Wildlife Institute’s biodiversity study for rail project in Western Ghats raises conflict of interest concerns Subject: Environment Section: Protected Areas Context: In August 2017, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) prepared a biodiversity and environment assessment report for a project proposed by Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) to double the railway track between […]
UN General Assembly 2023: Crucial biodiversity fund gets enough money to be operational Subject: Environment Section: International Convention Context: At a high-level event, Nature and People: From Ambition to Action, at the ongoing 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the government of Germany pledged to contribute 40 million […]
Can green nudges in online food deliveries lead to lesser pollution? A study conducted in China thinks so Subject: Environment Section: Protected Areas Why in the news? A study conducted in collaboration with an online food delivery platform (Eleme) in China found that making “no disposable cutlery” the default choice for orders and […]
Centre identifies 62 new elephant corridors; total now 150 Subject: Environment Section: Protected Areas Context: A new elephant corridor report released by the central government showed a 40 per cent increase in elephant corridors across 15 elephant range states in India. Elephant corridors in India: Elephant corridors can be described as a strip […]
‘Green should be the color of the future’: Global bodies launch campaign to protect forests Subject: Environment Section: International Conventions Context: The Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF), a partnership of 16 global organizations chaired by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), has launched the Joint Call to Action for Forests towards […]
SDG Summit 2023: Political declaration for massive increase in investments to attain SDGs adopted Subject: Environment Section: International Conventions Context: Leaders from around the world gathered on September 18, 2023 for the High-level Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Summit and agreed to intensify their efforts to deliver SDGs by 2030. High-level Sustainable Development Goals […]
Is the UN carbon neutral? No, finds an investigation. Subject: Environment Section: Climate Change Carbon neutrality means every ton of anthropogenic CO2 emitted is compensated with an equivalent amount of CO2 removed, according to World Resources Institute. In order to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, carbon neutrality by mid-21st century is essential. This target is also laid down […]
Siberia witnesses over 150% rise in air pollution Subject: Environment Section: Pollution Context: Decadal data analysis has suggested that newer geographies are now experiencing high levels of fine particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) emissions. PM 2.5 pollution: Quantification of PM2.5 geospatial data — Monthly Global Estimates of Fine Particulate Matter and Their Uncertainty — […]
Ozone Day 2023: Why the South Pole has set alarm bells ringing this year Subject: Environment Section: Climate Change Context: September 16 is celebrated as World Ozone day. The 2023 winter season for the Antarctica region ended with a record-low sea ice cover in August. This coincided with the early opening of the […]
Supreme Court upholds HC ban on plaster of Paris Ganesh idols Subject :Environment Section: Pollution Context: There have been efforts to ban the sale of plaster of Paris (PoP) idols for Ganesh Chaturthi festival in the past, but these have proved futile. NGT has ordered state pollution control boards to constitute expert committees […]