Saturday.
An array of climate change experts from the South Asian region including India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka are also expected to be present at the conference.
Says event is aimed at driving Pakistan towards a climate-resilient future
DawnMedia's latest initiative Breathe Pakistan is committed to raising awareness and encouraging climate resilience and adaptation at all levels of the country. The conference will bring together leaders, experts, and innovators to collaborate on strategies that address the climate crisis while supporting economic growth and lessening the negative impact of climate change on the destinies of the most vulnerable segments of the population — the poor, women and children.
'By stimulating open dialogue and practical solutions, we aim to strengthen Pakistan's resilience against climate change,' said a Dawn spokesperson. 'Pakistan is the fifth most climate-vulnerable country in the world. From rising temperatures to erratic rainfall, climate change is putting our communities, environment, and economy at risk.
'Meaningful change is possible—and it needs to begin with us. Breathe Pakistan is not simply about awareness. It calls for an immediate and considered action. It requires every Pakistani to take ownership of our environment, to contribute to a wide-ranging policy on climate change, and to lay the foundations for a climate-resilient Pakistan,' the Dawn spokesperson concluded.
Published in Dawn, January 19th, 2025

DawnMedia to host Breathe Pakistan climate change conference on Feb 6

| January 15, 2025
Prompted by liberal media and far-left Democrat politicians, three fourths of Democrat voters believe that climate change caused the fires ravaging Los Angeles – but, that's not what the science suggests.
On Tuesday, Rasmussen released the results of a new national survey of U.S. likely voters, in which it asked the following question:
'How likely is it that the recent wildfire in Los Angeles, California, was caused by climate change?'
Notably, the survey question did not ask about 'man-made' climate change, but simply about the Earth's constantly changing climate, which may have affected how voters responded.
Fully 77% of Democrat voters said they think it's likely that climate change caused the fire, including nearly half (45%) who believe it's 'very likely.'
Liberal legacy media, such as MSNBC and CNN, have colluded to forcefully push the narrative that climate change caused the Los Angeles fires. Leftist politicians have also insisted that climate change caused the fires. For example, Senator Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) said Tuesday that a person would have to be 'a moron' to think climate change wasn't the culprit.
While the strong conviction of Democrats pulled the percent of all U.S. likely voters who said it's at least somewhat likely up to a 53% majority, less than half of Republican (36%) and Other (46%) voters agreed climate change is to blame.
However, many scientists, geologists, meteorologists and studies have found that climate change does not cause, and is not connected to, fires. A small sampling of stories reporting these findings published by ClimateDepot.com is presented below:
US Geological Survey scientist Jon Keeley: 'L.A. Fires Not The Result Of Climate Change' –
Scrubland plant 'fires have been around for at least 20 million years. What's changed is we have people on the landscape'
2021 Study found: '100% of all [Santa Ana] fires are the result of human ignitions, either intentionally or accidentally' –
Study found 'higher temperatures' & 'precipitation…did not appear to play a substantial role' in fires
Data refutes Sen. Sanders' claim that California wildfires linked to the 'existential crisis' of 'climate change'
Meteorologist Anthony Watts: 'No, Mainstream Media, Climate Change Isn't to Blame for California's Wildfires'
Tony Heller: Pacific Palisades was largely destroyed by fires in 1938 & 1961 – Plus media chronicles of 19th-century LA fires –
'The climate we now have' is no different from the climate of the past
You are being conned: Data, studies & UN IPCC all reveal Canadian fires not due to 'climate change' – 'There has been a significant & continuing decline in the number of fires'
Dr. Roger Pielke Jr: What the media won't tell you about … Wildfires – 'Wildfires used to be much more extensive in past centuries'
Bjorn Lomborg: Climate alarmists falsely claim the world is literally on fire – Satellites reveal global area burned annually has trended downward in past 2 decades
Lomborg on Global wildfires

Democrat Voters Blame L.A. Fires on Climate Change – But, That's Not What the Science Says

President Bola Tinubu-led federal government to increase its campaign on climate change as the country was said not to be well prepared for the change
Rashida Bamgbola, a clean energy consultant, extolled the commitment of Nigeria but noted that the country was not well prepared for it
Bamgbola outlined the challenges confronting the implementation of Nigeria's policies on climate change
Nigeria has been said not to be fully prepared for its campaign on climate change, particularly the transition to clean energy.
In an exclusive interview with Legit. ng, Rashida Bamgbola, a clean energy consultant, noted that Nigeria has shown commitment but was not well prepared for the change.
Bamgbola advocated for more campaigns against climate change and said climate change education should be introduced into the school curriculum.
She said:
"I don't think Nigeria is well prepared to handle the adverse effects of climate change. For the country to be truly prepared, everyone both educated and uneducated needs to understand what climate change is, what causes it, and how to address it. Even children need to learn about climate change, but how many primary or secondary schools in Nigeria are teaching this?
"Although Nigeria has shown commitment through policies like the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement, which aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, implementation has been a major challenge. The issues include corruption, lack of funding, weak enforcement, and hiring unqualified people who lack the knowledge needed to solve these problems."
Bamgbola decried Nigeria's poor campaigns for climate change. She urged the government to partner with private organisations to ensure the effectiveness of climate change in Nigeria. She noted:
"Moreover, public awareness of climate change is very low. For example, how often does the government engage with social enterprises in Nigeria that are actively working to combat climate change?
"If the government is serious about implementation, they should collaborate with climate-smart businesses in Nigeria, invite them to the table, and partner with them to develop practical solutions or support them to develop their already existing solutions. Without such partnerships, progress will remain slow, and Nigeria will struggle to handle the growing challenges of climate change."
Tinubu govt names Nigeria's delegates on climate change
The President Bola Tinubu-led federal government has disclosed the number of delegates it sponsored for the climate change summit in Dubai.
In a statement by the Ministry of Information, seen by Legit.ng, the government noted that the overall delegates on its train to the Arab country included those sponsored by the government (Federal and State Governments) and others were not government-sponsored, which included (Private Companies, NGOs, CSOs, Media, academia, etc).
Opposition asks Tinubu to publish climate change delegate
Many Nigerians have criticised the government for the large number of delegations on President Bola Tinubu's train to the ongoing Climate Summit in Dubai, otherwise called COP28.
The opposition parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the spokesperson of the Labour Party presidential campaign council, Yunusa Tanko, had earlier called on the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal government to publish the names of the delegate-sponsored summit.
The PDP and Labour Party have condemned the earlier list in circulation, describing it as insensitive, given the country's current hard economic conditions.

Climate Change: Is Nigeria Well Prepare? Expert Opens Up

Breaking with President-elect Trump, EPA lead nominee Lee Zeldin confirmed his belief in climate change during Thursday's Senate confirmation hearing when questioned by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT). C-SPAN
In a notable break from President-elect Donald Trump, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) nominee Lee Zeldin acknowledged the reality of climate change during his Senate confirmation hearing on Thursday.
Pressed by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) on whether he agreed with Trump's past claims that climate change is a hoax, Zeldin dissented. "I believe that climate change is real, as I told you," he answered.
SANDERS: Do you agree with President-elect Trump that climate change is a hoax?
LEE ZELDIN: I believe that climate change is real. pic.twitter.com/0tghZyX1j0 — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 16, 2025
Zeldin went on to challenge Sanders's assertion that Trump denies climate change, claiming Trump's criticism has been directed toward climate change-based policy. "I think that he's concerned about the economic costs of some policies where there's a debate and difference of opinion between parties," Zeldin explained.
"I would respectfully disagree with you," Sanders pushed back. "I think he has called it a hoax time and time again."
Zeldin's acknowledgment of climate change marks a significant shift from Trump-era rhetoric, leaving the door open to a more moderate approach to environmental policy than many anticipated, should he be confirmed.
Originally published by Latin Times.
© Copyright IBTimes 2024. All rights reserved.

EPA Nominee Lee Zeldin Breaks From Trump Admitting 'Climate Change Is Real' in Senate Hearing

SACKVILLE, NB, Jan. 17, 2025 /CNW/ - Across the country, the impacts of climate change are becoming more severe and more frequent with extreme events like floods, wildfires and heatwaves on the rise. Gradual changes, like thawing permafrost in the north and rising sea levels in coastal regions, are also affecting the safety of our communities and quality of life. Acting now will help improve long-term resilience and reduce costs associated with the increasing frequency of extreme weather events in Canada, including higher grocery prices, insurance premiums and local taxes to cover the costs of disaster recovery and damage.
To protect our communities from the worst economic and environmental impacts of climate change, we must continue to prepare for the changes that are coming by investing in community resilience. This will not only support the safety of Canadians but also reinforce the ability of communities to recover from extreme weather events.
Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, along with the Honourable Dominic Leblanc, the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, the Honourable Joanne Thompson and the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, announced over $8.8 million in funding for nine projects in Atlantic Canada under Natural Resources Canada's Climate Change Adaptation Program (CCAP) and Climate-Resilient Coastal Communities (CRCC) Program.
These projects will aim to support regions and sectors in Atlantic Canada in adapting to a changing climate. The projects will focus on developing and improving strategies, tools and resources; strengthening the knowledge and skills of practitioners; and implementing innovative adaptation actions to address climate change risks and adaptation gaps.
The funding announced today comes from a total investment of $39.5 million, announced on November 14, 2024, through the CCAP and the CRCC Program to reduce climate change risks and build more-resilient communities across the country in support of the National Adaptation Strategy (NAS).
The steps we take now will protect our communities, our livelihoods, our environment and our economy. We are actively investing in climate change adaptation to proactively support community-led resilience and adaptation projects. It is essential, now more than ever, that we come together to help communities stay strong in the face of current and future change.
Quotes
"The impacts associated with climate change — including intense wildfires, devastating floods, stronger tropical storms and hurricanes, and permafrost thaw in the north — are being felt environmentally and economically in every single region of Canada. That is why this federal government is acting now to help our communities and our economy prepare for and protect against the threat of climate change. Today's announcement of nine projects in Atlantic Canada supports vital, community-based work to keep people safe now and into the future."
The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
"In recent years, southeastern New Brunswick has felt the impacts of extreme weather in more ways than one. The devastation it has left in its wake highlights the importance of climate adaptation — making sure our communities and critical infrastructure are prepared to withstand more frequent and more severe extreme weather events. The good news is: that's exactly what the money we're investing today will go toward."
The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc
Minister of Finance and Intergovernmental Affairs and Member of Parliament for Beauséjour
"The data collected from these projects will play a crucial role in developing flexible adaptation methods to help communities in Atlantic Canada build more resilience in a changing climate. By working together and sharing knowledge about climate change, we can better understand the changes we are seeing and how we can build healthy communities for generations to come."
The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier
Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard and Member of Parliament for Gaspésie–Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine
"The effects of climate change are being felt across the Atlantic region and in communities across Newfoundland and Labrador. This federal government knows that we need to act now to find ways to lessen the impact of climate emergencies so Canadians don't have to face the costs of devastating consequences. The projects announced today will make sure we are prepared with the skills and the data analysis needed to weather the storm."
The Honourable Joanne Thompson
Minister of Seniors and Member of Parliament for St. John's East
"Islanders have felt the devastating impacts of climate change, and we recognize the cost of not taking action. We need to prepare for the future and the reality of what we're facing, and these vitally important investments are helping us do just that."
The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay
Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Member of Parliament for Cardigan
"We are pleased to enter into this cost-shared climate change adaptation agreement with the federal government as we work together to achieve our collective climate change goals. As extreme weather events, precipitation and rising sea levels continue in Newfoundland and Labrador, we need to be prepared. This agreement will help equip our communities by providing a tool to adapt to the coastal impacts of climate change."
The Honourable Lisa Dempster
Newfoundland and Labrador Minister of Environment and Climate Change
"Work is beginning on shoreline management plans for three areas in Prince Edward Island thanks in part to this funding. Shoreline management plans are needed because we must make evidence-based decisions on our changing coastline that are in the best interest of the province as a whole. This foundational work will help us adapt and prepare for our changing coastlines in the best interest of future generations."
The Honourable Gilles Arsenault
Prince Edward Island Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Action
"Nova Scotia is a national leader in addressing climate change and has done so with a focus on affordability. Our goal is to make Nova Scotia a clean energy powerhouse so we can create jobs and economic opportunities for Nova Scotians. Good paying, green jobs will help make life more affordable for Nova Scotians, which is made possible by our strategies: Nova Scotia's Our Climate, Our Future: Nova Scotia's Climate Plan for Clean Growth and The Future of Nova Scotia's Coastline: A Plan to Protect People, Homes and Nature from Climate Change."
The Honourable Timothy Halman
Nova Scotia Minister of Environment and Climate Change
"Adapting our coastal landscapes through nature-based solutions, knowledge sharing and capacity building is necessary to ensure they are resilient as our climate changes. This collaborative work will bring together diverse organizations and communities to advance local capacity to plan for the future of our parks, so they continue to be a haven for Nova Scotians and nature."
Scott Skinner
President and CEO, Clean Nova Scotia Foundation
"We are proud to expand our ongoing work in Atlantic coastal regions to strengthen resilience against climate impacts. This project advances inclusive, community-led adaptation and risk reduction, supporting local communities to proactively manage the risks they face. Together with Natural Resources Canada, we are committed to creating lasting, positive change and supporting communities to be better prepared for tomorrow's challenges."
Bill Lawlor
Vice-president, Atlantic Canada, Canadian Red Cross
"As a regional climate services organization serving the Atlantic region, CLIMAtlantic is delighted to receive funding from Natural Resources Canada for two of our projects. This funding will enable us to address two critical needs in the region: capacity building within the workforce and risk reduction that supports well-being. Our work in the region would not be possible without our partners and collaborators. These projects allow many organizations and communities to work and innovate together to tackle challenges in the region."
Sabine Dietz
Executive Director, CLIMAtlantic Inc.
"Coastal communities in Atlantic Canada are facing increasing climate impacts, including storm surges, windstorms, coastal erosion and rising sea levels. AIM Network, a not-for-profit organization, is dedicated to building skills in Atlantic Canadian municipalities for long-term service and infrastructure planning. Through this project, we will empower regional municipal groups in the four Atlantic Provinces to improve coastal climate resilience, particularly for vulnerable populations. We are grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with NRCan and our team of non-profit, industry and academic professionals on this vital initiative."
Matt Delorme
Executive Director, Atlantic Infrastructure Management (AIM) Network
Quick Facts
Every $1 spent on climate change adaptation measures saves up to $15 in terms of the long-term costs involved in mitigating climate change impacts and extreme weather events.
Since 2015, the Government of Canada has invested more than $6.5 billion in adaptation efforts, including $2.1 billion since fall 2022 to implement the NAS and other adaptation-related activities.
The CCAP will help Canada's regions and sectors to adapt to a changing climate. More specifically, the CCAP aims to:
support decision-makers in identifying and implementing adaptation actions;
enhance adaptation knowledge and skills among Canada's workforce; and
increase access to climate change adaptation tools and resources
The CRCC Program supports regional-scale pilot projects on Canada's three marine coasts —Atlantic, Pacific and North — and in the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence region. The program aims to enhance the climate resilience of coastal communities and businesses and to accelerate adaptation to reduce climate change risks and coordinate innovative actions.
The NAS provides a whole-of-society plan focused on protecting Canadian lives and building more-resilient and prosperous communities. Canada released its first NAS on June 27, 2023. Achieving the objectives of the NAS requires whole-of-society action. The Government of Canada is working with provinces, territories, Indigenous partners and the private sector to develop innovative technical, financial and operational solutions that will support adaptation action by communities across the economy.

Canada Invests in Climate Change Adaptation to Keep Communities Safe in Atlantic Canada

PESHAWAR: Health department on Thursday launched Pakistan's first-ever Climate and Health Adaptation Plan to cope with the challenges posed by climate change in the province.
Speaking at the launching ceremony of the plan as chief guest, Adviser to Chief Minister Ihtisham Ali said that climate change led to spread of diseases like dengue and malaria to the regions previously unaffected. The newly-introduced plan is meant to mitigate climate-related health challenges by ensuring policy implementation, including establishment of a climate change cell in health department.
'Prior to this launch, we conducted research on health impacts of climate change in KP. Based on these findings, we have developed this plan, which serves as a roadmap for combating effects of climate change on health. It will enable us to address climate-induced diseases effectively,' he said.
The Climate and Health Adaptation Plan estimates that without action, the economic burden of health challenges due to climate change in KP could exceed Rs5,541 billion by 2030. In contrast, enforcement of the proposed roadmap will require Rs315 billion.
Ihtisham Ali said that the plan demonstrated government's commitment to addressing rising health impacts of climate change including heat stress, waterborne diseases and vector-borne illnesses. 'Our priority is to protect vulnerable groups such as women, children and elderly people,' he added.
Dr Shahid Yunis, the additional director-general health services, said that the frequency and severity of climate shocks were expected to increase in the coming decades, resulting in heightened health risks. He stressed the need for inancial investments to strengthen resilience and ensure sustainable integration of climate and health into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa planning and budgeting.
Maria Wyerd, the head of Health and Education at British High Commission, praised the initiative. 'The Climate and Health Adaptation Plan presented by the KP government offers evidence-based and cost-effective solutions to reduce climate-related health risks. UK is proud to support Khyber Pakhtunkhwa through meaningful technical assistance to build a better healthcare system,' she added.
She said that sustainable financing for climate-resilient health systems along with contribution to Pakistan National Health Adaptation Plan and the country's international climate commitments would ensure effectiveness of the plan.
This initiative is supported by Evidence for Health programme, funded by Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), which provides technical assistance to federal, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab governments to improve health system.
Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2025

Health dept launches plan to minimise effects of climate change

(MENAFN- Jordan Times)
Climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing humanity today, requiring international cooperation and effective measures at various levels to ensure sustainability for future generations.
Climate change refers to long-term changes in temperatures and weather patterns on our planet. Scientific reports indicate that the Earth's temperature has risen by approximately 1.5°C since the beginning of the industrial revolution in the early 19th century, affecting many sectors. These changes can be natural, but human activity has significantly accelerated these changes through greenhouse gas emissions. The world has witnessed multiple impacts of climate change, including direct effects on various sectors such as agriculture and food security, water resources, infrastructure, public health, energy, trade, disruption of supply chains, and, finally, general economic costs. Governments and companies must invest large amounts in adapting to climate change and its consequences, which will affect public budgets and lead to long-term economic fluctuations. This will be impacting growth and development.
The causes of climate change include human emissions and the burning of fossil fuels (such as oil, coal, and natural gas), increases the levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) in the atmosphere. Deforestation also reduces the earth's ability to absorb CO2, resulting in weather changes and climate shifts. According to a World Bank report, the economic losses caused by weather-related disasters are estimated at hundreds of billions of dollars annually, reaching approximately $350 billion / year between 2010 and 2020. Additionally, climate change has significant economic effects on agricultural sectors. A World Bank report stated that climate change poses a major threat to food security and could reduce agricultural productivity by 2–2.5%, in various parts of the world.
Climate change and the economy are closely connected. Climate change is not just an environmental issue; it is an economic challenge requiring comprehensive responses from governments, private sector, and society. Nations need to develop effective strategies to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change to ensure the sustainability of their economies. The primary challenge lies in balancing economic growth and addressing climate change, which is costly and demands substantial investments. I believe failing to take preventive or corrective measures on the right time can lead to much higher costs in the long term.
International reports highlight a direct link between climate change and the economy due to its deep effects on global and local economies. Environmental impacts overlap with various economic sectors depending on geographic areas and the economic sectors involved. Climate change impacts the economy through a wide range of direct and indirect effects that influence economic growth, productivity, and financial stability. These impacts are evident in areas such as investments, insurance, trade, disruption of global supply chains, rising living costs. Extreme weather events, such as floods, hurricanes, and wildfires, can damage infrastructure. In agriculture and food, shifting weather patterns and drought affect crop yields, leading to reduced productivity and increased prices. Public health is also impacted, with heat-related illnesses and flooding-related diseases increasing healthcare costs. Tourism is affected too, with declining investments in environmentally degraded areas, such as coral reefs or snowy regions, impacting tourism revenues. The energy sector is also influenced, as the need to reduce carbon emissions drives significant shifts toward renewable energy.
Climate change and its impact on the economy have gained global attention. General statistics on climate change and its impact reveal notable figures that demand consideration. Measures to adapt to climate change include transitioning to renewable energy, reducing energy costs, promoting green transportation and adapting to climate change in the agricultural sector by applying sustainable agricultural practices and improving water management. Advanced irrigation techniques and climate-resistant crop varieties should also be developed and adopted.
Economic policies and preventive measures to address climate change include imposing carbon emission taxes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enacting strict environmental legislation to comply with environmental standards, and providing financial incentives to support green projects. Financial subsidies should be provided to individuals and companies using renewable energy. Joining international agreements, such as the Kyoto Protocol to reduce carbon emissions and Paris Climate Agreement, aims to foster international cooperation for sustainable goals.
On the other hand, despite the above challenges, there are economic opportunities associated with addressing climate change, such as the low-carbon economy (electric vehicles, solar energy, and wind energy) and innovation in green technology. Financial tools are available to support climate change process, including public financing through allocating budgets for climate-resilient infrastructure, clean technology, and financial support for farmers and businesses. Private investments also can finance start-ups and technological innovations in climate adaptation. Climate insurance can mitigate the financial impacts of natural disasters, encouraging individuals to take certain measures. Tax incentives and financial rewards can encourage businesses and individuals to adopt climate change adaptation measures, apply clean technologies, and install renewable energy systems in homes. Collaboration with non-governmental organizations, such as Greenpeace, IRENA (International Renewable Energy Agency), UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme), and UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization), can help countries achieve their goals of mitigating the negative impacts of climate change.
In Jordan, climate change poses significant challenges as the country has limited water resources and a relatively harsh climate, making it exposed to climate change challenges. Jordan relies heavily on rainfall and river water for its water needs. With declining rainfall and reduced snow accumulation in mountains, Jordan faces significant challenges in securing water for drinking, agriculture, and industry. This results in disruptions across various sectors and additional costs for securing water, impacting economic growth. Jordan also suffers from rising temperatures and worsening drought, affecting agricultural sector which directly impacts food security and economic stability.To address these challenges, Jordan government is developing strategies to adapt to climate change and enhance environmental sustainability. These efforts include commitment to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Kyoto Protocol and Paris Climate Agreement. Jordan has formulated a national climate change strategy for 2013–2020, extended to 2025, focusing on developing renewable energy sources, improving energy efficiency, managing water resources sustainably, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and preparing for climate adaptation. These measures include enhancing water management, strengthening infrastructure resilience, encouraging investments in renewable energy, and promoting sustainable agriculture. Jordan recently signed the national carrier agreement, which provides over 300 million cubic meters of drinkable water from the Red Sea using the BOT (Build, Operate, Transfer) system.
Jordan is actively participating in international initiatives to fight climate change and foster international cooperation. Jordan is committed to achieving the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting environmental sustainability. Jordan is expected to continue its efforts to tackle climate change by increasing reliance on renewable energy, as primary electricity sources to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and lower greenhouse gas emissions. It also seeks to enhance energy efficiency in various sectors, including industry, buildings, and transportation. Jordan is working on developing environmental policies and legal frameworks to promote a low-carbon economy and support innovative environmental and technological initiatives, alongside improving water management to address increasing water challenges.
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MENAFN16012025000028011005ID1109096530

Global Warming And The Economy

ISLAMABAD, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Romina Khurshid Alam, coordinator to the Pakistani prime minister on climate change and environmental coordination, on Thursday called for robust climate strategies and better access to international funds to enhance preparedness for climate-related natural disasters.
"It is essential to make climate risk management strategies and enable access to climate financing to implement projects that strengthen countries' resilience to climate change impacts," the official said during a seminar on climate change.
She said that by integrating innovative financial tools with inclusive, data-driven strategies, governments and global partners can work together to mitigate climate risks, support recovery efforts, and foster resilience across communities.
Talking about the escalating severity of climate impacts that Pakistan is experiencing, Alam underlined vulnerabilities to extreme weather events such as devastating floods, heat waves, droughts, desertification and erratic rainfall patterns.
"These challenges have led to significant economic, social, and environmental repercussions, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations," she said, adding that the country has been making every effort to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
"Pakistan faced one of the worst flood disasters in its history in 2022 forcing displacement of millions of people, destroying crops, and damaging critical infrastructure. These disasters underscore the pressing need for flood resilience and disaster risk reduction measures," Alam said.

Pakistan calls for robust climate strategies, access to int'l funds to counter climate change

► Get the latest on campus operations, instruction and emergency plans for the Bruin community.
A new analysis by UCLA climate scientists with wildfire expertise links climate change to approximately a quarter of the extreme vegetation dryness when the Palisades and Eaton fires began.
Read the analysis: Climate change a factor in unprecedented L.A. fires
Key takeaways include: Climate change may be linked to roughly a quarter of the extreme fuel moisture deficit when the fires began.
The fires still would have been extreme without climate change, but probably somewhat smaller and less intense.
Given the inevitability of continued climate change, wildfire mitigation should be oriented around (1) aggressive suppression of human ignitions when extreme fire weather is predicted, (2) home hardening strategies, and (3) urban development in low wildfire risk zones.
UCLA climate scientists Alex Hall, Park Williams, Gavin Madakumbura and others at UCLA's Climate & Wildfire Research Initiative consider the factors that contributed to the fire, "to quantify how unusual these factors are, in the context of the natural weather and climate variability." They explore and provide numbers and context to the two wet winters, the long dry spell, the fuel-moisture changes and the extreme Santa Ana winds. They conclude with the role of climate change:
"We believe that the fires would still have been extreme without the climate change components noted above, but would have been somewhat smaller and less intense. Continued climate change is inevitable over the coming decades, and therefore so is the expectation of even more intense wildfires when all of the other necessary conditions for fire occur (e.g. fuel abundance, dryness, extreme winds, and ignitions). Thus wildfire mitigation should be oriented around factors we can control, and the damages we can prevent."

L.A. Fires: Vegetation 25% Drier Due To Climate Change

ISLAMABAD, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Romina Khurshid Alam, coordinator to the Pakistani prime minister on climate change and environmental coordination, on Thursday called for robust climate strategies and better access to international funds to enhance preparedness for climate-related natural disasters. "It is essential to
"
It is essential to make climate risk management strategies and enable access to climate financing to implement projects that strengthen countries' resilience to climate change impacts,
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BEIJING, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- China has never ceased its efforts toward green development, and its commitment to promoting a global low-carbon transition remains unwavering, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Thursday.
Spokesperson Guo Jiakun made the remarks at a daily press briefing when asked to comment on China's role in global governance on climate change in recent years.
According to the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, China has submitted two reports to the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, detailing its climate actions and progress. These documents -- the first biennial transparency report on climate change and the fourth biennial update report -- were submitted as scheduled at the end of 2024.
Noting that climate change is a major global challenge, Guo said China has always attached great importance to addressing climate change and is one of the initial parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, as well as one of the earliest signatories and ratifiers of the Paris Agreement.
He added that the reports demonstrate professionalism and transparency in information sharing, presenting a multidimensional view of China's climate governance policies, achievements, and experience.
"Behind these reports lie China's determination and actions in actively responding to climate change and engaging in global climate governance," Guo said.
The reports indicate that, in 2021, China's carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP decreased by 50.9 percent compared to 2005, the base year for the country's climate contributions. Public data shows that by the end of 2023, the country's installed capacity for renewable energy generation surpassed that of fossil fuel power. In 2023 alone, China's export of wind and photovoltaic products helped reduce carbon emissions by 810 million tonnes in recipient countries, Guo explained.
Addressing climate change requires a collective response from all countries, the spokesperson said, adding that China is willing to work with all parties to uphold the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, adhere to true multilateralism, and safeguard the shared blue planet through green development.
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China's commitment to promoting global low-carbon transition remains unwavering: spokesperson

Towards an Integrated Research Agenda
Egypt faces a confluence of challenges compounding with climate change risks: absolute water scarcity, food insecurity, rapid urbanization, as well as a burgeoning population growing by a million every 6-8 months and estimated to reach 160 million by 2050 . Climate change has been linked to a range of security issues – water, food, economic and livelihood insecurity, enhancing environmental, social, and economic fragility and places pressures on policymakers. Moreover, conflicts and economic fragility affecting surrounding countries in the region have led to a migrant and refugee population of approximately 9 million . With issues such as drought, land degradation, and transboundary resource sharing serving as significant drivers of migration that compound existing geopolitical tensions, the intricate relationship between climate change and human mobility becomes increasingly clear.
Developing a research agenda that integrates climate, peace, and fragility becomes critical to inform policy, enhance adaptive capacities, and promote resilience among vulnerable populations. To this end, on November 26, 2024, CGIAR's MENA Regional Climate Security Hub brought together stakeholders engaged in science and knowledge production in Egypt to reassess Egypt's research agenda on climate change and to discuss the beginnings of a comprehensive research agenda focused on the intersections of climate change, peace, and fragility in Egypt. The initiative aims to drive targeted early action and bolster resilience against climate-related vulnerabilities.
Framing Climate Risks in Egypt
Egypt already experiences a range of climate impacts, including rising temperatures, particularly during the summer months, as well as extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and severe water scarcity. Egypt's Third National Communication on Climate Change (Ministry of Environment, 2016) further identifies sea level rise of up to 1 m by the year 2100, leading to land subsidence in the Nile Delta and saltwater intrusion into coastal groundwater and soils. In addition to this, the country must brace for extreme climatic events as climate change impacts the country must prepare for.
Egypt's Government recognizes the gravity of these challenges and has engaged in comprehensive efforts to address them through its National Climate Change Strategy 2050 and the additional goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 33% by 2030. Given that energy sector is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in Egypt, representing 64.5 % of total emissions, Egypt's emphasizes the support of an energy transition that aims to increase the use of renewable energy to support sustainable growth and low-carbon development. Additional goals are to enhance adaptive capacity and resilience, climate change action governance, climate financing infrastructure, as well as science, knowledge, and technology transfer.
Spotlight on the Climate, Peace and Fragility Nexus
Climate change intensifies ongoing issues like water scarcity, impacting agricultural productivity—essential to Egypt's economy and livelihoods—and challenging the nation's capacity for adaptive responses. According to the World Bank, Egypt's Nile Delta is recognized as one of the world's three most extreme vulnerability hotspots. With the Nile River providing about 97% of the country's freshwater resources—vital for agriculture that employs roughly 55% of the labor force, potential climate change impacts on the Nile's flow, combined with higher evaporation rates, could have detrimental impacts for Egypt's water, food, and economic security.
The interplay between climate change, peace, and security has emerged as a pressing concern in Egypt, where environmental stressors are increasingly viewed as threat multipliers that exacerbate existing vulnerabilities and societal tensions. As climate change impacts—such as water scarcity, land degradation, and extreme weather events—intensify, they can lead to heightened competition for natural resources, potentially fueling conflicts and undermining social cohesion. It is estimated that a 0.5-meter rise in sea levels could displace between 2 to 4 million Egyptians by 2050, as shown in a report by the Climate Centre .
Given that a significant percentage of Egypt's population depends on agriculture for their livelihoods, challenges in this sector due to climate impacts can exacerbate food insecurity and economic instability. Furthermore, the influx of refugees and migrants, driven by climate-related challenges from neighboring regions, adds another layer of complexity to Egypt's peace and resilience landscape. Addressing the nexus of climate, peace, and security is vital for fostering a stable and resilient society. Prioritizing research and policies that focus on these interconnected issues will not only aid in mitigating risks but also promote inclusive development, ensuring that vulnerable populations can adapt to changing conditions while maintaining social harmony.
Workshop Objectives
The workshop brought together a diverse array of stakeholders, including researchers, academic institutions, NGOs, and experts from UN agencies. The goals were to contextualize critical research themes by identifying climate change impacts, pre-existing vulnerabilities, and potential fragility outcomes. Working in groups, participants were asked to: map existing research initiatives that intersect with climate change and livelihood security, urban fragility, and migration. identify research gaps and highlight projects that had the potential for upscaling to effectively address these challenges. design potential a future research project covering identified key research questions and objectives, proposing relevant research methodologies.
The event further aimed to establish a robust network of Egyptian researchers, scholars, and youth leaders committed to advancing the climate, peace, and security agenda in Egypt and the MENA region.
Identifying Key Research Areas
This workshop sought to identify and explore research initiatives and goals pertaining to three key research areas: Climate Change and Livelihood Security: How did climatic changes affect agriculture, livestock farming, and fisheries in Egypt? Climate Change and Urban Fragility: In what ways did climate change exacerbate vulnerabilities within urban settings? Climate Change, Migration, and Displacement: How did climate impact migration patterns and contribute to displacement?
Research participants identified fragilities and social vulnerabilities in relation to the three key areas identified above.
In the context of Climate Change and Livelihood Security , participants identified particularly smallholder farmers, women and children, as well as people working in the informal sector as particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts. Exacerbated water scarcity, triggered by climate change impacts, was seen as a main contributor to fragility risks in Egypt. Scientists emphasized that water scarcity would lead to increased food insecurity, more competition over resource access, growing inequalities, creating additional burdens on vulnerable groups as well as on water management systems, causing livelihood and productivity losses and exacerbating economic fragility. The scientists in the room identified a better understanding of sources of vulnerability, sources of conflict and tension in this context, ways to strengthen collaboration among community members working in agri-food-systems, as well as the impact of climate change and water scarcity on family dynamics and social ties as research gaps. Potential research projects formulated as part of the exercise included an assessment of biodiversity and local breeds in building more resilient agri-food-system livelihoods, an assessment of sources of tensions and social cohesion in response to climate change impacts in Egyptian climate change hotspots, and a gender assessment on the empowerment of women in value chains of medicinal and aromatic plant production in Egypt's rural areas.
Climate Change and Urban Fragility is a research topic that also remains under-explored in Egypt. Fragility may be caused by direct climate change effects on urban areas caused by the urban heat island effect, prolonged heatwaves, or heavy rainfalls, which affect the health and well-being of vulnerable groups – such as the elderly, women, children, as well as people living in in informal and under-serviced areas. Moreover, coastal cities are at risk from direct damage to infrastructure and cultural heritage sites as a consequence of sea level rise. Further, migration to cities from rural areas affected by climate change adds additional reasons for vulnerability and fragility. The group further discussed the impact of climate change on public services in cities, including water quantity and quality, as well as electricity delivery. In this context, compounding risks emerge through the interrelationship between environmental risks (pollution, urban resource mismanagement, mismanagement of urban greenspace and biodiversity, lack of environmental justice), economic risks (unemployment, informal sector employment, industrial pollution, lack of supportive business environment for green economy), and social risks (social classism and elitism, housing sector policies and dynamics, structural and gender inequalities, unequal access to resources and services through commercialization, loss of heritage). A perceived gap in the development of policies, institutions, and enabling policy environments was perceived as an additional risk. As resulting fragility outcomes participants identified health risks, increases in crime, social distrust, and social tensions, an exacerbation of vulnerabilities of already vulnerable and marginalized groups, and potential tensions related to the dissatisfaction with public services under pressure. A research topic that was discussed as central was concerned an assessment of the obstacles in designing an equitable and resilient-built environment considering growing climate threats.
The group working on Climate, Migration, and Displacement discussed the different types of migration climate change enhances and identified a list of push and pull factors that drive migration and fragility in the context of Egypt. Group participants emphasized that climate change impacts compound with other push factors. These include economic insecurity, lack of job opportunities, the mismanagement of local resources, deeper structural inequalities (including gender inequality), resource access and land rights, land fragmentation, as well as a lack of infrastructure and security. How these factors intersect and interact in Egypt remains insufficiently well understood – both in respect to people moving to and from Egypt. Migration and displacement processes were linked to a potential decrease in social cohesion, as people on the move seek to establish livelihoods in host communities, increased resource stress and food insecurity, political instability, an increase in health problems, and overburdened service provision systems. In this context, it was particularly the most marginalized groups that were most vulnerable. A loss of biodiversity was identified as a contributor to enhanced ecosystem fragility. In terms of potential research projects on the topic, the group proposed an assessment of the role of climate change in women's mobility in Egypt's Delta. Such a project would improve our understanding of the most affected sectors, types of employment most at risk from climate change impacts, mobility paths, as well as the locations and types of livelihoods in which displaced populations end up.
A Path Forward
The workshop served as a concerted effort from all stakeholders involved, promoting proactive measures that bolster resilience, foster sustainable development, and address the underlying vulnerabilities that impede progress.
https://storage.googleapis.com/cgiarorg/2025/01/cgiar.mp4
The outcomes of this workshop were poised to shape a research strategy for the MENA Regional Climate Security Hub. It sought to contribute to knowledge products that illuminated the intersections of climate, peace, and fragility in Egypt while creating a collaborative network that would enhance research capabilities and promote actionable insights to support policy and programming.
As Egypt continues to navigate the complexities brought about by climate change, understanding the delicate dynamics at play is crucial. By fostering informed dialogue and collaborative research, the workshop represented an essential step toward building a more resilient Egypt—one that prioritizes climate adaptation, promotes social equity, and secures livelihoods for future generations.
Going forward, addressing climate challenges from a research perspective requires a multi-tiered approach. Engaging local communities, migrants, and refugees in research processes will ensure that findings are context-specific and applicable. Establishing multidisciplinary research teams will provide comprehensive insights into the interconnections between climate change, migration, and urban planning. Additionally, universities and research institutions can forge partnerships with policymakers to translate research findings into actionable policies and programs. Initiatives such as climate resilience training for farmers, urban planners, and community leaders can empower vulnerable groups to adopt adaptive practices. Furthermore, securing funding for long-term research projects and pilot programs by engaging various donors such as international organizations and the private sector will facilitate the necessary innovations to mitigate risks and enhance adaptive capacities. Together, these measures can form a robust framework for addressing climate-related challenges in Egypt, ultimately leading to a more sustainable and equitable future.
Authors: Sara Rabie, Martina Jaskolski, Salma Kadry (Alliance of Bioversity & CIAT)
Acknowledgements
This work was carried out with support from the CGIAR Initiative on Climate Resilience (ClimBeR). We would like to thank all funders who supported this research through their contributions to the CGIAR Trust Fund: https://www.cgiar.org/funders/

Climate, Peace, and Fragility in Egypt: Shaping a Path Forward

🌍 Day 2 of #100Days100AIUseCases: AI for Climate Change Modelling 🌍
Imagine a world where hurricanes are predicted with pinpoint accuracy, droughts are anticipated months in advance, and the rise of the seas can be slowed, not just predicted. This isn't science fiction; it's the promise of artificial intelligence in the face of climate change.
As the planet struggles to keep pace with the escalating impacts of human activity, a new conductor has emerged: Artificial Intelligence. With its ability to analyze vast datasets, identify intricate patterns, and predict future outcomes, AI offers a lifeline in the storm of climate change. What are climate models?
Planetary-scale Earth simulations known as global climate models (GCMs) are the primary tools for understanding future climate change. These models use mathematical equations to represent physical processes in the atmosphere, ocean, land surface, and cryosphere. A finer grid mesh in these models increases accuracy but also demands greater computational resources. Current global climate projections consistently indicate that increased greenhouse gas concentrations will lead to a warmer world, with pronounced warming over land and at high latitudes. However, uncertainties remain, particularly regarding high-risk outcomes like extreme rainfall events, which could impact billions of people.
The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change ), a leading international body for the assessment of climate change, relies heavily on GCMs to provide scientific evidence for its reports.
Over the years, GCMs have evolved significantly in terms of complexity and resolution. The IPCC's First Assessment Report (FAR) in 1990 utilized relatively simple models with basic representations of the Earth's climate system. These models have been progressively refined, incorporating more detailed representations of atmospheric dynamics, land surface processes, and ice interactions. By the Fourth Assessment Report (AR4), GCMs had significantly improved in their ability to simulate the Earth's climate and project future changes.
The Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) provides a framework for coordinating and comparing climate model simulations from different research groups worldwide. CMIP6, the latest phase of this project, provides a comprehensive set of climate model outputs that are used in the IPCC's Sixth Assessment Report (AR6). These models represent the state-of-the-art in climate modeling and provide valuable insights into future climate change.
The traditional GCMs have their limitations. They can be computationally intensive and struggle to accurately capture the nuances of complex climate processes. This is where AI steps in. The Challenge:
Climate change is no longer a distant threat; it's a present reality. The Earth is warming at an unprecedented rate, driven by human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. This warming trend leads to a cascade of consequences: rising sea levels, more frequent and intense extreme weather events (heatwaves, droughts, floods), disruptions to ecosystems, and threats to the health and well-being of all living beings on the planet.
Traditional climate models, while valuable, face significant limitations in accurately predicting the complex dynamics of the Earth's climate system. These limitations include:
Simulating the Earth's climate involves numerous variables and interactions, requiring immense computational power and time. Climate models divide the Earth into a series of grid cells, and the complexity increases with higher resolution and the inclusion of more processes. This computational constraint can limit the frequency of model updates and the exploration of a wide range of scenarios. For example, increasing the resolution by a factor of 10 requires a thousand times more computational power.
Historical climate data, essential for initializing and evaluating climate models, can be scattered or incomplete, especially for certain regions and variables. This can introduce biases and uncertainties into model projections. About 100 countries, mostly in the Global South, lack sufficient data for reliable climate modeling. While statistical methods can help fill data gaps, obtaining more observational data is crucial for improving model accuracy. Uncertainties in Model Parameters
Key processes within the climate system, such as cloud formation and ocean circulation, are not fully understood, leading to uncertainties in model parameters. These uncertainties can significantly impact projection accuracy. For instance, accurately representing clouds in climate models is challenging due to their complex nature and the limitations of model resolution. Even small errors in parameter values can lead to significant differences in climate projections.
The climate system exhibits emergent behaviors arising from interactions between simpler components. These emergent phenomena, such as large-scale climate patterns, can be challenging to capture accurately in traditional models. Emergent constraints, which link observable characteristics of the current climate to future climate predictions, offer a promising approach to reduce uncertainties in climate projections. The AI Solution:
Artificial intelligence offers a powerful suite of tools to address these challenges and revolutionize climate modeling: Deep Learning for Enhanced Prediction: AI algorithms can process vast datasets to identify patterns and make predictions about climate phenomena with greater accuracy and speed than traditional methods. Deep learning, a subfield of artificial intelligence, has emerged as a powerful tool for analyzing complex climate data and improving the accuracy of weather and climate predictions. Deep learning models can learn intricate patterns and relationships in large datasets, enabling them to make predictions that are often more accurate and computationally efficient than traditional physics-based models.
AI algorithms can process vast datasets to identify patterns and make predictions about climate phenomena with greater accuracy and speed than traditional methods. Deep learning, a subfield of artificial intelligence, has emerged as a powerful tool for analyzing complex climate data and improving the accuracy of weather and climate predictions. Deep learning models can learn intricate patterns and relationships in large datasets, enabling them to make predictions that are often more accurate and computationally efficient than traditional physics-based models. AI for Scenario Development and Uncertainty Quantification: AI can generate a wide range of climate scenarios, helping to quantify uncertainties and explore potential future climates under different assumptions. AI can also play a crucial role in developing climate scenarios and quantifying uncertainties associated with climate predictions. Traditional climate models often struggle to capture the full range of potential future climate pathways due to the complexity of the Earth's climate system and the uncertainties associated with various factors, such as greenhouse gas emissions and feedback mechanisms.
AI can generate a wide range of climate scenarios, helping to quantify uncertainties and explore potential future climates under different assumptions. AI can also play a crucial role in developing climate scenarios and quantifying uncertainties associated with climate predictions. Traditional climate models often struggle to capture the full range of potential future climate pathways due to the complexity of the Earth's climate system and the uncertainties associated with various factors, such as greenhouse gas emissions and feedback mechanisms. AI-Driven Climate Solutions: Beyond modeling, AI can aid in developing solutions such as optimizing renewable energy deployment, improving energy efficiency, and enhancing carbon capture technologies. AI can also drive the development and implementation of climate solutions. AI-powered technologies can be applied to various sectors, including energy, transportation, agriculture, and forestry, to optimize resource management, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and enhance climate resilience. The Impact:
The impact of AI-driven climate modeling is far-reaching: Improved Prediction Accuracy: AI algorithms have an exceptional ability to analyze vast and complex datasets, enabling the identification of subtle patterns and relationships within climate data that may not be readily apparent through conventional methods. This capability allows for more accurate predictions of future climate scenarios, including temperature changes, precipitation patterns, and the occurrence of extreme weather events.
AI algorithms have an exceptional ability to analyze vast and complex datasets, enabling the identification of subtle patterns and relationships within climate data that may not be readily apparent through conventional methods. This capability allows for more accurate predictions of future climate scenarios, including temperature changes, precipitation patterns, and the occurrence of extreme weather events. Enhanced Early Warning Systems: AI is playing a significant role in enhancing the accuracy and lead time of early warning systems (EWS) for extreme weather events like floods, storms, and heatwaves. AI-powered EWS continuously monitor real-time data from various sources, including weather stations, satellites, and social media. By analyzing this data, AI can identify potential hazards and issue timely warnings to communities and authorities, allowing for proactive measures to be taken, such as evacuations and resource mobilization, which can significantly reduce the impact of disasters on lives and infrastructure.
AI is playing a significant role in enhancing the accuracy and lead time of early warning systems (EWS) for extreme weather events like floods, storms, and heatwaves. AI-powered EWS continuously monitor real-time data from various sources, including weather stations, satellites, and social media. By analyzing this data, AI can identify potential hazards and issue timely warnings to communities and authorities, allowing for proactive measures to be taken, such as evacuations and resource mobilization, which can significantly reduce the impact of disasters on lives and infrastructure. Optimized Resource Allocation: AI helps optimize resource allocation for climate adaptation and mitigation efforts. This includes disaster preparedness, infrastructure development, and conservation initiatives. By analyzing climate data and identifying areas most vulnerable to climate change impacts, AI can guide investments in infrastructure and resources to enhance resilience and minimize risks.
AI helps optimize resource allocation for climate adaptation and mitigation efforts. This includes disaster preparedness, infrastructure development, and conservation initiatives. By analyzing climate data and identifying areas most vulnerable to climate change impacts, AI can guide investments in infrastructure and resources to enhance resilience and minimize risks. Accelerated Innovation: AI is driving the development and deployment of innovative climate solutions across various sectors. This includes renewable energy technologies, carbon capture methods, climate-resilient agriculture, and climate-smart technologies.
AI is driving the development and deployment of innovative climate solutions across various sectors. This includes renewable energy technologies, carbon capture methods, climate-resilient agriculture, and climate-smart technologies. Empowerment of Communities: AI can be used to develop tools that provide individuals with personalized information about climate risks in their area, such as the likelihood of flooding or heatwaves. This information can help individuals make informed decisions about their homes, businesses, and lifestyles to enhance their resilience to climate change. AI can also analyze remote sensing data to monitor climate change impacts, such as deforestation and ice melting etc. Real world examples Google's AI-Powered Flood Forecasting:
Google has developed an advanced AI-based flood forecasting system that provides accurate and timely flood predictions for communities worldwide. This system utilizes deep learning models to analyze various data sources, including rainfall data, river level measurements, and terrain information, to predict flood events up to seven days in advance. Key Features Combined AI Models: The system combines two AI models: a hydrologic model that forecasts the amount of water flowing in a river and an inundation model that predicts the areas that will be affected by flooding and the water level. This approach allows for more accurate and localized flood predictions, even in regions with limited data availability.
The system combines two AI models: a hydrologic model that forecasts the amount of water flowing in a river and an inundation model that predicts the areas that will be affected by flooding and the water level. This approach allows for more accurate and localized flood predictions, even in regions with limited data availability. Global Coverage: Google's flood forecasting system has been deployed in over 80 countries, covering a population of over 460 million people.
Google's flood forecasting system has been deployed in over 80 countries, covering a population of over 460 million people. Real-Time Alerts: The system provides real-time flood alerts through various channels, including Google Search, Google Maps, and Android alerts, helping communities prepare for and mitigate the impacts of floods.
The system provides real-time flood alerts through various channels, including Google Search, Google Maps, and Android alerts, helping communities prepare for and mitigate the impacts of floods. Flood Hub Platform: The Flood Hub, a platform developed by Google, provides users with access to flood data, forecasts, and alerts. This platform is designed to be user-friendly and accessible to governments, aid organizations, and individuals at risk of flooding.
Google's flood forecasting system has had a significant impact on communities around the world. By providing accurate and timely flood predictions, the system has helped to save lives, reduce property damage, and improve the overall resilience of communities to floods. WMO AI Weather Forecasting
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) recognizes the potential of AI to revolutionize weather forecasting. AI and machine learning models can analyze vast amounts of weather data, identify patterns, and make predictions with greater accuracy and speed than traditional methods. AI is particularly valuable for predicting extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, floods, and heat waves, which can have devastating impacts on communities. AI models can provide earlier and more accurate warnings, allowing communities more time to prepare and mitigate the risks.
The WMO emphasizes the importance of integrating AI into weather forecasting systems to improve the accuracy and timeliness of weather predictions. This can help to reduce the impacts of weather-related disasters and improve the resilience of communities to climate change. Agricultural Support
AI-powered weather forecasts have reduced debts and increased savings for farmers in India, leading to initiatives to extend such capabilities across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The Future of AI in Climate Science
AI is expected to play an increasingly important role in climate science in the coming years and it presents a unique opportunity to transform our understanding of climate change and accelerate the development of effective solutions. By harnessing AI's power, we can improve the accuracy and efficiency of climate models, gain new insights into climate dynamics, and develop innovative strategies for mitigating and adapting to climate change impacts. As AI technology continues to advance, its impact on climate modeling is likely to become even more significant in the years to come. The potential of AI to drive transformative change in climate modeling and adaptation is immense, and continued research and development in this field are crucial for a sustainable future. Conclusion
AI-driven climate modeling is revolutionizing our understanding of and response to climate change. By improving prediction accuracy, enhancing early warning systems, optimizing resource allocation, accelerating innovation, and empowering communities, AI is providing solutions to some of the most pressing challenges posed by climate change. As AI technology continues to advance, its impact on climate modeling is likely to become even more significant in the years to come. The potential of AI to drive transformative change in climate modeling and adaptation is immense, and continued research and development in this field are crucial for a sustainable future.
I hope you found this article insightful, What other applications of AI in climate action excite you? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
#ClimateChange #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #DeepLearning #ClimateModeling #EnvironmentalInnovation #Sustainability #RenewableEnergy #ClimateScience #TechForGood #PredictiveAnalytics #GreenTech #ClimateAction #Innovation #FutureTech #ClimateResilience #DataScience
Here are various articles, research papers and I have referred in the process of publishing this article:

Harnessing AI for Climate Change Modeling

More than three-quarters of people think the UK is not prepared to deal with flooding and the other extreme weather driven by climate change, a survey has found.
Polling suggests flooding is seen as by far the most pressing impact of climate change for the UK, followed by rising seas and coastal erosion, threats to wildlife, severe storms and food shortages.
And just one in six people feel the country is making good progress in adapting to the risks posed by rising global temperatures, according to the survey for Climate Barometer, which tracks public opinion on climate change.
Climate Barometer's co-director Niall McLoughlin warned that the public 'doesn't think the UK is prepared', and said the Government must work closely across society to empower people to prepare for the climate risks that are taking hold.
The survey of 2,001 people by YouGov was undertaken in late October ahead of major winter storms which have brought repeated flooding to the country in the past few months.
It found 78% believed the UK was not prepared to deal with climate change impacts including extreme weather, and a quarter of those quizzed (26%) thought the UK was not prepared 'at all' to deal with climate impacts.
Just 16% thought the UK was making good progress on adapting to the risks posed by climate change impacts, while two-fifths (39%) did not, and 45% were on the fence.
Flooding topped the list of impacts the UK had to deal with, in a question asked of 985 respondents, with 68% naming it as among the most pressing climate change-related issues to tackle.
This polling shows that the British public do not feel confident about the progress the UK is making in terms of adapting to climate change impacts and extreme weather
Niall McLoughlin, Climate Barometer
Sea level rise and coastal erosion was flagged by 45%, with the same number raising concerns about loss of species, habitats and threats of extinction, while 44% said severe storms were among the most pressing impacts and 43% thought the UK had to deal with food shortages and insecurity.
Dr McLoughlin said: 'This polling shows that the British public do not feel confident about the progress the UK is making in terms of adapting to climate change impacts and extreme weather.
'Simply put, the public doesn't think the UK is prepared.'
And he warned: 'Many will be aware of the high levels of public support in the UK for renewable energy to tackle climate change, but it's also crucial to take into account the public sentiment around preparedness for impacts – which highlights a sense of urgency to go faster and do more.
'The Government must now work closely with all parts of society – including local communities, healthcare professionals, and businesses across the country to empower people in the UK to prepare for the range of climate risks that are taking hold.'
A Government spokesperson said: 'Flooding this winter has shown there is much more work needed to be done to protect communities from the devastating impact it leaves behind.
'That's why we are taking action now – investing £2.4 billion over the next two years to build and maintain flood defences, which will protect homes and businesses across the country.'

Majority think UK ‘not prepared' for floods and other climate impacts

Climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing humanity today, requiring international cooperation and effective measures at various levels to ensure sustainability for future generations.
Climate change refers to long-term changes in temperatures and weather patterns on our planet. Scientific reports indicate that the Earth's temperature has risen by approximately 1.5°C since the beginning of the industrial revolution in the early 19th century, affecting many sectors. These changes can be natural, but human activity has significantly accelerated these changes through greenhouse gas emissions. The world has witnessed multiple impacts of climate change, including direct effects on various sectors such as agriculture and food security, water resources, infrastructure, public health, energy, trade, disruption of supply chains, and, finally, general economic costs. Governments and companies must invest large amounts in adapting to climate change and its consequences, which will affect public budgets and lead to long-term economic fluctuations. This will be impacting growth and development.
The causes of climate change include human emissions and the burning of fossil fuels (such as oil, coal, and natural gas), increases the levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) in the atmosphere. Deforestation also reduces the earth's ability to absorb CO2, resulting in weather changes and climate shifts. According to a World Bank report, the economic losses caused by weather-related disasters are estimated at hundreds of billions of dollars annually, reaching approximately $350 billion / year between 2010 and 2020. Additionally, climate change has significant economic effects on agricultural sectors. A World Bank report stated that climate change poses a major threat to food security and could reduce agricultural productivity by 2–2.5%, in various parts of the world.
Climate change and the economy are closely connected. Climate change is not just an environmental issue; it is an economic challenge requiring comprehensive responses from governments, private sector, and society. Nations need to develop effective strategies to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change to ensure the sustainability of their economies. The primary challenge lies in balancing economic growth and addressing climate change, which is costly and demands substantial investments. I believe failing to take preventive or corrective measures on the right time can lead to much higher costs in the long term.
International reports highlight a direct link between climate change and the economy due to its deep effects on global and local economies. Environmental impacts overlap with various economic sectors depending on geographic areas and the economic sectors involved. Climate change impacts the economy through a wide range of direct and indirect effects that influence economic growth, productivity, and financial stability. These impacts are evident in areas such as investments, insurance, trade, disruption of global supply chains, rising living costs. Extreme weather events, such as floods, hurricanes, and wildfires, can damage infrastructure. In agriculture and food, shifting weather patterns and drought affect crop yields, leading to reduced productivity and increased prices. Public health is also impacted, with heat-related illnesses and flooding-related diseases increasing healthcare costs. Tourism is affected too, with declining investments in environmentally degraded areas, such as coral reefs or snowy regions, impacting tourism revenues. The energy sector is also influenced, as the need to reduce carbon emissions drives significant shifts toward renewable energy.
Climate change and its impact on the economy have gained global attention. General statistics on climate change and its impact reveal notable figures that demand consideration. Measures to adapt to climate change include transitioning to renewable energy, reducing energy costs, promoting green transportation and adapting to climate change in the agricultural sector by applying sustainable agricultural practices and improving water management. Advanced irrigation techniques and climate-resistant crop varieties should also be developed and adopted.
Economic policies and preventive measures to address climate change include imposing carbon emission taxes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enacting strict environmental legislation to comply with environmental standards, and providing financial incentives to support green projects. Financial subsidies should be provided to individuals and companies using renewable energy. Joining international agreements, such as the Kyoto Protocol to reduce carbon emissions and Paris Climate Agreement, aims to foster international cooperation for sustainable goals.
On the other hand, despite the above challenges, there are economic opportunities associated with addressing climate change, such as the low-carbon economy (electric vehicles, solar energy, and wind energy) and innovation in green technology. Financial tools are available to support climate change process, including public financing through allocating budgets for climate-resilient infrastructure, clean technology, and financial support for farmers and businesses. Private investments also can finance start-ups and technological innovations in climate adaptation. Climate insurance can mitigate the financial impacts of natural disasters, encouraging individuals to take certain measures. Tax incentives and financial rewards can encourage businesses and individuals to adopt climate change adaptation measures, apply clean technologies, and install renewable energy systems in homes. Collaboration with non-governmental organizations, such as Greenpeace, IRENA (International Renewable Energy Agency), UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme), and UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization), can help countries achieve their goals of mitigating the negative impacts of climate change.
In Jordan, climate change poses significant challenges as the country has limited water resources and a relatively harsh climate, making it exposed to climate change challenges. Jordan relies heavily on rainfall and river water for its water needs. With declining rainfall and reduced snow accumulation in mountains, Jordan faces significant challenges in securing water for drinking, agriculture, and industry. This results in disruptions across various sectors and additional costs for securing water, impacting economic growth. Jordan also suffers from rising temperatures and worsening drought, affecting agricultural sector which directly impacts food security and economic stability.
To address these challenges, Jordan government is developing strategies to adapt to climate change and enhance environmental sustainability. These efforts include commitment to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Kyoto Protocol and Paris Climate Agreement. Jordan has formulated a national climate change strategy for 2013–2020, extended to 2025, focusing on developing renewable energy sources, improving energy efficiency, managing water resources sustainably, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and preparing for climate adaptation. These measures include enhancing water management, strengthening infrastructure resilience, encouraging investments in renewable energy, and promoting sustainable agriculture. Jordan recently signed the national carrier agreement, which provides over 300 million cubic meters of drinkable water from the Red Sea using the BOT (Build, Operate, Transfer) system.
Jordan is actively participating in international initiatives to fight climate change and foster international cooperation. Jordan is committed to achieving the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting environmental sustainability. Jordan is expected to continue its efforts to tackle climate change by increasing reliance on renewable energy, as primary electricity sources to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and lower greenhouse gas emissions. It also seeks to enhance energy efficiency in various sectors, including industry, buildings, and transportation. Jordan is working on developing environmental policies and legal frameworks to promote a low-carbon economy and support innovative environmental and technological initiatives, alongside improving water management to address increasing water challenges.

Global warming and the economy

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BEIJING, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- China has never ceased its efforts toward green development, and its commitment to promoting a global low-carbon transition remains unwavering, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Thursday.
Spokesperson Guo Jiakun made the remarks at a daily press briefing when asked to comment on China's role in global governance on climate change in recent years.
According to the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, China has submitted two reports to the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, detailing its climate actions and progress. These documents -- the first biennial transparency report on climate change and the fourth biennial update report -- were submitted as scheduled at the end of 2024.
Noting that climate change is a major global challenge, Guo said China has always attached great importance to addressing climate change and is one of the initial parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, as well as one of the earliest signatories and ratifiers of the Paris Agreement.
He added that the reports demonstrate professionalism and transparency in information sharing, presenting a multidimensional view of China's climate governance policies, achievements, and experience.
"Behind these reports lie China's determination and actions in actively responding to climate change and engaging in global climate governance," Guo said.
The reports indicate that, in 2021, China's carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP decreased by 50.9 percent compared to 2005, the base year for the country's climate contributions. Public data shows that by the end of 2023, the country's installed capacity for renewable energy generation surpassed that of fossil fuel power. In 2023 alone, China's export of wind and photovoltaic products helped reduce carbon emissions by 810 million tonnes in recipient countries, Guo explained.
Addressing climate change requires a collective response from all countries, the spokesperson said, adding that China is willing to work with all parties to uphold the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, adhere to true multilateralism, and safeguard the shared blue planet through green development.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - Iowa's department of education released proposed changes to the state's science education standards.
The proposed update replaces mentions of climate change with 'climate trends' or phrases like 'change over time.'
State science standards set the goal for what students should be achieving in their academics. One expert says changing the wording on subjects like climate change and evolution won't stop teachers from teaching them, but it could make it more challenging.
'We expect science teachers to be teaching their students about science in the way scientists understand it. Scientists simply don't mince their words like this,' said Glenn Branch, National Center for Science Education deputy director.
Tuesday the Iowa Department of Education released proposed updates to the state's science education standards to the public.
Among the changes, the phrase 'climate change' now is not included in the standards at all. Instead, you see 'climate trends.'
The National Center for Science Education says the wording change won't stop teachers from teaching about climate change, but it could discourage it.
'But it would make it harder for teachers who don't feel comfortable because they haven't had sufficient preparation for doing so or because they fear community backlash,' Branch said.
When TV9 asked the department of education why the changes were made, it said climate trends is an appropriate term used by other government agencies.
But when we checked to see what Iowa's neighbors do, all mention climate change and only Nebraska mentions the term 'climate trends.'
'The quality of the treatment of evolution and climate change in state science standards does make a measurable difference in the quality of classroom instruction on those topics,' Branch said.
The department of education said the changes are reviewed by a team of teachers, families and experts. However, TV9 obtained a copy of the documents that committee sent to the department of education, and it doesn't match the documents released Tuesday to the public.
For example, on a section of 8th grade standards, the committee's document has a section titled 'Global Climate Change', and it discusses humans' impact on the Earth's temperature through practices like burning fossil fuels.
The document the department of Education released removes the mention of humans' impact and fossil fuels entirely, and it adds a sentence saying the Earth has experienced natural warming and cooling throughout history.
'These changes send a misleading signal, a downright false signal that there's something wrong with talking about evolution and climate change in science classrooms,' Branch said.

Iowa could remove mentions of climate change from education standards

Whipping winds are intensifying natural disasters fueled by climate change, stoking raging California wildfires and supercharging major Atlantic hurricanes.
With destructive force, they have the ability to tear off roofs, flatten neighborhoods, and rip trees from the soil, leaving a barren environment in their wake. In the last few weeks, they've helped to set Southern California on fire, along with the effects of climate change on the arid and dry region.
'There are a lot of people that believe that climate change is happening and real, but not many people believe that they are actually currently experiencing climate change themselves personally. But, they are,' Daniel Gilford, a meteorologist and atmospheric scientist with Climate Central, told The Independent on Friday.
Climate change is creating conditions ripe for fire growth in areas affected by the winds. Warmer temperatures caused by climate change and atmospheric warming fuel droughts - notably, Southern California hasn't seen rain for months - that dry out fuels like grasses. As the climate warms, more water evaporates from the ground and vegetation.
And, wildfire is also driven by hydroclimate whiplash and volatility: rapid swings between unusually wet and dry periods. Warmer temperatures can also result in more rain and heavier precipitation events, like the atmospheric river storms that have slammed the Golden State over the last couple of years. The precipitation allows for intense growth of grasses that will die out.
Still, it remains hard to say whether the Santa Ana winds are becoming more or less frequent due to climate change - it may even decrease them.
'The data [is] unclear, I would say, in terms of how climate change might affect Santa Ana winds and those strong, sort of accelerating downslope winds toward the ocean that can really promote that extensive wildfire spread. And, maybe serve as a start to, if you're knocking down powerlines, infrastructure, things like that, that can ... create those sparks that start a fire,' Andrew Winters, assistant professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at Colorado University Boulder, explained.
When a fire is lit, winds can serve as a blow torch, helping it quickly spread. Two of California's largest wildfires this month were driven by hurricane-force winds gusting up to 100 mph. Videos showed 70-to-90 mph winds blowing a 'blizzard' of embers across front yards in Altadena and through palm trees, setting them ablaze.
Winds that strong can turn a bad situation into a nightmare, grounding firefighting aircraft when they blow over 40 mph, according to Cal Fire Incident Commander Gerry Magaña. This month wasn't the first time the winds have had that destructive force in Los Angeles County, and it surely won't be the last. The Santa Ana winds, cool and dry winds blowing from the desert out to the Pacific Ocean, have been a part of the ecosystem for centuries.
Winters pointed out that, due to warming from climate change, the position of the upper level jet stream in the northern hemisphere is expected to shift north. The jet stream is a fast-moving ribbon of wind within the atmosphere that can significantly influence weather patterns. The jet stream moving north would focus the potential for precipitation to impact the Pacific Northwest and leave California with the expectation of more dry days in the future.
'And, with those drying conditions, it's almost like you're stacking the deck for a catastrophic fire to develop,' ' he said. 'So, kind of the footprint from climate change potentially on what we're seeing in California is really in the context of how climate change can alter the large-scale atmospheric circulation and wind patterns in a way that favors these prolonged drought periods that can contribute to the development of favorable sort of fuel conditions ... that can lead to rapid wildfire growth.'
While the effect of climate change on the Santa Anas remains up in the air, the impact on hurricanes is clearer.
Gilford led research on how climate change powered up hurricanes churning in the Atlantic Ocean last year, more than 2,500 miles away. He found that climate change increased the maximum wind speeds for every Atlantic hurricane last year, raising their highest sustained wind speeds by between nine and 28 mph. The increase helped move seven hurricanes to a higher category on the classifying Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, and strengthened tropical storms into hurricanes.
Record ocean warmth during the hurricane season due to climate change made major Hurricanes Helene and Milton stronger, adding 16 to 24 mph respectively, according to the study from the non-profit Climate Central. Storms like Beryl and Raphael formed in ocean waters that were made 1.3 or 1.4 degrees Celsius warmer than they would have been 100 years ago, Gilford said.
'The storm has this speed limit at which it can spin based on its environmental conditions. And, the warmer the sea surface temperatures, the faster a hurricane can spin,' he noted, adding that hurricanes care about sea surface temperatures like cars care about fuel sources.
Scientists have yet to fully capture how the atmosphere could be changing and affecting these hurricanes, according to Gilford. But, there will definitely be more intense storms as the planet continues to get hotter. Last year was the hottest year on record.
'We know that climate change is happening all around us. It's influencing our lives right now. It's affecting the storms that we're living through, the terrible disasters that we see on TV, or the terrible heat we might experience outside for a given day,' he explained. 'Climate change is living.'

The common thread between hurricanes and wildfires? Increasingly strong winds

China has never ceased its efforts toward green development, and its commitment to promoting a global low-carbon transition remains unwavering, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Thursday.
Spokesperson Guo Jiakun made the remarks at a daily press briefing when asked to comment on China's role in global governance on climate change in recent years.
According to the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, China has submitted two reports to the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, detailing its climate actions and progress. These documents -- the first biennial transparency report on climate change and the fourth biennial update report -- were submitted as scheduled at the end of 2024.
Noting that climate change is a major global challenge, Guo said China has always attached great importance to addressing climate change and is one of the initial parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, as well as one of the earliest signatories and ratifiers of the Paris Agreement.
He added that the reports demonstrate professionalism and transparency in information sharing, presenting a multidimensional view of China's climate governance policies, achievements, and experience.
"Behind these reports lie China's determination and actions in actively responding to climate change and engaging in global climate governance," Guo said.
The reports indicate that, in 2021, China's carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP decreased by 50.9 percent compared to 2005, the base year for the country's climate contributions. Public data shows that by the end of 2023, the country's installed capacity for renewable energy generation surpassed that of fossil fuel power. In 2023 alone, China's export of wind and photovoltaic products helped reduce carbon emissions by 810 million tonnes in recipient countries, Guo explained.
Addressing climate change requires a collective response from all countries, the spokesperson said, adding that China is willing to work with all parties to uphold the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, adhere to true multilateralism, and safeguard the shared blue planet through green development.
Follow China.org.cn on Twitter and Facebook to join the conversation.
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CBS News seems a little slow on the uptake, but that's to be expected from the legacy media. People on social media, in particular X, have already demonstrated that the wildfires that have devasted Los Angeles weren't caused by "climate change," unless by climate change they mean an illegal immigrant running around with a blowtorch setting fires.
As we reported earlier, Gov. Gavin Newsom thinks the big problem isn't empty reservoirs or uncleared brush, but disinformation, to the point where his office has already set up a website allegedly to fight misinformation about the fires. Newsom knows his incompetence and malfeasance are hurting his 2028 presidential aspirations.
But back to climate change. CBS News missed the memo that no one's buying that these wildfires, or other natural disasters, are the result of climate change. If all we had were the major broadcast and cable news networks, that's all we'd be hearing, and we'd be expected to buy it.
As disasters linked to climate change become more frequent, homeowners across the U.S. are paying the price through skyrocketing insurance costs — and not only in states like Florida and California that are considered most vulnerable to global warming. https://t.co/cPuIJRhny8 — CBS News (@CBSNews) January 15, 2025
Yes that climate change sucked the water right out of those fire hydrants. — Bryan Grayson (@bryan_grayson) January 15, 2025
These fires were caused by a combo of arson and mismanagement of water supply and terrain. — Ellesse (@Ellesse212) January 15, 2025
Guess what's hurting California?It's not climate change.
It's climate change policies. — zoochum (@zoochum) January 15, 2025
It's prioritizing smelt over human lives.
"disasters linked to climate change"
That's weasely language for "we can't make any connections to climate change for any single disaster, but we really want to virtue signal our connection to those who are making the unsubstantiated claims of connections." — Preachy (@JoshuaMargeris1) January 15, 2025
Let's hear what CBS News has to say:
Research shows that climate change is heightening the conditions that lead to fire-conducive weather, including drying out vegetation and constraining water supplies. Such conditions are in turn prolonging wildfire season as well magnifying the size and intensity of blazes.
…
"We're seeing it now for five years in a row — the increases in insurance costs — and they are correlated with increased severity of climate events," Jeremy Porter, head of climate implications research at First Street, a non-profit research firm that models climate risks, told CBS MoneyWatch. "One thing that is surprising is that Kansas and Nebraska and theses places in the middle of the country are also seeing these huge increases in insurance."
What research? By the head of climate implications research at a research firm that models climate risks?
It was arson, and everyone knows this, jackasses. — theRoddick (@OriginalRoddick) January 15, 2025
Arson and government negligence is not climate change.
Delete your account. — Louie (@reallouiehuey) January 15, 2025
This was due to gross mismanagement at the state and local level and you know it. Stop with the propaganda garbage. — Joe Ziskey (@JZiskey) January 15, 2025
What evidence do you have that the climate is changing frequently and that change is linked to insurance premiums? — Joe Gallagher (@JoeGall1423) January 15, 2025
Nope. You've cried wolf for half a century about this with nothing but circumstantial evidence. Even those of us who were willing to listen in the past will know dismiss anything you claim is related to "climate change".
You're liars, and no one should believe anything you say. — MrGalt (@watchmanshruggd) January 15, 2025
When your network collapses and you need to start mass layoffs, start with whoever wrote this cult-brainwashed bullshit — Mike (@m_anto04) January 15, 2025
There has never been a disaster linked to "climate change". — Second Hand Vegan (@SecondHandVegan) January 15, 2025
CNN's Jake Tapper just asked a seismologist a couple of weeks back if climate change was making earthquakes stronger.
Name one with verifiable sources and evidence. — ForCryingOutLoud (@AdamInBako) January 15, 2025
You're just supposed to accept the premise. "As disasters linked to climate change become more frequent …." We checked the entire article for an example of a disaster related to climate change but didn't see one, aside from the wildfires started by arsonists.
***

CBS News Says Insurance Rates Are Skyrocketing Because of Climate Change

A review of the facts and dates makes clear that ramping up fossil fuel use takes us in the wrong direction.
By Paul Roberts / For The Herald
Few subjects have been the target of disinformation more frequently than climate change and climate science. For more than half a century, the fossil fuel industry has conducted a multi-million dollar propaganda and disinformation campaign to undermine climate science, planting doubts in the minds of the public.
As early as 1968, the oil and gas industry knew of the damage their products would cause to the environment and chose to cover it up using the same tactics as the tobacco industry. (See 'Eco-nomics: Climate change and that elephant in the room,' Oct. 7, 2023, The Herald.)
Today the campaign of disinformation continues. The blueprint is outlined in Project 2025, and includes 'a pledge to end the war on fossil fuels, by nixing policies designed to limit climate change.' Advocates for these policies and the fossil fuel industry are about to take leadership positions in the Trump administration. (See 'Eco-nomics: Looking back and forward on the climate crisis,' Jan. 4, The Herald.)
In his 2017 book 'On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From The Twentieth Century,' Yale history professor Timothy Snyder writes: 'To abandon fact is to abandon freedom. If nothing is true, than no one can criticize power, because there is no basis upon which to do so. If nothing is true, then all is spectacle. The biggest wallet pays for the most blinding lights.'
It is timely, then, to highlight some important historical facts related to global warming and climate science.
1800-1870: The industrial revolution begins with coal, railroads, land clearing and population growth increasing carbon dioxide emissions. Levels of CO2 in the atmosphere were relatively stable at approximately 290 parts per million (ppm).
1879:- The International Meteorological Organization begins to compile standardized global weather data, including temperatures.
1896: Swedish chemist Svante Arrhenius publishes the first calculation of global warming from human emissions of CO2.
1900-1940: Scientists debate the impact of carbon dioxide on global warming. In 1938 English engineer G.S. Calendar calculates that rising CO2 levels contribute to warming temperatures.
1950-1960: Broad climate research emerges. Dr. Roger Revelle, a pioneer in oceanography, leads research on climate change at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. He is chairman of the first Committee on Climate Change and the Ocean.
1960: Dr. Charles Keeling, also with Scripps, measures CO2 in the Earth's atmosphere and detects an annual rise. His Keeling Curve also known as the 'hockey stick graph,' is still used today. Keeling's work is considered a defining moment linking human-caused global warming and climate change. By 1960 carbon dioxide levels were at 317 ppm.
1960-1970: Scientific research on global warming and climate change expands. In 1968 scientists examining ocean and atmospheric conditions conclude that doubling CO2 could increase average global temperature by 1 to 3 degrees C by 2050, and 10 degrees at the poles. Significant temperature changes are almost certain to occur by the year 2000 and these could bring about climate change, including melting of the Antarctic ice cap, rise in sea levels, and warming of the oceans and atmosphere.
1968-1969: Reports produced for the American Petroleum Institute project that based on current fuel usage, atmospheric CO2 concentrations would reach 370 ppm by 2000. Carbon dioxide was measured at 369.34 ppm in 2000.
1970-1980: Significant scientific research on global warming and climate change is underway across the globe. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is created and is the leading source of funding for atmospheric research, climate science and data collection.
1976: Studies identify the 'greenhouse' gases in addition to carbon dioxide that contribute to global warming, including methane, nitrous oxide, fluorinated gases and water vapor.
1988: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is established by the United Nations to coordinate and build consensus on climate science globally. The IPCC is considered the gold standard for climate science.
1990 to present: The IPCC issues numerous reports contributing to climate agreements including the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 and the Paris Agreement in 2015 to limit global warming to between 1.5 and 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels. Today carbon dioxide is at 424 ppm and global temperatures are at 1.5 degrees C.
The basic science of human-caused global warming and climate change has been understood for more than 50 years.
Despite these facts, the incoming Trump administration is committed to accelerating the burning fossil fuels, literally throwing gas on the fire. The gas-lighting and disinformation incorporated in Project 2025 is a tool to rationalize these policies.
The consequences of an unstable atmosphere including heat, fires, drought, floods, and sea level rise are unfolding in real time. The remedy is not to wage war on climate science, but to use it to address climate change strategies for adaptation, mitigation and a clean energy economy.
Paul Roberts is retired and lives in Everett. His career spans over five decades in infrastructure, economics and environmental policy including advising Washington cities on climate change and past chair of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency Board of Directors.
Eco-nomics
'Eco-nomics' is a series of articles exploring issues at the intersection of climate change and economics. Climate change (global warming) is caused by greenhouse gas emissions — carbon dioxide and methane chiefly — generated by human activities, primarily burning fossil fuels and agricultural practices. Global warming poses an existential threat to the planet. Successfully responding to this threat requires urgent actions — clear plans and actionable strategies — to rapidly reduce GHG emissions and adapt to climate-influenced events.
The Eco-nomics series focuses on mitigation and adaptation strategies viewed through the twin perspectives of science and economics. Find links to the series thus far at tinyurl.com/HeraldEco-nomics.

Eco-nomics: A brief history of how the climate crisis unfolded

Climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time, with far-reaching consequences for our planet and its inhabitants. Rising global temperatures, melting ice caps, and extreme weather events are just a few of the devastating impacts of climate change. However, there is hope. Governments, organizations, and individuals around the world are coming together to combat climate change through various initiatives. In this article, we will explore some of the ongoing global initiatives that will shape our lives in years to come.
The Paris Agreement: The Paris Agreement is an international accord that aims to limit global warming to well below 2°C and pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. The agreement, which was adopted in 2015, has been ratified by over 180 countries and is considered a landmark achievement in the fight against climate change.
Renewable Energy Initiatives: Renewable energy is a crucial component in the fight against climate change. Governments and organizations around the world are investing heavily in renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric power. For example, the European Union has set a target of generating at least 32% of its energy from renewable sources by 2030.
Electric Vehicle Initiatives: Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming increasingly popular as governments and organizations encourage their adoption. Many countries have set targets for EV adoption, with Norway aiming to have all new cars sold be electric by 2025. Additionally, companies like Tesla, Volkswagen, and General Motors are investing heavily in EV technology.
Carbon Pricing Initiatives: Carbon pricing is a mechanism that puts a cost on carbon emissions, providing a financial incentive for companies and individuals to reduce their emissions. Many countries have implemented or are planning to implement carbon pricing mechanisms, including carbon taxes and cap-and-trade systems.
Sustainable Land Use Initiatives: Sustainable land use is critical for mitigating climate change. Initiatives such as reforestation, afforestation, and sustainable agriculture practices are being implemented around the world. For example, the Trillion Tree Campaign aims to plant, restore, and conserve 1 trillion trees by 2050.
Climate-Resilient Infrastructure Initiatives: Climate-resilient infrastructure is critical for protecting communities from the impacts of climate change. Initiatives such as sea walls, levees, and green roofs are being implemented around the world. For example, the Netherlands is investing heavily in flood protection measures, including the construction of sea walls and levees.
Climate Change Education and Awareness Initiatives: Climate change education and awareness are critical for inspiring individual and collective action. Initiatives such as climate change education programs, awareness campaigns, and community outreach programs are being implemented around the world. For example, the Climate Reality Project, founded by Al Gore, provides climate change education and training programs for individuals around the world.
Conclusion Climate change is a pressing global issue that requires immediate attention and action. The ongoing global initiatives discussed in this article demonstrate the commitment of governments, organizations, and individuals to combating climate change. As we move forward, it is essential that we continue to support and expand these initiatives, inspiring individual and collective action to mitigate the impacts of climate change and create a more sustainable future for all.

Climate Change: The ongoing global initiatives that will shape our lives in years to come

PESHAWAR:
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Health Advisor Ihtisham Ali on Thursday launched Pakistan's first-ever Climate and Health Adaptation Plan under the provincial health department.
Speaking at the launch ceremony as the chief guest, Ihtisham Ali emphasized climate change has led to the spread of diseases like dengue and malaria to regions previously unaffected.
The newly introduced plan aims at mitigating climate-related health challenges by ensuring policy implementation, including the establishment of a Climate Change Cell within the health department.
The launch event was attended by key figures, including Additional DG Health, Dr Shahid Younus, Chief HSRU, Dr Khalil Iftikhar and head of the Health and Education Group at the British High Commission, Maria Wyerd.
Ali stated, "Prior to this launch, we conducted research on the health impacts of climate change in K-P. Based on these findings, we have developed this plan, which serves as a roadmap for combating the health effects of climate change. This budget will enable us to address climate-induced diseases effectively."
The Climate and Health Adaptation Plan estimates that the economic burden of health challenges in K-P could exceed Rs5,541 billion by 2030 due to climate change if an action was not taken.
In contrast, implementing the proposed roadmap will require only Rs315 billion, a significantly lower cost to protect public health, he quoted the launched report.
He further emphasized, "This plan demonstrates K-P government's commitment to addressing the rising health impacts of climate change, including heat stress, waterborne diseases and vector-borne illnesses. Our priority is to protect vulnerable groups such as women, children and the elderly."
Dr Shahid Younus noted that the frequency and severity of climate shocks were expected to increase in the coming decades, resulting in heightened health risks.
Maria Wyerd praised the initiative, saying, "The Climate and Health Adaptation Plan presented by the K-P government offers evidence-based and cost-effective solutions to reduce climate-related health risks. UK is proud to support K-P through meaningful technical assistance to build a better healthcare system."
The plan outlines short, medium and long-term measures, including establishing a Climate Health Unit and forming an intersectoral technical working group, she added.
While pointing out the long-term measures, she emphasized that sustainable financing for climate-resilient health systems along with contributions to the Pakistan National Health Adaptation Plan would ensure the effectiveness of this plan.

K-P launches climate, health adaptation plan

On the occasion of World Radio Day, Dakar, Senegal will welcome, on February 13 and 14, 2025, the 2 nd AUB Media Summit on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction. This international meeting, organized by the African Union of Broadcasting (AUB) (www.UAR-AUB.org), the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the Senegalese Radio Television (RTS) will bring together journalists, experts, climatologists /Environmentalists, policy makers and representatives of civil society to discuss the crucial role of radio in the fight against climate change.
Under the theme, "Reaching the last mile: Radio for Climate Action" this summit will explore the means to strengthen the use of radio as a tool for awareness, education and mobilization to deal with climatic challenges.
Why radio?
In a super connected world, radio remains an essential media, especially in rural areas and isolated communities. Its ability to reach a large audience, its portability and its resilience makes it an essential tool to disseminate vital information on climate change and encourage prevention. The summit will aim to share best practices, in particular by exchanging experiences on the use of radio to raise awareness of climate emergency; to strengthen the capacities of journalists and radio producers in the field of climate and to promote partnerships between the various actors involved in the fight against climate change.
By bringing together experts from different backgrounds, this summit aims to strengthen the role of radio in the fight against climate change and to contribute to a more sustainable future for all.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union of Broadcasting (AUB).

The African Union of Broadcasting (AUB) is organizing the 2nd media summit on climate change and disaster risk reduction on February 13 and 14, 2025, in Dakar

OTTAWA, ON, /CNW/ - Global warming is a reality we all must navigate. Knowing how much temperatures are expected to increase is vital to effective planning when it comes to reducing emissions and adapting to our changing climate.
Today, the Government of Canada published its first publicly available annual global mean temperature forecast, predicting that 2025 will be warmer than every year on record prior to 2023.
The forecast anticipates a global mean temperature in the range of 1.35 °C to 1.55 °C above the pre-industrial value, meaning global temperatures in 2025 will remain at least 1.0 °C above pre-industrial levels for the 12th consecutive year. The forecast reaffirms that the significant increase in global temperatures over the past two years is not a temporary fluctuation, but a clear signal of the long-term global warming that is driven by greenhouse gas emissions. Looking ahead, Canada's climate model predicts the next five years will be the warmest five-year period on record.
The annual global mean temperature forecast is produced by the Government of Canada using the Canadian Seasonal to Inter-Annual Prediction System version 3. This system is designed to forecast seasonal climate conditions up to a year in advance. Results are currently updated monthly at weather.gc.ca to provide valuable insights into temperature, precipitation, and other key climate variables. Starting later in 2025, the Government of Canada will also begin publishing seasonal and decadal forecasts on ClimateData.ca.
Canada's first annual global mean temperature forecast marks a significant milestone in the Government's ability to provide important climate insights on a global scale, building on extensive expertise in climate modelling and analysis. This work supports planning in areas such as agriculture, disaster preparedness, water management, and climate adaptation.
The Government of Canada's seasonal to decadal forecasts help fill the gap between short-term weather forecasts and long-term climate projections, providing governments, researchers, and communities world-wide with vital data to better understand and prepare for the growing impacts of climate change. This data also underscores the urgent need to transition to a greener, more prosperous, low-carbon economy both in Canada and abroad.
Quotes
"Canadian communities and businesses are experiencing climate change impacts with greater intensity and frequency. These impacts affect infrastructure, health and well-being, culture, and the economy. The new publicly available global temperature forecast is part of the Government of Canada's commitment to provide trusted climate data. This helps decision-makers build stronger, more climate-resilient communities and economies to benefit all Canadians."
– The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change
Quick facts
The 2025 global mean temperature forecast predicts a range of 1.35 °C to 1.55 °C above pre-industrial levels (from 1850 to 1900), with a central estimate of 1.45 °C.
There is a probability greater than 99% that 2025 will be hotter than every year on record prior to 2023.
2024 was the hottest year on record and the first to globally exceed the 1.5 °C threshold established by the Paris Agreement.
Although global temperatures exceeded the Paris Agreement's 1.5 °C threshold above pre-industrial levels in 2024, it does not mean that the Paris Agreement targets are breached. The threshold applies to long-term global temperature averages.
Canada's global mean temperature forecast aligns with that of the United Kingdom's Met Office, despite using different prediction systems. This reinforces the reliability of these forecasts and means that governments, industry, and communities worldwide can use this data with confidence while planning for the impacts of a warming climate.
Associated links
Climate Data
Seasonal Forecasts
Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis
Canadian Centre for Climate Services
Environment and Climate Change Canada's X page
Environment and Climate Change Canada's Facebook page
Environment and Natural Resources in Canada's Facebook page
Environment and Climate Change Canada's LinkedIn page
Environment and Climate Change Canada's Instagram page

Environment and Climate Change Canada's climate forecasting system highlights concerning global warming trends Français

(MENAFN- APO Group)
On the occasion of World radio Day, Dakar, Senegal will welcome, on February 13 and 14, 2025, the 2nd AUB media Summit on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction. This international meeting, organized by the African Union of Broadcasting (AUB) ( ), the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the Senegalese Radio Television (RTS) will bring together journalists, experts, climatologists /Environmentalists, policy makers and representatives of civil society to discuss the crucial role of radio in the fight against climate change.
Under the theme, "Reaching the last mile: Radio for Climate Action" this summit will explore the means to strengthen the use of radio as a tool for awareness, education and mobilization to deal with climatic challenges.
Why radio?
In a super connected world, radio remains an essential media, especially in rural areas and isolated communities. Its ability to reach a large audience, its portability and its resilience makes it an essential tool to disseminate vital information on climate change and encourage prevention. The summit will aim to share best practices, in particular by exchanging experiences on the use of radio to raise awareness of climate emergency; to strengthen the capacities of journalists and radio producers in the field of climate and to promote partnerships between the various actors involved in the fight against climate change.
By bringing together experts from different backgrounds, this summit aims to strengthen the role of radio in the fight against climate change and to contribute to a more sustainable future for all.
Useful contacts:
AUB
Email:...
Phone: +221 338 21 1625
Website:
MENAFN17012025004934011406ID1109100642
MENAFN17012025004934011406ID1109100642

The African Union Of Broadcasting (AUB) Is Organizing The 2Nd Media Summit On Climate Change And Disaster Risk Reduction On February 13 And 14, 2025, In Dakar

DESPITE dismissing climate change as a hoax, the incoming Trump administration's strategic interest in the Panama Canal, Greenland, and Canada suggests an implicit recognition of climate change's geopolitical implications. President-elect Donald Trump has not ruled out the use of military force, if needed, to secure the canal and Greenland, and 'economic force' in the case of Canada. This reflects a broader strategy of seizing climate opportunities while denying climate change's existence.
The apparent contradiction is recognised by American foreign policy expert Richard Haass who has highlighted the growing recognition of climate change's role in shaping global power dynamics, even among climate change sceptics. The US is planning to checkmate Chinese trade and investments, particularly in America's backyard, by reincarnating the Monroe Doctrine that now seeks a US sphere of influence stretching from southern and central America to the outer reaches of the Arctic regions.
Trump has questioned the artificially drawn border lines — a global gift of colonialism and perpetuated by nationalism since the Napoleonic wars. Apart from plans to rename the Gulf of Mexico, the US has laid claim to the following three strategic assets, all driven by climate change impacts.
Panama Canal: The waterway faces significant challenges due to climate change. Severe drought in 2023, for example, has reduced daily vessel transits by 36 per cent. Washington has opposed Chinese investments to develop alternatives including a Nicaragua canal, and a rail system in Colombia or Mexico, to connect the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Trump's consideration of military action to 'reclaim' control reflects concerns about both climate vulnerability and China's economic presence enabled by this crucial maritime chokepoint.
Trump's approach is a contradiction between public rhetoric and strategic planning.
Greenland: The strategic importance of this territory has increased dramatically as climate change accelerates ice melt, revealing vast deposits of rare earth elements (REE). The US Geological Survey (USGS) believes that Greenland may have the largest untapped REE reserves outside China. This also creates new shipping routes while raising US security concerns about increased accessibility to China. With Greenland's icesheet melting, trans-Arctic shipping routes are significantly shorter than traditional ones such as the Suez Canal. China and Russia are developing the Northern Sea Route (NSR) following the Sino-Russian shipping corridor and the Arctic Express to boost their trade with Asia. The US has deployed Nato's Arctic Strategy that contains Russia, an Arctic country, and refuses to accommodate China's claim of being a 'near-Arctic' country.
Canada: The country's vast Arctic territories contain an estimated $1trillion worth of minerals essential for clean energy technologies. The USGS reports that Canadian rare earth deposits could potentially supply 25pc of global demand. Trump's approach to bilateral ties with Canada focuses on securing unhindered access to these resources while challenging Canadian climate policies.
Trump's electoral promise to cut gas prices by half will hinge on Canada revisiting its climate commitments, particularly cutting carbon tax and cancelling the energy cap, and Quebec's agre­ement with California on carbon trading. Trump's 'drill, baby, drill' mission has significant implications for North American energy markets.
Geopolitical strategy to counter China: It seems that the emerging US strategy to counter Chinese influence focuses on controlling key maritime routes and resource deposits. The Pentagon's 2024 Indo-Pacific Strategy Review emphasises the critical nature of securing strategic chokepoints and resource-rich territories. Chinese investments in Panama are said to have exceeded $10 billion over the past decade, while Arctic investments have topped $90bn according to the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
Control over maritime routes has become increasingly critical as climate change opens new shipping lanes. The NSR could reduce shipping times between Asia and Europe by up to 40pc. Chinese shipping through Arctic waters is said to have increased by 300pc between 2018 and 2023.
Climate change paradox: While Trump has repeatedly called climate change a scam, the Department of Defence has identified it as a threat multiplier. The Pentagon's 2024 Climate Adaptation Plan highlights the strategic importance of assets affected by climate change, including Arctic territories and maritime chokepoints.
Nato's Strategic Concept has, for the first time, recorded China as a 'systemic challenge' to Euro-Atlantic security. It addresses the need to balance collective defence with environmental security, and expresses concern at unilateral military actions affecting alliance members' territories. The Chinese response on the other hand, has emphasised economic cooperation and scientific collaboration, while warning against the militarisation of climate-vulnerable regions.
Trump's approach represents a complex interplay between climate denial and the pursuit of climate-affected strategic assets. It is a contradiction between public rhetoric and strategic planning. This approach has implications for the global security architecture, economic ties, and global cooperation on climate change. The aggressive posture towards securing climate-vulnerable assets will strain traditional alliances and bilateral ties.
Implications for Pakistan: Pakistan's maritime interests are limited to its immediate proximity, but it could still be affected by uncertainties surrounding control over global shipping routes. Our maritime trade accounts for 95pc of our international trade volume; it passes through volatile regions and chokepoints in the Indian Ocean. Our position is particularly precarious given the country's climate vulnerability.
Pakistan's position in this evolving geopolitical landscape is complex given its strategic partnership with China. The country's participation in China's Belt and Road Initiative, with investments exceeding $62bn in CPEC, makes it overly sensitive to the US-China competition.
The Gwadar port, developed under CPEC with a Chinese investment of $1.1bn, has a crucial role in China's Maritime Silk Road strategy. Any disruption to global shipping patterns or increased US control over strategic waterways could impact Pakistan's maritime trade, valued at around $100bn annually. Can Pakistan reduce this vulnerability by boosting its transborder trade with India and other neighbours? Regional trade corridors are perhaps the cheapest insurance against the unfolding geostrategic chessboard and changing climate.
The writer is an Islamabad-based climate change and sustainable development expert.
Published in Dawn, January 16th, 2025

Geopolitics of climate change

As I witness the devastation and losses being experienced in Los Angeles, I understand that the same conditions exist in San Diego — a year of drought, extreme heat and drier vegetation. It's a matter of when, not if, for our county. Climate change, causing rising global temperatures, plays a central role in the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires. Lives and livelihoods are lost, property losses are astronomical. The economic loss in L.A. is estimated to surpass $135 billion.
While economic worries drove the last election, here's what we're missing: the cost of inaction on climate change. Climate change is inextricably linked to economic health and ignoring it is fiscally irresponsible.
The incoming administration plans to halt federal climate action and roll back environmental protections at the expense of our economy, jobs and our health. Ask your representatives to prioritize climate and stand up to attempts to undo climate protections.
— Susan Kobara, Carlsbad

Fires show urgent need for progress on climate change

KARACHI: The NED University of Engineering and Technology organised the second International Conference on Technology Driven Climate Action -2025 (CLIMATECH -2025), on January 16 and 17. This two-day conference was organised in partnership with Dawlance and REON energy.
During his talk, the chief guest, Turkish Council General Cemal Sangu emphasised on strengthening collaborative efforts to address the issue of climate change. Pro Vice Chancellor NED University Prof Dr Muhammad Tufail mentioned that NED University is playing its part by actively promoting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a keen focus on clean energy, sustainable cities and climate action.
Chief Marketing Officer of Dawlance Syed Hasan Jameel expressed, 'At Dawlance, we are proud to partner with NED University for CLIMATECH-2025, as we believe that innovation and sustainability go hand in hand. Through initiatives like this, we aim to drive meaningful change and contribute to the global effort in combating climate change.'
NED University integrates sustainability and climate change topics into the curriculum and encourages projects focused on environmental sustainability. The university also engages with the local community to raise awareness about climate change and promote sustainable practices.
Conference Chair Prof Dr Muhammad Imran Aslam mentioned that CLIMATECH 2025 is an initiative that aims to bring together experts, policymakers, stakeholders, researchers and students to address climate issues.
Conference Co-Chair Dr Irfan Ahmed expressed that CLIMATECH-2025 comes at a critical juncture as we face the increasingly urgent challenge of climate change, which poses significant risks to our ecosystems, economies and societies.
The conference featured multiple keynote speeches from leading researchers and industrial experts, knowledge session on 'advancing the circular economy in Pakistan', panel discussion on 'stakeholder engagement for climate change, technical sessions on 'Agriculture and Water Management', 'Green Economy and Sustainability', and 'Emerging Solutions for Climate Action'. In addition, a sustainability hackathon was arranged by Dawlance during the conference.

NED University organises CLIMATECH-2025 for climate action and sustainability

By the time the world's leading climate scientists publish their next report in 2028–29, the world will already have possibly breached 1.5°C warmer than the pre-industrial era for a few years and the deadline for the UN's Sustainable Development Goals will be on the horizon.
The threshold set by the 2015 Paris Agreement to reduce the impacts of climate change was passed for the first time in 2024, the EU's climate change service, Copernicus, confirmed last week (10 January).
So, as the next assessment of climate science from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) gets under way, it's vital that we answer the questions that will serve us in the future. Navigating the challenges of tomorrow requires forward-looking science today and in the months ahead.
Central to our mission to limit climate change are the communities and sectors most vulnerable to its impacts, especially agriculture and smallholder farmers, who play a critical role in feeding the world yet are particularly exposed to the effects of climate change.
The next cycle of climate science must therefore fill the gaps in evidence and solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture while also ensuring farming remains viable in a warmer, less predictable world.
We know that food systems are a major contributor to climate change, accounting for about a third of global greenhouse gas emissions. The sector clearly needs to transition to more sustainable means of food production, consumption, and disposal to support global emissions reductions.
However, food systems are also vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Agricultural losses from climate-related disasters totaled US$3.8 trillion in the past 30 years, with the highest relative losses in the poorest countries. A 2°C increase in temperatures will worsen already serious long-term food insecurity in many countries, putting up to 80 million people at risk of hunger by 2050.
Burning questions
This coming cycle of IPCC assessments must answer at least three core questions related to the agri-food systems and climate change to help the world move from understanding the climate crisis to tackling it with utmost urgency.
The first question for climate scientists is how to make the best use of existing technologies that help farmers combat and cope with climate change—and increase their adoption and use.
Innovations to help farmers adapt to new conditions, such as digital climate information services and climate-resilient crops, already exist along with developments like solar-powered irrigation pumps and low-emission forages, or feeds, that reduce farming's carbon footprint. But they are not reaching farmers at the scale needed to make a difference.
How to more effectively channel climate finance, resources and support from wealthier countries to roll out these innovations in low- and middle-income countries is a science question.
Similarly, we also need to assess which tools and technologies will enable farmers to adapt to warmer conditions in the future. Previous IPCC research cycles have shown that the ability to adapt to climate change becomes increasingly difficult as temperatures continue to rise. Scientists need to investigate which crop, livestock, or fishery adaptations will remain viable at 1.5°C or beyond.
The second question for climate scientists is how to make low-emissions technologies cost-effective and accessible.
For farmers to have the best chance of adapting and avoiding future losses, it's crucial that global temperatures stabilize and this requires emissions to come down, including those from agriculture.
However, unlike the energy sector, which has benefited from research and innovation into renewable sources like solar energy, the agriculture sector has lagged on investments into research and development for low-emission technologies.
We urgently need to identify emerging and promising fields of research as well as the policies, infrastructure and governance needed to make clean technologies affordable and widely available.
Finally, scientists need to tackle the question of how to accelerate carbon dioxide removal to complement emissions reductions.
As temperatures rise, the natural ability of land and oceans to sequester carbon weakens, intensifying the need for human-led carbon dioxide removal (CDR). However, interventions like afforestation could reduce agricultural land, particularly in lower-income countries, posing risks to food security. Climate scientists must map the impacts of both higher temperatures and large-scale CDR efforts on food systems and livelihoods to chart a course that does not jeopardize food security.
Future-facing science
The decisions shaped by the IPCC's reports will define how the world navigates the unprecedented challenges of a rapidly warming planet, especially as it approaches the conclusion of this pivotal decade.
As IPCC report authors, our role extends beyond delivering insights; we must provide actionable, evidence-based, future-facing science to empower governments to act decisively and effectively. This includes equipping innovators and policymakers to harness climate finance, tailor solutions to local contexts, and prepare for future temperature rises.
Most of all, we must not forget climate justice as the guiding principle of this green transition. Ensuring that the most vulnerable—often also the least responsible—remain front and center of our plans can help to achieve an inclusive future where no one is left behind.

Climate science seeks solutions for agriculture in warming world

Climate change could wreak havoc on the health of British people in coming decades, with experts warning of rising food poisoning, allergies and the arrival of diseases such as Zika and dengue fever.
The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a warning over the effects of climate change saying, "It threatens the essential ingredients of good health – clean air, safe drinking water, nutritious food supply and safe shelter – and has the potential to undermine decades of progress in global health."
Yahoo News spoke to Marisa Miraldo, professor in health economics at Imperial College Business School, who said that climate change increases the risk of disease, as well as worsening existing health issues.
Reports by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) have suggested that climate change could lead to up to 10,000 more deaths per year by 2050 due to effects on everything from food poisoning to allergies.
Professor Miraldo said that the impact on people's health in Britain could be 'significant'."Rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns expand the range of disease-carrying vectors, increasing the prevalence of infectious disease," she explained.
'Extreme weather events like heatwaves, and cold waves not only worsen respiratory and cardiovascular conditions but also create unpredictable healthcare demand, overwhelming emergency services and disrupting routine care.'
As the UK warms, mosquito-borne viruses such as chikungunya virus, dengue fever and Zika could become transmissible in London and other areas, the UKHSA has warned.
Many diseases that affect people are highly climate sensitive, and a relatively small change in temperature can mean new illnesses could spread in Britain.
The UKHSA said: 'Many infectious diseases are highly climate sensitive, and with warmer temperatures we can expect an increased risk of new and emerging infectious diseases in the UK, including those transmitted through mosquito and tick bites.
This risks widening health inequality, with poorer people likely to be more affected, the agency added.
Prof Miraldo said: 'Even high-income countries face rising healthcare costs and system strain, affecting particularly underserved and minority communities, as they respond to heat-related illnesses, mental health crises, and the emergence of vector-borne diseases.'
Food poisoning bugs thrive in warmer weather, and cases of food poisoning linked to warm weather are already rising, according to a Department of Health report.
By 2050, there are likely to be 10,000 more food poisoning cases per year, the report found.
The effects of climate change are likely to be 'cascading', Prof Miraldo warned, with effects on everything from existing conditions to the food we eat.
Climate change (and heatwaves in particular) are forecast to have wide-ranging effects on human health, such as increases in kidney stones due to dehydration.
Kidney stone disease is a painful condition caused by hard deposits of minerals that develop in concentrated urine and cause pain when passing through the urinary tract.
The incidence of the condition has increased in the last 20 years. As the world warms due to climate change, more of us will suffer from kidney stones due to hot temperatures and dehydration, new research has shown.
Read more: LA fires spread to Hollywood as strong winds hinder firefighting
The impact of climate change will be felt particularly by older people, particularly those with existing health problems, Prof Miraldo said.
'Climate pressures intersect with the growing challenge of multi-morbidity – where individuals suffer from multiple chronic conditions – which is further exacerbated by climate impacts such as heat stress, air pollution, and food insecurity.'
US research in the journal Circulation suggested that cardiovascular deaths could more than double by 2050 due to climate change.
A combination of rising heat and climate-related effects such as air pollution will see deaths surge – and factors such as access to tree cover could mean it affects poorer people more.
Prof Miraldo said: 'Vulnerable populations, including those in low-income countries and marginalized communities, are disproportionately affected, with limited access to resources to cope with these cascading health challenges. Climate change not only increases global disease burden but also widens health inequalities, creating complex, multidimensional challenges for healthcare systems worldwide.'

How climate change is making our health worse

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ISLAMABAD:
Coordinator to the Prime Minister for Climate Change, Romina Khurshid Alam, has emphasised the urgent need for robust climate risk management strategies at the national, provincial, and district levels to enhance preparedness for natural disasters and reduce their economic, social, and environmental impacts.
Speaking at the 'Humanitarian Future' event organised by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) on Thursday, Alam stressed the vital necessity of protecting vulnerable communities and maintaining the sustainability of lives and livelihoods amid climate-related challenges.
Alam outlined the escalating severity of climate impacts that Pakistan is experiencing, citing vulnerabilities to extreme weather events such as devastating floods, heatwaves, droughts, desertification, and erratic rainfall patterns.
"These challenges have led to significant economic, social, and environmental repercussions, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations," she said. Alam added that despite Pakistan's ongoing struggles with these severe conditions, the government is making every effort within its capacity to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
"Following a similar catastrophe in 2010, Pakistan faced one of the worst flood disasters in its history in 2022, which forced the displacement of millions of people, destroyed crops, and damaged critical infrastructure," she said.
"These disasters have underscored the pressing need for flood resilience and disaster risk reduction measures to protect especially marginalised communities and critical infrastructure."
She also highlighted the significant initiatives launched at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, to combat climate change. These initiatives include the Global Shield, climate justice efforts, climate-smart agriculture projects, renewable energy solutions, Pakistan's green recovery plan, nature-based solutions, and various climate finance initiatives.
Alam highlighted Pakistan's increasing dependence on glaciers and rivers for its water supply, emphasising that the country is facing acute water shortages, exacerbating challenges for agriculturea crucial sector of the national economy.
"Our agriculture is significantly threatened by water scarcity, and we need to invest in long-term solutions to tackle these challenges," she stated.
She stressed the importance of advocating for climate finance requirements, calling for improved access to international climate funds. These funds, she noted, could be utilised to support projects focused on enhancing resilience against climate change, including disaster preparedness and mitigation for environmental sustainability.
"It is essential to enable access to climate financing to implement projects that strengthen our resilience to climate change impacts," she remarked.
The PM's climate aide also underscored the importance of incorporating disaster risk financing into the global loss and damage agenda. She stated that this approach signifies a proactive measure to manage the rising costs linked to climate change.

PM aide calls for urgent climate risk management

By the time the world's leading climate scientists publish their next report in 2028–29, the world will already have possibly breached 1.5°C warmer than the pre-industrial era for a few years and the deadline for the UN's Sustainable Development Goals will be on the horizon.
The threshold set by the 2015 Paris Agreement to reduce the impacts of climate change was passed for the first time in 2024, the EU's climate change service, Copernicus, confirmed last week (10 January).
So, as the next assessment of climate science from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) gets under way, it's vital that we answer the questions that will serve us in the future. Navigating the challenges of tomorrow requires forward-looking science today and in the months ahead.
Central to our mission to limit climate change are the communities and sectors most vulnerable to its impacts, especially agriculture and smallholder farmers, who play a critical role in feeding the world yet are particularly exposed to the effects of climate change.
The next cycle of climate science must therefore fill the gaps in evidence and solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture while also ensuring farming remains viable in a warmer, less predictable world.
We know that food systems are a major contributor to climate change, accounting for about a third of global greenhouse gas emissions. The sector clearly needs to transition to more sustainable means of food production, consumption, and disposal to support global emissions reductions.
However, food systems are also vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Agricultural losses from climate-related disasters totaled US$3.8 trillion in the past 30 years, with the highest relative losses in the poorest countries. A 2°C increase in temperatures will worsen already serious long-term food insecurity in many countries, putting up to 80 million people at risk of hunger by 2050.
This coming cycle of IPCC assessments must answer at least three core questions related to the agri-food systems and climate change to help the world move from understanding the climate crisis to tackling it with utmost urgency.
The first question for climate scientists is how to make the best use of existing technologies that help farmers combat and cope with climate change—and increase their adoption and use.
Innovations to help farmers adapt to new conditions, such as digital climate information services and climate-resilient crops, already exist along with developments like solar-powered irrigation pumps and low-emission forages, or feeds, that reduce farming's carbon footprint. But they are not reaching farmers at the scale needed to make a difference.
How to more effectively channel climate finance, resources and support from wealthier countries to roll out these innovations in low- and middle-income countries is a science question.
Similarly, we also need to assess which tools and technologies will enable farmers to adapt to warmer conditions in the future. Previous IPCC research cycles have shown that the ability to adapt to climate change becomes increasingly difficult as temperatures continue to rise. Scientists need to investigate which crop, livestock, or fishery adaptations will remain viable at 1.5°C or beyond.
The second question for climate scientists is how to make low-emissions technologies cost-effective and accessible.
For farmers to have the best chance of adapting and avoiding future losses, it's crucial that global temperatures stabilize and this requires emissions to come down, including those from agriculture.
However, unlike the energy sector, which has benefited from research and innovation into renewable sources like solar energy, the agriculture sector has lagged on investments into research and development for low-emission technologies.
We urgently need to identify emerging and promising fields of research as well as the policies, infrastructure and governance needed to make clean technologies affordable and widely available.
Finally, scientists need to tackle the question of how to accelerate carbon dioxide removal to complement emissions reductions.
As temperatures rise, the natural ability of land and oceans to sequester carbon weakens, intensifying the need for human-led carbon dioxide removal (CDR). However, interventions like afforestation could reduce agricultural land, particularly in lower-income countries, posing risks to food security. Climate scientists must map the impacts of both higher temperatures and large-scale CDR efforts on food systems and livelihoods to chart a course that does not jeopardize food security.
The decisions shaped by the IPCC's reports will define how the world navigates the unprecedented challenges of a rapidly warming planet, especially as it approaches the conclusion of this pivotal decade.
As IPCC report authors, our role extends beyond delivering insights; we must provide actionable, evidence-based, future-facing science to empower governments to act decisively and effectively. This includes equipping innovators and policymakers to harness climate finance, tailor solutions to local contexts, and prepare for future temperature rises.
Most of all, we must not forget climate justice as the guiding principle of this green transition. Ensuring that the most vulnerable—often also the least responsible—remain front and center of our plans can help to achieve an inclusive future where no one is left behind.
Provided by SciDev.Net

When it comes to climate patterns, there are a few things to keep in mind, such as what climatologists study.
'Climatologists can take on a lot of roles,' said Zachary Handlos, senior academic professional at Georgia Tech's School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. 'It's important to understand the difference between weather and climate.
"So weather is the study of what's going on in the atmosphere right now. Climatology looks at data for a certain day and compares it to what's called a climate normal. What this means is, they take a 30-year period of data for that day, and from that baseline, say, 'Oh, the temperature today is above average or below average.''
Climate science, also known as climatology, is the study of the Earth's climate and how it changes over time. It's a multidisciplinary field that includes aspects of physics, chemistry, oceanography, according to experts with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
A few duties you may not know about climatologists according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources:
A large part of a climatologist's work involves developing and running computer simulations to predict future climate changes based on various factors like greenhouse gas emissions.
Beyond just temperature and precipitation, they may study data from satellite imagery, ocean currents, ice cores, tree rings, and even pollen records to understand past climate patterns.
Climatologists often work with scientists from fields like oceanography, ecology, geography, and atmospheric science to get a holistic view of climate systems.
Beyond studying climate change, they also research ways communities and societies can adapt to the impacts of a changing climate.
Their research findings can play a vital role in informing government policies and international agreements related to climate change mitigation.
While climate change is a major focus, climatologists also research smaller-scale climate variations like regional weather patterns and seasonal changes.
Snow in Georgia next week? Some weather forecasts say yes. Here's how much is predicted
'State climatologists look at statistics about the atmosphere and report changes that may impact societal decisions to the public and stakeholders,' said Handlos. 'So their climate talents will help with decisions in the agricultural and logistics industry. The statistics are also important for recording certain types of weather records when there are extreme weather events.'
Handlos said there are climatologists that lean more toward the academic route.
'You can have climatologists that are research scientists that look at climatic data and study changes in the Earth's climate to better understand physically, dynamically why is the atmosphere (or) why the oceans are evolving in a way that's changing climate. What factors are driven by natural things on Earth, like natural processes. How much do humans play a role in affecting changes in the climate through CO2 emissions, air pollution and things like that.'
Tips on how to keep warm: Winter storm system expected to hit Georgia later this week. Tips to get prepared.
What is climate change?
'Climate change includes global warming and the 'side effects' of warming such as melting glaciers, sea level rise, heavier rainstorms, more frequent rapid onset droughts, shifts in severe weather outbreaks, rapid intensification of tropical cyclones, ag., and human health impacts,' Bill Murphey, state climatologist at the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, told The Augusta Chronicle in an email.
Murphey added, 'The main function of the Office of State Climatologist is to collect, disseminate, and interpret climate data. Our goal is to provide information to the public that is reliable and meets the highest quality standards.'
Murphey said responding to climate and meteorological data requests is one of many duties at the Georgia State Climate office.
'We also provide weekly input to the U.S. Drought monitor, assist producers with reporting agricultural impacts. In addition, we provide daily air quality forecasts for ozone and particle pollution for the state of Georgia and have been doing this year-round since 1995.'
This reporting content is supported by a partnership with several funders and Journalism Funding Partners.
Erica Van Buren is the climate change reporter for The Augusta Chronicle, part of the USA TODAY Network. Connect with her at EVanBuren@gannett.com or on X: @EricaVanBuren32.

Learn how climatologists help our understanding of weather over time

More than three-quarters of people think the UK is not prepared to deal with flooding and the other extreme weather driven by climate change, a survey has found.
Polling suggests flooding is seen as by far the most pressing impact of climate change for the UK, followed by rising seas and coastal erosion, threats to wildlife, severe storms and food shortages.
And just one in six people feel the country is making good progress in adapting to the risks posed by rising global temperatures, according to the survey for Climate Barometer, which tracks public opinion on climate change.
Climate Barometer's co-director Niall McLoughlin warned that the public 'doesn't think the UK is prepared', and said the Government must work closely across society to empower people to prepare for the climate risks that are taking hold.
The survey of 2,001 people by YouGov was undertaken in late October ahead of major winter storms which have brought repeated flooding to the country in the past few months.
It found 78% believed the UK was not prepared to deal with climate change impacts including extreme weather, and a quarter of those quizzed (26%) thought the UK was not prepared 'at all' to deal with climate impacts.
Just 16% thought the UK was making good progress on adapting to the risks posed by climate change impacts, while two-fifths (39%) did not, and 45% were on the fence.
Flooding topped the list of impacts the UK had to deal with, in a question asked of 985 respondents, with 68% naming it as among the most pressing climate change-related issues to tackle.
Sea level rise and coastal erosion was flagged by 45%, with the same number raising concerns about loss of species, habitats and threats of extinction, while 44% said severe storms were among the most pressing impacts and 43% thought the UK had to deal with food shortages and insecurity.
Dr McLoughlin said: 'This polling shows that the British public do not feel confident about the progress the UK is making in terms of adapting to climate change impacts and extreme weather.
'Simply put, the public doesn't think the UK is prepared.'
And he warned: 'Many will be aware of the high levels of public support in the UK for renewable energy to tackle climate change, but it's also crucial to take into account the public sentiment around preparedness for impacts – which highlights a sense of urgency to go faster and do more.
'The Government must now work closely with all parts of society – including local communities, healthcare professionals, and businesses across the country to empower people in the UK to prepare for the range of climate risks that are taking hold.'
A Government spokesperson said: 'Flooding this winter has shown there is much more work needed to be done to protect communities from the devastating impact it leaves behind.
'That's why we are taking action now – investing £2.4 billion over the next two years to build and maintain flood defences, which will protect homes and businesses across the country.'

ISLAMABAD: As Pakistan grapples with the growing impacts of climate change, speakers called for the integration of resilient agriculture and food systems into the nation's climate policies.
This was highlighted during a roundtable discussion on 'Addressing the Food Systems-Climate Change Nexus for a Resilient Future', organised by WWF-Pakistan and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN).
During the event, experts underscored that traditional farming practices in Pakistan were often unsustainable, contributing to soil degradation, water misuse, and increased vulnerability to climate change. They emphasised the urgent need for farmers to adopt climate-smart land and water management practices.
The roundtable aimed to discuss actionable strategies at the intersection of food systems, nutrition and climate change, especially in preparation for the upcoming Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement.
Hammad Naqi Khan, who is director general of WWF-Pakistan, stressed that climate change in Pakistan was primarily a water crisis, which necessitated immediate agricultural adaptation. He also highlighted the loss of fertile land due to urbanisation, urging the need for policy reforms to ensure sustainable use of resources such as land, water and biodiversity.
'Concrete policies are essential to support sustainable food production and consumption, ensuring food security for the growing population,' Khan stated.
Farrah Naz, who is country director for GAIN, emphasised the critical link between climate change and nutrition, calling for better food systems that prioritise affordable, nutritious food for all.
She advocated for investment in climate-resilient agriculture as a means of building healthier, more sustainable communities.
The roundtable also explored innovative financial mechanisms and the role of private-sector involvement in building resilient agricultural systems.
Participants also discussed the importance of integrated water resource management and large-scale carbon sequestration programmes, such as agro-forestry and improved grassland management, to achieve NDC targets. Additionally, recommendations were made to improve access to nutritious foods through targeted subsidies and infrastructure investments, with a focus on gender inclusivity.
The roundtable concluded with a call for greater coordination among stakeholders to drive the sustainable agricultural practices necessary for a resilient future in Pakistan.
Published in Dawn, January 16th, 2025

Roundtable seeks agriculture adaptation to offset climate change impacts

Social commentator who is otherwise a journalism and science communications professional with close to two decades of professional experience in media outlets like Times of India, Hindustan Times, Press Trust of India, Agence France-Presse, and multilateral agencies like UNICEF, and UNDP. He has also worked with the Government of India and Government of Uttar Pradesh. LESS ... MORE
With Donald Trump officially swearing in for a second term on January 20, 2025, the climate conversation in the US is shifting to a new, even more uncertain chapter. Given his first term's climate policies—pulling the US out of the Paris Agreement, rolling back critical environmental protections, and fueling the fossil fuel industry—many are bracing for a continuation of these approaches. But is there still hope for meaningful climate action under his leadership?
Trump's climate legacy: A step backward
From day one of his presidency, Trump's environmental policies were clear: prioritize economic growth (often tied to fossil fuels) over climate action. The withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, the gutting of fuel efficiency standards, and the rollbacks on emissions regulations made it clear that his administration was not aligned with the global fight against climate change.
But here's where things get tricky: while the federal government under Trump may continue to obstruct national-level climate action, progress on climate change doesn't solely rest in Washington, DC. The real question now is how communities, states, and industries will react and continue to move forward despite federal resistance.
The unlikely drivers of change
If we've learned anything from Trump's first term, it's that climate progress is happening outside of federal mandates. States like California, New York, and Washington have been pushing their own climate agendas, often setting ambitious emissions reduction goals and advancing green technologies. Their efforts demonstrate that even in a hostile federal environment, real change is still possible.
In addition to state-level leadership, the private sector has increasingly embraced sustainability—not as a political obligation, but as a smart business move. Corporations are waking up to the realities of climate change, with increasing consumer demand for environmentally responsible products and renewable energy solutions. For them, going green is not just good for the planet—it's good for their bottom line.
The role of public opinion and voter engagement
In Trump's second term, public opinion will play an even more critical role in pushing the climate agenda forward. Climate change is no longer a niche issue; it's now a top priority for voters, especially among younger generations. According to recent polling, climate change is a defining issue for millennials and Gen Z, and their engagement will be crucial.
Despite Trump's stance on climate, voter pressure can influence local and state policies, as well as push for more ambitious federal action when it's needed. In fact, the growing climate awareness among American voters could become one of the most significant forces in shaping future climate policy—regardless of who occupies the Oval Office.
The path forward: A complex landscape
With Trump's second term now a reality, the climate fight in the US faces a rocky road ahead. But that doesn't mean it's over. Even if Washington is unwilling to take bold action, there are alternative routes to progress—routes that involve innovation, community leadership, and strategic partnerships.
The private sector, which has increasingly moved toward renewable energy, green technology, and carbon-neutral solutions, will continue to push the envelope. Local governments can and will implement climate policies, even in states that are less inclined toward such action at the federal level. The grassroots momentum for climate change, seen in movements like the Green New Deal, can only grow stronger.
Parting thoughts: Hope amid the challenges
While Trump's second term is a clear setback for the climate movement at the federal level, hope is far from lost. The fight for climate action will continue to gain momentum in the states, among businesses, and within communities. Innovation and public pressure will be key drivers in overcoming the challenges posed by a Trump-led administration.
The battle isn't over—it's just shifting. The climate fight will continue, driven by local leaders, innovators, activists, and voters who refuse to wait for Washington to act. The question now is not whether the climate crisis can be mitigated, but how we will move forward in a landscape shaped by new political realities. One thing is clear: the global momentum for sustainability is unstoppable, and we must keep pushing, no matter the challenges ahead.
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Views expressed above are the author's own.

Trump's second term and the climate fight: Is there hope?

India is on the frontline of climate change, and the children and the youth should take up climate action and change their behaviour to save the planet, says Licypriya Kangujam, the 13-year-old climate change activist from Manipur.
Licypriya who was in the State capital to attend the Kudumbashree's mission's two-day International Children's Summit on Zero Waste Management is emphatic that every little action can make a difference. As there is better awareness of climate change and its impact, the next step could be to plant trees, stop use of single-use plastic, take up cleanliness drives, or have proper waste disposal systems. 'If we don't act now, we will face graver consequences than we face today.'
Licypriya who began climate activism when she was six says age doesn't matter when it comes to making a difference. She believes that every child can be the change and lead it. 'We should all fight climate change together because you or I alone cannot fix this problem.'
In 2023, Licypriya was at COP 28, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, in Dubai, and she disrupted a high-level plenary session frustrated with the inaction on the part of world leaders to end use of fossil fuels. The meet finally closed with an agreement signalling the beginning of the end of the fossil fuel era.
To her detractors and those who say she should study and leave climate action to adults, she says if they had done something to combat climate change, she would not have to come out on the streets, hold protests, and raise her voice. 'I don't care about any criticism. I just do what I want to do and go forward with my goals and continue working for the planet.'
Seventeen-year-old Ridhima Pandey's interest in climate change was triggered by the 2013 floods in Uttarakhand where she lived. The disaster caused her so much anxiety that she had trouble sleeping, fearing for her life and of her loved ones. Around this time, her mother introduced her to global warming and how human activities fuelled it. Ridhima then began reading up and learning more about the climate crisis and its impact, especially on the young generation, and realised that the government was not doing enough to combat it.
In 2017, she filed a petition in the National Green Tribunal that the government was not taking steps against climate change that it had agreed to in the Paris Agreement of 2017. 'It was, however, dismissed by the NGT, and I took it to the Supreme Court for reconsideration. In December 2024, the SC assigned the case to a different Bench and appointed an amicus curiae to assist it.'
In 2019, Ridhima filed a complaint at the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child accusing five countries of violating the Convention on the Rights of the Child by not addressing climate crisis. Fifteen other petitioners, including Greta Thunberg, were part of the petition. That petition too was dismissed, though the importance of their case was acknowledged.
Ridhima's key projects at present include air pollution and plastic pollution. She had launched a campaign 'Saal Bhar Saath' to press for the air quality index to remain at 60 throughout the year, and even launched an online petition to seek action on air pollution. However, the lack of response from the authorities to her campaigns has been very frustrating. 'We should not be out on the streets, fighting for clean air or water. These are basic rights. People's representatives are not listening to the people. The future of the country is very worrying,' she says.
Published
- January 19, 2025 08:00 pm IST
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Raising their little voices to fight for climate action

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Fight disinformation:
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Chris Wright,
the fracking company CEO who Trump has nominated to lead the Department of Energy and who had previously
claimed
'there is no climate crisis,' admitted that climate change is a 'real issue' during his confirmation hearings on Wednesday.
Wright, who runs Liberty Energy and is worth
$171 million
, was
tapped
in mid-November by Trump, who heralded him as someone who would help lead his administration's efforts to cut regulations and remove government subsidies for renewable energy.
However, Wright's recognition that climate change is 'real' and requires the US 'to evolve our energy system' rubs against previous climate denying statements from Trump, like calling climate change a hoax and denying the
scientific consensus
in support of the issue.
Given his background, it's unclear if or how Wright's comments, made to the Senate's Energy and Natural Resources Committee, might shape his tenure if he is confirmed. In a statement following Trump's announcement of his plan to nominate Wright, the Sierra Club
defined
him as a 'climate denier who has profited off of polluting our communities and endangering our health and future.' Wright has
contributed
$165,000 to Koch-controlled Super PACs since 2014, according to the Energy and Policy Institute, which have
funneled millions
towards climate denial groups that
oppose
renewable energy.
In a 2023
LinkedIn video post
, Wright argued that 'there is no climate crisis and we are not in the midst of an energy transition,' and that 'the only thing resembling a crisis with respect to climate change is the regressive opportunity squelching policies justified in the name of climate change.' Wright also downplayed
the relationship between climate change and destructive natural disasters, claiming there's been 'no increase in the frequency or intensity of hurricanes, tornadoes, droughts, or floods despite endless fear mongering.'
Against the backdrop of the
deadly blazes raging in Los Angeles,
California Senator Alex Padilla
grilled
Wright about his past claims that wildfires have
no connection to climate change
. 'I understand you've written that 'the hype over wildfires is just hype to justify more impoverishment from bad government policies,'' Padilla said, as he asked if 'you still believe that wildfires are just hype?' Wright said he stood by his comments.
Environmental advocates have argued Wright's history makes him an inappropriate choice to lead the Department of Energy, and his testimony on Wednesday didn't seem to change that. As Food & Water Watch, a non-profit environmental organization,
tweeted
during the hearing, his 'background as a fracking company CEO flies in the face of the Department's stated purpose, which is to 'foster a secure and reliable energy system that is environmentally and economically sustainable.''
Chris Wright, Trump's pick to head the Department of Energy, had his confirmation hearing this morning. As is typical for a Trump nominee, Wright's background as a fracking company CEO flies in the face of the Department's stated purpose, which is to 'foster a secure and reliable…
— Food & Water Watch (@foodandwater)
January 15, 2025

Trump's Energy Pick Concedes Climate Change is a 'Real Issue'

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The devastating wildfires in Los Angeles have many people thinking about climate change. So why aren't we seeing more TV or film addressing this pressing global issue?
Today on Commotion, Allison Begalman, co-founder of the Hollywood Climate Summit, and Kendra Pierre-Louis, climate reporter with Bloomberg, join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to discuss what's keeping Hollywood from reflecting our environmental reality.
We've included some highlights below, edited for length and clarity. For the full discussion, listen and follow Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud on your favourite podcast player.
WATCH | Today's episode on YouTube:
Elamin: Climate change is a part of the reality of being on Earth. It is not political — yes, it's been used as a political tool — but that doesn't negate the fact that it is just a truth that we're dealing with and we're trying to sort our way through. Allison, what do you think is getting in the way of that, being more explicit in TV shows and movies? What do you think it is about Hollywood that's saying, "Ah, maybe let's not go there so directly, so on the nose?"
Allison: There are three main challenges that are probably the biggest barriers to seeing climate stories on screen. The first one I would say is the politicization of climate has created a challenging dynamic where creators are worried about alienating potential audiences. And this often leads to self-censorship or avoiding the topic entirely.
Second, there's just a knowledge gap. Many creators feel that they need to be climate experts to tell these stories or have to have been on the frontlines, which I don't believe is true. At the Hollywood Climate Summit, we focus on building climate literacy in ways that help creatives find their own entry points into these narratives. Climate storytelling doesn't require a science degree or a climate degree; it requires authentic human stories that connect with audiences.
And the final barrier is Hollywood is ultimately a business driven by profit. While we are seeing more successful climate-related content, we still need more case studies that prove to folks who are buying and putting out this content that these stories can reach broad audiences and be commercially viable. The key is helping creators understand that they can integrate climate themes naturally into any genre or story type without sacrificing the entertainment value or audience reach.
Elamin: Kendra, I think Allison is telling me that it's a little bit hard to run an ad campaign for a movie that says, "Hey, come see this movie about climate change." Which, point granted, that is a difficult ask. You can say, "Come watch this movie about the world ending and the Statue of Liberty is buried under all the snow." That's a little bit sexier than the idea of like, "Please walk through the door of the cinema, there's a climate change movie waiting for you."
Kendra: Yeah. I was watching this Netflix romantic comedy called Partner Track. It's a legal romantic comedy, it's called Partner Track because the protagonist is trying to make partner at her law firm. But it has a climate change B plot. When I was reporting on it and ended up talking to the showrunner, the B plot's not in the book (the television series is based on a fictional book). They created that wholecloth, where she's brokering a deal with an energy company that's trying to buy another energy company to shut down its clean energy division. And the clean energy dude is hot! But I did not go into it looking for a climate television series. I went into it because I wanted to turn my brain off a little bit and watch this little, frothy rom-com series about this lawyer trying to make partner. But they stuck it in there, it was really lovely. By the end, you're fully on board with the climate themes. And it's not depressing, right? Because it's couched in a solution: the enemy — the big, evil oil company — is trying to shut down the renewable energy division of this other company. So it's this big David-and-Goliath situation. And it is about climate change, it's about the things that we're dealing with in terms of climate. But it's not, to your point, this really sad, melodic movie about rising seas.

Why aren't more TV shows and movies taking on climate change?

The first cohort of the Professional Development Course in Climate Communication has successfully graduated.
Organised by Knutsford University, in collaboration with the Centre for Climate and Sustainability Empowerment (CCSE), it was specifically designed to build the capacity of journalists, media practitioners from leading media houses and leaders of CSOs in Ghana.
The one-month intensive program, hosted at Knutsford University, was aimed to empower participants with the knowledge, tools, and strategies required to effectively communicate climate change issues, influence public opinion, and drive meaningful action.
The Professional Development Course in Climate Communication was carefully structured to address the growing need for impactful climate communication in Ghana and beyond. It combined scientific knowledge, communication strategies, and visual storytelling techniques to help journalists translate complex climate science into accessible narratives for diverse audiences.
Participants were taken through foundational concepts in climate science, a session facilitated by Prof. Nana Ama Browne Klutse, Vice Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group I and the Head of Physics Department, University of Ghana. The session provided insights into the causes and impacts of climate change, equipping journalists with a deeper understanding of the subject to enhance the credibility and accuracy of their reporting.
Building on this foundation, Dr. Diana Sebbie from the University of Ghana led an interactive module on practical tools and techniques for effective climate change communication. This session emphasized the importance of framing messages for different audiences, countering misinformation, and leveraging digital platforms to amplify climate stories.
Participants were also introduced to visual communication strategies to enhance storytelling through data visualization, infographics, and multimedia presentations. This session, facilitated by Mr. Clifford Ladzekpo, focused on creating compelling visual narratives to simplify complex climate data and increase audience engagement.
The course emphasized the critical role of journalists and CSOs in addressing the climate communication gap by translating scientific findings into relatable stories that resonate with the public and policymakers.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony, Mr.Ladzekpo, commended the participants for their dedication and enthusiasm throughout the program.
He emphasized the need for journalists to use their platforms responsibly to shape narratives that foster climate resilience and drive sustainable development.
The course emphasized the critical role of journalists in addressing the climate communication gap by translating scientific findings into relatable stories that resonate with the public and policymakers.
Participants learned to highlight solutions, mobilize communities, and hold leaders accountable while promoting actionable steps toward climate mitigation and adaptation.
Graduates of the program are expected to apply their skills across various media platforms, launching climate-focused programs, investigative reports, documentaries, and advocacy campaigns.
The program also established a network of climate communicators (CCN), encouraging ongoing collaboration and the exchange of ideas among participants.
Prof. Nana Ama Browne Klutse expressed her confidence in the graduates, stating: "This program has equipped journalists with the skills to not only report on climate change but to advocate for solutions. Their voices will play a pivotal role in shaping Ghana's response to the climate crisis."
The Professional Development Course in Climate Communication marks a significant milestone in strengthening Ghana's media capacity to address climate change. By empowering journalists, the program seeks to amplify voices that inspire policy changes, community action, and global awareness.
Knutsford University and CCSE have pledged to expand the program in the coming years, offering more training opportunities and partnerships to support climate communication and advocacy in Africa and beyond.
About the Organizers
Knutsford University College is now a fully-fledged university after receiving a presidential charter from the President of the Republic of Ghana. This prestigious milestone marks a new era of academic excellence and global impact. The university is committed to delivering transformative education through cutting-edge research, innovation, and leadership development. Its vision is to drive world-class inclusive education and nurture adaptable, innovative leaders to address global challenges.
Knutsford University's mission is to cultivate critical thinkers and practitioners through transformative education, while promoting godliness, integrity, and accountability. With a focus on sustainability, interdisciplinary learning, and community engagement, Knutsford University is committed to preparing students to tackle real-world challenges and create positive change in Africa and beyond.
Centre for Climate and Sustainability Empowerment (CCSE)
The Centre for Climate and Sustainability Empowerment (CCSE) is a leading organization dedicated to capacity building, advocacy, and education on climate change and sustainability issues. CCSE works to empower individuals, communities, and institutions with the knowledge and tools needed to address the challenges of climate change, promote sustainable development, and drive climate action. Through training programs, workshops, and partnerships, CCSE is committed to fostering climate resilience and advancing environmental sustainability across Ghana and beyond.

Knutsford University and CCSE graduate first cohort of climate communication professionals

The Cost of Inaction: Quantifying the Impact of Climate Change on Health in Low- and Middle-Income Countries, a pivotal report, sheds light on a silent crisis brewing at the intersection of climate change and public health. Published by the World Bank, the report underscores the urgent need to tackle climate-induced health risks before they spiral into unmanageable economic and social disasters.
Climate Change: A Growing Threat to Public Health
The report's findings highlight the disproportionate impact of climate change on low- and middle-income countries, where vulnerable populations are already grappling with fragile healthcare systems. Climate-sensitive diseases, such as malaria, diarrhea, and heat-related illnesses, are on the rise as temperatures soar and weather patterns become increasingly erratic. Extreme weather events, from hurricanes to prolonged droughts, further exacerbate these health crises, pushing already overstretched healthcare systems to their limits.
Economic Costs of Inaction
Beyond the immediate health consequences, the financial implications of ignoring climate-related health risks are staggering. The report provides detailed estimates of the economic losses incurred due to disease burdens, healthcare costs, and decreased productivity. It argues that investing in climate resilience is not only a moral imperative but also a cost-effective strategy to avert long-term economic losses. Every dollar spent on mitigation and adaptation today could save exponentially more in future health expenditures.
A Roadmap for Action
To address these challenges, the report lays out a comprehensive framework for integrating climate resilience into health systems. This includes bolstering infrastructure, enhancing disease surveillance, and implementing early warning systems to prepare for climate-induced health emergencies. It also emphasizes the importance of prioritizing vulnerable communities in these interventions, ensuring that no one is left behind in the fight against climate change.
Why Urgency Matters
Time is of the essence. As the report warns, the costs of inaction are rising exponentially, both in human and economic terms. Delaying action risks locking in catastrophic health outcomes and overwhelming healthcare systems in low- and middle-income countries.
The Cost of Inaction, published by the World Bank, serves as a clarion call for policymakers, healthcare professionals, and climate advocates. It reminds us that addressing climate change is not just an environmental issue but a critical public health priority that requires immediate and coordinated action.

Unveiling the Hidden Costs: Climate Change and Health in Low-Income Nations

Much of what is said by Bill McGuire and Roger Hallam is true (Scientists prize neutrality – that doesn't cut it any more. In 2025, they must fully back the climate movement, 9 January). Scientists do need to consider how they use their position to inform the public and influence the public policy response to climate change. Many of us already are, through working with the government and, where necessary, supporting litigation against polluters and political intransigence.
However, we cannot abandon the principles of a rigorous evidence-based approach; without that our voices are worth nothing. The main reason scientists do not more actively support the climate activist movement is that the leaders of that movement have a track record of saying misleading and false things around climate science: to be associated with them is to lose credibility.
Roger Hallam, for example, has said that that climate change will kill 6 billion people by 2100. This is not supported by the evidence. My own experience of attending events by climate activists is that they systematically overstate the claims of climate science, and indeed frequently suggest that reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change are deliberately downplaying the true scale of the problem.
There is no need to overstate the case. The evidence is in front of our eyes; from extreme flooding in Pakistan to the severe droughts in Botswana, to the current fires in California. If the climate movement wants the engagement of scientists, it must stop forcing us to choose between credibility and activism.Dr Ol PerkinsResearch associate in global fire modelling, King's College London
It is not simply scientists' prizing of neutrality that holds back academic efforts to lead the required action on climate change; it is also a lack of urgency by universities. These institutions need to put climate breakdown and the fundamental changes in society needed to minimise its consequences at the forefront of all courses, irrespective of discipline. Such change could be funded centrally by offsetting tuition costs for all graduates who then enter professions geared to implement greenhouse-gas reductions.
Moreover, in addition to the 9 million scientists mentioned by Bill McGuire and Roger Hallam, globally there are approximately 25,000 universities and 254 million enrolled students, which together could provide a substantial taskforce to combat rising global temperatures. To achieve this, they all need to work together and put saving the planet ahead of any short-term gains that persist in maintaining the current status quo.Michael SymondsEmeritus professor, school of medicine, University of Nottingham
Bill McGuire and Roger Hallam make an impassioned call to scientists to speak out and demand our leaders treat climate breakdown as the desperate emergency it is. Scientists reading their call need not feel alone: there are groups of scientists wanting to do more, including Scientists for Global Responsibility and, combining activism and science, Scientists for Extinction Rebellion in the UK and Scientist Rebellion worldwide. There are many ways to be involved and make a contribution in all these scientists' groups. Join us and speak out.Dr Tristram WyattDepartment of biology, University of Oxford

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