According to the IEA, heat pumps can reduce emissions, increase energy security and, despite the need for a higher initial investment, reduce overall costs thanks to lower fossil fuel consumption. They should cover a fifth of the world’s heating needs by the end of the decade, if countries follow their plans.
Thomas Dambo Giants of Mandurah is a first-of-its-kind exhibition in Australia presented by Form and the town of Mandurah. This project brings to 99 the number of trolls the Danish artist has created around the world, in landscapes as far apart as the USA, Belgium, China, Denmark… Huge statues in recycled wood that tell the story of the world in which the artist would like to live.
It is possible to combat both poverty and global warming if the right global economic policies are implemented. Growth has enabled a great deal of progress, and it’s legitimate for developing countries to wish for the same. But in reality, the planet’s resources are not infinite, and such a pace of production and consumption is unsustainable.
The world’s fifteen largest meat and dairy companies emit more methane than countries such as Russia, Canada, Australia or Germany, according to a new report from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy and the Changing Markets Foundation. Among them are Lactalis and Danone, a company with a mission that is also B-corp certified. Yet their emissions account for more than a third of France’s methane emissions.
Higg is an environmental impact indicator created by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, which represents more than half of the global apparel and footwear industry. Its use was suspended in June following a warning from the Norwegian Consumer Authority that it could not be used to support sustainability claims. Regulatory bodies around the world are mobilizing to combat misleading environmental claims.
Extreme heat waves and droughts could be avoided thanks to technologies that modify solar radiation. However, their use could have undesirable effects on ecosystems and populations. While some are calling for their immediate abandonment, Switzerland is calling for a study to assess the potential and risks of these climate manipulations.
COP27 ended on November 20 on a note of failure, albeit with one major breakthrough: the creation of a loss and damage fund for the most vulnerable countries. While financing the repair of damage is obviously an important step forward, it is regrettable that countries have still not managed to agree to phase out fossil fuels, which cause such damage.
Until 1804, the world was inhabited by a billion people. A century later, humanity has passed the two-billion mark. Since then, the population has grown in the shape of a field hockey stick, thanks to considerable advances in modern medicine and public health. Just eleven years after passing the seven billion mark, the United Nations announced on Tuesday November 15 that a new threshold had been crossed, reaching 8 billion.
Its results are crucial, not only for tackling the climate crisis, but also for securing a future for nature, according to the UN biodiversity chief, who presented plans for “a Paris moment for biodiversity” at COP15 in December. A group of 30 media outlets has published an opinion piece highlighting the moral responsibility of rich countries to help developing countries.
The image of rows of plastic pots containing bunches of flowers wrapped in plastic is a familiar one. Peonies, roses, sunflowers, tulips and daisies are all picked, packed and sent to stores around the world, where they are unpacked, repacked and sold. In 2022, the sector is expected to grow by 1.8%, reaching $6 billion by the end of the year.
