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Climate
Change and Energy
News:
Weekly Digest by CAN
EECCA
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Dear
subscribers,
This issue brings you
the key climate and environmental stories from
the past week: new regional challenges — from
Chernobyl’s radioactive legacy to water
pollution in Kara-Keche. On the global agenda —
the UN’s Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, record
coral bleaching, and alarming deep-sea mining
initiatives. Across the region, countries are
pushing forward with clean energy transitions,
waste management reforms, and intensified
international cooperation on climate and water
governance.
Plus — a selection of current
opportunities for activists, researchers, and
NGOs.
We’re always open to
hearing your thoughts, ideas, or stories — don’t
hesitate to get in touch.
Sincerely,
The
CAN EECCA Team
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News
from the EECCA Region
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The United Nations
General Assembly has adopted a resolution
declaring 2027–2036 the UN Decade on
Reforestation. The resolution was initiated by
Uzbekistan and Congo, with 80 other countries
joining as co-sponsors, according to the UN
website. The resolution is titled "UN Decade on
Afforestation and Reforestation in Accordance
with the Principles of Sustainable Forest
Management." It calls on various UN bodies,
including the UN Environment Programme and the
Food and Agriculture Organization, to support
this initiative.
Ahead of the 39th
anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, Belarus
is once again discussing plans to build nuclear
waste storage facilities. According to experts,
this news sounds like a cynical mockery of the
country that suffered most from the
catastrophe's aftermath.
Ukraine has
considerable potential for the development of
renewable energy. According to experts from the
Institute for Sustainable Futures at the
University of Technology Sydney, wind energy
could provide 949.8 GW of capacity, solar energy
5084.5 GW, and bioenergy, according to the
Bioenergy Association of Ukraine, 3850 GW.
However, due to poor spatial planning for wind
energy projects in the Zakarpattia region and
the allocation of ecologically valuable lands
for wind farms, the goals of nature conservation
and renewable energy development are now in
direct conflict.
At a press conference,
Ekaterina Shmeleva, Deputy Head of the
Department for Radioactive Waste Management and
Nuclear Legacy Sites at Belarus’s State Atomic
Supervision Authority, reported that over 60% of
the strontium and cesium released during the
Chernobyl disaster has decayed over the past 39
years — but the rest still remains in the
soil.
Azerbaijan
is facing serious impacts from climate change,
including reduced water resources and pressure
on the energy and agricultural sectors. The
country is working to fulfill its UN and Paris
Agreement commitments by transitioning from
fossil fuels to renewables. In 2024, renewables
made up 10.6% of electricity production, mainly
from hydropower, with solar, wind, and bioenergy
contributing just 2.9%. Despite progress, major
challenges remain in scaling up renewable
energy.
The Nubarashen district
in Yerevan is considered one of the city’s most
environmentally problematic areas. Frequent
fires at the local landfill pose serious risks
to the environment and contribute to chronic
health problems among residents. According to
Kristina Vardanyan, associate professor at the
Department of Hygiene and Ecology at Yerevan
State Medical University and a member of the
City Council from the opposition “National
Progress” faction, the Nubarashen landfill is
one of the main contributors to air pollution in
the capital.
In Almaty, residents
often breathe air comparable to smoking
cigarettes — especially in winter. Experts
estimate that each resident inhales a level of
pollutants equivalent to hundreds of cigarettes
annually. On the most polluted days, the daily
exposure can reach the equivalent of 5–6
cigarettes. Winter is the dirtiest season in
Almaty, but unfortunately, the consequences
don’t melt with the snow. The polluted air
persists year-round — even when it’s not
visible.
At the 81st session of
the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia
and the Pacific (ESCAP), participants supported
a resolution initiated by the Republic of
Tajikistan. The document aims to strengthen
cooperation on water resource management and
climate change response to promote sustainable
development in the Asia-Pacific
region.
Kyrgyzstan: Black water at the
Kara-Keche coal deposit
In Kara-Keche, one of
Kyrgyzstan’s key coal mining sites, water
flowing from glaciers is no longer clear — it
turns black, and local pine trees are drying
out. Despite repeated complaints from local
residents, no effective action has been taken.
This report investigates how Kyrgyzstan’s “black
gold” is devastating the local
environment.
Following the release
of HBO’s “Chernobyl” series, public interest in
the 1986 nuclear disaster surged. But beyond the
screen lies a complex and controversial reality
best understood through books — including
testimonies of survivors, memoirs of
liquidators, and investigative journalism. In
this guide, former Greenpeace Russia media
coordinator Konstantin Fomin recommends
essential reading to grasp the full picture of
the catastrophe.
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World
Climate and Energy News
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“We may never see the
heat stress that causes bleaching dropping below
the threshold that triggers a global event,”
said Mark Eakin, corresponding secretary for the
International Coral Reef Society and retired
coral monitoring chief for the U.S. National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “We’re
looking at something that’s completely changing
the face of our planet and the ability of our
oceans to sustain lives and livelihoods,” Eakin
said.
President Donald Trump
is trying to fast track a brand new, highly
controversial industry – mining critical
minerals in the deep sea. Trump signed an
executive order Thursday directing the
secretaries of Interior and Commerce to speed up
the exploration and permitting for deep sea
mining in US and international waters. Senior
administration officials estimate US water
contains more than 1 billion metric tons of
nodules, or deposits, of minerals including
copper, cobalt, nickel, zinc and manganese that
are necessary for computer chips, batteries and
other products needed for the clean energy
transition
Global heating sceptics
now argue it is more palatable with the
electorate to pivot from climate denialism to
anti-renewable energy scepticism.
“We resolved to
temporarily pivot from the climate debate and
launch the Energy Realists of Australia
to talk to people about matters that really
concern them, like the price and security of
power, instead of science,” said Rafe Champion,
another Saltbush founder and a stalwart of the
Five Dock meetup.
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The
Eastern Partnership Civil Society Facility
Project is pleased to announce the 2nd Call for
Applications for its 2025 EU-funded Fellowship
programme!
This
Call for Civil Society Fellows is open to all
citizens of the Eastern Partnership countries
(Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova
and Ukraine) regardless of their current
location. The submission of Concept Notes must
be made online by May 31, 2025.
Applications can be
made online following the guidelines for
priorities and eligibility, with extra
evaluation points available to all applicants
meeting the criteria of the ‘Call’s’ special
theme: ‘Countering Misinformation and
Disinformation’.
The
Youth Climate Caravan is a platform where young
people develop their own climate position in
relation to the development of Nationally
Determined Contributions (NDCs), exchange ideas,
get inspired, and influence global policy
through a youth statement and recommendations.
This statement will be presented at
international climate negotiations and will
contribute to shaping the updated
NDCs.
Where: Cities across
Kyrgyzstan – Bishkek, Osh, Jalal-Abad, Talas,
Naryn, Balykchy, Batken
When: May 13–23 (dates
vary by city)
Who can apply: Citizens
of Kyrgyzstan aged 14–35
Costs: Participation is
self-funded
Deadline: May 3,
2025
The
Nature Cultural Fellowship (NCF) is a 7-month
journey hosted by Kinship and the Global Youth
Biodiversity Network for 55 participants from
over 30 countries.
Program
structure:
- Tending
the Soil: Exploring cultural narratives, working
with memory and systems of oppression.
- World
of Possibilities: Developing creative ideas
through co-imagination and peer feedback.
- Seeding Regenerative
Futures: Implementing projects rooted in art,
traditional knowledge, and intergenerational
exchange.
Deadline:
May 2, 2025
IFC’s
She Wins Climate Accelerator is looking for
women-led startups transforming the climate
space in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and
Türkiye. Selected ventures will get tailored
support, investor access, and global
exposure.
Deadline:
May 1, 2025
The
Schneider Go Green Challenge 2025 is a global
competition for those striving to contribute to
a sustainable future through innovative
renewable energy solutions.
Theme of the
competition: “Renewable Energy for
Lives and Livelihoods”
Participants
are invited to develop business models in two
key areas:
- Solar energy in
agriculture: Solutions for pre- and post-harvest
processing, storage, and value
addition.
- Solar energy for
microbusinesses: Innovations in retail,
services, cooling, production, and
processing.
Total prize pool:
€10,000
Deadline: May 31,
2025
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From: CAN EECCA
<dig...@caneecca.org>Date: ср, 30 апр.
2025 г. в 17:30 Subject: 🌍 CAN EECCA Newsletter: Chernobyl 39 Years
Later, Oceans on the Brink, and Clean Energy Facing New
Challenges |
