By Aar Jay BERLIN | GENEVA (IDN) — As the climate emergency intensifies, demand is rising for minerals that are critical for renewable energy technologies like solar panels, wind turbines and electric vehicles (EVs). Many developing countries have a wealth of these minerals but lack the processing capabilities needed to add value. The UN Trade […]
Plastic Pollution: Delayed Action or No Action Will Have Disastrous Consequences
By Simone Galimberti* KATHMANDU, Nepal | 20 April 2024 (IDN) — Plastic Pollution Coalition, based in Washington, DC, is one of the strongest third-sector organizations engaged in the Global Plastic Treaty negotiations. The Coalition has been busy preparing for the upcoming fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) negotiating the draft treaty. The sessions will be […]
Understanding China’s Changing Climate Change Rhetoric
By Gu Bin Joyce* SINGAPORE | 13 April 2024 (IDN | EastAsiaForum) — China, under President Xi Jinping, has demonstrated a critical shift in its rhetoric on climate change. Unlike his predecessors, who emphasised climate equity and China’s identity as a developing country, Xi’s rhetoric constructs China as a global climate change leader. Despite China’s […]
Revival of the Cold War and Decarbonization of the Economy
By Leonam dos Santos Guimarâes* RIO DE JANEIRO | 31 March 2024 (IDN)—The wars in Ukraine and Gaza can be seen as manifestations of intensified geopolitical tensions that resemble the Cold War period, although the contexts and circumstances are different. During the Cold War, the world was divided into two main blocs, led by the […]
Small Modular Reactors: Climate Benefits, Climate-Vulnerability
By Vitaly Fedchenko* The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) published this article in ‘WritePeace Blog’. STOCKHOLM, Sweden | 9 March 2024 (IDN) — The nuclear power plants of the 20th century were, for the most part, enormous beasts. They cost many billions of dollars to build and needed a sizable and well-trained workforce to […]
Political Anger Pushing Youth Disillusionment with Democracy
Analysis by Kalinga Seneviratne SYDNEY | 1 March 2023. (IDN) — A series of elections around the globe this year may change the political landscape. But is democracy making a better world—and if youth and other marginalized groups are still angry, who is to blame? Wealth inequality, the cost of living, lack of secure jobs […]
Plastics Threatening Ghana’s Wild Fish Industry
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK | 26 February 2024 (IDN) — Environmentalists are worried. Plastics, tons of it, are being produced annually, but 70 percent of it ends up in landfills or is incinerated. Several studies have predicted that by the middle of the 21st century, there will be more plastic than […]
Bangladesh Farmers Are Protecting Paddy Cultivation from Climate Risks
By Rafiqul Islam Montu SHYAMNAGAR (SATKHIRA), Bangladesh | 11 February 2024 (IDN) — The new variety of paddy is ‘Charulata’. This paddy is salinity tolerant, can withstand normal winds, and yields well without fertilisers and pesticides. It is effortless to save seeds from this paddy. Due to these reasons, ‘Charulata’ paddy spreads quickly from one […]
Poultry and Livestock Production Helps Communities Build Climate Resilience in Zimbabwe
By Farai Shawn Matiashe HARARE | 9 February 2024 (IDN) — When Peter Mangana’s crops were hit by drought over a decade ago, he felt depressed. He struggled to feed his family in Bhasikiti village in Mwenezi, southern Zimbabwe. The 49-year-old later realised that he was experiencing the effects of climate change and that he […]
UN-Backed IRENA Supports Climate Action and Sustainable Development
By Bernhard Schell DUBAI, United Arab Emirates | 28 January 2024 (IDN) — The lead global intergovernmental agency for energy transformation, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), which supports countries in their energy transitions, and provides state-of-the-art data and analyses on technology, innovation, policy, finance and investment, marked its 15th anniversary on 26 January. The […]