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‘Optical illusion’: Key takeaways from COP29

Published

1 month ago

November 24, 2024

‘Optical illusion’: Key takeaways from COP29

Rich countries have pledged to contribute $300bn a year by 2035 to help poorer nations combat the effects of climate change after two weeks of intense negotiations at the United Nations climate summit (COP29) in Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku.

While this marks a significant increase from the previous $100bn pledge, the deal has been sharply criticised by developing nations as woefully insufficient to address the scale of the climate crisis.

This year’s summit, hosted by the oil and gas-rich former Soviet republic, unfolded against the backdrop of a looming political shift in the United States as a climate-sceptic Donald Trump administration takes office in January. Faced with this uncertainty, many countries deemed the failure to secure a new financial agreement in Baku an unacceptable risk.

Here are the key takeaways from this year’s summit:

‘No real money on the table’: $300bn climate finance fund slammed

While a broader target of $1.3 trillion annually by 2035 was adopted, only $300bn annually was designated for grants and low-interest loans from developed nations to aid the developing world in transitioning to low-carbon economies and preparing for climate change effects.

Under the deal, the majority of the funding is expected to come from private investment and alternative sources, such as proposed levies on fossil fuels and frequent flyers – which remain under discussion.

“The rich world staged a great escape in Baku,” said Mohamed Adow, the Kenyan director of Power Shift Africa, a think tank.

“With no real money on the table, and vague and unaccountable promises of funds to be mobilised, they are trying to shirk their climate finance obligations,” he added, explaining that “poor countries needed to see clear, grant-based, climate finance” which “was sorely lacking”.

The deal states that developed nations would be “taking the lead” in providing the $300bn – implying that others could join.

The US and the European Union want newly wealthy emerging economies like China – currently the world’s largest emitter – to chip in. But the deal only “encourages” emerging economies to make voluntary contributions.

Failure to explicitly repeat the call for a transition away from fossil fuels

A call to “transition away” from coal, oil, and gas made during last year’s COP28 summit in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, was touted as groundbreaking – the first time that 200 countries, including top oil and gas producers like Saudi Arabia and the US, acknowledged the need to phase down fossil fuels. But the latest talks only referred to the Dubai deal, without explicitly repeating the call for a transition away from fossil fuels.

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev referred to fossil fuel resources as a “gift from God” during his keynote opening speech.

New carbon credit trading rules approved

New rules allowing wealthy, high-emission countries to buy carbon-cutting “offsets” from developing nations were approved this week.

The initiative, known as Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, establishes frameworks for both direct country-to-country carbon trading and a UN-regulated marketplace.

Proponents believe this could channel vital investment into developing nations, where many carbon credits are generated through activities like reforestation, protecting carbon sinks, and transitioning to clean energy.

However, critics warn that without strict safeguards, these systems could be exploited to greenwash climate targets, allowing leading polluters to delay meaningful emissions reductions. The unregulated carbon market has previously faced scandals, raising concerns about the effectiveness and integrity of these credits.

Disagreements within the developing world

The negotiations were also the scene of disagreements within the developing world.

The Least Developed Countries (LDCs) bloc had asked that it receive $220bn per year, while the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) wanted $39bn – demands that were opposed by other developing nations.

The figures did not appear in the final deal. Instead, it calls for tripling other public funds they receive by 2030.

The next COP, in Brazil in 2025, is expected to issue a report on how to boost climate finance for these countries.

Who said what?

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailed the deal in Baku as marking “a new era for climate cooperation and finance”.

She said the $300bn agreement after marathon talks “will drive investments in the clean transition, bringing down emissions and building resilience to climate change”.

US President Joe Biden cast the agreement reached in Baku as a “historic outcome”, while EU climate envoy Wopke Hoekstra said it would be remembered as “the start of a new era for climate finance”.

But others fully disagreed. India, a vociferous critic of rich countries’ stance in climate negotiations, called it “a paltry sum”.

“This document is little more than an optical illusion,” India’s delegate Chandni Raina said.

Sierra Leone’s Environment Minister Jiwoh Abdulai said the deal showed a “lack of goodwill” from rich countries to stand by the world’s poorest as they confront rising seas and harsher droughts. Nigeria’s envoy Nkiruka Maduekwe called it “an insult”.

Is the COP process in doubt?

Despite years of celebrated climate agreements, greenhouse gas emissions and global temperatures continue to rise, with 2024 on track to be the hottest year recorded. The intensifying effects of extreme weather highlight the insufficient pace of action to avert a full-blown climate crisis.

The COP29 finance deal has drawn criticism as inadequate.

Adding to the unease, Trump’s presidential election victory loomed over the talks, with his pledges to withdraw the US from global climate efforts and appoint a climate sceptic as energy secretary further dampening optimism.

‘No longer fit for purpose’

The Kick the Big Polluters Out (KBPO) coalition of NGOs analysed accreditations at the summit, calculating that more than 1,700 people linked to fossil fuel interests attended.

A group of leading climate activists and scientists, including former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, warned earlier this month that the COP process was “no longer fit for purpose”.

They urged smaller, more frequent meetings, strict criteria for host countries and rules to ensure companies showed clear climate commitments before being allowed to send lobbyists to the talks.

Related Topics:asia Azerbaijan Climate climate crisis Featured news

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World

Consejos para disfrutar de las celebraciones de fin de año, sin estrés

Published

3 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

Consejos para disfrutar de las celebraciones de fin de año, sin estrés

NUEVA YORK (AP) — Todos conocemos los factores de estrés: obligaciones sociales, rencillas familiares, divisiones políticas, estrés financiero y el deseo de mantenerse alegre y generoso todo el tiempo.

Así que aquí va un recordatorio sobre cómo desterrar a tu perfeccionista interior y disfrutar verdaderamente de la temporada festiva:

“Realmente ayuda dejar de lado algunos de los ‘deberías’”, dice Lynn F. Bufka, jefa de práctica de la Asociación Estadounidense de Psicología. “Decide cuál es la cosa que más importa, y las cosas que te brindan más alegría, y suelta las demás”.

Las tradiciones pueden cambiar y evolucionar, y cuanto más flexibles sean las cosas, más fácil será para todos, dice Bufka.

“Concentra tu energía en crear un espacio cálido para que las personas que amas se reúnan y relajen, se pongan al día y celebren unos a otros. Eso es literalmente todo lo que importa”, concuerda Lauren Iannotti, editora en jefe de Real Simple.

Algunos consejos:

Concéntrate en lo que te hace feliz

Podrías decidir que la conversación es tu objetivo principal y no preocuparte en absoluto por la decoración, dice Bufka. O si la decoración de la mesa es lo que amas, invierte tu energía allí y no te preocupes tanto por otros aspectos.

“Idealmente, debería tratarse de enfocarse en el amor, y eso no significa lo mismo para todos”, dice Bufka.

Permite que otros hagan las cosas por ti.

“La gente quiere ayudar, ¡déjalos!”, dice Iannotti. “Si no te ENCANTA cocinar todas esas guarniciones, o tienes poco tiempo, no hay ninguna vergüenza en aceptar que tu hermana haga el relleno. O busca ayuda de los profesionales: apoya a un restaurante local haciendo un pedido de catering”.

Otra opción es que “cada uno traiga un plato distintivo”, dice Ianotti. “Ahorrarás tiempo y dinero en la preparación y la cocina y tus invitados podrán mostrar sus habilidades”.

Darte permiso para tomar atajos

“Está bien si la casa está un poco desordenada o si la cena se sirve unos minutos tarde”, dice Iannotti. “Si las personas que has invitado están más interesadas en evaluar tu desempeño que en pasar un buen rato, pueden discutirlo con su terapeuta”. (Por cierto, no lo están, añade ella).

Y no dudes en dejar que la gente se sirva por sí misma, cuando sea posible. “Si no tienes tiempo para jugar a ser el barman, crea una bebida insignia con anticipación que puedas servir a todos tus invitados. También puedes simplemente dejar algunos mezcladores para que los invitados se sirvan y hagan sus propias creaciones”, sugiere Caroline Utz, directora editorial y de estrategia en The Spruce.

Está bien tener tiempo a solas

Las cosas funcionarán lo suficientemente bien si no lo supervisas todo, así que cuídate. Tómate pausas o caminatas si eso te ayuda a mantenerte centrado.

“Aunque el mindfulness se está convirtiendo en un término demasiado utilizado en la sociedad actual, hay algo valioso que podemos tomar de esto y aplicar a la temporada de fin de año”, dice Brook Choulet, psiquiatra deportiva y de rendimiento de concierge y fundadora de Choulet Performance Psychiatry.

Ella recomienda “programar microdescansos intencionales” para hacer algo que disfrutes.

“Por ejemplo, podrías programar una llamada telefónica con un amigo de otro estado, tomar un paseo de 15 minutos al aire libre, o incluso ajustar el temporizador y tomar un baño de 15 minutos sin interrupciones”, dijo.

Espera algo de discordia y no te alarmes por ello

“Si te preocupa la polarización y entrar en conversaciones incómodas, intenta pensar en maneras en que puedas terminar una conversación o cambiarla de dirección”, dice Bufka.

Ella recomienda preparar algunas frases de antemano para ayudar a terminar la conversación o cambiarla de dirección.

En resumen, tener la intención de una temporada festiva menos perfecta puede ser justo lo que necesitas.

___

Katherine Roth cubre temas de vida y estilo y otros temas para The Associated Press desde Nueva York.

___

Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.

World

Azerbaijan Airlines plane headed to Russia crashes hundreds of miles off course, dozens feared dead

Published

4 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

Azerbaijan Airlines plane headed to Russia crashes hundreds of miles off course, dozens feared dead

Dozens of passengers are feared dead after an Azerbaijan Airlines flight crashed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, reports say.

The Embraer 190 passenger jet flying from Azerbaijan to Russia had 62 passengers and five crew on board, Kazakh authorities announced, saying 32 survivors had been rescued.

Flight J2-8243 had flown hundreds of miles off its scheduled route to crash on the opposite shore of the Caspian Sea. Officials did not immediately explain why it had crossed the sea, but the crash came shortly after drone strikes hit southern Russia. Drone activity has shut airports in the area in the past and the nearest Russian airport on the plane’s flight path was closed on Wednesday morning.

Russia’s aviation watchdog, meanwhile, said it was an emergency that may have been caused by a bird strike.

MORE THAN 30 DEAD IN BRAZIL BUS AND TRUCK COLLISION

In this photo taken from a video released by the administration of Mangystau region, the wreckage of Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 lies on the ground near the airport of Aktau, Kazakhstan, Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024. (The Administration of Mangystau Region/AP Photo)

Those aboard the plane included 42 Azerbaijani citizens, 16 Russian nationals, six Kazakhstani and three Kyrgyzstani citizens, according to Kazakhstani officials.

Russian news agency Interfax reported that both pilots died in the crash, citing a preliminary assessment by emergency workers at the scene. The news agency also quoted medical workers who stated that four bodies had been recovered from the crash so far.

A total of 29 survivors, including two children, have been hospitalized, the ministry told Russia’s state news agency, RIA Novosti, the Associated Press reported. Many passengers have yet to be accounted for.

MALAYSIA AGREES TO RESUME ‘NO FIND, NO FEE’ HUNT FOR FLIGHT MH370, 10 YEARS AFTER PLANE DISAPPEARED

More than 30 are feared dead following the crash near the Kazakhstani city of Aktau. (Azamat Sarsenbayev/AP Photo)

Video of the crash showed the plane descending rapidly before bursting into flames as it hit the seashore, and thick black smoke then rising, Reuters reported. Bloodied and bruised passengers could be seen stumbling from a piece of the fuselage that had remained intact.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who had been traveling to Russia, returned to Azerbaijan upon hearing news of the crash, the president’s press service said. Aliyev was due to attend an informal meeting of leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States, a bloc of former Soviet countries founded after the collapse of the Soviet Union, in St. Petersburg.

Emergency crews at the site of the Azerbaijani airliner crash on Dec. 25, 2024. (Azamat Sarsenbayev/AP Photo)

Aliyev expressed his condolences to the families of the victims in a statement on social media.

“It is with deep sadness that I express my condolences to the families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to those injured,” he wrote.

He also signed a decree declaring Dec. 26 a day of mourning in Azerbaijan.

The plane was en route from the Azerbaijani capital of Baku to the Russian city of Grozny in the North Caucasus, the Associated Press reports. (The Administration of Mangystau Region/AP Photo)

In a statement, Azerbaijan Airlines said it would keep members of the public updated and changed its social media banners to solid black.

“We ask God for mercy on the passengers and crew members who lost their lives,” a translated statement on X said. “Their pain is our pain. We wish a speedy recovery to those injured.”

Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

World

Who is Europe's top investor in space in 2023?

Published

4 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

Who is Europe's top investor in space in 2023?

Luxembourg remains Europe’s top investor in space in a year when defence spending on space exceeded civil space budgets for the first time since the 1990s.

Global public investment in space hit a record high of €106 billion in 2023, an 11% increase compared to 2022.

In Europe, the total funding was €11.9 billion, showing a modest 1% rise in its share of global space investment.

According to the European Space Agency, defence spending on space exceeded civil space budgets last year for the first time since the 1990s. Defence expenditures in space are projected to grow faster than civil spending, making up 53% of the budget in 2024.

The US continues to dominate global space investment, accounting for 64% of the total budget, while China holds a strong second place, growing its share from an estimated 2% in 2000 to 12% in 2023 through long-term programmes in both civil and defence.

Europe ranks third, contributing 11% of the global space budget in 2023.

What share of their GDP do EU countries spend on public space budgets?

Luxembourg remains Europe’s leading investor in space, dedicating 0.135% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to the sector.

Globally, the country ranks third behind the US (0.262%) and Russia (0.169%).

In Europe, Luxembourg is followed by France, which invests 0.167% of its GDP, Italy at 0.103%, and Belgium at 0.095%.

On the other hand, private investment in space has continued to decline in 2023, dropping by 32% compared to 2022.

Europe also saw a 14% decrease in 2023 compared to the year before, with private space ventures receiving just below €980 million.

Although the US accounts for most of the global decline in 2023, its space sector continues to attract the largest share of investments at 60%, followed by Europe with 16% and China with 9%.

What was the state of space activity in 2023?

There were 221 orbital launches in 2023, an 18% increase compared to 2022.

Yet, a total of 212 launches were successful.

The US carried out more than half of the launches, with 96 of them conducted by SpaceX.

China accounted for 30% with 67 launches, a 5% increase from 2022, and Russia completed 19 launches.

The European launch service provider conducted three launches in 2023, including Europe’s first mission to Jupiter, which aimed to explore whether the planet’s three moons — Callisto, Europa, and Ganymede — could support life in their oceans.

Video editor • Mert Can Yilmaz