North America’s Bold Climate Pact And 7 Other Stories Everyone’s Talking About

Posts 01 Jul 2016

Things are moving quickly as our planet makes the transition to a new, clean economy. You want to stay in the loop – but you’re busy, that’s why we keep an eye on the headlines for you!

Welcome to the 1 July (happy Canada Day! 🎉) 2016 edition of the Daily Planet’s weekly State Of The Planet. Don’t hesitate to send your tips and comments to @peter_koekoek or peter.koekoek@climate-kic.org.

1. Could delicious ice-cream flavoured beer help beat climate change?

Great news! You could be warming up with an ice-cream flavoured beer this winter while taking climate action at the same time, the Daily Planet reports.

2. North America’s leaders want the continent’s electricity to be generated by 50 per cent renewable energy sources by 2025.

US president Barack Obama, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto made this announcement at their ‘three amigos summit’ in Canada this week, Deutsche Welle reports.

As Europe was still licking its wounds from the British pushback against globalisation, the three NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) leaders met to discuss further integration of their markets and collaboration on common causes such as international development, equality and climate action.

https://twitter.com/ByronTau/status/748627068682899456

Their plans also call for government operations across the continent to run entirely on clean energy sources in the same amount of time, according to The Verge. At the moment, 37 per cent of North America’s electricity comes from non-carbon power plants, mostly nuclear and hydro according to Scientific American.

To make it work, the three countries will be tightening energy efficiency standards in the next three years, boosting new research to explore the deployment of renewable energy on a continental scale and reducing fossil fuel subsidies.

The pact is a sign of the growing integration between North America’s nations on climate and energy policies, Scientific American reports.

Obama addressed Canada’s parliament while at the summit and spoke about the Paris Agreement on climate change. “Let’s bring it into force this year,” he said.

3. Britain’s Brexit could have consequences for climate action.

Among the many sectors and areas affected by the UK’s dramatic ‘Brexit’, the media highlighted a number of climate change related outcomes – should the British retreat actually take effect.

Brexit will make it harder for UK to tackle climate change, said UK climate change ministers Amber Rudd according to the Telegraph. But UN climate chief Christiana Figueres said the UK should keep “calm and transform on,” Business Green reports.

With the country’s post-Brexit political dirty laundry currently dominating global news cycles, the UK government is certainly keen to calm things down. It is set to approve an impressive 57 per cent emissions reduction from 1990 levels by 2032. One of the most ambitious targets in the world, Climate Home reports.

https://twitter.com/GuardianSustBiz/status/748003317398155264

The Guardian noted how “inter-generational theft” highlights the similarities between climate sceptics and leave voters.

Most younger Brits voted to stay in the European Union. This younger generation will have to live with the impact on the economy and climate by the choices of older voters.

A 2014 poll found that 74 per cent of Americans under the age of 30 support government policies to cut carbon pollution, as compared to just 58 per cent of respondents over the age of 40, and 52 per cent over the age of 65, the Guardian reports.

As of last night the UK’s former education minister and prominent ‘Leave’ campaigner Michael Gove was still a serious candidate to succeed David Cameron as prime minister. Climate Home reports Gove previously pushed for global warming to be removed from Britain’s national curriculum.

EU commission vice president Maroš Šefčovič – responsible for Europe’s Energy Union project – tweeted he was “saddened” by the vote in the UK, but “inspired” about Europe’s next chapter.

4. The world’s business sector, meanwhile, says it is ready to over-deliver on the Paris Agreement.

Could the age old business credo “under promise, over deliver” also apply to the commitments made on climate change in Paris last year? A new report says that if governments make work of implementing the Paris Agreement, businesses can deliver emissions cuts far beyond what was agreed at the 2015 summit according to the Daily Planet.

Under current plans, the business sector is set to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 3.7 billion tons of carbon per year by 2030. But the report – supported by organisations and corporations ranging from IKEA to Ceres – says the contribution of the business sector to climate action could be as high as 10 billion tons of carbon per year.

5. Will Arnold Schwarzenegger terminate China’s meat consumption?

China wants to cut its meat consumption to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and guess who they called for help? Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Cameron have teamed up for a new campaign to try and convince people in China to eat less meat. You can expect the ads to show up in your social media feed after the summer, the Daily Planet reports.

6. The World Bank and India have signed a $1 trillion deal to boost solar globally.

The World Bank Group signed the agreement with the International Solar Alliance (ISA), consisting of 121 countries, led by India. The countries will collaborate on increasing solar energy use around the world, with the goal of mobilizing $1 trillion in investments by 2030.

The World Bank has also committed to provide $1 billion support to Indian solar energy projects, Business Standard reports. India says it wants to almost triple the share of renewable energy by 2030.

7. A new documentary explores phenomenal climate change solutions around the world.

The film Time to Choose by Academy Award-winning documentary maker Charles Ferguson might leave you feeling uplifted and inspired, the Daily Planet reports.

Ferguson said the most surprising discovery in making this film is also the most crucial fact about this issue: ‘The solutions to climate change are already here, waiting for us.’ Ferguson is well-known for tackling big subjects with his films. His first film, No End in Sight, took a critical look at the American occupation of Iraq and his second, Inside Job, covered the global financial meltdown that took place in 2008.

8. Sweden has opened the world’s first electric road this week.

Remember ‘trolly buses’? Despite it not being exactly novel, Sweden’s electric road — if given wide implementation — could help the country meet its goal of being fossil-fuel-vehicle free by 2030, Mashable reports. Sweden — in conjunction with truck manufacturer Scania — has created the world’s first “electric road.” It’s a two-kilometer stretch in central Sweden with power lines stretched over the righthand lane.

Hybrid trucks specially fitted with a device called a ‘pantograph power collector’ can drive underneath the lines and tap into the power. When connected to the lines, they run completely on electricity. When they drive out of the right lane, the onboard engine kicks on, as it reverts back to hybrid mode, according to Mashable.

Looking for something to fix?

Some of these stories may just inspire your next business venture:

  • Antarctica could lose most of its penguins to climate change. A new study finds significant impact for the iconic birds over the next century National Geographic reports.
  • Houston has a problem. EcoWatch lists four ways climate change impacts Texas.
  • Climate change is making Europe’s summers more extreme. Scientists have been able to more directly link extreme weather – like the floods that hit Central Europe last month – to climate change, Deutsche Welle reports.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive next week’s State Of The Planet in your inbox. Don’t hesitate to send your tips and comments to @peter_koekoek or peter.koekoek@climate-kic.org!

 
Location

Share this article

Related Articles

This week’s ten biggest climate innovation stories – 28 June Spacious 500-acre park provides green backdrop to inspiring climate change art This week’s ten biggest climate innovation stories – 21 June
Back to all Articles

Share this article