emissions - The African Mirror

Feb

2024

What is football’s carbon footprint?

WITH a fan base of 3.5 billion – nearly half the global population – football is the world's most popular sport and its carbon footprint is huge. With emissions created by energy use in stadiums, travel by fans and teams, broadcasting, the multibillion-dollar market for kits and other merchandise and even matchday meals, the beautiful game takes a not-so-beautiful toll on the planet's climate. This weekend, thousands of football fans across Britain are being urged to make climate-conscious choices – from opting for plant-based meals to switching to green energy providers – as part of Green Football Weekend, a campaign to engage fans and…

May

2021

By The African Mirror

Solar minibuses for Africa? Data seen as key to green transport switch

AFRICITIES

MEGAN ROWLING AS emissions from African transport surge, governments need to find ways to encourage a shift to cleaner, healthier electric vehicles, especially among the minibus and motorcycle taxis that dominate transport in many cities, researchers said on Thursday. Investment in generating more solar-powered electricity to charge electric vehicles (EVs) could encourage their use, cut pollution and costs for passengers, and help stabilise unreliable energy systems, they said in a commentary published in Nature Sustainability. But most African governments lack the data on privately run mass transport systems needed to make the case for financial institutions and development banks to put…

Feb

2021

By The African Mirror

Adaptation no longer ‘Cinderella’ of climate action – but barriers remain

ENVIRONMENT

LAURIE GOERING EFFORTS to adapt to worsening climate change impacts are no longer playing "Cinderella" to better-financed work to cut emissions - but big obstacles still stand in the way of staying safer from climate threats, adaptation experts said on Thursday. Those range from inadequate investment in adaptation work, to over-zealous accountability mechanisms for public spending and a failure to include local people in developing plans and judging their success, they told an online discussion. Too many poor countries, meanwhile, are waiting to receive donor cash to adapt to more extreme weather and rising seas, when rethinking their own spending…

Jan

2021

By The African Mirror

Crafting COVID-19 recovery plans to recycle more could slash emissions

ENVIRONMENT

MICHAEL TAYLOR COVID-19 relief and recovery plans aimed at recycling and reusing more of the billions of tonnes of materials consumed each year could slash planet-heating emissions and limit the impacts of climate change, researchers said on Tuesday. By developing and promoting ways to reduce the amount of minerals, fossil fuels, metals and biomass used in new products, greenhouse gas emissions could be cut by 39%, or 22.8 billion gigatonnes annually, said a report by Amsterdam-based social enterprise Circle Economy. "Governments are making huge decisions that will shape our climate future," CEO Martijn Lopes Cardozo said in a statement. "They…

Sep

2020

By The African Mirror

Fund to cut emissions in developing world cities launched

AFRICITIES

A new multilateral finance fund that aims to cut carbon emissions and improve conditions in developing-world cities, has been launched. Implemented by the World Bank and the European Union's lending arm, the European Investment Bank, the City Climate Finance Gap Fund aims to unlock at least 4 billion euros ($4.66 billion) for low-carbon and climate-resilient projects. Cities already account for 70% of global CO2 emissions, but with 2.5 billion more people expected to move to them by 2050, and Africa alone expected to see a 700% increase in urban land cover by 2030, limiting the climate impact will be vital.…