Europe needs to step up climate action: Environmental group

Oct 8, 2018
Brussels: A day ahead of the European Union Environment Ministers’ meeting expected to adopt the EU’s position for the UN Climate Summit (COP24) in December, the world’s leading body of climate scientists gave strong scientific evidence for the need to keep temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

The new IPCC report, ordered and endorsed by all world governments, showed that many of the dire consequences of future warming can be avoided by respecting this limit.

It also confirmed that it is still possible, but requires a rapid and far-reaching shift across all sectors of the economy.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) special report released on Monday offers the most comprehensive and authoritative assessment of the impact of global warming 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels and the action needed to stay below this threshold.

It proves beyond doubt that staying below an increase of 1.5 degrees will significantly reduce the damage from climate change for the poorest and most vulnerable countries, but also for all Europeans.

“Science has given us a message of both urgency and hope. It has made it crystal clear that warming of more than 1.5 degrees Celsius will result in ever wilder extreme weather events. These in turn would expose us to greater drought, food shortages and economic devastation,” Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe Director Wendel Trio said.

“The silver lining in the report is that we still have a chance to stay below 1.5 degrees, that solutions are within our reach and that it will help us build a safer, more prosperous Europe.”

CAN is a worldwide network of over 1,300 non-governmental organizations in more than 120 countries.

Jean-Pascal van Ypersele, former IPCC Vice-Chair, professor of climate sciences at UCLouvain in Belgium said: “Climate change is threatening all forms of life on this planet. This report says the crash is avoidable, and that reducing CO2 emissions to zero is an urgent necessity.”

“And it’s doable. We owe that to our kids, and to all young people who would have to live on a too hot planet otherwise.”

The new IPCC report clearly states that “if we are to stay below 1.5-degree Celsius mark, we need an unprecedented shift, including accelerating the transition towards a 100 per cent renewable energy system and the replacement of all dirty energy”.

The report also proves that through this transformation the world can create a safer and more prosperous future.

Trio added: “The IPCC scientists are sending this message ahead of the all-important COP24 summit in Katowice this year, where governments are expected to commit to step up their climate targets.”

“All eyes are on the EU Environment Ministers now, who need to act on the IPCC warnings and commit to significantly increase the EU’s 2030 target well beyond 45 per cent, to be in line with the IPCC’s recommendations on 1.5 degrees Celsius pathways.”

United Nations Assistant Secretary General and Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity Cristiana PaAYca-Palmer said a global warming of two degrees Celsius would place many species and ecosystems with limited adaptive capacity under very high risk.

“Even at a global average temperature increase of 1.5 degrees Celsius, the risks for unique and threatened systems are high. Keeping global temperature increases closer to 1.5 degrees rather than two degrees, is likely to significantly reduce the negative impacts on biodiversity, especially in the most vulnerable ecosystems.”

SC issues notices to Centre, Tripura on bringing NRC in state
(18:58)
Agartala, Oct 8 (IANS) The demand for introduction of NRC in BJP-ruled Tripura is gaining momentum, with a tribal party approaching the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the state in this regard, while another party on Monday said it would intensify agitation for bringing NRC in the bordering state.

According to an official of the Tripura Law Department, the Supreme Court on Monday sought a response from the Union and state governments on the petition seeking introduction of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Tripura to identify illegal immigrants.

“The standing counsel in the Supreme Court for Tripura, Gopal Singh, apprised the Law Department that the apex court issued notices to the Central and state governments, the Registrar General and the Census Commissioner of India and sought their views on the issue immediately,” the official said.

He said the Supreme Court issued the notices after the plea was filed by the Tripura People’s Front, a tribal-based party.

On the other hand, the state’s oldest tribal-based party — Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT), whose leaders met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi last week over the NRC demand, on Monday announced that they would intensify their agitation to highlight the issue.

“Home Minister assured us to look into the demand for implementation of NRC in Tripura after completion of the process in Assam,” INPT president Bijoy Kumar Hrangkhawl told the media.

Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, who had earlier said there is no issue of NRC in the state, on Saturday said in Kolkata that he will go in for NRC in the state if the exercise is successfully implemented in Assam.

The Supreme Court-monitored updation of the NRC is an exercise to identify genuine Indian nationals living in the state of Assam. The NRC is part of the Assam Accord of 1985.

Millions of Bangladeshi immigrants are suspected to be living illegally in Assam and other northeastern states, and the NRC is an exercise to identify them as well. The final draft of the NRC released on July 30, created a furore, as it left out some 40 lakh people.IANS

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