|
Sent: Monday, February 05, 2024 4:00 PM
Subject: 🌏CAN EECCA Newsletter: Climate anti-heroes, energy
accident in Kyrgyzstan and drought emergency in Barcelona
|
Climate Action
Network
Eastern Europe, Caucasus
and Central Asia
Digest
of news on climate
change, energy
issues
| | | |
|
Someone
forwarded this digest to you?
You can
subscribe using this
link
| |
| |
|
Svetlana
Tsikhanouskaya, leader of the opposition in
Belarus, spoke at the Congress of the "European
Green Party" in Lyon, France, appealing to the
European Greens to support the green
transformation of Belarus. Tihanouskaya
expressed her desire for Belarus to become not
only democratic but also green, emphasizing the
need to reduce dependence on Russian fuel. In
her address she also condemned dictators,
emphasizing the importance of fighting for the
environment, human rights and democracy in
Belarus.
Kyrgyzstan's capital,
Bishkek, faced a heating crisis as an explosion
at the country's largest thermal power plant led
to the shutdown of hot water for most residents
and left some parts of the city without heating.
The cause of the explosion at the Bishkek TETs
plant remains uncertain, with initial suspicions
of sabotage discounted in favor of potential
technical failures and safety rule violations.
President Sadyr Japarov took charge of the
situation, expressing plans for the total
modernization of the facility, while concerns
arise over past refurbishment failures and
potential issues related to a switch in coal
types.
The
Ministry of Water Resources in Kazakhstan plans
to encourage water-saving technologies among
farmers by increasing financial incentives.
While the government already reimburses 50% of
costs for water-saving equipment, this year, the
subsidy will rise to 80%. The initiative aims to
expand public incentives for new irrigation
systems and subsidize up to 80% of costs related
to acquiring drop irrigation and rainwater
irrigation systems, with the goal of covering
1.3 million hectares with water conservation
technologies by 2030, saving about 2.1 cubic
kilometers of water and doubling agricultural
product yields.
Russia is lagging
behind global efforts to transition to clean
energy, increasing greenhouse gas emissions and
failing to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels.
Its geographic location makes the country
particularly vulnerable to climate change,
leading to devastating effects such as melting
permafrost, fires and floods. Despite joining
the Paris Agreement, Russia is out of sync with
the global climate agenda, remaining committed
to fossil fuels and making no real effort to
reduce emissions.
The
UNDP is partnering with the Government of
Denmark for a transformative regional initiative
called "Greening the Future, Advancing Rights
and Stability." With up to $10.8 million in
funding from Denmark, the project aims to
strengthen environmental governance and promote
a climate-sensitive economy in Georgia and
Moldova. The initiative will focus on building
institutional capacities, reducing greenhouse
gas emissions, improving energy efficiency, and
advancing the adoption of renewable energy
practices, with specific efforts directed
towards citizen engagement and sustainable
development at the local level in
Georgia.
| | | |
|
The
REN21 Renewables and Sustainability Report
(RESR) outlines a comprehensive "recipe" for
scaling up renewables while maximizing their
benefits and addressing potential negative
impacts. The report, developed through a
yearlong research and consultative process with
various stakeholders, emphasizes that the
environmental impact of renewables is
significantly lower than other energy sources
and can be mitigated through best practices. It
highlights the diverse benefits of renewables on
climate change, pollution, biodiversity, human
health, energy access, security, and job
creation, emphasizing the need for a
crowd-sourced, multi-stakeholder approach to
assess the sustainability of renewables in
diverse contexts.
We are
facing the growing trend of A-list celebrities
turning to carbon offsetting to address
criticism for their high carbon emissions,
especially from private jet usage. It questions
the efficacy of carbon offsetting in the broader
fight against climate change and explores
whether it is a genuine effort towards a greener
world or a form of greenwashing. The report
highlights instances of celebrities, including
Taylor Swift, Elon Musk, The Rolling Stones, Kim
Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Bill Gates, and Jeff
Bezos, facing scrutiny for their
carbon-intensive lifestyles despite advocating
for environmental causes.
Catalonia,
Spain, is facing its worst drought on record,
prompting authorities to declare a state of
emergency and impose strict water restrictions
affecting 80% of the population, including
Barcelona. Citizens could be fined up to €50 for
activities like washing cars or watering
gardens, with serious offenses in Barcelona
carrying fines up to €3,000. The emergency
measures, responding to reservoirs below 16%
capacity and 40 consecutive months of
below-average rainfall, include phased
reductions in daily water consumption per person
and cuts in water supply for agriculture and
industry, while discussions about potentially
sourcing water from other territories are
underway.
The
Norwegian State has appealed against the Oslo
District Court's landmark decision that declared
approvals for three North Sea oil fields
invalid. Greenpeace Nordic and Natur og Ungdom,
who secured the win, are prepared to fight in
the Appeals Court, emphasizing that injunctions
against the three fields are enforceable,
requiring a halt in development and production.
The initial court ruling, delivered on January
18, 2024, found the government violated legal
precedent by not assessing the global climate
effects of the oil and gas fields before
approval, prompting the State's appeal without
publicly disclosed grounds.
Shell
has joined the Renewables for Subsea Power (RSP)
project, a collaboration using wave power and
subsea energy storage to power equipment off the
Orkney coast. The £2 million demonstrator,
operational for almost a year, connects Mocean
Energy’s Blue X wave energy converter with
Verlume’s Halo underwater battery storage
system. The project aims to showcase the
integration of green technologies for reliable
low-carbon power and communications to subsea
equipment, offering a cost-effective alternative
to carbon-intensive umbilical
cables.
| |
| |
|
This
email has been sent to you, because you are a
subscriber of CANEECCA
| | |
Sent: Monday,
February 05, 2024 4:00 PM
Subject: 🌏CAN
EECCA Newsletter: Climate anti-heroes, energy accident in
Kyrgyzstan and drought emergency in Barcelona
| |
|
