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Compiled by Purnima Joshi.
The pressure is on in countries of the Asia-Pacific to wean off coal-fired plants. In fact, shareholders of top three Australian banks have filed climate change resolutions to stop financing fossil fuels. The shipping industry too is being pressured to decarbonize by vulnerable Asian and Pacific nations.
An interesting innovation that’s grabbing investor attention is that of tech start-ups making diamonds, sunglasses, concrete from atmospheric CO2 locking it up; this could be a solution to mitigate climate change.
All eyes are on COP26, especially the peoples of Afghanistan and Bangladesh whose extreme vulnerabilities should not be ignored at the COP26 meeting. Also, interesting insights into what drives China’s power crunch, and how.
All this in this issue of the weekly digest. Do subscribe to get your weekly roundup of news on climate change in the Asia-Pacific region.
Happy Reading!
AUSTRALIA
Global warming has been the cause of 14 percent of the world's coral reefs dying out
Firstpost, 6 October
"Climate change is the biggest threat to the world's reefs," co-author Paul Hardisty, CEO of the ... Coral bleaching on Heron Island, Great Barrier Reef.
FINANCE
Shareholders table resolutions with Australia's banks to stop fossil fuel financing
CNA, 7 October
A group of shareholders filed climate change resolutions with three of Australia's Big Four banks on Thursday (Oct 7), asking them to abide by their self-declared support for net-zero emissions by 2050 and stop financing fossil fuels.
Asian investors' appetite for thematic investing increases - Vontobel
Hubbis, 7 October
Today, about 43% of APAC investors allocate at least one fifth of their equity ... significant increases in allocation to climate change and ESG investing, ...
FOSSIL FUELS
How to wean Asia off coal-fired power
Power Engineers International, 6 October
One of the biggest villains is coal-fired power plants and here Asia dominates. In 2018, burning coal produced 38% of electricity globally but 59% in Asia. Global annual coal consumption (i.e. also including that used for making steel, heating and other uses) according to the International Energy
Agency…
Global coal plant projects down 76% since 2015
Eco-Business 5 October
New research shows that to date, 44 world governments have committed to stopping new construction of coal projects, and another 33 have cancelled their project pipelines. Seven other countries have no plans to develop new coal at all.
Japan counts on Asian market to help shift to green energy
AP, 5 October
Japan is focusing on its neighbors in Asia as it hopes to take a leadership role in the growing push to reduce emissions, having earmarked $10 billion to help the region speed up the move away from fossil fuels.
INDUSTRY
Pacific Nations Want To Reduce Carbon Emissions In The Shipping Industry
Honolulu Civil Beat, 1 October
Pacific nations have been joined by their vulnerable Asian counterparts in a call to decarbonize the shipping industry by 2050. Eleven climate-vulnerable Asian nations endorsed the Climate Vulnerable Forum’s call to the International Maritime Organization, which includes a $100 carbon levy
on shipping companies by 2025.
INNOVATION
Made-from-CO2 concrete, lululemons and diamonds spark investor excitement
CNA, 4 October
What do diamonds, sunglasses, high-end lululemon sportswear and concrete have to do with climate change? They can all be made using carbon dioxide (CO2), locking up the planet warming gas. And tech startups behind these transformations are grabbing investor
AFGHANISTAN
Environmental security of Afghanistan is pathway to regional peacebuilding
The Hill, 6 October
The rapidly changing political landscape in Afghanistan does not change the permanent physical geography of the region. As world leaders gather to discuss climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies at the COP26 meeting in Glasgow later this month, the extreme vulnerabilities of
the Afghan people should not be neglected.
BANGLADESH
Study: Dhaka worst-hit by extreme heat from urbanization, global warming
Dhaka Tribune, 7 October 2021
Dhaka is the most-affected city globally due to extreme heat caused by rapid population growth and global warming, according to a latest study released on ...
CHINA
China’s power crunch is fuelled by the ‘simple and brutal’ approach
This Week in Asia, 2 October
The Chinese phrase of Jiandan Cubao, which literally means “simple and brutal”, is something people should bear in mind if they want to understand China’s policymaking process, and why policies are executed in ways that rather than cure a headache are bound to make it bigger.
INDIA
India's Role Critical In Global Climate Change Solutions: USAID
Outlook India, 7 October
"As one of the most innovative and vibrant economies on Earth, India, isn't simply at the mercy of a changing climate, it is a critical part of the solution," ...
SOUTH KOREA
Moon calls for swift action for carbon neutrality
The Korea Herald 7 October
... the Asia-Pacific is an environmentally vulnerable region where 40 percent of all natural disasters, such as typhoons and drought, took place in 2019.
ADDITIONAL READS
Asia’s climate emergency
Al Jazeeraa 5 October
Promoting climate resilience through science: Critical for Asia and the Pacific | ESCAP
ESCAP News, 6 October
Climate Scientists Win 2021 Nobel Prize in Physics for Linking Global Warming and Human Activity
globalcitizen.org, 6 October
Syukuro Manabe, pioneer of the science of global warming
Nikkei Asia 6 October
CGM's Asia-Pacific Climate Digest is compiled by communications consultant Purnima Joshi.
With over two decades of experience in corporate communications, Purnima combines her skills in creative and communication along with her passion for working for the community. She has worked on a multitude of projects in waste management, circular economy, building active citizenship in the community, some of which have won awards.
These also include a project on building climate resilience for UNICEF as well as some award-winning projects. She has been associated with several NGOs in an advisory capacity for over 10 years.
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