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On July 21 this year, Indonesia, the world's eighth largest emitter of greenhouse gases, submitted an updated version of its national climate commitment to the United Nations, announcing that it would achieve the goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2060 (or earlier). However, NGOs also pointed out that Indonesia’s emission reduction commitment is to maintain the same target as in 2016. It is not ambitious enough and will not be able to achieve the Paris Agreement. Submitting its first long-term strategy to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2060, NGO praised Indonesia for taking the right direction. Although the report submitted by Indonesia added new adaptation and resilience improvement goals, and also proposed new goals for specific sectors, the most critical emission reduction goal remained the same as in 2016. Commitment: Before 2030, greenhouse gas emissions under the unconditional scenario will be reduced by 29% compared with the business-as-usual scenario; or with sufficient international financial support, the emission reduction target will be achieved by 41%. In addition to updating its climate commitments, Indonesia has also submitted the country's first Long-Term Strategy for Low Carbon and Climate Resilience, announcing that it will peak emissions in 2030 and will reach a peak in 2060 or earlier. , to achieve the goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, until March this year, Indonesian government officials still stated that net-zero carbon emissions would be achieved by 2070. This time, the officially submitted goal is at least ten years ahead of schedule. Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan said at the end of July that he was optimistic that Indonesia would have the means to do so in May.

2021-11-18

Coal power gradually disappears after Paris Agreement, China promises to stop building new overseas coal-fired power plants

Environmental think tank E3G released a report this month stating that after the signing of the Paris Agreement in 2015, the number of new coal-fired power plants around the world dropped sharply, and 44 countries agreed to terminate new construction plans, ushering in a glimmer of hope for the end of highly polluting coal burning. One week after the report was released, yesterday (21st) at the 76th United Nations General Assembly, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced that China "will stop building new coal-fired power plants overseas" - China alone holds the largest number of coal-fired power plants under construction around the world. capacity of the 53%. Research: Global plans for new coal-fired power plants have plummeted and more than half are owned by China. According to the Guardian, a report released by E3G pointed out that after the signing of the Paris Agreement in 2015, the capacity of new coal-fired power plants planned to be built around the world dropped significantly by 76%. 44 of these countries will no longer build new coal-fired power plants. Dave Jones, who works for the climate think tank "Ember", said, "It was only five years ago that many new coal-fired power plants were being planned and built. Now most of them have either officially announced the suspension of the plans, or the plans have been suspended, and the plans are not very serious. It may restart again." Chris Littlecott, deputy director of E3G, said that the coal economy "has become increasingly uncompetitive compared with renewable energy, and the risk of becoming a stranded asset has become higher." The report pointed out that the world's more than Half of the coal-fired power plant projects are owned by China. Therefore, if China and six countries including India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Turkey and Bangladesh can terminate related projects, the number of coal-fired power plants planned to be built around the world will be reduced by approximately 90%. High carbon

2021-11-18

Talking about climate finance and preparing silver bullets to meet the energy transition, 40 countries announced to phase out coal-fired power plants

"The Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ)" Mark Carney, the United Nations special envoy for climate finance and former governor of the Bank of England, announced that there are currently more than 450 financial institutions in the world with total assets of US$130 trillion. The institution participates in the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), promising that all its assets will achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, and also announced that it will mobilize hundreds of millions of dollars to help the global economy move towards this goal. Clean energy transition. The Alliance’s net zero commitment means that climate change will be a key consideration in major financial decisions over the next decade. However, some experts point out that if these financial institutions continue to invest in fossil fuels in the next decade, they may undermine the importance of the above-mentioned net zero commitments. US$10.5 billion energy transition fund. Several public welfare foundations and international development banks announced today (3rd) the establishment of a US$10.5 billion fund to help emerging economies transition to renewable energy. It has raised US$1.5 billion from the Rockefeller Foundation, the IKEA Foundation and the Bezos Earth Fund, as well as US$9 billion from international development banks such as the African Development Bank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC). On the other hand, human beings and the earth as a whole

2021-11-18

ASUS announces joining RE100 and promises to use renewable energy in global base 100% in 2035

Taiwanese technology brand ASUS announced yesterday (4th) that it has joined the global RE100 initiative and committed to operating 100% in Taiwan using renewable energy in 2030, and its global operating bases will follow suit in 2035. In addition, ASUS also reiterated its goal of reducing carbon emissions by 50% in 2030 compared with 2013. ASUS, one of the five major laptop brands, has joined RE100 to fully switch to green electricity by 2035. The global climate crisis is severe. "Carbon neutrality" has become a keyword for sustainable development of enterprises. Energy conservation and the use of green energy are the two major means for enterprises to reduce carbon emissions. ASUS announced in April this year that it would target the use of renewable energy in 100% operations in Taiwan in 2030. Yesterday, it announced that it would join the global RE100 initiative and promised to use renewable energy in global operations of 100% in 2035. RE100 is an international initiative launched by the Climate Group and the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) in 2014. It invites large global companies to commit to using 100% through investment, construction, purchase of green power or green power certificates. Renewable energy, the world's five major laptop brands (Lenovo, HP, Dell, Apple and Acer) have all joined the ranks of RE100. ASUS is the 12th company in Taiwan to join RE100. ASUS Chairman Shi Chongtang pointed out that extreme climate not only affects the human living environment, but also tests the resilience of corporate operations. "These challenges also bring opportunities for innovation, which can be converted into strategies to enhance corporate competitiveness." ASUS will implement independent energy-saving plans to reveal Purchase green electricity and renewable energy by signing

2021-11-18

The global e-waste pile is heavier than the Great Wall. Experts call for proper recycling of 3C products

October 14 is International E-Waste Day, and experts are calling on households, businesses and governments to get more scrapped or unused electronic devices into repair or recycling facilities to recover precious metals and reduce the need to mine new resources. This year's waste electronic and electrical equipment (WEEE) has piled up like a mountain, with an estimated total weight of about 57.4 million tons, which is heavier than the heaviest building on earth, the Great Wall of China. Hidden Treasures Ruediger Kuehr, director and chief of staff of the Sustainable Cycle Project (SCYCLE) of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), said that electronic and electrical components are a kind of "urban mine" with huge the value of. SCYCLE performs and shares comprehensive, practical research to help society reduce the environmental damage caused by the production, use and disposal of electronic and electrical waste. "One ton of discarded mobile phones contains more gold than one ton of gold ore," Dr. Quill asserted. "For example, 1 million mobile phones contain 24 kilograms of gold, 16,000 kilograms of copper, 350 kilograms of silver and 14 kilograms of palladium. These resources can be recycled and returned to the production cycle. If they are not recycled, new materials need to be mined continuously. , thereby endangering the environment.” United Nations University SCYCLE Project High School

2021-11-18

Circular economy coaching case sharing-Application of biodegradable technology of agricultural materials

Abstract: Due to the increasing demand for green materials in emerging applications of biodegradable polymers, polylactic acid (PLA) can overcome its inherent brittleness, poor heat resistance and melt resistance without compromising its significant stiffness and strength. Elasticity has emerged as a special challenge in polymer science. Achieving this without using any expensive reagents/additives and/or complex processing techniques is another key aspect in developing viable alternatives to petrochemical-based plastics for agricultural materials. Keywords: polylactic acid; heat resistance Introduction: One of the most common applications of biodegradable polymers is in the manufacture of agricultural materials. One of the most promising bio-based polyesters is polylactic acid (PLA), a biopolymer chemically synthesized using monomers obtained from agricultural resources such as wheat, corn, and cassava. Polylactic acid can be made from lactic acid or, most commonly, from its cyclic dimer, lactic acid, via ring-opening polymerization. Currently, PLA is one of the most commonly used biodegradable polymers, especially in agricultural materials, due to its availability in the market, low price, and similar mechanical and barrier properties to PET. Green and sustainable biodegradable polymers are major challenges in developing sustainable solutions to global environmental issues through green manufacturing and engineering. In this context, two main challenges related to biodegradable polymer science can be listed as: (i) development and large-scale production of green materials that will be replaced by petrochemical-based plastics, and (ii) high added value Recycling/reuse of raw materials from industrial waste. one party

2021-11-18

EU pledges 4 billion euros to help climate-vulnerable countries, calls on US to follow suit

European Commission President von der Leyen said that by 2027, the EU will invest an additional 4 billion euros ($5 billion) to support low-income and climate-vulnerable countries. Rich countries have pledged to provide $100 billion in climate finance, which is still $20 billion short. The Executive Committee hopes that the United States will follow up before the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) climate negotiations in November this year and strengthen its climate finance contribution. Von der Leyen said that there is still a gap of US$20 billion before rich countries have committed to mobilizing US$100 billion per year by 2020, which needs to be filled quickly. Speaking at the EU Parliament on the 15th, Von der Leyen told lawmakers that major emitters such as the EU and the United States "have special responsibilities towards the least developed and most vulnerable countries." "The EU contributes $25 billion every year, but other countries still have a long way to go in achieving global goals," she said. "Europe is ready to do more, but hopes that the United States and our partners can also step up their efforts." Developing The country has regarded closing this gap as a condition for successful negotiations at the 26th Conference of the Parties. A spokesperson for the European Commission told Climate Home that the 4 billion euros are new funds from the EU budget from 2021 to 2027 and are not additional contributions from member states. U.S. climate finance goals have not yet returned to the right track from the Trump era, said Jennifer Tollmann, senior policy adviser at the think tank E3G. “The EU is already the largest climate finance donor in the world, and this is a powerful move,” she said. happy to see

2021-11-18

COP26 new commitments from major carbon emitters have the opportunity to limit warming to 2°C

The British Guardian reported that the greenhouse gas emission commitments made at the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow have the opportunity to limit global temperature rise to below 2°C. This is the first time that the world has come so close to the Paris Agreement goal. COP26 Chairman: The global carbon emissions halving target by 2030 is still lacking. Research from the University of Melbourne in Australia found that the plans of India, the world's third largest emitter, have a significant impact on global warming predictions. If the commitments made by India and other countries at the conference are implemented, warming could be about 1.9°C above pre-industrial levels, below the 2°C limit but above the 1.5°C target in the 2015 Paris climate agreement. However, Miliban, the shadow business secretary of the British Labor Party and who participated in the Copenhagen Climate Summit in 2009, warned that there is still a lot of work to be done. Miliban told the Guardian: "Any progress is a good thing, but we need to be very careful about these empty and vague goals that are set 30 years or more out. For example, Australia targets net zero by 2050, but its 2030 plan will actually lead to 4°C warming. This decade is decisive and there is a reason why we need to halve emissions within ten years so that we can maintain the urgency, clarity and concreteness needed to move towards 1.5°C. We cannot allow political leaders to change their goals." COP26 Chairman Alok Sharma said that the new commitments are important progress, but this COP still needs a lot of effort to achieve the 1.5°C goal. Sharma said,

2021-11-18

"Urban mining" new technology quickly recovers precious metals from electronic waste

The British Independent reported that scientists have developed a new technology for extracting valuable metals from electronic waste. The energy consumption is 1/500 of the existing method, which can reduce the need for mining raw materials and the waste generated will not harm the environment. . "The largest waste has been turned into a treasure." This technology is based on the "flash Joule heating method". Joule thermal flash evaporation is an innovative method that can produce graphene from carbon sources such as wood and plastic. A research team from Rice University in Texas has improved the "Joule thermal flash evaporation method" to recover rhodium, palladium, gold, silver and other substances from waste for reuse. The new technology works by using electric current to rapidly heat waste to 3400K (3124°C), causing the aforementioned metals to evaporate into gas for separation, storage or disposal. The research team stated that "flash evaporation" can remove highly toxic heavy metals remaining in materials, such as chromium, arsenic, cadmium, mercury and lead, leaving by-products with extremely low metal content. With more than 40 million tons of electronic waste produced globally every year, this new form of "urban mining" has huge potential, giving technology companies the opportunity to avoid sourcing raw materials from countries and regions with security, corruption and conflict issues. "Here, the largest amounts of waste are turned into treasures," said Professor James Tour of Rice University. "This could reduce the need to mine ore, strip the surface and use large amounts of water in remote and dangerous areas around the world. The treasure of sex...is in our trash cans." Toole said cell phones, etc.

2021-11-18

Abolition and turning stones into gold Qingda University Professor Ling Yongjian uses green chemistry to promote circular economy

5G commercial transfer is coming soon. When technology giants are launching new 5G mobile phones one after another and countries are intensively deploying base stations to lay out the layout for the next communication era, the world has to face up to the environmental pollution caused by communication chips. 5G communications can be successfully unveiled, and "gallium arsenide" is the biggest contributor behind it. The material properties of "gallium arsenide" allow electrons to move faster, and it is a chip raw material for making mobile phone power amplifiers (PA); however, "arsenic" in it is also a century-old poison that causes cancer and is harmful to the environment. Arsenic was used to kill people in ancient times. Blackfoot disease is also caused by arsenic contaminating water quality. During the manufacturing process of communication wafers, if arsenic-containing wastewater or waste oil is not properly treated, arsenic will enter the groundwater system through weathering and dissolution, causing pollution. In the age of communications, dealing with arsenic pollution has become a global issue. The research team of Professor Ling Yongjian of the Department of Chemistry of Tsinghua University, who has long been specialized in green chemistry methods, separated arsenic from "waste cutting oil" containing gallium arsenide through "wet smelting[1]", and the processed "non-toxic cutting oil" "It can be purified and turned into a synthetic raw material for "carbon quantum dots" in vivo imaging detection reagents. By turning waste oil into products of high economic value, Ling Yongjian's team successfully turned stone into gold and achieved the goal of resource reuse. Using green chemistry methods to solve chemical pollution, investing in green chemistry, and promoting the recycling of waste resources were not the main focus of Ling Yongjian’s early research. After graduating from the United States in 1989, he returned to China to teach at Tsinghua University. He was engaged in research on "analytical chemistry" and often cooperated with organizations such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Consumer Council to apply mass spectrometry analysis.

2021-11-18

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>Global environmental current affairs

Indonesia updates climate goals, confident of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2060 or earlier

2021-11-18

Coal power gradually disappears after Paris Agreement, China promises to stop building new overseas coal-fired power plants

2021-11-18

Talking about climate finance and preparing silver bullets to meet the energy transition, 40 countries announced to phase out coal-fired power plants

2021-11-18

Abolition and turning stones into gold Qingda University Professor Ling Yongjian uses green chemistry to promote circular economy

2021-11-18