#UN Climate Summit in September 2023

[reasonsforhope]

"The prospects of the world staying within the 1.5C limit on global heating have brightened owing to the “staggering” growth of renewable energy and green investment in the past two years, the chief of the world’s energy watchdog has said.

Fatih Birol, the executive director of the International Energy Agency, and the world’s foremost energy economist, said much more needed to be done but that the rapid uptake of solar power and electric vehicles were encouraging.

“Despite the scale of the challenges, I feel more optimistic than I felt two years ago,” he said in an interview. “Solar photovoltaic installations and electric vehicle sales are perfectly in line with what we said they should be, to be on track to reach net zero by 2050, and thus stay within 1.5C. Clean energy investments in the last two years have seen a staggering 40% increase.” ...

The IEA, in a report entitled Net Zero Roadmap, published on Tuesday morning, also called on developed countries with 2050 net zero targets, including the UK, to bring them forward by several years.

The report found “almost all countries must move forward their targeted net zero dates”, which for most developed countries are 2050. Some developed countries have earlier dates, such as Germany with 2045 and Austria and Iceland with 2040 and for many developing countries they are much later, 2060 in the case of China and 2070 for India.

Cop28, the UN climate summit to be held in Dubai this November and December, offered a key opportunity for countries to set out tougher emissions-cutting plans, Birol said.

He wants to see Cop28 agree a tripling of renewable energy by 2030, and a 75% cut in methane from the energy sector by the same date. The latter could be achieved at little cost, because high gas prices mean that plugging leaks from oil and gas wells can be profitable...

He also called for Cop28 to agree a doubling of energy efficiency. “To reduce fossil fuel emissions, we need to reduce demand for fossil fuels. This is a golden condition, if we are to reach our climate goals,” he said.

Birol stopped short of endorsing the call that some countries have made for a full phase-out of fossil fuels by 2050 to be agreed at Cop28, but he said all countries must work on reducing their fossil fuel use."

-via The Guardian, September 26, 2023

[thehopefuljournalist]

unrelated- what's your favorite news story recently?

Hello, thank you so much for asking!! I've had a hard time because this week was actually full of news stories and I'm working on releasing them all to you guys!

But let me tell you about my favourite one from today :)

As an activist, working within my own country and out especially in climate-related themes, I believe in people-power, fully. I know, of course, that some people have more power and influence than others, but there's no denying that there's strength in numbers.

This recent, huge, protest in New York is such a hopeful turn, I think. I love seeing that I'm not the only one worried, that I'm not alone in my fighting. With numbers, we have a bigger chance of winning over our world leaders, and by doing that, to protect ourselves and our futures.

Well, this is my favourite news story from the past two days.

This past Sunday, 75K climate activists took to New York's streets in a “march to end fossil fuels”

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez criticized the US continuing to approve fossil fuel projects, something which the Biden administration did earlier this year with the controversial Willow project in Alaska.

“We are all here for one reason: to end fossil fuels around the planet,” Ocasio-Cortez told a rally at the finish of the march, which ended close to the UN headquarters where world leaders will gather this week. “And the way we create urgency is to have people around the world in the streets.”

“The United States continues to be approving a record number of fossil fuel leases and we must send a message, right here today,” adding that despite record profits the support for the fossil fuel industry was “starting to buckle and crack”.

“This is an incredible moment,” said Jean Su of the Center for Biological Diversity, who helped organize the mobilization. “Tens of thousands of people are marching in the streets of New York because they want climate action,"

“This also shows the tremendous grit and fight of the people, especially youth and communities living at the frontlines of fossil fuel violence, to fight back and demand change for the future they have every right to lead,” she said.

The march came during Climate Week, as world leaders gather for this week’s UN general assembly, and a UN climate ambition summit on Wednesday.

On Friday, the national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said Biden was not currently scheduled to take part in Wednesday’s UN climate summit. Biden has been praised by climate activists for last year passing a historic $369bn climate law but criticized for allowing oil drilling projects and the expansion of gas facilities in the Gulf of Mexico.

A decision for Biden to stay away from the UN climate ambition summit is “unacceptable”, said Su of the Center for Biological Diversity. “The time is now for Biden to lead on the world stage, and show he means it when he calls climate change the existential threat to humanity.”

During the march, the Rev Lennox Yearwood, head of the Hip Hop Caucus, likened today’s climate movement to the US fight for racial justice. 

Youth climate activist Vanessa Nakate, from Uganda, said: “When we say that we want climate justice, we’re not just talking about transitioning to solar panels. We are talking about leaving no one behind when you’re talking about addressing the injustices that come with the climate crisis."

Article published September 17, 2023 - The Gaurdian

Another article, interviewing a young climate activist

[royalpain16]

THE SECOND ANNUAL SUMMIT WILL UNVEIL THE FIFTEEN 2023 EARTHSHOT PRIZE FINALISTS WHO ARE TRAILBLAZING CLIMATE SOLUTIONS TO REPAIR OUR PLANET BY 2030

The Earthshot Prize and Bloomberg Philanthropies today announced they will co-host the second Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit on September 19, 2023, in New York City with the founder of The Earthshot Prize, Prince William, expected to attend.

Held during New York Climate Week and the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly, the Summit will convene previous Earthshot Prize Winners and Finalists with policymakers, global business leaders, philanthropists, and climate activists to scale their innovative solutions.

At the Summit, The Earthshot Prize will reveal this year’s 15 Finalists and introduce their groundbreaking climate and environmental solutions to repair our planet this decade on one of the biggest international stages.

To help drive meaningful change, and accelerate the collaborations and investments needed to scale those solutions, the Summit will connect the new and previous Earthshot Prize Finalists and Winners with forward-thinking business leaders, philanthropists, and governments already working to regenerate the planet. September’s Summit begins the countdown to The Earthshot Prize’s third annual Awards ceremony in Singapore, where, on November 7, 2023, five of the 15 Finalists will be awarded a catalytic £1 million to scale their cutting-edge solutions.

Alongside Prince William, Michael R. Bloomberg, Global Advisor to the Winners of The Earthshot Prize, will address the assembled guests. Other featured speakers will include policymakers, business leaders, climate innovators, and previous Earthshot Prize Winners and Finalists. The full agenda will be announced in due course

Founded by Prince William and The Royal Foundation in 2020, The Earthshot Prize is a global environmental prize to discover, accelerate, and scale ground-breaking solutions that can help put the world firmly on a trajectory toward a stable climate where communities, oceans, and biodiversity thrive in harmony by 2030.

Inspired by President John F. Kennedy’s Moonshot, which united millions of people around the goal of reaching the moon, The Earthshot Prize recognizes Finalists and Winners across five challenges, or ‘Earthshots’: Protect and Restore Nature, Clean our Air, Revive our Oceans, Build a Waste-free World, and Fix our Climate. The Prize aims to turn the current pessimism surrounding environmental issues into optimism and will discover 50 winners over 10 years with the power to repair the planet

The inaugural 2021 Earthshot Prize Finalists have already driven incredible impact with more than 1.5 million people benefiting directly from their solutions. Over 7,000 hectares of land and almost 2.1 million hectares of ocean have been protected or restored, while over 35,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions have been reduced, avoided, or sequestered. The 2022 Finalists, announced this past autumn, are well on their way to creating similar impact.

To help accelerate the work of the inaugural Finalists at last year’s Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit, Bloomberg Philanthropies committed more than $20 million through direct grants, co-funding, and other efforts to support the success of the inaugural Finalists and Winners of The Earthshot Prize 2021, including:

Scaling Takachar’s technology, which reduces smoke emissions from agricultural waste by up to 98%, through a pilot program in villages in the state of Punjab and Haryana, India.

Supercharging Pristine Seas’ 30×30 ocean protected goal through funding major ocean expeditions, helping establish more marine protected areas, and enhancing diplomacy and advocacy efforts. Pristine Seas has already helped establish 26 marine reserves worldwide, across an area over twice the size of India.

Scaling Coral Vita’s research capabilities to identify new restoration sites and monitor both restoration progress and local marine health after installation. Coral Vita’s cutting-edge methods to grow coral up to 50 times faster than nature can help replant our oceans and give new life to dying ecosystems.

Expanding the capacity of the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs and Blue Map App to scale its data, research, and reporting capabilities.

Convening at least ten North American and European cities in partnership with C40 and NRDC to accelerate efforts to address food waste and food insecurity by sharing best practices from and helping to scale the City of Milan’s Local Food Waste Hub initiative, which currently provides about 260,000 meals to those most in need, to other cities.

As a mayor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, Michael R. Bloomberg has long been a global leader in the fight against climate change. He has committed more than $1 billion to efforts across the world to mobilize cities and local leaders to reduce emissions, improve air quality, advance the global transition to clean energy, protect and preserve ocean ecosystems, and help unlock billions of dollars in sustainable finance.

Bloomberg helps lead a number of efforts including the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy, America Is All In Coalition, Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures, Climate Finance Leaders Initiative, and the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero.

“To effectively tackle the climate crisis, we need to invest in innovative solutions and new ideas that can accelerate global progress and help repair the planet. This year’s Earthshot Prize Finalists are great examples of the kind of bold action and creative thinking we need, and our team is looking forward to working with Prince William to support them as they expand their ambitions.”

Michael R. Bloomberg, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions, Founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies, and 108th Mayor of New York City

“The Earthshot Prize scours the world to find entrepreneurs and innovators who exemplify the power of human ingenuity to address our most significant climate and environmental challenges. Our next class of Finalists are on the cutting-edge of some of the most exciting ideas and technologies, and with the support of our Global Alliance Partners and the global community gathering at the UN General Assembly, they have the potential to transform communities around the world for the better. By spotlighting the incredible work of our 2023 Finalists at the Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit, we hope to inspire a wave of positive change and unlock a more sustainable and resilient future.”

Hannah Jones, The Earthshot Prize CEO

[garudabluffs]

What's happening at Climate Week NYC?

September 20, 2023

We speak with Grist reporter Zoya Teirstein about Climate Week NYC, which coincides with the United Nations General Assembly and is one of the largest annual events focused on climate change.

LISTEN 05:40 https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2023/09/20/climate-week-nyc

Climate change summit marred by absence of US, China

Sep. 20, 2023 UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres only invited leaders with credible new climate pledges to speak at this year’s UN climate ambition summit. The World’s environment correspondent Carolyn Beeler was in the room during this summit. She talks with host Carol Hills about the limited power of the UN to cajole when it comes to climate.

LISTEN 06:37 https://theworld.org/media/2023-09-20/climate-change-summit-marred-absence-us-china

[saintmeghanmarkle]

Prince William met with UN Secretary-General António Guterres to discuss climate change & protecting the environment during his NYC visit for the Earthshot Summit vs Harrys sparsely attended 2022 rambling speech at the UN General Assembly by u/wontyield

Prince William met with UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, to discuss climate change & protecting the environment during his NYC visit for the Earthshot Summit vs Harry’s sparsely attended 2022 rambling speech at the UN General Assembly https://ift.tt/GKjuLMA post link: https://ift.tt/STV491X author: wontyield submitted: September 19, 2023 at 03:00AM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit

[clickvibes]

President Tinubu To Attend 78th UN General Assembly In New York

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE PRESIDENT TINUBU SET TO ATTEND 78TH UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN NEW YORK After a successful outing at the G-20 Summit in New Delhi, India, President Bola Tinubu is scheduled to depart Abuja on Sunday for New York, where he will participate in the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), which will be his first as the Nigerian leader. The theme of the UNGA is: “Rebuilding trust and Reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all.” On September 19, the first day of the High-Level General Debate of the 78th UNGA Session, President Tinubu will deliver his inaugural National Statement. Before engaging in the General Debate, the President will join other world leaders to participate in the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (UN 2023 Summit on SDGs). President Tinubu’s address will encompass several issues, such as sustainable development, climate change, global cooperation, and the imperative to address inequalities and global humanitarian crises. Additionally, President Tinubu is slated to participate in the High-Level Dialogue on Financing for Development; High-Level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response; UN Secretary General’s Climate Ambition Summit; High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage; High-Level Panel on Reform of the Global Financial Architecture, amongst others. In New York, President Tinubu is also scheduled to hold several bilateral meetings with world leaders, including the Presidents of the European Union Commission, Brazil, and South Africa, amongst others. The President will also advance his economic development agenda for aggressive investment attraction in meetings with the global leadership of transnational firms, such as Microsoft, Meta Technologies, Exxon Mobil, General Electric, and others. Furthermore, on the margins of UNGA, President Tinubu will detail emerging cross-sectoral investment opportunities in Nigeria in his address to American business leaders at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. It is noteworthy that while engaging with officials at the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) Headquarters in New York City, the Nigerian leader will have the honour of conducting the NASDAQ closing ceremony during its trading session, making President Tinubu the first African President to do this. The President will also address the Nigerian SMEs Business Summit, where he will seek to highlight the increasingly important role of Nigerian enterprises in global trade. President Tinubu will be accompanied by Governors Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State; Mohammed Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State; Hope Uzodinma of Imo State; Uba Sani of Kaduna State; AbdulRahman AbdulRazak of Kwara State; and Seyi Makinde of Oyo State. Also traveling with the President: the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar; Coordinating Minister of the Economy & Finance, Mr. Wale Edun, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Mohammed Pate; Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru; Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr. Dele Alake, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu; and Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite. The National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa and other senior government officials will also be present. Chief Ajuri Ngelale Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity) September 16, 2023 Read the full article

[crimechannels]

By • Olalekan Fagbade JUST IN Six Governors, seven Ministers on President Tinubu’s entourage to United Nations General Assembly in New York Six Governors, seven ministers and some senior aides will accompany President Bola Tinubu to the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, United States of America (USA), on Sunday. This would be President Tinubu’s first outing at the UNGA. A statement on Saturday by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, gave a detailed outline of President Tinubu’s plans in New York, including various sidelines businesses and bilateral meetings. “President Tinubu will be accompanied by Governors Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State; Mohammed Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State; Hope Uzodinma of Imo State; Uba Sani of Kaduna State; AbdulRahman AbdulRazak of Kwara State; Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila. “Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar; Coordinating Minister of the Economy & Finance, Mr. Wale Edun, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Mohammed Pate; Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru; Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr. Dele Alake, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu; and Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite. “The National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa and other senior government officials will also be present”, the statement said. The theme of this year’s UNGA is: “Rebuilding trust and Reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all.” On September 19, the first day of the High-Level General Debate of the 78th UNGA Session, President Tinubu will deliver his inaugural National Statement. Before engaging in the General Debate, the President will join other world leaders to participate in the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (UN 2023 Summit on SDGs). President Tinubu’s address will encompass several issues, such as sustainable development, climate change, global cooperation, and the imperative to address inequalities and global humanitarian crises. Additionally, President Tinubu is slated to participate in the High-Level Dialogue on Financing for Development; High-Level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response; UN Secretary General’s Climate Ambition Summit; High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage; High-Level Panel on Reform of the Global Financial Architecture, amongst others. In New York, President Tinubu is also scheduled to hold several bilateral meetings with world leaders, including the Presidents of the European Union Commission, Brazil, and South Africa, amongst others. The President will also advance his economic development agenda for aggressive investment attraction in meetings with the global leadership of transnational firms, such as Microsoft, Meta Technologies, Exxon Mobil, General Electric, and others. Furthermore, on the margins of UNGA, President Tinubu will detail emerging cross-sectoral investment opportunities in Nigeria in his address to American business leaders at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. It is noteworthy that while engaging with officials at the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) Headquarters in New York City, the Nigerian leader will have the honour of conducting the NASDAQ closing ceremony during its trading session, making President Tinubu the first African President to do this. The President will also address the Nigerian SMEs Business Summit, where he will seek to highlight the increasingly important role of Nigerian enterprises in global trade.

[sjjnyc]

Swimming in Phoenix + The Bad Ass Swimmers Club

I enjoyed the few times I was able to go swimming in an outdoor pool in Phoenix at Ability360! I loved the heated therapy pool and got a chance to feel my body react to being submerged in water from the shallow to deep end. It's too bad I didn't continue swimming lessons when I was a kid, because then I'd be a part of the Bad Ass Swimmers Club lol (aka all the folks who swim!). I literally feel like taking swimming lessons as a child is one of the best things a parent/guardian can do for their kids; it can be a great advantage to have as the child gets older. I'm learning and accepting it's never too late to start something you really want to do, so I really look forward to swimming more in the future!

The Bad Ass Swimmers Club

I just randomly made up the concept of "The Bad Ass Swimmers Club" to be an umbrella term for all the swimmers I admire. There are folks in my personal life and orbit who inspire me (s/o to Nora Almedia who is an avid swimmer and has a dope project called "Open Waters", and Charmaine Bee who documents their time swimming in the ocean and waterways in/near Bahia, Brazil), and I just feel like swimming journeys are some of the most beautiful unfoldings to witness.

I've also been following two recent river swims:

#HudsonSwim2023 by Lewis Pugh and team!

"On August 13 2023, Lewis Pugh began his 315-mile (507-km) swim down the Hudson River, from its source to its end at New York City. He is doing this to highlight the critical role rivers play in a habitable planet.

Lewis will explore the interconnectedness of rivers and oceans, and stress the urgent need to restore, protect and respect them. “If we want healthy oceans we also need healthy rivers — it’s that simple.”

The end of the swim will coincide with the UN General Assembly Week, Climate Week NYC 2023, and the UN Secretary General’s Climate Ambition Summit".

Agbetsi Living Waters Swim by Yvette Tetteh and team!

"Imagine a future where the beach is clean and the waters clear. A future where fishing nets catch fish, and not trash. A future without discarded clothes washing up along the banks of our rivers, burning on our roadsides, or towering over the homes of thousands of people at the place once regarded as a sacred lagoon. A future where the Korle Lagoon is swimmable…

With the stage set by decades of Waste Colonialism and centuries of extractive and exploitative global trade, this future may seem impossible, but it is the future we are working toward. It is the future we must work toward, breaking down the impossible into its constituent parts, one stroke at a time.

We are excited to launch the Agbetsi Living Water Swim, a month-long exploration of the Volta River System that gives life to millions of people in Ghana and throughout West Africa".

Yvette Tetteh actually joined Lewis Pugh for a leg of the Hudson Swim journey on September 12, 2023!

#REPOST from @lewispughfdn "Wonderful to have our #RiverWarrior @yvette_tetteh join @lewis.pugh on the #HudsonSwim2023 yesterday. Yvette recently swam the entire length of the Volta River in Ghana to raise awareness of the impact synthetic microfibers have on river ecosystems and communities 👏🏊‍♂️ #RiversAreLife"

Hello you swimmers out there! You inspire me! Here's a message for you!

[ffcarlos-grad604]

Visual Map of Creative Practice and Interests (part 2)

Task - Using examples of your own work, create a visual map of your range of interests and practice. Include:

specific techniques and crafts

key themes, ideas and conversations

specialist subject knowledge

environmental, social, cultural, sub-cultural, political contexts and influences

Teachers Count

July-October 2022

Teachers Count is an integrated awareness campaign concerned with the primary and secondary school shortage in New Zealand. The aim is to encourage Generation Z in Aotearoa to pursue this area of the education sector. Specifically, the target audience is high school students starting to consider their career paths and current university students. The collateral includes a poster, zine, notebooks, pens, and stickers.

Zilla Slab & Zilla Slab Highlight - Type Specimen Book

July-August 2022

The first project for this paper was to create an appropriate 16, 24+ page type specimen book from an assigned font family. Using typographic conventions and narrative, we were asked to showcase the unique features of the typeface. The software used was Adobe Illustrator and InDesign.

My assigned font family was Zilla Slab/Zilla Slab Highlight designed by the Typotheque Foundry for the rebrand of Mozilla Firefox in 2017.

Zilla Slab & Zilla Slab Highlight - Kinetic Type Animation

September-October 2022

Zilla Slab and Zilla Slab Highlight are fonts for the rebrand of Mozilla Firefox in 2017 created by the Typotheque Foundry. The second project for this paper was to develop social media type animations for our assigned font family using Adobe Photoshop. We used the specimen book (project 1) as a starting point to further explore our typefaces. We were asked to create 2x gif (frame by frame) and 2x mp4 (timeline) animations.

Webjet Website Redesign

February-April 2023

In the UX/UI second year first semester project, we were asked to apply interaction design conventions to evaluate existing experiences and identify interaction design problems. To review the current flight booking experience of Webjet.co.nz, identify its design problems, and propose a solution on improving the user interface and/or user experience.

Typografika ’24

March-April 2023

Typografika ‘24 is a hypothetical event of an annual type and typography conference held at AUT. It invites world leading type and graphic designers to present speeches and workshops over 4 weeks. This brief asked to create a large double-sided poster and 16 panel pamphlet.

Greta Thunberg Type Animation

April-June 2023

We were asked to use Adobe After Effects, Photoshop, and Illustrator to create animated content (mainly on typography) that utilises the principles of animation. Our animation needed to work with and enhance the tone of the supplied audio clip.

My assigned audio was from Greta Thunberg, a young Swedish environmental activist who is known for challenging world leaders to take immediate action for climate change mitigation.  

The speech was presented at the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit where “dozens of Heads of State and Government, business leaders, and senior representatives from civil society around the world” attended.

[goldiers1]

Quad Ministers Reach Agreement in New Delhi

  Official Joint Statement

The following is the joint statement released by the Secretary of State of the United States and the Foreign Ministers of the Governments of Australia, India, and Japan on the occasion of the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. We, the Foreign Ministers of Australia, India and Japan and the Secretary of State of the United States of America met in New Delhi, India on March 3, 2023, for the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. Our meeting today reaffirms the Quad’s steadfast commitment to supporting a free and open Indo-Pacific, which is inclusive and resilient. We strongly support the principles of freedom, rule of law, sovereignty and territorial integrity, peaceful settlement of disputes without resorting to threat or use of force and freedom of navigation and overflight, and oppose any unilateral attempt to change the status quo, all of which are essential to the peace, stability and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. We reiterate our conviction that the Quad, acting as a force for regional and global good, will be guided by the priorities of the Indo-Pacific region through its positive and constructive agenda. Through the Quad, we seek to support the region through practical cooperation on contemporary challenges such as health security, climate change and the clean energy transition, critical and emerging technologies, infrastructure and connectivity, addressing the debt crisis through sustainable, transparent and fair lending and financing practices, space cooperation, cyber-security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, maritime security and counterterrorism.  

ASEAN

Reaffirming our consistent and unwavering support for ASEAN centrality and unity, and the ASEAN-led architecture, including the East Asia Summit and ASEAN Regional Forum, we remain committed to supporting implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and will be guided in our work by ASEAN’s principles and priorities. We welcome Indonesia’s 2023 ASEAN Chairmanship and will support its Chair theme “ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth,” as we identify tangible areas for the Quad to support the work of ASEAN. In addition, we are committed to further strengthening our respective relationships with ASEAN, thus creating a platform for greater Quad collaboration in support of the AOIP.  

Pacific Islands

We are committed to supporting Pacific Island countries in line with the objectives of the Pacific Islands Forum’s 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, guided by Pacific priorities of climate change, resilient infrastructure, and maritime security. We support regional institutions in the Pacific and are also further strengthening our cooperation with the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), to address the region’s most pressing and important challenges. We welcome India’s leadership in finalizing the IORA Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. We are pleased to note the progress made under the Quad Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Partnership (HADR) for the Indo-Pacific, since our last meeting in September 2022, when we signed onto the Guidelines for the Partnership. We welcome the outcomes of the first HADR tabletop exercise and biannual meeting held in India in December 2022. We look forward to the finalization of the Partnership’s Standard Operating Procedures which would enable an efficacious and coordinated response mechanism.  

UN Charter

We concur that the rules-based international order is anchored in international law, including the UN Charter, and the principles of sovereignty, political independence, and territorial integrity of all states. We are committed to cooperate to address attempts to unilaterally subvert the UN and international system, in consultation with our partners and through multilateral and international platforms. We reiterate our unwavering support for the UN Charter, including its three pillars, and our steadfast commitment to strengthening the UN and international system through a comprehensive reform agenda, including through expansion in permanent and non-permanent seats of the UN Security Council. In this regard, we commit to active and constructive engagement in the Inter-Governmental Negotiations (IGN) process on Security Council Reforms with an overall objective of making the UN Security Council more effective, representative, and credible. We will support meritorious and independent candidates for elections in the UN and in international forums to maintain the integrity and impartiality of the international system. We note with appreciation the UN Secretary General’s call for full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this regard, we underscore the importance of achieving SDGs in a comprehensive manner without prioritizing a narrow set of such goals, and reaffirm that the UN has a central role in supporting countries in its implementation.  

Maritime

We recognize that peace and security in the maritime domain underpins the development and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific, and reiterate the importance of respect for sovereignty, consistent with international law. We reiterate the importance of adherence to international law, as reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to meet challenges to the maritime rules-based order, including in the South and East China Seas. We strongly oppose any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo or increase tensions in the area. We express serious concern at the militarization of disputed features, the dangerous use of coast guard vessels and maritime militia, and efforts to disrupt other countries’ offshore resource exploitation activities. We are determined to deepen engagement with regional partners, including through information-sharing, capacity-building and technical assistance, to strengthen maritime domain awareness; to counter illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing; to enhance their capability to protect and develop offshore resources, consistent with UNCLOS; to ensure freedom of navigation and overflight; and to promote the safety and security of sea lines of communication. We look forward to continuing these discussions at the Quad Maritime Security Working Group meeting hosted by the United States in Washington, D.C., in March 2023. In this context, we welcome the progress made under the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA).  

Terrorism

We unequivocally condemn terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations. We denounce the use of terrorist proxies and emphasize the importance of denying any logistical, financial, or military support to terrorist organizations which could be used to launch or plan terrorist attacks, including transnational and cross-border attacks. We reiterate our condemnation of terrorist attacks, including 26/11 Mumbai, which claimed lives of citizens from all Quad countries, and Pathankot attacks. We are committed to working together with our regional and international partners to promote accountability for the perpetrators of such terrorist attacks, including through designations by the UN Security Council 1267 Sanctions Committee. In this regard, we express our concern at attempts to politicize the working of the UNSC Sanctions Regimes and call on all states to maintain the transparent, objective, and evidence based working methods of UNSC Sanctions Committees. We note with deep concern that terrorism has become increasingly diffuse, aided by terrorists’ adaptation to, and the use of, emerging and evolving technologies such as unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and the internet, including social media platforms for recruitment and incitement to commit terrorist acts, as well as for the financing, planning, and preparation of terrorist activities. We welcome the focused discussions on these themes at the Quad Counter-Terrorism Policy Meeting and tabletop exercise hosted by Australia in October 2022. We are pleased to announce the establishment of the Quad Working Group on Counterterrorism, which will explore cooperation amongst the Quad, and with Indo-Pacific partners, to counter new and emerging forms of terrorism, radicalization to violence, and violent extremism. We look forward to its first meeting in the United States in 2023 to continue our discussions on this global issue.  

Myanmar

We strongly emphasize the importance of maintaining peace, stability, and prosperity and express our deep concern at the deteriorating situation in Myanmar. In this regard, we emphasize the need for complete cessation of violence, the release of all those arbitrarily detained, resolution of issues through dialogue, unhindered humanitarian access, and transition to an inclusive, federal democratic system in Myanmar. Towards this, we reaffirm our consistent support to the ASEAN-led efforts, including the work of the ASEAN Chair and Office of the Special Envoy, and call for the full implementation of ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus. We also encourage the international community to work together in a pragmatic and constructive way towards resolving the crisis in Myanmar.  

North Korea

We condemn North Korea’s destabilizing ballistic missile launches, including the launch of yet another Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) on February 18, 2023, in violation of UN Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs). We reaffirm our commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and urge North Korea to comply with its obligations under UNSCRs. We reconfirm the necessity of immediate resolution of the abductions issue. We stress the importance of addressing proliferation of nuclear and missile technologies related to North Korea in the region and beyond.  

Ukraine

We continued to discuss our responses to the conflict in Ukraine and the immense human suffering it is causing, and concurred that the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible. We underscored the need for a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in Ukraine in accordance with international law, including the UN Charter. We emphasized that the rules-based international order must respect sovereignty, territorial integrity, transparency, and peaceful resolution of disputes.  

Final Thoughts

We welcome the announcement of the first class of Quad Fellows, who will begin their academic pursuits in the United States in August 2023. We look forward to the next Quad Leaders’ Summit being hosted by Australia this year. We will work closely to align and complement the Quad’s agenda with Japan’s Presidency of the G7, India’s Presidency of the G20, and the United States’ APEC host year in 2023. We will continue to meet regularly to deliver concrete benefits and serve as a force for good, deepening practical and positive cooperation for the benefit of the Indo-Pacific region.   Sources: THX News & US Dept. of State. Read the full article

[adalidda]

Illustration Photo: Scenes from the 20 September 2019 demonstration in downtown New York as part of the youth-lead global #ClimateStrike. Young people led millions around the world in marches demanding action on climate change days before the UN Climate Action Summit (23 September) (credits: UN Women/Amanda Voisard / Flickr Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0))

Small grants to support communication projects which advance the transition to a low carbon economy

The Minor Foundation for Major Challenges is a Norwegian foundation that supports communication projects which advance the transition to a low carbon economy. We believe that emissions must fall dramatically over the next two decades and so in 2019 the foundation decided to distribute its capital over the next 10-15 years.

In this call for applications it is possible to apply for smaller grants of up to EUR 10,000, provided that the application falls within the strategic aims of MFMC.

The Minor foundation supports communication projects that • aim to reduce GHG emissions in line with the urgent transformation required • lead to policy or behavioural change among decisionmakers or lead to changes in policies or practices in public or private institutions • increase the public’s support for climate policy measures • are otherwise difficult to fund

Priorities 2019-2023 • Encourage and support innovation in climate communication • Increase the number of voices and narratives in climate advocacy • Help strengthen social and political movements that open up for radical change • Concentrate on supporting European proposals

Application Deadline: February 5, 2021

Check more https://adalidda.com/posts/NjFx2YohPFYAY2zb2/small-grants-to-support-communication-projects-which-advance

[csrgood]

AIDA President Felix Eichhorn Presents Green Cruising Strategy at UNWTO Summit in Saint Petersburg

How can we use innovations to tackle climate change? That was one of the central questions at the UNWTO summit meeting which took place in Saint Petersburg (Russia) from September 10–13, 2019. AIDA Cruises President Felix Eichhorn had been invited to discuss approaches for achieving climate targets with high-ranking representatives of the member countries of the UN world organization for tourism.

The company embraces its responsibility for making cruising sustainable. “Our goal is emission-neutral cruising. We support the Paris climate targets and the United Nations’ targets for sustainable development. We can only master the great challenges that lie ahead of us together. By implementing our Green Cruising strategy, we are making a solid contribution to achieving those targets, and our technical innovations are creating important momentum for the maritime and tourism industries,” Eichhorn said in Saint Petersburg.

Sustainable destination management is another important aspect of AIDA Cruises’ commitment. “We are aware that only if cruises are a welcome economic sector that people accept our guests can enjoy authentic and sustainable vacation experiences. We are continuously working with our partners in the various destinations to develop sustainable concepts. Our aim is to preserve the local landscapes, the cultural heritage, and historical treasures,” Felix Eichhorn continued.

As early as the end of 2023, 94 percent of all AIDA guests will be traveling on ships that are entirely powered with low-emission liquefied natural gas (LNG) or, where possible, can be operated when in port with green shore power. At the end of 2018 the company commissioned AIDAnova, the world’s first cruise ship that can be operated entirely with low-emission LNG both in port and at sea, and which has been awarded the German federal government’s eco-label for green ship design, the Blue Angel. As part of its Green Cruising strategy, for over ten years AIDA Cruises has been involved in research into and the use of low-emission LNG in the cruise industry. Two more of these innovative AIDA ships will be put into service by 2023.

Lithium-ion battery storage systems will be put to use aboard an AIDA ship (AIDAperla) as early as 2020. Thanks to the use of this technology, consumption of fossil fuel will be reduced even further, and the efficiency of ship operations significantly increased.

Shore power is an important subject for AIDA Cruises when it comes to retrofitting ships in the existing fleet with eco-friendly technologies. In 2020, 12 of the 14 AIDA ships will be able to make use of shore power where it is available in ports. By using shore power from renewable energy sources while in dock, emissions are virtually reduced to zero. This is an important contribution because a cruise ship spends 40 percent of its operating time in ports.

AIDA Cruises is moreover already researching into synthetic fuels from renewable sources, and the use of fuel cells aboard cruise ships.

Other important elements of the company’s Green Cruising strategy include reducing the use of plastic and disposable items and eventually dispensing with them altogether. Wherever possible reusable items rather than disposable ones are used. Where disposable products such as paper napkins are used, AIDA Cruises strives to ensure that they are biodegradable.

About AIDA Cruises: AIDA Cruises is the market leader for cruises in Germany and currently employs around 15,000 people from over 50 countries; 13,500 aboard its 13 ships, and 1,500 at the company’s bases in Rostock and Hamburg. Since putting AIDAnova, the world’s first cruise ship that can be fully powered with low-emission LNG, into service in December 2018, the company has commissioned two more of these innovative ships which will be completed by 2023. At the end of 2023, 94 percent of all AIDA guests will be traveling on ships that can be fully powered with low-emission liquefied natural gas or, in port, with green shore power where available.

RESOURCES

Carnival Corporation

AIDA Cruises

CONTACT Chris Cradduck

+1 (214) 893-9119

chris@ldwwgroup.com

source: https://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/42583-AIDA-President-Felix-Eichhorn-Presents-Green-Cruising-Strategy-at-UNWTO-Summit-in-Saint-Petersburg?tracking_source=rss