Climate actions can create 14 mn jobs by 2030: Research
San Francisco, Sep 9: As cities around the world accelerate efforts to meet their commitments to the Paris climate agreement, a new research on Sunday showed that ambitious urban climate policies can vastly reduce carbon emissions globally.
The research has been conducted by C40 Cities, The Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy and the NewClimate Institute.
Titled "Climate Opportunity: More Jobs; Better Health; Liveable Cities", the research estimates that by 2030 a boost in urban climate action can prevent approximately 1.3 million premature deaths per year, generate 13.7 million jobs in cities and save 40 billion hours of commuters' time plus billions of dollars in reduced household expenses each year.
Funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the report examines a number of effective urban solutions to climate change, including energy efficiency retrofits in buildings, enhanced bus networks and district-scale renewable energy.
It shows that these climate actions are strong drivers of positive public health and economic outcomes across countries and regions.
Its findings show investments in residential energy efficiency retrofits will result in a net creation of 5.4 million jobs in cities worldwide.
These investments will also result in significant household savings, as well as emissions reductions.
Improved bus services and more extensive networks can prevent the premature deaths of nearly one million people per year from air pollution and traffic fatalities worldwide.
It says district-scale renewable energy for heating and cooling in buildings can prevent a further 300,000 premature deaths per year by 2030, as well as create approximately 8.3 million jobs and contribute to significant emissions reductions.
Overall, climate action policies can have proportionally greater outcomes for lower income groups in developing cities, where populations have the most to gain from the introduction of new technologies.
"Climate Opportunity shows what the mayors of the world's great cities have known for a long time: climate, public health, and a strong economy are deeply connected," C40 Cities Executive Director Mark Watts said in a statement.
"We need cities around the world to implement the bold climate policies detailed in this report, if we are to avoid catastrophic climate change."
Thomas Day, partner at NewClimate Institute who led the research, said: "Cities account for 73 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, making large-scale climate action in urban areas an urgent focus of efforts to meet the highest goals of the Paris Agreement."
The release of the research comes just ahead of next week's Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco, a global gathering of policymakers, scientists, businesses and activists committed to the goals of the Paris Agreement.
In the lead-up to the summit, C40 Cities and the Global Covenant of Mayors invited mayors to enhance their commitments to bold climate action, as part of the "One Planet Charter."
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TMC says Mamata Banerjee 'most suitable' to lead INDIA bloc
New Delhi, Dec 8: The Trinamool Congress on Sunday raised the pitch on the demand to make its chief Mamata Banerjee the leader of the INDIA bloc, with party MP Kirti Azad saying she is the "most suitable" for the job as she is the only leader who has repeatedly defeated the BJP.
West Bengal Chief Minister Banerjee's statement signalling her intent to take charge of the opposition alliance drew support from NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar who described her as a capable leader, while RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav stressed that the decision must be reached through consensus.
"We have no issue with Mamata Banerjee leading the bloc, but keeping in mind there are so many senior politicians in the anti-BJP coalition, there's a need to sit together and take a collective decision on choosing a leader," Yadav told reporters in Kolkata on Sunday.
Asked about Banerjee's remarks, Pawar said on Saturday that the Trinamool Congress chief has the right to show her intent to head the opposition alliance.
"She is a capable leader in the country and has the right to say it. The MPs she has sent to the Parliament are hardworking and aware," he told reporters in Kolhapur, Maharashtra.
In an interview to a news channel on Friday, Banerjee expressed dissatisfaction with the functioning of the opposition INDIA bloc and indicated her readiness to take charge of the alliance if given an opportunity.
She said she could manage the dual responsibility of running the opposition front while continuing her role as the chief minister of West Bengal.
Her statement comes at a time when voices of discontent have emerged within the opposition INDIA bloc following the recent electoral setbacks for the Congress, including in Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir and Maharashtra.
In a video statement, Azad said that a discussion is going on these days on the issue of the need for leadership change in the INDIA bloc.
"Senior leaders, including the seniormost Sharad Pawar ji, have also said Mamata Banerjee should be made the leader of the INDIA bloc, " Azad said.
"There is a need for change. Mamata Banerjee is the only leader who has repeatedly defeated the BJP and Modi ji, and in the recent byelections in West Bengal, BJP was thrown out of Bengal," he said.
"She has a lot of experience, she herself said she has created the INDIA bloc, and she has said that she is ready to lead the bloc if she gets an opportunity. She has been an MP, Union Minister, and since 2011 she has been the Chief Minister of West Bengal," he said.
"It is time to make Mamata Banerjee the leader of INDIA bloc. With her experience she is the most suitable for this job," he added.
