Climate Change

With two billion cups consumed each day, it makes coffee the most popular drink in the world. It's only natural to ask if and how the warming global temperatures affect coffee farmers and plantations. What does the future hold for coffee?

Countries’ current climate plans — including 2030 emissions-reduction pledges (known as NDCs) and legally binding net-zero targets — will only limit warming to 2.4 degrees C by 2100, setting the world up for increasingly severe wildfires, droughts, floods and more. If G20 countries fully enact the additional targets they’ve announced but not yet formally adopted, temperature rise could be limited to 2.1 degrees C.

New research by the WRI finds that if all G20 countries set ambitious 2030 emissions-reduction targets and commit to reach net-zero emissions by mid-century, global temperature rise could be limited to 1.7 degrees C in 2100, keeping the 1.5-degree C goal within reach.

If food waste were a country, it would be the third largest source of GHG emissions on the planet, of which 61% comes from households. Meanwhile, according to FAO, more than 800 million people are undernourished while 2 billion are micronutrient deficient.

In the lead up to the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste on 29 September, check out these 12 apps that help prevent household food waste and protect the planet.

According to the Guardian, 90% of coal and 60% of oil and gas reserves should remain in the ground if there is to be “even a 50% chance of keeping global heating below 1.5C”, the stretch goal of the Paris Agreement.

Investments of about $280 billion will be needed to cope with the effects of climate change in 35 cities in South Africa, Kenya and Ethiopia by 2050, new report by the Coalition for Urban Transitions shows. As the fastest urbanizing continent and the hardest hit by global warming, trillions of dollars of investment will be needed as a further 950 million people are expected to live in African cities by 2050.

The report concludes that the regulatory and financial framework and policy reforms are highly required to mobilize finance at scale and unlock investment in cities. Is it achievable?

According to UNDP administrator, Achim Steiner, lower-income countries shouldn’t be penalized for seeking to develop gas power or restricted to renewable energy just because they are looking to boost their power generation, while even wealthier countries show little sign of doing the same. Is the world moving quickly enough towards a decarbonized energy structure?

Having already pledged to reach net zero emissions by 2060, how can Indonesia and other countries now implement change on the scale required? The answer - as Indonesia is learning - starts in the classroom. Find out more in our latest blog article for the Green Learning Network - link below 🌋 🗾 ⬇️