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The Star
a day ago
- Climate
- The Star
Pakistan braces for more rainfall days after deadly floods
People removing a wrecked van after monsoon rains in Pakistan on July 21. The monsoon season brings South Asia up to 80 per cent of its annual rainfall. - Photo: AFP ISLAMABAD: Torrential rains that have lashed Pakistan since June, claiming more than 200 lives, are set to continue in the coming days, according to the country's weather agency. Swathes of Punjab province have seen above-normal precipitation in the past two weeks, with many places getting 150 millimeters (6 inches) above historical averages in that period, according to the US Climate Prediction Center. The country's disaster management authorities have estimated this year's monsoon to be 65% more intense than last year, and that future rainy seasons are likely to be more severe and start earlier. Pakistan has been pummeled by a series of extreme effects of climate change in recent years, including heat waves and prolonged flooding in 2022 that killed more than 1,700 people and caused about US$40 billion in damage. "Pakistan contributes minimally to global greenhouse gas emissions but ranks among the top ten most climate-vulnerable countries,' Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a statement addressing disaster management last week. "It is a challenge, but also an opportunity to build a climate-resilient nation, especially in agriculture and infrastructure,' he said. Collapsed buildings have been a leading cause of death in recent weeks, killing at least 136 people as of July 21, a sign that infrastructure resilience remains a major challenge for a country that sees heavy rains most years. This year's death toll exposes a persistent lack of preparedness since 8 million people were displaced in the 2022 floods. According to Germanwatch, an environmental NGO, Pakistan was the country most affected by climate impacts that year, with disasters taking off 4% from the country's GDP. More extreme events are likely to further strain the country's fragile economy, plagued by debt, political instability and a chronic energy crisis. Climate change may dent the modest progress made in the past two years after fresh loans were granted by the International Monetary Fund. - Bloomberg
Bangkok Post
7 days ago
- Business
- Bangkok Post
Taking stock of nation's climate finance
If the ravages of extreme weather worldwide were not enough to convince anyone of the need to urgently address and adapt to climate change, consider a sobering fact delivered by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). In its "State of the Global Climate 2024" report, it said last year was "likely the first calendar year to be more than 1.5C above the pre-industrial era, with a global mean near-surface temperature of 1.55 ± 0.13C above the 1850-1900 average". This makes 2024 the warmest year in the 175 years that have been observed, according to this seminal report which was released in March. The record-breaking year "underlined the massive economic and social upheavals from extreme weather and the long-term impacts of record ocean heat and sea-level rise". Leading concerns Thailand serves as a microcosm of this urgent need. The country has already ranked 30th in this year's list of countries that are most vulnerable to climate change, according to human rights organisation Germanwatch. The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (Unescap) estimates that Thailand's average annual damage from climate change will amount to almost 1 trillion baht, or 6.6% of the country's GDP per year, under the 2-degree scenario. The cumulative damage of climate change on Thailand's agriculture sector alone is estimated to be between 17.5–83.8 billion baht per year between 2021-2045. Naturally, Thailand needs significant investments in climate mitigation to keep up its commitment on the global stage. In 2024, the Department of Climate Change and Environment estimated that a 30% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 would require a 5 trillion baht investment in climate finance, while a 40% reduction would require an investment of 7 trillion baht. Tracking finance flows One major drawback for Thailand is the lack of any sense of urgency as well as the financial resources for both climate mitigation (to lower greenhouse gas emissions) and climate adaptation to reduce the negative impacts of climate change. Thailand still lacks a clear picture of the current climate finance flows in the country. As Climate Finance Network Thailand (CFNT) was founded in 2024 with the aim of catalysing more meaningful climate finance in Thailand, we took it upon ourselves to compile as much data from publicly available sources to construct a public "Climate Finance Tracker" (henceforth referred to as the "Tracker") for Thailand -- akin to the Global Landscape of Climate Finance report produced annually by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI), the US-based organisation that focuses on climate finance and policy. We focus on two main activities: climate mitigation and climate adaptation. We found sources of climate finance come from various areas such as government bodies, multilateral development banks, national and multilateral climate funds, state-owned enterprises, specialised financial institutions, domestic public funds, and international financial institutions. These funds are typically directed through official development assistance (ODA), concessional loans, grants, or public investment programmes. On the other hand, private climate finance also comes from the private sector, for example, commercial financial institutions, corporations, impact investors (including philanthropy), institutional investors, and other non-state actors. It includes investments aligned with clear climate-related objectives through mechanisms such as green bonds, green loans, and blended finance. One key principle used by the CPI that we adopted for our Tracker is the focus on direct investment aligned with climate mitigation and adaptation efforts within the country. In line with the CPI's methodology, the Tracker also excludes any financial flows that do not represent new investments targeting climate-related outcomes. Investments we excluded from our calculation are secondary markets, refinancing, the transfer of ownership of existing assets, and public subsidies that are primarily designed to reimburse initial investment costs, such as those supporting private research and the development of new technologies. Like the CPI, we exclude "carbon emissions lock-in" projects. This refers to cases where investment clings to fossil-fuel based infrastructure despite the low-emission alternatives available that could be deployed. One example of a carbon lock-in project would be an upgrade to improve the efficiency of coal-fired power plants. Financing challenges Climate adaptation is a much more complicated affair to track. Each activity has its own context and characteristics, and a lot of time, effort and resources are needed to monitor adaptation activities to judge whether they are "successful" or not. CFNT attempts to address this challenge by using the Tailwind Taxonomy, a publicly available model to audit the performance of climate adaptation and resilience projects. The model was developed by Tailwind Futures, a strategic venture fund. We chose climate adaptation projects that address the specific vulnerabilities to climate change and climate-related risk, and make assessments from the evidence-based outcomes of these activities. What have we found? From tallying over 2,800 project-level and organisation-level data carried out from year 2018 to May of this year, we conclude that at least 1.7 trillion baht has been invested in climate mitigation projects. Some 82% of this sum derives from corporations, commercial banks, and state-owned enterprises. In terms of contributions by sector, 64% of total investment comes from energy and transport. Zooming into sub-sectors, the most popular climate mitigation activities are rooftop solar installations (17% of the total), electric vehicles (10%), and mass transit and mass railway projects (8%). We also look into climate adaptation activities and projects. Based on data from 670 projects, we estimate that during 2020-2024, Thailand spent 148 billion baht on climate adaptation projects. Some 95% of the money came from Thailand's central government, followed by multilateral climate funds (1.8%). Zooming into sectors, sustainable water management, urban resilience, and sustainable agriculture are key focal areas for climate adaptation. Those who are interested in perusing our Tracker -- reading our detailed methodology and downloading slides featuring our key highlights -- can do so by visiting our website at By making the Tracker publicly accessible and updating the database annually, we hope to assist policymakers in identifying the gap between existing climate finance flows and demands. We seek to jumpstart conversations on climate finance, as well as enabling better allocation of funds into the most urgently needed sectors and sub-sectors in Thailand, especially to those that are the most vulnerable to the worsening impacts of climate change.
Miami Herald
30-06-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Spain hosts key UN talks on global development finance as US retreats
MADRID - The U.N.'s Conference on Financing for Development kicks off on Monday in the Spanish city of Seville with a focus on tackling global inequality, amid a major funding shortfall following drastic US aid cuts under President Donald Trump. Trump slashed more than 80% of USAID funding, which previously accounted for roughly a quarter of total international development financing. The once-in-a-decade conference, which runs through Thursday, aims to deliver concrete solutions to address critical global needs, including hunger, poverty, climate protection, health and peace. It will also emphasize international cooperation and rebuilding multilateral trust. According to organizers, a central focus will be the restructuring of financing for the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which were adopted in 2015 with a target date of 2030. The goals address issues such as poverty, health, education, climate action, and equality. A new agreement on global development financing, the Seville Commitment, is expected to be adopted during the conference by participating U.N. member states. The United States, which is not attending, did not sign on to the agreement in advance. From the perspective of development advocates, more ambitious action is needed. The organization Germanwatch, for example, has called for a solidarity levy on environmentally harmful industries, arguing that polluters continue to reap profits while vulnerable populations bear the brunt of the climate crisis. Despite global consensus on the SDGs, reaching them by 2030 appears increasingly unlikely due to conflict, climate disruption and shrinking development budgets. The last such conference was held in 2015 in Addis Ababa. -------- Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Indian Express
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Knowledge Nugget: Climate Change Performance Index — A must know for UPSC Exam
Take a look at the essential events, concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up your knowledge. Here's your knowledge nugget for today on Climate Change Performance Index 2025. (Relevance: Climate change is an important topic, and UPSC has previously directly asked questions about the publication of important indices and reports. Thus, knowing about the Climate Change Performance Index 2025 becomes essential. Despite being the central topic of debate for decades, climate change continues to accelerate, global temperature continues to inch towards 'tipping points', and greenhouse gas concentrations rise at unprecedented levels. In this context, knowing the findings of the Climate Change Performance Index 2025 becomes important, as it provides the picture of the efforts of various countries in addressing the challenge of climate change. 1. The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) is an independent monitoring tool that tracks the climate mitigation performance of 63 countries and the EU. It aims to enhance transparency in international climate politics and enables comparison of climate mitigation efforts and progress made by individual countries. It is published annually since 2005. 2. The CCPI is published by Germanwatch, CAN International, and the NewClimate Institute. According to the official website of Germanwatch, the CCPI assesses each country's performance in four categories: (i) GHG Emissions (40% of the overall ranking), (ii) Renewable Energy (20%), (iii) Energy Use (20%) and (iv) Climate Policy (20%). 3. CCPI also answers the question of the extent to which each country is taking appropriate action in the areas of Emissions, Renewable energy and Energy use in order to achieve the climate goals set in Paris. 1. In CCPI 2025, the top three positions remain vacant, with no single country ranking 'very high' on all parameters for climate change mitigation in 2025. 2. Denmark has retained its rank as the top country (4th place) in the CCPI Index 2025, earning a very high rating in the renewable energy category, a high rating in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and climate policy, and a medium rating in energy use. 3. Denmark is followed by the Netherlands in 5th place and the United Kingdom in 6th place in this year's CCPI. Top 10 countries ranking high in the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2025 Source: Climate Change Performance Index 2025. Note: None of the countries earned positions one through three. No country is doing enough to mitigate hazardous climate change. 4. Out of 64 countries responsible for over 90% of global GHG emissions, only 22 are making progress in the Climate Change Performance Index 2025, while 42 are falling behind. 5. Notably, G20 countries account for over 75% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, with 14 of their countries receiving a low or very low CCPI score; however, India and the United Kingdom are two G20 countries on track with low GHG emissions per capita. 6. Contrastingly, countries like China, the United States of America (USA), Canada, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and more have been ranked very low. Bottom 10 countries ranking low in the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2025 Source: Climate Change Performance Index 2025 1. Slipping down to two positions, India ranks tenth in the 2025 CCPI, remaining among the top achievers. India ranks high in the GHG emissions and energy use categories, medium in climate policy, and low in renewable energy. 2. India has made significant progress in renewable energy policy, particularly through large-scale solar power plants and the implementation of the Rooftop Solar Scheme. Despite these encouraging achievements, India remains largely dependent on coal, and experts believe its phase-out is moving too slowly. 1. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), a global group of scientific experts, released an assessment report on the interlinkages among biodiversity, water, food and health – known as the Nexus Report – last year. 2. This was a first-of-a-kind report looking at the interconnections between these multiple crises. The group examined five major challenges — climate change, biodiversity loss, food insecurity, water scarcity, and health risks. 3. The Nexus report highlighted the strong interlinkages between the five identified global challenges. Its key takeaway is that responses to all these challenges need to be harmonised so that positive actions taken on any one of these do not result in negative impacts on others, something that is quite possible, as exemplified in several current approaches. 4. For example, an attempt to scale up food production, a positive action to deal with hunger and malnutrition, could have the unintended consequence of increasing stress on land and water resources and biodiversity. 5. The report argues that it was important to adopt synergistic approaches that deliver benefits across the spectrum. Examples of such response measures included restoration of carbon-rich ecosystems such as forests, soils and mangroves, effective management of biodiversity to reduce risks of diseases spreading from animals to humans, promotion of sustainable healthy diets, and reliance on nature-based solutions wherever possible. Consider the following statements with regard to the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2025: 1. The top three positions remain vacant, with no single country ranking 'very high' on all parameters for climate change mitigation. 2. It assesses each country's performance in GHG Emissions, Renewable Energy, Energy Use and Climate Policy. 3. Denmark has retained its rank as the top country (4th place) in the CCPI Index 2025. How many of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) All three (d) None (Sources: Climate Change Performance Index: Top and bottom 10 countries in 2025, Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – Indian Express UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. 🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for May 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at Roshni Yadav is a Deputy Copy Editor with The Indian Express. She is an alumna of the University of Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University, where she pursued her graduation and post-graduation in Political Science. She has over five years of work experience in ed-tech and media. At The Indian Express, she writes for the UPSC section. Her interests lie in national and international affairs, governance, economy, and social issues. You can contact her via email: ... Read More
Canada Standard
29-05-2025
- Business
- Canada Standard
BREAKING: Landmark German Court Ruling Could Bring Corporate Climate Liability to Canada
A landmark court ruling against a German utility could open the door to corporate liability for climate pollution in Canada, a leading environmental lawyer says. In Hamm, Germany earlier today, the Higher Regional Court ruled that major emitters can be held liable for the consequences of climate change, even though it threw out the specific civil case by Peruvian mountain guide Sal Luciano Lliuya against energy giant RWE. "Today the mountains have won," Luciano Lliuya declared. "Even if my case doesn't go any further, it has reached an important milestone, and that makes me proud. This ruling shows that the big polluters driving the climate [emergency] can finally be held legally responsible for the harm they have caused." While the judges concluded that the flood risk to Luciano Lliuya's home below a melting glacier was not sufficient to warrant compensation, "it confirmed for the first time that major emitters can be held liable under German civil law for risks resulting from climate change," Germanwatch wrote. "This sets a legal precedent with far-reaching implications, potentially influencing similar cases in countries like Switzerland and Belgium, and applicable in other jurisdictions such as the UK, the Netherlands, the USA, or Japan." Or in Canada, said Ecojustice Climate Director Charlie Hatt. "There is every chance this principle will eventually become a precedent in Canadian courts, as well," Hatt said in a release. "Investors and fossil execs take note-it is only a matter of time before the bill for climate harms will come due." Already, "as governments and large corporations fail to control their climate pollution, claimants are increasingly finding success holding them accountable in the courts, including examples like the youth-led Mathur case here in Canada," he added. "The principle is simple: it is wrong to produce and burn fossil fuels in excess of the limits defined by climate science because it harms people, and anyone harmed may get a legal remedy against the wrongdoers." International legal experts heaped praise on what Jasper Tuelings, strategic advisor at the Climate Litigation Network, declared a "historic judgement". "The Peruvian mountain guide has paved the way for a new era of holding fossil fuel companies accountable," said Sebastien Duyck, senior attorney at the Center for International Environmental Law. "For too long, these heavy emitters have been able to harm our environment with no regard to the consequences," but "that time is over," Ducyk said. "Sal's breakthrough opens up a well of opportunities for the more than 40 similar cases ongoing. It makes it more likely that those living at the sharp edge of climate change, such as Saul and his community, can succeed in holding heavy emitters to account for the damage they cause." Source: The Energy Mix
