Singapore is calling for residents to share their views on climate action and sustainable living
The Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) in Singapore is encouraging public engagement in sustainable initiatives in the city. As part of Singapore’s Climate Action Week 2022, a survey has been launched inviting residents to share their views on environmental issues such as food supply, carbon emissions and waste in the city. Residents will also be encouraged to comment on the environmental practices of community groups, businesses and corporations in Singapore.
Singapore’s Climate Action Week in Singapore showcases 140 initiatives from more than 80 partners and organisations. Residents were able to engage in sustainability activities in the city such as guided tours, green challenges, workshops, talks and seminars. The MSE also encouraged individuals, academic institutions and businesses to make pledges to contribute to a green, liveable and climate-resilient Singapore via the Forward SG website.
Climate activists take to the streets in Nairobi to demand action from wealthy countries
As some areas in Kenya are suffering the worst drought in forty years, hundreds of demonstrators have taken to the streets in Nairobi to demand action. Campaigners say that industrialised, wealthy countries of the Global North should compensate nations who are least to blame for the climate crisis, but suffer most from its impacts.
The Pan African Climate Justice Alliance largely organised the march; the alliance is formed of members from over 1,000 grassroots organisations, Indigenous communities, farmers and NGOs from 48 African countries. They collectively call for a just, inclusive approach to address the climate emergency.
Young people are finding creative ways to tackle food insecurity in Amman
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) launched the Youth in Food Security Innovation Programme in Amman, Jordan. The event brought together a group of young Jordanians, aged 18–26, who presented a wide range of ideas to tackle food insecurity in the country. The innovative initiatives included self-feeding plants, water treatment using vegetable and fruit peels, and environmentally friendly fertiliser made from farm waste.
Jordanians are dealing with multiple overlapping challenges, including slow economic growth, high youth unemployment, water scarcity and increased cost of living. Jordan has one of the youngest populations in the world, with 63% of its population under the age of 30. This programme focuses on empowering young people to become changemakers by creating entrepreneurial solutions to address challenges in their own communities.
Tokyo and Kuala Lumpur will collaborate more closely on climate action
The Governor of Tokyo, Yuriko Koike, and Mayor of Kuala Lumpur, Mahadi Che Ngah, have signed a Letter of Intent to strengthen ties between the two cities and collaborate more closely on challenges caused by the climate crisis.
The two capital cities will exchange information and initiatives designed to improve urban infrastructure, overcome challenges in technology, decarbonise public buildings and organisations, and combat flooding.
Kuala Lumpur has been a C40 Cities member since 2016 and Tokyo, which joined in 2006, is a C40 Steering Committee member. This agreement will see the two cities working together even more closely to become more resilient to the impacts of the climate emergency.
Record-breaking solar power generation in the EU
This summer, solar power accounted for 12.2% of the European Union’s total electricity generated. According to a new report by think tank Ember, this power would have cost around €29 billion if it had come from natural-gas-burning plants.
Renewable electricity has been the cheapest form of energy since 2019. The global energy crisis has resulted in soaring gas and oil prices and economic instability for nations, businesses and individuals alike.
The new report provides further evidence of the need to invest in renewable electricity sources, particularly solar power generation, in order to transition away from expensive, polluting and emissions-intensive fossil fuels.
New trees are coming to New York
New York has planted 13,000 new trees over the past year in order to tackle climate change and urban heat in the city. They have largely been planted in neighbourhoods that lack shade and suffer from extreme heat during the hotter months. The city plans to plant 20,000 more trees every year until at least 2026. New York’s Parks Department has pledged $136 million over the next four years to achieve this goal.
Tree planting and investing in urban nature brings wide-ranging benefits to cities and their residents. Trees clean up the air, cool down the city, and help soak up rainwater, reducing the likelihood of flooding. Urban nature also makes cities more pleasant places to work, live in and travel around, improving the wellbeing of residents and visitors.