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Category: Environment

  • Masdar to Showcase UAE’s Renewables Leadership at COP28

    Masdar to Showcase UAE’s Renewables Leadership at COP28

    Masdar’s strategic initiatives will be well-represented at COP28…reports Asian Lite News

    Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar), is gearing up to support the nation’s renewable energy ambitions and leadership at the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28).

    As a COP28 Principal Pathway Partner, Masdar will maintain a highly visible presence throughout the 12-day event with a packed programme of events, activations, discussions and forums. Aimed at a wide range of audiences, Masdar’s activities will also have a special emphasis on supporting women sustainability leaders and young people interested in a career in the sector.

    The Masdar Stand, located within the Energy Transition Hub in COP28’s Green Zone, will showcase the company’s history and ambitions. Visitors to the stand will discover the key role that Masdar is playing in supporting the UAE’s clean energy commitments and its target to become the world’s largest renewable energy company and a green hydrogen champion by 2030, placing the UAE at the forefront of the energy transition.

    Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Masdar’s Chief Executive Officer, said, “Masdar is proud of the pioneering role we have played in advancing the clean energy sector and enabling the UAE’s vision as a global leader in sustainability and climate action. As a COP28 Principal Pathway Partner, we embrace this opportunity to showcase our proven track record in advancing the commercialisation and deployment of renewable energy and clean technologies to address the world’s sustainability challenges.”

    Masdar’s strategic initiatives will be well-represented at COP28. This includes Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), a global initiative championed by the UAE and Masdar to accelerate sustainable development and advance economic, social, and environmental progress.

    The Women in Sustainability, Environment and Renewable Energy (WiSER) global platform that champions women as leaders of sustainable change and Youth 4 Sustainability (Y4S), which supports the development of young people to enable them to become the sustainability leaders of tomorrow, will also host a number of events.

    Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi added, “Masdar will be doing our utmost to ensure COP28, led by our Chairman and COP28 President-Designate Dr. Sultan Al Jaber is a resounding success. We are mindful that the fight against climate change does not end with COP28 and our special program of events will highlight the role that women and the next generation will play in leading the world’s sustainability efforts.”

    Masdar’s presence at COP28 will spotlight the impressive renewable credentials the company has built since its formation in 2006 under its founding CEO, and now Chairman, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, who has been a pioneer of the global renewable energy sector for 17 years.

    As the UAE’s clean energy champion, Masdar’s global footprint has expanded exponentially over the past few years, with new renewable energy projects currently under development in Europe, Africa, Central Asia, and the Americas. This includes the Cirata floating solar plant in Indonesia, the largest in Southeast Asia, and the Garadagh Solar PV Plant, Azerbaijan’s first foreign investment-based independent utility-scale solar project.

    Now active in more than 40 countries, across six continents, Masdar has developed more than 20GW of renewables capacity, invested more than US$30 billion, and is targeting a 100GW portfolio by 2030.

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  • Asok Kumar receives Governor’s Award for Excellence 

    Asok Kumar receives Governor’s Award for Excellence 

    Kumar received a trophy and Rs 1 lakh from West Bengal Governor Dr. CV Ananda Bose at the Throne Hall ceremony….reports Asian Lite News

    Asok Kumar, who belongs to the 1991 batch of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS-Telangana Cadre), received the West Bengal Governor’s Award for Excellence – 2023 for outstanding contributions to public services on Monday.

    During the award ceremony held at the Throne Hall of the West Bengal Raj Bhavan, in the presence of a distinguished gathering, Kumar was given a trophy and a cheque of Rs 1 lakh, by Dr CV Ananda Bose, Governor of West Bengal.

    “I am excited to receive the award along with my wife Dr Bindu and our son Gaurav, as they have also contributed to my work to the public, by bearing with me, supporting me and silently absolving me of the pangs of guilt of placing, many a time, my work priorities ahead and over the familial responsibilities,” said Kumar, Special Secretary and Director General, National Mission for Clean Ganga.

    Recently, the Namami Gange project headed by Kumar was recognised as “One of the Top Ten World Restoration Flagships” by the UN at the CoP15 meeting in Montreal in 2022.

    Under the Namami Gange project over 2000 Million Liter Daily (MLD) sewage treatment capacity was added compared to 981 MLD in the seven previous years.

    Besides the fruitful and innovative implementation of Namami Gange, the award also recognised the successful implementation of the “Catch The Rain” campaign to harvest rainwater.

    Other contributions of Kumar as mentioned in the citation included his imprint in many other sectors like water, sanitation, infrastructure, urban planning, civil aviation, power, sports, welfare, health, education and IT. It added that Kumar had completed many infrastructure projects like the 162 Kms 8 lane Outer Ring Road, 90 MGD Krishna Phase-2 Drinking Water project, 90 MGD Godavari Drinking Water Project and many Sewerage Treatment Plants (STPs). The citation said that, Kumar, as Principal Secretary Welfare Dept was instrumental in starting 119 English medium residential schools in all the 119 Assembly segments.

    Kumar as Project Director, APSACS ( Andhra Pradesh AIDS Control Society), had launched the “#BeBold” campaign in 2006-08 to reduce stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV-AIDS and the “0/7“ initiative to reduce mother-to-child transmission. This was appreciated by UNAIDS as one of the best practices in the world to deal with HIV and its spread.

    While serving in the central government as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Kumar was instrumental in setting up India’s Aircraft Accidents Investigation Bureau, headed a committee whose recommendations resulted in vastly improved facilities for passengers with reduced mobility and also played a key role in helping to revive the ailing aviation industry when it was going through a bad patch.

    As director of the Ministry of Power, Kumar was in charge of R-APPRD programs to modernise power distribution entities and reduce their aggregate, commercial and technical losses and RGGVY, the program for rural electrification. He is also the founder president of the India Smart Grid Forum

    In the water and sanitation sector, beginning with “Shubrata” Kumar’s initiative for the construction of over 1,40,000 individual sanitary latrines for households with people’s participation and about 3000+ toilets in 1000 schools in Nizamabad district in 2001-03 period when he worked as District Collector

    As Additional Secretary and Mission Director of the National Water Mission, his innovative initiatives like the monthly “Water Talks” and “Water Tech Talks” drew over 2.5 million views.

    National Water Mission under him was the chief implementing agency of the “Jal Shakthi Abhiyan: Catch the Rain” campaign, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modion World Water Day.  

    Kumar is the winner of many awards, including the “Jal-Mitra” award from the Government of Andhra Pradesh, the first TEX (Telangana Excellence) Award of the Government of Telangana for “Outstanding work done in Public Administration”, the Skoch Award for “Public Service”.

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  • Libya Floods: 6,000 Dead, 30,000 Displaced

    Libya Floods: 6,000 Dead, 30,000 Displaced

    According to workers, mortuaries are overflowing in hospitals that are still closed despite the pressing need to treat disaster survivors…reports Asian Lite News

    More than 6000 people have lost their lives due to heavy flooding that caused massive devastation across Libya, reported CNN on Wednesday.

    The death toll was revised on Wednesday morning local time, according to health ministry undersecretary of the Unity Government in Tripoli, Saadeddin Abdul Wakil.

    According to workers, mortuaries are overflowing in hospitals that are still closed despite the pressing need to treat disaster survivors. As per Egypt’s emigration ministry, the government buried 87 Egyptian victims who died in Libya.

    Authorities fear 10,000 more people remain missing, maybe swept out to sea or buried beneath rubble strewn over the metropolis that formerly housed over 100,000 people.

    The flooding in Derna has displaced over 30,000 people, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in Libya. The extensive damage to the region’s infrastructure has rendered some affected areas inaccessible to humanitarian organisations, CNN reported.

    Only two of the seven entry points to Derna are presently open.

    Officials are digging amid mountains of wreckage for survivors and bodies in order to honour Islamic traditions that the dead should be buried within three days, according to CNN.

    Storm Daniel’s devastation has made it considerably more difficult for rescuers to remove roads and debris in order to find survivors. The storm disrupted communications, complicating rescue attempts and raising concern among family members living outside Libya who are waiting for word on missing loved ones. (ANI)

    ALSO READ: UN Deploys Emergency Team to Aid Flood Victims in Libya

  • ISA DG hails UAE’s Zero Carbon Drive

    ISA DG hails UAE’s Zero Carbon Drive

    The UAE, the international official continued, has implemented several advanced initiatives and projects, such as the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and Abu Dhabi Vision 2030. These initiatives aim to increase the use of renewable energy sources, including solar power…reports Asian Lite News

    Dr Ajay Mathur, Director-General of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), praised the UAE’s efforts to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

    He said that the UAE has been making significant investments in renewable energy for over 15 years, and these efforts have resulted in major achievements, such as the provision of solar energy at a low price of 1.35 cents per kilowatt/hour.

    In statements to the Emirates News Agency (WAM) on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in India, Mathur praised the UAE’s commitment to climate action, calling it a “tangible and proactive response” to the challenges of climate change.

    He urged other countries to follow the UAE’s lead and take urgent action to reduce their emissions.

    The Director-General noted that the UAE has taken significant steps to explore sustainable and innovative energy generation methods. These efforts are in line with the country’s commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and its ambition to become a global leader in renewable energy, he said.

    The UAE, the international official continued, has implemented several advanced initiatives and projects, such as the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and Abu Dhabi Vision 2030. These initiatives aim to increase the use of renewable energy sources, including solar power.

    He also highlighted the UAE’s commitment to developing sustainable knowledge, green industries, and job opportunities. ‘These efforts will help to create a more sustainable future for the UAE and the world,” he noted.

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  • Morocco Earthquake Toll Rises to 2,122 Dead, 2,421 Injured

    Morocco Earthquake Toll Rises to 2,122 Dead, 2,421 Injured

    According to the World Health Organization estimates, the disaster has affected more than 300,000 people in the ancient old city and its outskirts…reports Asian Lite News

    At least 2,122 people have been killed and 2,421 injured since a massive earthquake struck central Morocco on Friday night, according to the latest update from the Moroccan Interior Ministry.

    The deaths include 1,351 people reported in the Al Haouz Province, 492 in Taroudant Province, 201 in Chichaoua, and 17 in Marrakesh, added the ministry in a press release on Sunday.

    Moroccan troops and emergency services were reportedly struggling to reach the most affected areas in the Atlas Mountains region, as roads leading up there were blocked by fallen boulders, Xinhua news agency reported, citing local media.

    Earlier in the day, Marrakesh’s residents told reporters that aftershocks could still be felt.

    According to the World Health Organization estimates, the disaster has affected more than 300,000 people in the ancient old city and its outskirts.

    The number of casualties is expected to rise. The Moroccan Red Crescent (MRC) has said the situation on the ground posed a vast challenge to search and rescue efforts, and “getting heavy machinery into those remote areas of the Atlas Mountains to help with that is a priority”.

    As more people were being pulled out of the rubble, the MRC and other first responders were working around the clock to identify and prioritize the most severe cases, the MRC said in a statement.

    The earthquake hit Morocco Friday at 11:11 p.m. local time at a depth of 18.5 km, according to the US Geological Survey.

    Rescuers Scramble to Find Survivors

    Rescuers are racing against time to search for survivors after a deadly 6.8-magnitude earthquake wreaked havoc in central Morocco.

    The strong tremor, which struck the ancient city of Marrakesh on Friday night, has killed more than 2,000 people.

    Rescuers on Sunday were seen struggling to reach the most affected areas in the Atlas Mountains region as roads leading up there were blocked by fallen boulders, Xinhua news agency reported.

    Makeshift tents were pitched up to shelter local residents, who had spent two nights outdoors for fear of more aftershocks.

    “We need food and cover, they are the most important to us for now,” Amin, without giving his full name, told the news agency.

    He added that being stranded outdoors for another cold night was particularly difficult for elders and the children.

    The earthquake hit Morocco Friday at 11:11 p.m. local time at a depth of 18.5 km, according to the US Geological Survey.

    The death toll has risen to 2,012, among whom 1,293 were reported in Al Haouz and 452 were in the Taroudant Province. The quake left some 2,059 people injured, with 1,404 in severe condition, the Moroccan Interior Ministry said in its latest update.

    The World Health Organization estimated that more than 300,000 people in Marrakesh and its outskirts were affected by the disaster.

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  • Over 2,000 Lives Lost: Morocco Mourns After Deadly Earthquake

    Over 2,000 Lives Lost: Morocco Mourns After Deadly Earthquake

    The quake measuring 6.8 on the Richter Scale hit Morocco’s High Atlas mountain range on Friday at 11:11 p.m. local time at a depth of 18.5 km…reports Asian Lite News

    The death toll from a strong earthquake that struck Morocco on Friday night has surpassed 2,000, according to country’s interior ministry.

    “There is destruction everywhere,” Eyewitnesses near the High Atlas mountains were quoted as saying by CNN

    According to USGS, the temblor was the most deadliest to hit the North African country in decades.

    The quake measuring 6.8 on the Richter Scale hit Morocco’s High Atlas mountain range on Friday at 11:11 p.m. local time at a depth of 18.5 km.

    The earthquake was felt in many cities across Morocco, including Rabat and Casablanca. Many houses collapsed in the cities of Taroudant and Marrakesh, local media reported.

    Xinhua correspondents at Ouarzazate, about 190 km southeast of Marrakesh, saw residents taking shelter in an open space after the earthquake.

    “There have been earthquakes before, but none of them were as strong as this one,” said a resident in Ouarzazate who requires anonymity.

    The earthquake damaged many buildings in the old city of Marrakesh, the nearest big city to the epicenter, and many residents had to spend the night in the open space for fear of potential aftershocks, said Zhang Kai, an overseas Chinese living in Marrakesh.

    Germany President released a statement on Saturday, sending “heartfelt condolences for lives lost.”

    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the G20 summit in New Delhi on Saturday with “heartfelt condolences” to everyone affected by the quake.

    Global leaders, including US President Joe Biden, Chinese leader Xi Jinping, France’s Emanuel Macron, Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, extended their condolences to Morocco. 

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  • India Launches Global Biofuels Alliance At G20

    India Launches Global Biofuels Alliance At G20

    Nineteen countries agreed to stand with India as initiating members of the Global Biofuels Alliance.

    PM Narendra Modi on Saturday launched the Global Biofuels Alliance in the presence of US President Joe Biden, President of Brazil Luiz Inacio, President of Argentina, Alberto Fernández and Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni.

    The Global Biofuel Alliance is one of the priorities under India’s G20 Presidency.

    Brazil, India, and the United States, as leading biofuel producers and consumers, will work together during the next few months towards the development of a Global Biofuels Alliance along with other interested countries.

    This Alliance will be aimed at facilitating cooperation and intensifying the use of sustainable biofuels, including in the transportation sector. It will place emphasis on strengthening markets, facilitating global biofuels trade, developing concrete policy lesson-sharing and providing technical support for national biofuels programs worldwide.

    It will also emphasize the already implemented best practices and success cases.

    The Alliance shall work in collaboration with and complement the relevant existing regional and international agencies as well as initiatives in the bioenergy, bioeconomy, and energy transition fields more broadly, including the Clean Energy Ministerial Biofuture Platform, the Mission Innovation Bioenergy initiatives, and the Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP).

    GBA will be a competent organisation that will set technical standards for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) business in collaboration with relevant industry bodies.

    The alliance will have a three-category membership structure bringing together member countries, partner organisations and industries.

    The alliance will work towards enhancing global collaboration and cooperation for the accelerated adoption of biofuels by identifying global best practices for the development and deployment of sustainable biofuels and bioproducts.

    Nineteen countries agreed to stand with India as initiating members of the Global Biofuels Alliance.

    The International Energy Agency estimates in a July report that global sustainable biofuel production would need to triple by 2030 to put the world’s energy system on track towards net zero emissions by 2050.

    India, the world’s third-biggest oil importer and consumer, imports about 85 per cent of its crude needs and is gradually building capacity to increase its output of biofuels.

    India is targeting to become carbon neutral by 2070 and is expanding the use of biofuel in its transport sector. It has advanced the deadline by five years to 2025 for doubling nationwide ethanol blending in gasoline to 20 per cent.

    The alliance will help by encouraging global biofuels trade, developing concrete policies on lesson-sharing and promoting the provision of technical support for national biofuels programmes worldwide.

    Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that the G20 Leaders’ Summit Declaration adopted on Saturday focuses on promoting strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth.

    Addressing a joint press conference, Jaishankar said the Declaration seeks to accelerate progress on Sustainable Development Goals and has come up with an action plan accordingly.

    “The declaration the leaders have agreed on today focuses on promoting strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth. It seeks to accelerate progress on SDGs and has come up with an action plan accordingly,” the minister said. 

    “It envisages a green development pact for a sustainable future, it endorses high-level principles on lifestyle for sustainable development, voluntary principles of hydrogen, the Chennai principles for a sustainable resilient blue economy and the Deccan principles on food security and nutrition among others,” he added. (ANI)

    ALSO READ: New Delhi Declaration Adopted At G20

  • COP28 Crucial Moment For Climate Action: UNGA Prez

    COP28 Crucial Moment For Climate Action: UNGA Prez

    Francis also emphasised the importance of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the upcoming SDG Summit as a critical opportunity to accelerate progress…reports Asian Lite News

    Dennis Francis, President of the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly, has said that the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), to be held in the UAE at the end of this year, is a crucial moment for the world to come together and line up behind faster, more equitable and transformative climate measures.

    In his inaugural address at the session of the General Assembly, Dennis Francis, outlined his four key priorities or “watchwords” for the session: peace, prosperity, progress, and sustainability.

    He acknowledged the complex challenges facing the world, including climate change, conflict, and poverty, which have made peace more elusive, while geopolitical divides have bred scepticism towards multilateral systems.

    “As the UN’s chief policy making body, the General Assembly bears a special responsibility to ensure that our efforts must be anchored in a robust multilateral system, faithful to the cherished values and principles enshrined in UN Charter,” he said.

    Francis also emphasised the importance of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the upcoming SDG Summit as a critical opportunity to accelerate progress.

    He also shed light on the need to accelerate the transition to clean energy and boost support for adaptation by making climate finance more available, more accessible, and more affordable.

    Francis, a diplomat from Trinidad and Tobago, was sworn in at the closing of the 77th session of the General Assembly on Tuesday morning.

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  • G20 climate resilient agriculture workshop concludes

    G20 climate resilient agriculture workshop concludes

    The event was attended by about 100 delegates including those from the G20 member states, invited countries, and International Organizations…reports Asian Lite News

    The three-day G20 technical workshop in Climate Resilient Agriculture’ concluded on Wednesday in Hyderabad, an official statement said.

    The three-day event from September 4-6 was organised by the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare at Hotel Novotel, Hyderabad Airport.

    The event was attended by about 100 delegates including those from the G20 member states, invited countries, and International Organizations.

    ‘Senior Officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Jal Shakthi, Chemicals and Fertilizers, and Earth Sciences attended the meeting and presented their views on the various issues of agriculture research pertaining to Climate Change in the Global context,’ the statement informed.

    The inaugural session was attended by the Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shobha Karandlaje and Himanshu Pathak, Secretary DARE and DG Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Dr SK Chaudhari, DDG (NRM) ICAR & Chair, G20 Technical Workshop, India.

    During the three-day event, deliberations were focused on issues related to climate-resilient agriculture needs and innovations, upscaling climate-resilient agriculture case studies and experiences, and policy, finance, and institutional needs for climate-resilient agriculture.

    Senior delegates from different countries and international organizations discussed technological, institutional, and policy-related needs and imperatives, it added.

    ‘They also deliberated on scientific and innovative solutions that are required to address these emerging challenges to reduce the uncertainty in the agriculture food systems,’ the statement informed

    DDG Chaudhari, speaking to ANI, said, “We had a very useful discussion at the G20 workshop here. Many International delegates from different countries have participated in this. We focused on Research and technology development and also its reach to the farmers. We also discussed about the policies and financial management for climate resilient agriculture.”

    Dr VK Singh, Director, ICAR- CRIDA says, “Apart from G20 countries, invited countries like Oman and Mauritius also participated in the meeting here. We all shared our knowledge and experiences on climate resilient agriculture and we conducted discussions on it.” (ANI)

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  • Heat Wave Scorches Eastern US

    Heat Wave Scorches Eastern US

    This week, 48 major cities are forecast to have dangerous levels of heat on one or more days….reports Asian Lite News

    A dangerous heat wave is baking the eastern US, with several cities breaking records and the heat stretching from Minnesota to Texas to Massachusetts.

    According to local media, Minneapolis recorded 36 degrees Celsius and Atlantic City 34 degrees on Tuesday, reports Xinhua news agency.

    Meanwhile, temperatures could reach a scorching 37 degrees in Washington, D.C.; 31 in New York City; 36 in Raleigh, North Carolina; 33 in Minneapolis; 32 in Chicago; 37.7 in Oklahoma City; and 38 in Dallas and San Antonio.

    This week, 48 major cities are forecast to have dangerous levels of heat on one or more days.

    “The wave is expected to spread across from the East Coast to the Southern Plains and the southern region of the country throughout the week,” reported The Hill.

    “The heat will end over the next few days in the Midwest and the Great Lakes, but it’ll remain in the South and the Northeast. In New York City, temperatures could reach 90 degrees three days in a row, marking the first heat wave of the season for the city,” said ABC News on Tuesday.

    “About 36.2 million people – 11 per cent of the population of the contiguous US – live in the areas expected to have dangerous levels of heat,” said The New York Times on Tuesday.

    In Pittsburgh, many schools have shifted to remote learning due to the heat.

    In Washington, D.C., the mayor has activated a heat emergency.

    “Unlike previous heat waves this summer, humidity will be moderate rather than extreme. But it will still pose the risk of heat-related illnesses for those who don’t take precautions,” said The Washington Post.

    “Anyone outdoors … should still remember to keep hydrated and take plenty of breaks in the shade/air conditioning,” urged the National Weather Service.

    Hundreds of people die from extreme heat in the US every year.

    On hot days, the National Weather Service recommends that people drink fluids, stay in cooler rooms, keep out of the sun and check up on relatives and neighbours, especially older people and those who live alone.

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