Cheering crowds greet Pope as he arrives in Krakow – BBC News

27 July 2016 Last updated at 18:34 BST

Pope Francis has arrived in Krakow, Poland, to cheering crowds.

He is due to speak at World Youth Day, a gathering of young Catholics from across the world.

Pope Francis warns world ‘is at war’ after Europe attacks

…(read more).

Global Climate Change
Environment Ethics
Environment Justice

World’s largest carbon producers ordered to respond to allegations of human ri ghts abuses from climate change | Greenpeace Philippines

Press release – July 27, 2016 Manila – Companies responsible for the majority of fossil fuel products that have been manufactured, marketed, and sold since the industrial revolution and have contributed the lion’s share of cumulative global emissions of industrial CO2 and methane, have been ordered to respond to a legal petition that triggered the first-ever national human rights investigation concerning climate change.

The Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines (CHR) today sent copies of the complaint (1) filed by the Petitioners, including disaster survivors, community organisations and Greenpeace Southeast Asia,(2) as well as an official order,(3) to the headquarters of the world’s largest investor-owned fossil fuel and cement producers. The order enjoins the companies to submit answers to the Commission within 45 days.

The 47 companies that were sent the petition and the order to respond to allegations of human rights abuses resulting from climate change include Chevron, ExxonMobil, BP, Royal Dutch Shell, Total, BHP Billiton, Glencore, Suncor and ConocoPhillips.

“We’ve been affected for so long by storms, droughts…by extreme weather, now made worse by climate change. We just want to live a decent and peaceful life, without fear and being at the mercy of big corporations that only care for their profits. Our only choice is to defend our rights.

We want those most responsible to be held accountable. We want justice and to regain the ability to protect the little that we have left for our children”, said Veronica “Derek” Cabe, one of the petitioners from Bataan, where communities are fighting against coal storage facilities and proposals for a new coal-fired power plant and where one of the community leaders advocating against coal was shot dead on 1 July 2016. (4)

The Commission launched a probe in 2015 looking into whether the world’s largest carbon producers (5) are violating or threatening to violate the human rights of all Filipinos by significantly contributing to global climate change and failing to reduce emissions, despite having the capacity to do so.

The Petitioners have asked the Commission, among other things, to require the companies to submit plans on the steps they will take to eliminate, remedy and prevent the devastating effects of climate change, in a country known to be one of the world’s most vulnerable to these effects.

The complaint also asks the Commission to monitor people and communities acutely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

“Ultimately, those who have profited most from pumping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere must bear the burden of preventing the havoc already being wreaked by climate change. This is the first step in that process. The courageous Filipino people are the first to put the world’s largest carbon producers on notice that they must account for their emissions,” said Jennifer Morgan, Executive Director of Greenpeace International.

…(read more).

Global Climate Change
Environment Ethics
Environment Justice

Southern Africa appeals for billions to cope with El Niño devastation

15 southern African countries have asked for $2.8bn to help feed nearly 40 million people hit by one of the worst regional droughts in 35 years

Global development is supported by

About this content

John Vidal Tuesday 26 July 2016 17.50 BST

Southern African countries have launched an emergency appeal for $2.8bn (£2.1bn) to help feed nearly 40 million people hit by one of the worst regional droughts in 35 years.

According to the South African Development Community, which comprises 15 countries, 23 million people require urgent humanitarian assistance and a further 13 million are food insecure following the strongest El Niño event recorded.

Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Swaziland and Zimbabwe have already declared national drought emergencies, South Africa has a drought emergency in eight of its nine provinces, and Mozambique declared a 90-day “red alert” for some areas.

El Niño is over – but it leaves nearly 100 million people short of food

Food shortages are expected to peak between October, when supplies will run lowest, and March, when the next harvest is due, so the number of people in extreme need is expected to rise significantly if insufficient assistance is given.

The US has pledged $127m (£97m), lifting its contribution to the region to about $300m. Britain has delivered $250m to Africa since July 2015 as part of its El Niño response, and the Netherlands, Switzerland and Italy last week announced pledges totalling $22m.

…(read more).

Global Climate Change
Environment Ethics
Environment Justice

Noam Chomsky – Understanding Reality

E120, e130,

C40 Cities

The World is Watching Cities

COP21 brought cities into the spotlight. C40 is proud to help shine that light a little brighter. Because cities and mayors are acting now, and we’re right beside them as they become necessary leaders in this vital cause.

As the world moves forward from Paris, we’re showcasing stories that help explain why cities are so critically important for implementing on the goals set forth in that historic accord. C40’s road from Paris moves through member cities Beijing for the Second China-U.S. Climate-Smart Low-Carbon Cities Summit; Singapore for the World Cities Summit; and later in the year, Mexico City for the sixth biennial C40 Mayors Summit.

Global Climate Change
Environment Ethics
Environment Justice

World Mayors Council on Climate Change

Mayors Council Brochure

Global Climate Change
Environment Ethics
Environment Justice

200 businesses, cities, states and regions commit to full decarbonization | The Climate Group

https://www.theclimategroup.org/news/200-businesses-cities-states-and-regions-commit-full-decarbonization

PARIS: Today, CDP and The Climate Group released a new report identifying 200 companies, states, regions, and cities that have committed to full de-carbonization.

Unlocking ambition: Top corporate and sub-national climate commitments, is the third in a series of reports tracking the ambitious climate commitments made by “non-state” actors (i.e. non-national governments), in the lead up to the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 21) currently taking place in Paris.

Specifically:

• 87 companies have set goals to reduce their GHG emissions by 80-100%, or to procure 100% of their power from renewable sources, including Google (US), Infosys (India) and Broad Group (China), and
• 23 states and regions and 90 cities, including California and Basque Country, and Yokohama and Vancouver, have declared similar goals that will strategically position their communities and economies for low-carbon growth and prosperity.

Evan Juska, Head of Policy for The Climate Group, North America said: “What surprised us was the diversity of companies and sub-national governments making ambitious climate commitments. They differ in location, size, energy use, and ideology. But they share a belief that reducing emissions makes sense for both customers and constituents.”

…(read more).

See:particularly:

• Unlocking Ambition | The Climate Group July 28, 2016

Global Climate Change
Environment Ethics
Environment Justice

Unlocking Ambition | The Climate Group

Unlocking ambition: Top corporate and sub-national climate commitments from CDP and The Climate Group identifies 200 companies, states, regions, and cities that have committed to full de-carbonization.

The briefing is the third in a series of reports tracking the ambitious climate commitments made by “non-state” actors (i.e. non-national governments), in the lead up to the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 21) taking place in Paris.

Specifically:

• 87 companies have set goals to reduce their GHG emissions by 80-100%, or to procure 100% of their power from renewable sources, including Google (US), Infosys (India) and Broad Group (China), and
• 23 states and regions and 90 cities,including California and Basque Country, and Yokohama and Vancouver, have declared similar goals that will strategically position their communities and economies for low-carbon growth and prosperity.

Among the many thousands of commitments that have been recorded in the UNFCCC’s Non-State Actor Zone for Climate Action (NAZCA), the GHG reduction targets of these companies, states, regions and cities are arguably the most impactful because they tackle the challenge of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050.

Similarly, the commitments to use only renewable power immediately create real and sizable demand for cleaner energy. This will stimulate investments in new technologies, and influence policies to embed renewable power in our energy future.

…(read more).

Global Climate Change
Environment Ethics
Environment Justice

Compact of States and Regions | The Climate Group

https://www.theclimategroup.org/project/compact-states-and-regions

At COP21, the Compact of States and Regions was hailed as one of the most impactful collective initiatives as it allowed, for the first time, to accurately reflect the level of ambition shown by states, provinces and regions around the world. In less than one year, the Compact of States and Regions has become the global go-to platform for states, provinces and regions to measure and manage their GHG emissions, already collecting climate data from 44 governments representing one eighth of the global economy.

As a critical part of the post-Paris agenda of action by Non-State Actors, The Climate Group invites all states, provinces and regions around the world to report to the Compact of States and Regions between April 4 and July 2016. Governments are welcome to signal their intent to start reporting in 2015. The first Compact of States and Regions disclosure report was

released at the 21st Conference of Parties to the UNFCCCC (COP21) in Paris, December 2015. See our infographic below for more.

…(read more).

Global Climate Change
Environment Ethics
Environment Justice

Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL)

http://www.se4all.org/

Sustainable Energy for All empowers leaders to broker partnerships and unlock finance to achieve universal access to sustainable energy, as a contribution to a cleaner, just and prosperous world for all.

In September 2015, the world’s leaders came together to agree on 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). One of those goals, SDG 7, calls for us to secure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030.

Three months later, at the 2015 Paris Climate Conference (COP21), 195 nations negotiated an historic climate agreement—one that declared that not only do we need to hold the increase in the global average temperature to “well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels” but we also need to pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5°C.

Energy is central to social and economic well-being. Yet 1.1 billion people have no access to electricity, while 2.9 billion have to cook with polluting, inefficient fuels such as firewood. And without rapid progress on SDG 7, it will impossible to deliver on other SDGs by 2030.

Energy is also the dominant contributor to climate change.

SE4All exists to meet this dual challenge: reducing the carbon intensity of energy while making it available to everyone on the planet.

We have three objectives:

• ensure universal access to modern energy services;
• double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency; and
• double the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.

This will require a radical rethink of the way we produce, distribute and consume energy.

Having played a core role in putting universal access to modern energy services at the heart of the SDGs and Paris Agreement, SE4All is stepping up to help partners to take rapid, tangible action on those promises.

Global Climate Change
Environment Ethics
Environment Justice