Showing 1 - 10 of 502
The 'billions to trillions' charade
Oped, Published on 23/05/2024
» The international development sector has become fixated on calculating financing gaps. Hardly a day goes by without new estimates of the funds low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) need to meet their climate targets and achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Decarbonisation needs joint effort
Oped, Published on 21/05/2024
» As countries around the world experienced record temperatures last year, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres declared, "We must turn a year of burning heat into a year of burning ambition." But to move away from fossil fuels and unlock the green transition's economic benefits, such as job creation and universal access to clean energy, industry leaders and policymakers must work together to translate the commitments made at the UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai (COP28) into actual renewable gigawatts.
Green push needs united approach
News, Published on 20/05/2024
» Bridging the divide between agriculture and forestry is imperative for climate action. The global and national race is on to steeply reduce emissions over the next six years. According to the watershed Global Stocktake report, released ahead of COP28 in Dubai, we face the daunting task of reducing emissions by 43% by 2030 to retain the possibility of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees by the end of the century, and 27% to stabilise at a 2-degree temperature increase. Since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015, we have managed only to be on track for a 2% reduction in emissions against 2019 baselines. Each subsequent year, we collectively feel the impacts of a hotter, more volatile climate as new records are set for temperature and natural disasters.
Stark reality behind economic figures
Oped, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 16/05/2024
» At the time of writing this, the official Q1 GDP has not been announced by the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC). I expect the growth figure will be around 1.2%. My own estimation, using the Output Approach and actual sectoral production index, gives a growth figure of 0.98%. Detailed data are in the below table.
A turning point for clean cooking
Oped, Published on 15/05/2024
» For most of her life, Florence Auma Ode cooked over an open fire in her Kenyan home. The resulting smoke coated the walls with a layer of soot and filled her lungs -- and those of her family members -- with particulate matter.
Taking on Bangkok's punishing heat
Oped, Danny Marks, Published on 03/05/2024
» As scorching temperatures blanket Thailand, setting new records in several regions, Bangkok and its outskirts are enduring the full force of the relentless heatwave. Bangkok sizzled under a heat index exceeding 52C on Tuesday, a measure that combines temperature and humidity to reflect how hot it actually feels. Tragically, heat-related fatalities in the country have reached 30 this year alone. A recent study reveals the unequal impact of urban heat intensity on Bangkok's residents, with lower-income individuals facing heightened heat stress during daily activities and rest.
Why the economy is heading for a crisis
Oped, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 02/05/2024
» I wish I were this good when it comes to picking winning lottery ticket. Just a few days ago, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) lowered its 2024 GDP growth projection from 2.8% to 2.4%, citing blah, blah, blah.
Southeast Asian banks must stop funding coal
Oped, Published on 11/04/2024
» Indonesia is by far a major top producer of dangerous climate emissions -- more than any country in the Southeast Asian region, mainly due to its burning of coal. The country is also feeling the full force of worsening climate disasters, from floods and storms to deadly landslides. My hometown, Jakarta, is sinking -- and this is compounded by regular catastrophic flooding and air pollution that disrupts millions of lives. Indonesia faces huge risks as it currently sits as the second most disaster-prone country in the world, according to the World Risk Report 2023.
Seek casino referendum
Oped, Editorial, Published on 11/04/2024
» If the Srettha government is to proceed with its plan to build entertainment complexes with casinos, it must first seek a referendum.
Conscription panic isn't the debate Europe needs
News, Published on 06/04/2024
» 'The French are all soldiers and must defend their homeland." So decreed the 18th-century law that made military service mandatory in France, until the end of the Cold War banished it to the history books and replaced it with a kind of glorified recruitment day -- which I dutifully attended as a teenager and promptly forgot about. Nobody under the age of 45 in France has forcibly worn army fatigues or picked up a weapon, including Emmanuel Macron.