Asia is currently warming nearly twice as fast as the global average, according to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO). The WMO’s 'State of the Climate in Asia 2024' report says that 2024 was the warmest or second warmest year on record (depending on the dataset), with widespread and prolonged heatwaves. The warming trend between 1991-2024 was almost double that of the 1961-1990 period.
Category: Updates
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UN Conference: oceans are essential to mitigating climate change
The third United Nations Ocean Conference has adopted a political declaration entitled: “Our ocean, our future: united for urgent action”, stressing that the ocean plays an essential role in mitigating the adverse effects of climate change.
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OECD: accelerated climate action can drive growth and development
Ambitious climate targets that are underpinned by robust implementation and investment plans can provide economic opportunities, unlock investment, and support sustainable development and growth, while facilitating low-emission transitions, according to a new joint report by the OECD and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
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£86bn boost to science and tech to turbocharge UK economy
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves will announce a transformative £86bn in the Spending Review to turbo-charge the country's fastest growing sectors, from tech and life sciences, to advanced manufacturing and defence, as part of the the UK Government’s plan to invest in Britain’s renewal through its Modern Industrial Strategy.
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Big shout out to growing list of companies committing to DEI
Impactivize has published a long list of companies who have publicly stated their commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The list includes some big names. Amongst them are: Adidas, American Express, Apple, AstraZeneca and Audible. And that's only in the section under 'A'.
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IEA publishes Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2025
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has published its Critical Minerals Outlook 2025. It points out that critical minerals, which are essential for a range of energy technologies and for the broader economy, have become a major focus in global policy and trade discussions. Price volatility, supply chain bottlenecks and geopolitical concerns make the regular monitoring of their supply and demand vital.
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Rules agreed for credible climate project crediting
The UN body responsible for setting up a carbon market under the Paris Agreement has adopted important new standards to guide how emission-reducing projects measure their impact. Known as the Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism (PACM), it enables countries and other actors to work together on reducing greenhouse gas emissions by generating high-integrity carbon credits that support global efforts to fight climate change.
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Uzbekistan to modernise irrigation infra with World Bank support
The World Bank has approved a $200m concessional credit to support Uzbekistan in modernising its irrigation and drainage infrastructure and improving the quality of irrigation service delivery. The project aims to reduce water losses and increase the energy efficiency of irrigation systems across five regions of the country. The Government of Uzbekistan will provide $23.2m in co-financing.
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UK publishes its woodland natural capital accounts 2024
Natural capital accounts containing information on the extent, condition and ecosystem services for woodlands in the UK have been published by the UK’s Office for National Statistics. They show that the UK land area covered by woodlands increased from 7% in 1965 to 13% in 2023. The asset value of UK woodlands was an estimated £382bn in 2021. While timber and wood fuel is often seen as the main woodland asset, it accounted for just 3.9% or £14.bn.
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FRV Australia and Genesis commission huge NZ solar farms
Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV) Australia, a developer of sustainable energy solutions, and the Canadian infrastructure fund OMERS have announced the commissioning of the Lauriston Solar Farm, in partnership with Genesis Energy.
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Great British Energy legislation passes through Parliament
The Great British Energy Bill has received legislative consent from all three devolved governments. This will allow Great British Energy to operate more effectively in each devolved nation. Great British Energy will invest in clean power projects across the UK as part of the UK Government’s Plan for Change to become a clean energy superpower.
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CorPower: developing the UK’s largest wave energy project
CorPower Ocean, has signed an agreement to build a 5MW wave energy project at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney, Scotland. Scheduled for deployment in 2029, the 5MW array is expected to become the UK’s largest wave energy project. Deployed at EMEC’s grid-connected Billia Croo wave energy test site, it will comprise 14 wave energy converters, operating for up to 15 years.
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Malawi: World Bank approves hydro power storage grant
The World Bank Board of Executive Directors has approved a $350m grant from the International Development Association to support Malawi’s Mpatamanga Hydropower Storage Project (MHSP), a large infrastructure operation aiming to transform the country’s energy landscape and its economic development trajectory.
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Omnibus: EU Ombudsman opens inquiry after NGOs’ complaint
The EU Ombudsman has launched an inquiry into how the European Commission prepared its ‘Omnibus Simplification Package’. This follows a complaint brought by eight civil society organisations against the European Commission.
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Ireland: lowest energy emissions in over 30 years
The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has published the Interim National Energy Balance for 2024, which shows that Ireland’s energy-related emissions are now at their lowest level in over 30 years, falling a further 1.3% last year. This marks an overall decrease of 11% since carbon emissions targets were introduced in 2021 and the third consecutive year with an emissions reduction.