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Pesticides, the silent heroes of modern agriculture, have revolutionised food production. Studies credit them with doubling vegetable yields, making them instrumental in feeding a growing global population. But their widespread use has sparked concerns about their impact on the <keyword id="6356826" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="environment" source="Orion">environment</keyword> and potentially even human health. These potent chemical concoctions aren't without their downsides. They can harm a diverse range of organisms, from insects vital to ecosystems to <keyword id="6355507" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="fish" source="Orion">fish</keyword> crucial for food security. Their toxicity doesn't stop there – they also pollute water sources, with a recent UN report estimating a staggering 700 tonnes seep into our oceans every year. A new study unveils a hidden cost even more unsettling. Even minute <keyword id="54130" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="pesticide" source="Orion">pesticide</keyword> exposures during development can trigger lasting behavioural changes in fish. These changes can be as subtle as reduced levels of activity, potentially affecting their ability to find food and survive in the wild. More concerningly, these effects can be passed down to offspring who were never directly exposed, disrupting entire <keyword id="844532" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="generations" source="Orion">generations</keyword>. The study also found concerning bodily alterations in exposed fish, with smaller reproductive organs in males and surprisingly high reproductive capacity in their offspring. While this might seem beneficial at first glance, researchers warn that these alterations could come at a hidden cost, impacting growth, survival, and predator avoidance in future generations. These findings are particularly alarming because humans share many of the same genes as fish. Studying these aquatic creatures can provide valuable insights into how we might react to similar chemical exposures, particularly during critical developmental stages. This underscores the urgent need for stricter regulations on pesticide use, as the damage caused can take multiple generations to undo. The undeniable benefits of pesticides in boosting agricultural yields cannot be ignored. However, the study serves as a stark reminder of their far-reaching consequences. As we strive to feed the world, we must find a more sustainable balance, protecting both our food security and the delicate ecosystems that sustain us all. This may involve exploring alternative pest control methods, stricter regulations on pesticide use, and investing in research for safer and more targeted solutions.

Pesticides are leaving lasting behavioural changes through generations of fish, study finds

<ul><li>The agreement builds on the Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold-chain (ACES) . </li><li>The UK and UN Environment technical assistance programme is funded by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.</li><li>Conventional cooling technologies are highly polluting due to climate impact of refrigerants . </li></ul> The <keyword id="199494" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="university-of-birmingham" source="Orion">University of Birmingham</keyword> and <keyword id="41646" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="haryana" source="Orion">Haryana</keyword> have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop a centre of excellence in the state to boost crop post harvest management and sustainable cold chains, the varsity has said in a statement. The decision to create Haryana Centre of Excellence was taken at the Global summit organised by the Centre for Sustainable Cooling in Birmingham on Tuesday, giving it the mandate to conduct state-of-the-art applied research and provide capacity building and training, an innovation and business hub and technology testing/demonstration centre. "The Haryana Centre of Excellence will conduct state-of-the-art applied research and provide capacity building and training, an innovation and business hub and technology testing/demonstration centre. It will connect experts, investors, agri-food business, farmer cooperatives, and energy or logistics providers to deliver sustainable cooling," the statement from the University of Birmingham, which hosted the summit, said. The agreement builds on the Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold-chain (ACES) developed with the Government of Rwanda and <keyword id="7285" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="un-environment-programme" source="Orion">UN Environment Programme</keyword> at the <keyword id="4201630" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="university-of-rwanda" source="Orion">University of Rwanda</keyword>. It also follows an MoU signed earlier this year with the Indian State of Telangana for a Telangana Centre of Excellence. The UK and UN Environment technical assistance programme is funded by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Present on the occasion, <keyword id="8733528" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="jai-parkash-dalal" source="Orion">Jai Parkash Dalal</keyword>, Haryana's minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, said: "The UK-Haryana Centre for post-harvest &amp; cold chain will be a big leap towards developing and demonstrating post-harvest technologies that will enhance the shelf life of perishable produce. The Centre will not only cater needs of farmers but also researchers and entrepreneurs". Approximately 60 per cent of food should be refrigerated at some point in the food supply chain - a number which will only increase as countries look to meet <keyword id="3374594" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="un-sustainable-development-goals" source="Orion">UN Sustainable Development Goals</keyword>, feed a fast-growing population and adapt to a warming world and fast degrading environment. <keyword id="12932657" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="caroline-rowett" source="Orion">Caroline Rowett</keyword>, the British Deputy High Commissioner, Chandigarh, said that centre of excellence will help improve the functionality and efficiency of the farm to fork supply. "This is an excellent opportunity for them to work together to develop and showcase technology to help improve the functionality and efficiency of the 'farm to fork' supply chain. Farmers will have the tools to improve the storage and transportation of their produce to ensure it reaches the consumer in perfect condition," she said. Lack of effective refrigeration results in the loss of 526 million tons of food produced (12 per cent of the global total) with developing countries refrigerating less than 20 per cent of their production. These food losses result in an estimated 1 gigaton of CO2-eq emissions each year globally, in addition to wasting agricultural inputs such as land, fertilisers, water and energy. Equally, 25 per cent of vaccines reach their destination with degraded efficacy mainly due to failures within the cold-chains; 20 per cent of temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical products are damaged due to broken cold-chains. Conventional cooling technologies are highly polluting due to climate impact of refrigerants (HFCs) and indirect emissions from energy use. They account for 7 per cent of all global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and these emissions could double by 2030, and triple by 2100. <keyword id="13071369" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="toby-peters" source="Orion">Toby Peters</keyword>, CSC Director and Professor of Cold Economy at the University of Birmingham and Heriot-Watt University, said: "We must now figure out how to provide the globally connected cold-chains for a well-functioning society in an efficient, affordable, equitable and sustainable manner". "Temperature-controlled supply chains networks are complex, requiring coordination across multiple stakeholders countries and continents. We need to understand the interplay with renewable energy, climate friendly refrigerants," he said. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/railways-increased-the-speed-of-500-mail-express-trains-by-10-70-minutes/articleshow/94641676.cms">Railways increased the speed of 500 mail express trains by 10-70 minutes</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/upi-is-indias-favourite-payment-mode-with-transactions-worth-30-4-trillion-in-april-june-says-report/articleshow/94642629.cms">UPI is India’s favourite payment mode with transactions worth ₹30.4 trillion in April-June, says report</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/reliance-jio-to-begin-beta-trial-of-5g-in-four-cities-on-dussehra-with-unlimited-data/articleshow/94645577.cms">Reliance Jio to begin beta trial of 5G in four cities on Dussehra with unlimited data</a>

University of Birmingham, Haryana to create centre of excellence in state to boost crop post harvest management

Despite an increase in energy efficiency investment and lower energy intensity, the building and construction sector's energy consumption and <keyword id="85568" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="co2-emissions" source="Orion">CO2 emissions</keyword> have rebounded from the Covid-19 pandemic to an all-time high, a new report finds. Released at the latest round of the UN COP27 climate summit in Egypt, the 2022 Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction finds that the sector accounted for over 34 per cent of energy demand and around 37 per cent of energy and process-related <keyword id="49838" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="co2" source="Orion">CO2</keyword> emissions in 2021. The sector's operational energy-related CO2 emissions reached 10 gigatonnes of CO2 equivalent -- 5 per cent over 2020 levels and 2 per cent over the pre-pandemic peak in 2019. In 2021, operational energy demand for heating, cooling, lighting and equipment in buildings increased by around four per cent from 2020 and three per cent from 2019. This, according to the report from the <keyword id="15468006" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="global-alliance-for-buildings-and-construction" source="Orion">Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction</keyword> (GlobalABC), means the gap between the climate performance of the sector and the 2050 decarbonization pathway is widening. "Years of warnings about the impacts of climate change have become a reality,a said <keyword id="2974898" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="inger-andersen" source="Orion">Inger Andersen</keyword>, Executive Director of the <keyword id="7285" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="un-environment-programme" source="Orion">UN Environment Programme</keyword> (<keyword id="6491230" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="unep" source="Orion">UNEP</keyword>). "If we do not rapidly cut emissions in line with the Paris Agreement, we will be in deeper trouble." "The buildings sector represents 40 per cent of <keyword id="28249" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="europe" source="Orion">Europe</keyword>'s energy demand, 80 per cent of it from fossil fuels. This makes the sector an area for immediate action, investment, and policies to promote short and long-term energy security." Decarbonizing the buildings sector by 2050 is critical to delivering these cuts. To reduce overall emissions, the sector must improve building energy performance, decrease building materials' carbon footprint, multiply policy commitments alongside action and increase investment in energy efficiency. The sector's emissions intensity in kilogrammes of CO2 per square metre dropped from 43 in 2015 to 40 in 2021. Energy intensity in kilowatts per hour per square metre slightly decreased, from 153 in 2015 to 152 in 2021. Investments in building energy efficiency have gone up by unprecedented levels, rising by 16 per cent in 2021 over 2020 levels to $237 billion. However, growth is outpacing efforts on energy efficiency and reducing energy intensity. The increase in global gross floor area between 2015 and 2021 is the equivalent to the total land area covered in buildings in Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands; if it were built on one level, at around 24,000 sq.km. The report says that investments in energy efficiency must be sustained in the face of growing crises -- such as the war in Ukraine and the ensuing energy crisis, and the cost-of-living crisis -- to reduce energy demand, avoiding CO2 emissions and dampen energy cost volatility. The buildings sector represents 40 per cent of Europe's energy demand, 80 per cent of it from fossil fuels. This makes the sector an area for immediate action, investment and policies to promote short and long-term energy security. The report shows that the sector can still change. For example, rising fossil fuel costs due to the war in Ukraine and the cost-of-living crisis are providing incentives to invest in energy efficiency -- although the erosion of purchasing power and the impact of labour and materials may slow investment. "The solution may lie in governments directing relief towards low and zero-carbon building investment activities through financial and non-financial incentives," Andersen added. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/best-festive-auto-sales-in-the-last-4-years-but-sales-may-decline-says-fada-report/articleshow/95354054.cms">Best festive auto sales in the last 4 years, but sales may decline says FADA report</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/whatsapp-introduces-communities-with-up-to-5000-members/articleshow/95275053.cms">WhatsApp introduces Communities with support for up to 5,000 members – here’s how to use it</a>

CO2 emissions from building and construction hits a new high: Report

The <keyword id="6355835" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="un" source="Orion">UN</keyword> said on Tuesday that "with many positives", India's economic growth this year is expected to hold at 5.8 per cent, affirming a series of international organisations' projections that the country will be the fastest-growing major economy. The Midyear Update to the UN's World Economic Situation and Prospects report projected next year's gross domestic Product (GDP) to hold at 6.7 per cent "supported by resilient domestic demand". Speaking at the release of the report, the chief of the UN's Global Economic Monitoring Branch, Hamid Rashid, said that India continues to be "the bright spot" in the world economy with "many positives, including [that] the inflation has come down significantly" to about 5.5 per cent. "This means that there'll be significant room for both fiscal expansion and monetary accommodation, so that will support domestic demand," he said. However, he said that there were external risks. If the external financing conditioning deteriorates further and becomes much tighter, Rashid said, India would face some challenges, especially for exports. As for India reaching even higher growth rates, he said it is "subject to quite a bit of uncertainty, especially in the external environment". But he added, "We are pretty confident with our forecast right now for the year." The report said that "financial conditions in the emerging economies with good credit ratings have generally remained relatively stable". The International Monetary Fund (IMF) had last month projected India's GDP to grow at 5.9 per cent in the current fiscal while the World Bank (WB) pegged it at 6.3 per cent and the Asian Development Bank at 6.4 per cent, which are closer to India's Reserve Bank's 6.5 per cent. But both the bigger international institutions cut the projections marginally from the earlier one - IMF by 0.2 per cent and the WB by 0.3 per cent. The latest UN report cut the overall growth projects by 0.1 per cent for all of South Asia to 4.7 per cent this year and 5.8 per cent next year. Inflation for the region as a whole is projected by the UN to be 11 per cent, 1.9 per cent lower than last year, it said. The inflation rates for Pakistan and Sri Lanka are expected to be in the "double digits" due to the weakening of local currencies. But India's inflation deceleration to 5.5 per cent would be the result as "global commodity prices moderate and slower currency appreciation reduces imported inflation", it said. The report saw a sliver of silver lining in the global economy's growth prospects this year with an increase of 0.4 per cent from the January projection to 2.3 per cent, although the director of the Economic Analysis and Policy Division, Shantanu Mukherjee, warned that a "sombre" picture still holds. He said that despite the increase, it is still below the average growth of 3.1 per cent in the two decades before the Covid pandemic and there is a risk of prolonged low growth. The report projected global growth to increase to 2.5 per cent. The global picture is buoyed in part by the increase in projections for the three largest economies in the world, the United States, the European Union and China, according to the report. China, which is the second fastest-growing economy, had its growth prospects raised from January by 0.5 per cent to 5.3 per cent following the lifting of the Covid restrictions which led to a recovery of consumer spending and investments, the report said. The report's US growth projection was increased by 0.7 per cent to 1.1 per cent, and the European Union's by 0.7 per cent to 0.9 per cent. The report said that capital flows to developing countries "recovered, albeit with significant volatility, reversing the decline in the first half of 2022". "Global financial markets have remained largely resilient despite the ongoing banking turmoil in the United States and Europe," it said. Although the regulators managed to contain the turmoil of the collapse of the Silicon Valley Bank and the Signature Bank and the government seizure of the First Republic Bank for sale to JPMorgan Chase in the US and the Swiss government-brokered takeover of Credit Suisse by UBS, the report said that the developments showed "the potential of more systematic financial stability risks". SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/how-to-transfer-your-whatsapp-chats-without-using-google-drive/articleshow/100270586.cms">How to transfer your WhatsApp Chats without using Google Drive</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/how-to-track-and-block-your-lost-smartphones-using-the-sanchar-saathi-portal/articleshow/100242116.cms">How to track and block your lost smartphones using the Sanchar Saathi portal</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/8-things-that-google-bard-can-do-but-chatgpt-cannot/articleshow/100187360.cms">8 things that Google Bard can do, but ChatGPT cannot</a>

'With many positives', India's growth to hold at 5.8% keeping top spot: UN

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Generative AI is changing how people work, complete assignments, date, and create.</li><li>But the massive computer systems powering AI consume vast amounts of water and emit tons of carbon.</li></ul>We're beginning to see how generative AI, like <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-experts-say-no-fix-jailbreaks-chatgpt-bard-safety-rules-2023-8">ChatGPT and Bard</a>, are taking the workforce by storm — but a more significant impact is brewing as we adapt to more widespread adoption of the technology, environmentalists warn.Insider previously reported <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-radically-reshape-job-market-global-economy-employee-labor-innovation-2023-8">AI is like a tidal wave prepared to crash over the economy</a>, eliminating more jobs than we yet realize. And while the tech has far-reaching implications in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chatgpt-helps-move-top-uk-private-school-to-ditch-homework-2023-1">academia</a>, our <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-men-are-using-ai-for-dating-profiles-messaging-study-2023-6">dating lives</a>, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/glaze-artificial-intelligence-artists-intellectual-property-midjourney-openai-stability-2023-7">how we create art</a>, the massive computer systems and server farms needed to power AI contribute to the climate crisis through massive emissions and vast amounts of water consumption.The information and communication technology industry, once lauded as a green example compared to significant sectors like agriculture and construction, uses up to 10% of the world's electricity and emits between 2 and 5% of the world's global carbon, according to <a href="https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/E-9-2022-002947_EN.html">statistics</a> shared by the European Parliament.That amount is expected to rise to 14% of global emissions by 2040, according to research published in the <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JICES-11-2021-0106/full/html">Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society</a>.Researchers at the <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2019/06/06/239031/training-a-single-ai-model-can-emit-as-much-carbon-as-five-cars-in-their-lifetimes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">University of Massachusetts</a> have calculated that the amount of energy used to train large AI models equates to roughly 626,000 pounds of carbon dioxide — the equivalent of approximately 300 round-trip flights between San Francisco and New York and almost five times the total emissions of the average car in its lifetime.Though AI has been lauded as a possible solution to climate concerns, with the <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/syr/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_SYR_LongerReport.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">UN's 2023 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change</a> claiming the tech will "increase energy efficiency" and "promote the adoption" of renewable energy, the industry has yet to contend with its actual impact to the environment. Insider previously reported <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chatgpt-generative-ai-water-use-environmental-impact-study-2023-4">ChatGPT consumes a water bottle's worth of fresh water</a> for every 20 to 50 prompts it is given because cooling water is flushed over hard-working servers to keep them at temperatures low enough to function.When Insider <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chatgpt-openai-carbon-footprint-ai-climate-crisis-2023-2">asked ChatGPT about its own carbon footprint</a>, the chatbot was indirect, replying that its impact "would be limited to the energy consumption of the computers and servers used to run me and process requests. The exact carbon footprint would depend on factors such as the energy sources used to power the computers and the efficiency of the data centers."Though some major tech companies have rolled out green initiatives to combat their impact on the environment – such as Google's <a href="https://sustainability.google/">goal</a> to replenish 120% of the water it consumes and Microsoft's <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=f75d719337f3cfbd5f6c4898efd5d80e48a2f6e1944c416df4ccd48840442416&amp;postID=64fe6f4677744faa55c80aba&amp;postSlug=chatgpt-generative-ai-environment-climate-change-global-emissions-2023-9&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.microsoft.com%2Fen-us%2Fcorporate-responsibility%2Fsustainability">aim</a> to be carbon neutral by 2030 – critics argue their actions amount to creative marketing and aren't enough to combat the real impact on the climate and environment."There has been this long and concerted effort by the tech industry to make digital innovation seem compatible with sustainability," Adrienne Russell, co-director of the Center for Journalism, Media, and Democracy at the University of Washington, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-big-dirty-problem-tarnishing-big-tech-environmental-image-2023-8">previously told Insider</a>. "And it's just not."

AI is changing how we work and create. It's also damaging our environment.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Devastating photos from <keyword id="12305366" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="kenya" source="Orion">Kenya</keyword> show 6 <keyword id="12769745" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="giraffes" source="Orion">giraffes</keyword> dead and emaciated as a result of a <keyword id="12004858" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="drought" source="Orion">drought</keyword>. </li><li>The drought since December 2020, has killed off crops, wild animals, and livestock. </li></ul>A photo of six dead giraffes in Kenya highlights the devastating impact of a prolonged, harsh drought.The images show six dead giraffes, their emaciated bodies intertwined, at the Sabuli Wildlife Conservancy in Northeastern Kenya. They died due to malnutrition caused by a lack of vegetative growth and water due to the drought. According to the photographer, photojournalist Ed Ram, the giraffes were trying to reach a nearby reservoir desperate for water — but it had dried up. <a href="https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2021-11-17-biting-drought-threatens-lives-of-4000-giraffes-in-garissa/">The Star</a>, a Kenyan news publication, reports that the lives of over 4000 giraffes in the region are now at risk.<div type="image" title="In this aerial view, the bodies of six giraffes lie on the outskirts of Eyrib village in Sabuli Wildlife Conservancy on December 10, 2021 in Wajir County, Kenya." height="2747" width="3663" msid="88374949" hostid="261"></div>The current drought began in December 2020, <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/11/17/we-will-all-die-in-kenya-prolonged-drought-takes-heavy-toll">Al Jazeera reported.</a> <a href="https://reliefweb.int/report/kenya/drought-kenya-cost-inaction-nov-2021">The UN reports </a>that some parts of Kenya have not seen such poor rainfall since 1981. According to the analysis written by the <keyword id="11893452" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="un" source="Orion">UN</keyword> Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the crop reduction and water insecurity have left almost 2.4 million people in Kenya unable to access <keyword id="11894142" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="food" source="Orion">food</keyword> every day. As a result, 368,000 people face "emergency levels of hunger," as well as 523,000 children under age five in urgent need of treatment for acute malnutrition. <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/11/17/we-will-all-die-in-kenya-prolonged-drought-takes-heavy-toll">Speaking to Al Jazeera</a>, Zenab Kule, a 25-year-old pregnant Kenyan woman has been forced to feed herself and her toddlers with just maize, as no other crops are available. The family is exhibiting frequent symptoms of malnourishment and dehydration."The only hope I have left is for the rain to come," she said.

Heartbreaking photo of dead giraffes in Kenya show effects of a year-long drought

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <keyword id="6355835" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="un">UN</keyword> Secretary-General on Friday named <keyword id="656491" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Mike-Bloomberg">Mike Bloomberg</keyword> as his special envoy for <keyword id="6375923" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="climate">climate</keyword> change.</li><li>Bloomberg would press governments and companies for emission-cutting pledges, the UN said.</li><li>Bloomberg was first given a UN special envoy position on climate change in 2014.</li></ul>The <keyword id="6355833" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="united-nations">United Nations</keyword> has reappointed former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg as a special envoy for climate change ahead of the <keyword id="53176" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="UN-climate">UN climate</keyword> summit in Scotland later this year.UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday in a statement confirmed Bloomberg as his "special envoy for climate ambition and solutions." Bloomberg was first appointed UN special envoy on cities and climate change in 2014 by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.Bloomberg would work with governments, companies, cities, and financial institutions to ensure they pledge to cut emissions and commit to net-zero before 2050, Guterres said.He would also work with countries and industries that have very high emissions and help them transition to quickly phase out coal and move to clean energy, in line with the Paris Agreement, Guterres said.Bloomberg will be global ambassador for the campaigns "<a href="https://racetozero.unfccc.int/">Race to Zero</a>" and "<a href="https://racetozero.unfccc.int/race-to-resilience/">Race to Resilience,</a>" which rally businesses, cities, and investors to mobilize climate action.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/united-nations-b-corp-certification-new-sustainability-tool?r=kd-sub">Big countries are refusing to tackle climate change, so companies are stepping in. Take an exclusive look at a tool the UN hopes will revolutionize the way these businesses track sustainability goals.</a>In a tweet on Friday, Bloomberg <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeBloomberg">said</a> he was honored to serve as the UN's special envoy, adding " climate change is a global challenge, and I'm looking forward to continuing to accelerate progress."Bloomberg, a billionaire philanthropist, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-rich-mike-bloomberg-versus-other-presidential-candidates-2020-2">dropped out of the race</a> for the 2020 Democratic nominee in the US presidential nominations in early March.He spent <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mike-bloomberg-spent-over-1-billion-running-for-president-2020-4">more than $1 billion of his own money</a> on his presidential campaign.

The UN reappointed former New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg as its special envoy for climate change

A 29-year-old Indian entrepreneur is among the seven winners of the prestigious "Young Champions of the Earth" 2020 prize given by the <keyword id="2377340" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="UN-Environment">UN environment</keyword> agency to global change-makers using innovative ideas and ambitious action to help solve some of the world's most pressing environmental challenges. <keyword id="10447042" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vidyut-Mohan">Vidyut Mohan</keyword>, an engineer, is the co-fo<keyword id="6355835" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="un">un</keyword>der of "<keyword id="10447043" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Takachar">Takachar</keyword>", a social enterprise enabling farmers to prevent open burning of their waste farm residues and earn extra income by converting them into value-added chemicals like activated carbon on-site, UN Environment Programme (<keyword id="6491230" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="unep">UNEP</keyword>) said in a statement on Tuesday. I've always been passionate about energy access and creating income opportunities for poor communities, Mohan was quoted as saying in the statement. (That) is at the heart of finding answers to the difficult question of balancing economic growth and climate change mitigation in developing countries, he said. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a message that in the middle of a global pandemic, with societies struggling, economies stretched to their limits and an escalating biodiversity and climate crisis, we need to act boldly and urgently to repair our relationship with nature and take the path of sustainable development . He said that the Young Champions of the Earth inspire and mobilise . UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen said globally, young people are leading the way in calling for meaningful and immediate solutions to the triple planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. We must listen. As we enter this decisive decade where we work to cut emissions and protect and restore ecosystems, UNEP Young Champions demonstrate that all of us can contribute, starting where we are with what we have. Every single act for nature counts, and we need the entire spectrum of humanity to share this global responsibility and this profound opportunity, Andersen said. Takachar buys rice husks, straw and coconut shells from farmers and turns them into charcoal, saving the debris from the fires, which are also a driver of climate change. Since Takachar was launched in 2018, Mohan and its co-founder Kevin Kung have worked with about 4,500 farmers and processed 3,000 tonnes of crops, UNEP said. Mark Radka, chief of the energy and climate branch at UNEP's Economy Division, said the open burning of agricultural residues is a big source of air pollution in many parts of the world and Takachar's innovative technology can help farmers turn what is currently thought of as waste into a valuable resource while helping clean up our environment. Slowly and gradually all funding streams available and support services are turning towards sustainability. Companies are going to lose if they don't become sustainable in the long run, Mohan, a 2019 Echoing Green Fellow and a 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30 awardee, said. By deploying small-scale, low-cost portable biomass upgrading equipment, Takachar enables rural farmers to earn 40 per cent more by converting their crop residues into fuels, fertilisers and value-added chemicals like activated carbon (AC) on-site. By choosing activated carbon (AC) as the starting market, Takachar brings this value chain to the doorstep of farmers and hence reduces air pollution associated with crop residue burning, while ensuring a stable, renewable, pollution free and financially lucrative raw material supply for the AC industry vs. Traditional fossil based sources. By 2030, Takachar will impact 300 million farmers affected by this problem, create USD 4 billion/year equivalent in additional rural income and jobs, and mitigate one gigaton/year of CO2 equivalent, UNEP added. This year's Young Champions were selected by a global jury of experts following a competitive public nomination. Each will receive USD 10,000 in seed funding and tailored training to help scale up their ideas. The Young Champions of the Earth prize is awarded every year to seven entrepreneurs under the age of 30 with bold ideas for sustainable environmental change. The other awardees are 29-year-old Nzambi Matee from Kenya, a materials engineer and head of Gjenge Makers, which produces sustainable low-cost construction materials made of recycled plastic waste and sand; 29-year old Xiaoyuan Ren from China who leads MyH2O, a data platform that tests and records the quality of groundwater across a thousand villages in rural China into an app so residents know where to find clean water. Lefteris Arapakis, 26, from Greece founded the start-up Enaleia, through which the team trains, empowers and incentivises the local fishing community to collect plastic from the sea, allowing both fish stocks and the ecosystem to recover; 30-year old Max Hidalgo Quinto from Peru founded Yawa, building portable wind turbines that harvest up to 300 litres of water per day from atmospheric humidity and mist. Niria Alicia Garcia, 28, from the US coordinates - alongside a community of indigenous activists - the annual Run 4 Salmon event using virtual reality to bring to life the historical journey of the Sacramento chinook salmon along California's largest watershed, raising awareness of this invaluable ecosystem, the species and people it supports; 24-year old Fatemah Alzelzela from Kuwait started Eco Star, a non-profit recycling initiative that exchanges trees and plants for waste from homes, schools and businesses in Kuwait.

Indian entrepreneur Vidyut Mohan recognised as one of the 'Young Champions of the Earth' winners by UN environment agency

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The United Nations <keyword id="11901561" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="environment" source="Orion">Environment</keyword> Programme says the era of leaded petrol is officially over.</li><li>The milestone will prevent over 1.2 million premature deaths a year.</li><li>Leaded petrol causes heart disease, strokes, cancer, and stunts brain development, UNEP says.</li></ul>The era of leaded petrol is officially over in a milestone victory for human and planetary health, the United Nations Environment Programme <a href="https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/era-leaded-petrol-over-eliminating-major-threat-human-and-planetary">said on Monday</a>. UNEP estimates that banning the use of leaded petrol will prevent more than 1.2 million premature deaths and save the global economy $2.45 trillion each year, as well as decrease crime rates.Monday's milestone announcement comes after nearly two decades of campaigning by UNEP to eliminate the use of lead in petrol, which has contaminated air, soil, dust, drinking water and food crops. The global end of petrol use officially started in July after it was no longer provided by service stations in Algeria. The organization said leaded petrol causes heart disease, strokes and cancer, while also stunting brain development."The successful enforcement of the ban on leaded petrol is a huge milestone for global health and our environment," said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP. "Overcoming a century of deaths and illnesses that affected hundreds of millions and degraded the environment worldwide, we are invigorated to change humanity's trajectory for the better through an accelerated transition to clean vehicles and electric mobility." Most high-income countries prohibited the use of leaded petrol by the 1980s, UNEP said. Yet, in 2002, when the organization started its campaign, nearly all low- and middle-income countries were still using leaded petrol. The organization said fast-growing global vehicle production still threatens air, water, and soil with pollution, and that the transportation sector is responsible for "nearly a quarter of energy-related global <keyword id="11984592" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="greenhouse-gas" source="Orion">greenhouse gas</keyword> emissions."The automotive industry is well underway with efforts to slow <keyword id="11949068" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="carbon-emissions" source="Orion">carbon emissions</keyword>, in part by ramping up the development and production of electrified vehicles. Several countries including Norway, the Netherlands, France, and Britain have already set forth plans to ban the sale of gasoline-powered vehicles in the next 10 to 15 years.UNEP said the end of leaded petrol will help to satisfy many of the <a href="https://sdgs.un.org/goals">United Nations'</a> sustainable development goals, like clean water and energy, good health and well-being, and sustainable cities.

UN says use of leaded petrol is officially over, a landmark that will prevent more than 1.2 million premature deaths per year

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Photos released by North Korean state media show Kim Jong Un's huge portraits of Vladimir Putin.</li><li>The images show the leader giving Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu a personal tour.</li></ul>Kim Jong Un decorated his walls with huge portraits of Russian President Vladimir Putin during a tour of a state office building, state media images show.The portraits were visible as the North Korean leader gave a personal tour to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.Shoigu was attending a banquet at the Central Committee of the Workers' Party headquarters in Pyongyang, per the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12349253/Kim-Jong-huge-portraits-Putin-plastered-HQ-walls-Shoigu-tour.html">Daily Mail</a>. It comes as the country celebrated the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War, which took place from 1950 to 1953.In the bizarre images, Kim and Shoigu can be seen walking down a corridor while huge portraits of Putin and Kim loom over them from either side.<div type="image" title="Portrait of Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin" height="2834" width="3780" msid="102231878" hostid="261"></div>In a separate photo, a large picture of Kim and Putin shaking hands fills the background as officials toast what appear to be glasses of wine. The image of the leaders was taken during their meeting in Vladivostok, Russia in 2019, the Mail reported.The Korean Central News Agency said Kim and Shoigu reached agreements on Wednesday on "matters of mutual concern in the field of national defense and security and on the regional and international security environment," per the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-kim-jong-un-shoigu-parade-037cb0dca2dda580dbdb3037dfd724a5">Associated Press</a>.But Shoigu's visit to North Korea also sheds some light on the defense minister's current standing in Russia, Simon Miles, an assistant professor at Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy and a historian of the Soviet Union and US-Soviet relations, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/putin-shoigu-wagner-uprising-north-korea-war-2023-7">previously told Insider</a>.Miles said it was "a humiliation for Russia, and for Shoigu personally, to have to go and break bread and glad hand" with the North Koreans.North Korea has seemed to side with Russia over the latter's invasion of Ukraine. The Biden administration has accused the country of sending arms to Russia to help with the fight, something which the North Koreans have denied, the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-global-trade-north-korea-8b57aab3bbba02e818b1f4f2972cda7c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AP</a> reported.In a <a href="https://kcnawatch.org/newstream/1686521388-398467602/greetings-to-russian-president/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">greeting message</a> to Putin last month, Kim said he wanted to work toward "strategic cooperation" between Pyongyang and Moscow, and desired to be "holding hands firmly with the Russian president."

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