Cement, Energy and Environment

CLIMATE CHANGE CAN SLAM GLOBAL ECONOMY, SAYS REPORT Climate change could cause 10 times as much damage to the global economy as previously estimated, slashing output as much as 23 per cent by the end of the century, a new -, research paper from Stanford and Berkeley finds. Looking at 166 countries from 1960 to 2010, the researchers identified an optimal average annual temperature that coincides with peak productivity of, for example, labor and crops. It's 55 degrees Fahrenheit (13 degrees celsius), or approximately the climate of San Francisco's bay area. The paper appears in the new issue of Nature. Countries in the tropics, already hotter than this optimal temperature, are likely to face the most dramatic economic pain from warming, the study found . Countries at or just past the 55- degree annual average, such as the US, China, and Japan, may be increasingly vulnerable to losses as the temperature warms. Northern countries well below the ideal average may see benefits as opportunities open up for agriculture and industry. But this was the least robust finding. And even if the warming improves the lot of Scandinavia and Canada, such nations may not have many healthy trading partners left as others suffer. Also, higher temperatures in northern countries don't take into account changes in precipitation, more extreme weather, and the many other risks in a warming world. Courtesy: Business Standard, Bloomberg, 23. 10.2015, from Internet SHAPING A DEAL ON CLIMATE CHANGE Finally, it's about accommodating the big– ticket players, with every likelihood of the Paris declaration being watered down N R Krishnan It has now become clear that the significant emitters of greenhouse gases (GHGs) have crystallised their positions on the efforts they would be willing to make to combat global warming and climate change starting from 2020. Enhancement of their efforts appears unlikely in the short time available from now to the Paris climate summit in December. According to the NGO, Climate Action Tracker, pledges received by the climate secretariat till mid– September, 2015, from 60 member countries (not including India) that accounted for 65 per cent of global emissions in 2010, fell well below the levels necessary to limit global temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius in this century. The list includes heavyweights such as China, the US, the EU , Russia, Canada and Australia. Their pledges are, for the most part, considered "medium" or "inadequate". India's big effort India's Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC), submitted to the secretariat on October 1, has enhanced the already accepted target of a 20-25 per cent reduction in the energy intensity of the country's GOP growth to 33-35 per cent by 2030, compared to its 2005 level. In addition, share of renewables in total installed energy generation capacity would rise to 40 per cent by 2030 and additional forest and tree cover would be raised to absorb 2.5 to 3.0 billion tonnes more of carbon dioxide equivalent of GHGs. Th is would result in India's energy intensity of growth going down to 41 .5 per cent of what it was in 2005 by the middle of this century. Considering India's growth needs and its population, its INDC reflects a massive effort in combating global warming and cannot be declared to be just "medium" or at the lower end of the ambition scale. India has emerged as a st.tong