Achieving the 1.5-degree Celsius target requires all stakeholders, including the energy industry, to be actively involved in shaping a new energy system.
New Delhi: The COP28 UAE Presidency and the International Energy Agency (IEA) convened the first in a series of high-level dialogues in the run-up to COP28 around building a 1.5°C-aligned energy transition.
The initiative is being carried out in collaboration with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and will be supported by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
The dialogues are intended to build consensus on 1.5°C-compatible energy transition pathways and the enabling conditions needed to achieve them, as well as momentum around the target energy outcomes for COP28.
The meetings are being co-chaired by COP28 president-designate Sultan Al Jaber and Fatih Birol, executive director of the IEA. The aim is to engage public- and private-sector decision-makers in the energy industry to produce a holistic, global view of the energy system.
The dialogues will prepare the ground for specific commitments and calls-to-action at the World Climate Action Summit being held at COP28.
The session was held on 21 July on the sidelines of the 14th Clean Energy Ministerial, alongside the G20 Energy Transitions Ministerial Meeting in Goa, India. Delegates at the meeting included various country delegates and private sector representatives.
Sultan Al Jaber, speaking on the significance of the initiative, highlighted COP28’s pivotal role as an opportunity for global collaboration and decisive action in realizing the objectives of the Paris Agreement. Stressing the importance of unified efforts, he emphasized that achieving the 1.5-degree Celsius target requires all stakeholders, including the energy industry, to be actively involved in shaping a new energy system.
IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol, lauded the IEA’s comprehensive energy package, which outlines critical strategies such as tripling global renewables capacity, doubling energy efficiency progress, reducing emissions from the oil and gas sector, augmenting clean energy finance for developing economies, redirecting fossil fuel investments to cleaner alternatives, and substantially curbing fossil fuel demand.
In parallel, Francesco La Camera, Director-General of IRENA, underscored the urgency of a renewables-based energy transition and the necessity to triple annual renewable energy additions to effectively curb global warming within the 1.5-degree Celsius limit. To achieve this, he emphasized the need to overcome systemic barriers in infrastructure, policy, and institutional frameworks.
The IEA and IRENA will provide data and technical analysis to set the stage for informed discussions, inviting others as appropriate. This will include the current state of the global energy landscape, and potential pathways, solutions and actions required to accelerate the transition in a just and equitable manner.
Simon Steill, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, expressed hope that these high-level dialogues would serve as a driving force to propel momentum towards a just and inclusive 1.5-degree Celsius-aligned energy transition. He urged all stakeholders to take decisive action and contribute to building a sustainable and climate-resilient future as envisioned in the Paris Agreement.
A wildfire in Rhodes, Greece, has forced hundreds of people to flee villages and beaches. The coastguard has deployed boats to evacuate people, and authorities have asked more to leave their villages. Fires are common in Greece, but hotter summers have turned the country into a wildfire hotspot.
More than 30,000 people have been evacuated from the Greek island of Rhodes due to a wildfire that has been raging for the past 5 days. The coastguard has deployed more than 30 private boats to evacuate at least 2,000 people from the beaches near the areas of Kiotari and Lardos in the south-east of the island, while an operation is underway to evacuate around 600 people from the beaches of Kiotari and Gen.
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Greek authorities have asked 1,000 more people to leave their villages of Pefki, Lindos and Kalathos amidst the wildfire which the firefighters have struggled to contain. The firefighters have air-water bombs along with reinforcements from Slovakia.
"This is not a fire that will be over tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. It'll be troubling us for days." Greek fire service spokesman Vassilis Varthakogiannis said while speaking to Skai TV.
Greek authorities have arranged buses to take people to safety but some people had to walk in areas where fire had cut off access to roads. They have also created makeshift accommodation for the evacuated people in gyms, schools and hotel conference rooms while government officials are also travelling to Rhodes to assist the situation.
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The Greek Foreign Ministry said on Saturday that it had asked its crisis management unit to facilitate the evacuation of foreigners wishing to leave the country. Meanwhile, crowds of tourists can be seen walking along a road with their luggage as part of the ongoing evacuation process, with smoke visible in the background.
"We had set up firebreaks around the village of Laerma last night, but a 180-degree change of the winds this morning helped the fire grow much bigger across many kilometres ... reaching a tourist area," Deputy mayor of Rhodes Konstantinos Taraslias said while speaking to Open TV.
Greece is battling dozens of forest fires that have now spread to mountainous areas, while the country is in the midst of a raging heatwave that has seen temperatures soar above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) for the past 11 days. Meteorologists have warned that it could be the longest hot spell Greece has ever experienced.
Civil protection authorities said there was a very high risk of wild fires on Rhodes and other Greek islands on Sunday due to the heatwave, which could see temperatures soar to 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit).
Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry said Accepting the Indian rupee would work as an advantage for Sri Lanka as the trade imbalance between the two countries is in favor of India.
Amid the island nation's struggles to build its depleted foreign reserves and to emerge from last year’s unprecedented economic crisis, Sri Lanka is mulling the possibility of allowing the use of the Indian rupee for local transactions, reported AP.
The move to allow the use of India's currency would enable 'tourists and other people from India to directly use Indian rupees here' without going through the hassle of multiple currency conversions, said Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry said Saturday.
According to official figures, the trade between the two nations stood at $5.45 billion in 2021. Sri Lanka imports plenty of items from India including food, pharmaceuticals, construction materials, automobiles, fertilizers, and chemicals.
Accepting the Indian rupee would work as an advantage for Sri Lanka as the trade imbalance between the two countries is in favor of India, Sabry said, “We need more Indian currency, so more Indian people coming here and spending Indian currency is good for us."
Earlier, Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe visited India and during the visit, India and Sri Lanka signed a series of energy, development, and trade agreements, signaling growing economic ties between the neighboring countries.
In 2022, India provided critical financial and humanitarian assistance worth over $4 billion to its neighbor, including food, medicine, and fuel. Apart from this, India was also the first creditor to extend a letter of support towards Sri Lanka’s debt restructuring efforts that helped kickstart support from the IMF.
Sri Lanka’s total debt has exceeded $83 billion, of which $41.5 billion is foreign and $42.1 billion is domestic. Sri Lanka has now started the process of restructuring its debt.
Sri Lanka is considering the possibility of allowing the use of the Indian rupee for local transactions. This is in response to the country's ongoing economic crisis, which has led to a shortage of foreign currency.
The move would allow Indian tourists and businesses to use their own currency in Sri Lanka, which would save them the hassle of exchanging their money. It would also help to boost trade between the two countries.
The Sri Lankan government has not yet made a final decision on whether to allow the use of the Indian rupee for local transactions. However, the move is seen as a way to ease the country's economic woes.
Here are some of the benefits of allowing the use of the Indian rupee in Sri Lanka:
It would make it easier for Indian tourists and businesses to visit and do business in Sri Lanka.
It would help to boost trade between the two countries.
It would reduce the demand for foreign currency in Sri Lanka, which would help to stabilize the country's economy.
Of course, there are also some potential drawbacks to allowing the use of the Indian rupee in Sri Lanka. These include:
It could lead to inflation in Sri Lanka, as the rupee is weaker than the Sri Lankan rupee.
It could make it more difficult for Sri Lankan businesses to compete with Indian businesses.
It could lead to a loss of jobs in Sri Lanka, as Indian businesses may be able to undercut Sri Lankan businesses on price.
Overall, the decision of whether or not to allow the use of the Indian rupee in Sri Lanka is a complex one. There are both benefits and drawbacks to consider. The Sri Lankan government will need to weigh these carefully before making a decision.
It is to be known that Elon Musk met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June in New York and said he plans to visit India in 2024.
Amid billionaire Elon Musk-led Tesla is seeking a reduction in import duties on electric vehicles (EVs) in India, the Indian government so far is not looking to frame a separate policy for providing incentives to it, said a government official on Sunday.
The official even noted the US-based electric car maker can apply to avail support measures under existing schemes like PLI for auto and advanced chemistry cells.
The Centre has already rolled out the production-linked incentives schemes (PLI) for advanced chemistry cell (ACC) battery storage with an outlay of ₹18,100 crore and ₹26,058 crore PLI scheme for auto, auto-components, and drone industries.
"We have told Tesla that the policies, which are already there for all, they can also apply under that PLI. They are welcome. Generally, the policy will be the same for all. For a single company, the government may not like to make separate policies. So far, there is no plan to give special treatment," the official said.
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Earlier, Tesla's biggest supplier of batteries Panasonic met the government and stated that they want to make batteries. But the government suggested they apply under PLI ACC batteries, the official added.
Last week, the government announced the re-bidding of production-linked incentives for 20 GWh advanced chemistry cell manufacturing. The Ministry of Heavy Industries is holding a stakeholder consultation with industry representatives on July 24 for their inputs and suggestions before the start of the re-bidding process of the remaining 20 GWh capacity.
In June, Tesla representatives visited India to meet officials of various ministries, including the Commerce and Industry Ministry. While in 2021, Tesla demanded a reduction in import duties on electric vehicles (EVs) in India.
As per details, cars imported as completely built units (CBUs) attract customs duty ranging from 60 percent to 100 percent, depending on engine size and cost, insurance, and freight (CIF) value less or above $40,000.
It is to be known that Musk met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June in New York and said he plans to visit India in 2024.
"I am confident that Tesla will be in India, and we will do so as soon as humanly possible," Musk had said after that meeting.
"We don't want to jump the gun on an announcement, but I think it's quite likely that it will be a significant investment, a relationship with India," Musk had said.
Meanwhile, India is pitching as an alternate destination for investment for US companies to capitalize on the growing chill between Beijing and Washington.
Over 800,000 Pakistani nationals left the country in 2022 for job opportunities abroad, with 17,976 being highly qualified. The number of highly qualified individuals leaving was lowest in 2020 due to travel restrictions.
More than eight lakh Pakistani nationals left the country in 2022 in search of jobs. According to the data from the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment, 832,339 left the country for work last year. Out of these, 17,976 were highly qualified.
The data also mentioned that approximately Pakista.
The lowest number of highly qualified nationals left Pakistan in 2020. They were 5121.
According to experts, during 2020-21, the number of outgoing Pakistanis for jobs was the lowest due to global restrictions on travelling.
A total of 12,057 highly qualified people left Pakistan for jobs in 2013. In 2014, 14,647 highly qualified nationals left Pakistan for work. The total number of nationals who left in the same year was 752,466. The data shows that in 2015, over 9.4 million people left Pakistan in search of jobs out of whom 17,484 were highly qualified. In 2016; 839,353 people left the country for job opportunities abroad. Out of these, the highly qualified were 16,510, according to Dawn.
In 2017; 16,029 highly qualified nationals left Pakistan out of a total of 496,286. In 2018; 16,105 highly skilled nationals of Pakistan went abroad for job opportunities out of a total of 382,439. In 2019; 625,876 Pakistanis left the country out of whom 15,525 were highly qualified. In 2020, a total of 5121 highly qualified nationals left the country out of a total of 225,213.
In 2021; 288,280 Pakistanis went abroad in search of jobs out of whom 7,396 were highly qualified. Till June 2023, around 10,845 highly qualified nationals of Pakistan left the country for jobs abroad out of a total of 395166.
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That's right. According to data from the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment, over 8 lakh (800,000) Pakistani nationals left the country in 2022 in search of jobs. This is a significant increase from the previous year, when 6.5 lakh (650,000) people left.
The majority of those who left Pakistan in 2022 were young people, with over 50% being under the age of 30. The most popular destinations for Pakistani jobseekers were the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom.
There are a number of factors that have contributed to the increase in the number of Pakistani jobseekers leaving the country. These include the high unemployment rate in Pakistan, which is currently estimated to be around 6%. The country's economy has also been struggling in recent years, which has made it difficult for people to find good jobs.
In addition, the political situation in Pakistan has also been unstable in recent years. This has led to a decline in investment in the country, which has also made it difficult for people to find jobs.
The outflow of Pakistani jobseekers is a major concern for the government. The government has taken some steps to try to address the problem, such as providing training and skills development programs for young people. However, more needs to be done to create jobs in Pakistan and to improve the country's economy.
Here are some of the reasons why Pakistani jobseekers are leaving the country:
High unemployment rate. The unemployment rate in Pakistan is currently around 6%, which is one of the highest in the world. This makes it difficult for people to find jobs, especially those with limited education or skills.
Poor economic growth. The Pakistani economy has been growing slowly in recent years, which has also made it difficult for people to find jobs.
Political instability. The political situation in Pakistan has been unstable in recent years, which has led to a decline in investment in the country. This has also made it difficult for people to find jobs.
Better opportunities abroad. There are often better opportunities for jobs and education abroad, especially in developed countries. This is why many Pakistani jobseekers choose to leave the country.
The outflow of Pakistani jobseekers has a number of negative consequences for the country. These include:
Brain drain. When skilled and educated people leave the country, it is a loss to the country's economy. This is because these people are the ones who are most likely to start businesses and create jobs.
Reduced tax revenue. When people leave the country, they also stop paying taxes. This means that the government has less money to invest in things like education and infrastructure.
Social problems. The outflow of jobseekers can also lead to social problems, such as an increase in crime and poverty.
The government of Pakistan is aware of the problem of the outflow of jobseekers and is taking some steps to address it. These include:
Providing training and skills development programs for young people. This will help them to find better jobs in Pakistan.
Attracting foreign investment. This will create more jobs in the country.
Improving the political situation. This will make it more attractive for businesses to invest in Pakistan.
It is important to address the problem of the outflow of jobseekers in Pakistan. This is because it has a number of negative consequences for the country. The government is taking some steps to address the problem, but more needs to be done.
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