Aviation industry agrees deal to cut CO2 emissions
The first deal limiting greenhouse gases from international aviation has been sealed. The aviation deal was agreed in Montreal by national representatives at the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The ICAO’s global carbon offsetting system is expected to slow the growth of emissions from commercial flights, costing the industry less than 2 percent of revenues. Governments from individual countries must still act on their own to put the agreement’s limits into effect. The system will be voluntary from 2021 to 2026 and mandatory from 2027 for states with larger aviation industries. Tensions were centred around developed nations, responsible for most greenhouse gas emissions in the past. Russia and India have said they will not participate in the voluntary phases and said the deal puts an unfair burden on emerging countries. Brazil voiced support for the deal but did not say whether it would join the first phases. (BBC; Thomson Reuters)
Steel industry must cut emissions 70 percent to meet Paris Agreement objectives
New research published by CDP reveals steel emissions have not fallen in a decade, prompting calls for a ‘technological transformation’ of the industry. The steel industry is responsible for around seven percent of all global emissions, and has made no progress on cutting emissions in the last decade, according to the research. In order for the sector to fulfil its share of limiting warming to less than two degrees, CDP argues the steel industry must cut emissions by 70 percent per tonne by 2050. But investment in R&D across the industry has actually fallen by 14 percent in recent years, so the report warns that without low-carbon innovation, carbon pricing looks set to hurt the economics of an industry already enduring low levels of profitability. (Business Green)
Sustainable Development
Girls spend 40 percent more time on chores than boys, UN report finds
Girls spend 40% more time performing unpaid household activities than boys, according to a new report from the UN children’s agency. Unicef said the difference in time spent working amounted to 160m extra hours a day worldwide. Two out of three girls cook and clean in the home, almost half collect water or firewood and perform more “less visible” domestic work like childcare or looking after the elderly. The amount of work increases as the girls grow up, between ages five and nine, girls spend 30 percent more time on chores – by 14, it rises to 50 percent. The report highlights that tasks such as gathering water or firewood can also put young girls at increased risk of sexual violence. “This unequal distribution of labour among children also perpetuates gender stereotypes and the double burden on women and girls across generations,” said Unicef’s Anju Malhotra. (BBC)
Energy
U.S. pumps $30 million more into hydrogen economy
The U.S. has its sights set on a “deep decarbonization” goal for the national economy, and it looks like hydrogen will play a key role in getting there. A new round of $30 million in Energy Department funding indicates the U.S. is serious about getting on track for a sustainable hydrogen economy based on renewable energy. The new funding will go to ramp up the Energy Department’s existing Energy Materials Network. The network was launched to support the domestic hydrogen and fuel cell industries with foundational research resources at the agency’s national laboratories. The programs include the Electrocatalysis Consortium. This group is tackling one major obstacle, which is the cost of the catalyst needed to generate electricity in a fuel cell. (Triple Pundit)
Lobby
Over half of donations to EU referendum campaigns made by just 10 donors
Just 10 individuals or companies were responsible for more than half of all donations made to the EU membership referendum, according to new analysis by Transparency International UK. The report also found a lack of transparency in the third largest donor to the referendum campaigns. “Better for the Country Limited” donated £2.1million to leave campaigners, yet was only set up a year prior to the referendum. Loopholes and weaknesses in the political donations system can enable access to power gained through making large donations to political parties, politicians and their campaigns. “The debate around the biggest question we have faced in a generation was financed by an astonishingly small group of exceptionally wealthy donors. That’s a dangerous place for any democracy. It illustrates the general dependency of our country’s political parties on a millionaires club of some 50 donors, many of whom also sit in the House of Lords,” said Duncan Hames, Director of Policy Transparency International UK. (Transparency International)
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