Torrential downpours that caused flash flooding in New York City on Friday reflect a "new normal" due to the effects of climate change, New York Governor Kathy Hochul warned on Saturday, as the city began drying out after one of its wettest days ever. Almost eight inches (20 cm) of rain fell in some parts of the most populous U.S. city, enough to enable a sea lion at the Central Park Zoo to swim briefly out of the confines of her pool enclosure. While the risk of flooding in the city had receded by midday Saturday, a municipal hospital in the borough of Brooklyn said it would evacuate all patients and staff following a power failure on Friday. NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull had switched to backup power after Friday's neighborhood outage, but repairs will require the power to be shut off entirely for several days, hospital officials said. The facility was transferring its 120 patients to other hospitals on Saturday, a process expected to take eight hours. A police … [Read more...] about Climate change means New York City’s flooding is ‘new normal,’ governor says
Icocc 2023 international conference on oceanography and climate change
Greenland’s Inuit falling through thin ice of climate change
ITTOQQORTOORMIIT, Denmark -- The thunder of icebergs crashing into the turquoise sea of eastern Greenland is the sound of one of the planet's most important ecosystems teetering on the edge of collapse. As the ice melts, the hunters in the village of Ittoqqortoormiit -- home to one of the last Inuit hunting communities -- worry where they will get water. Greenland's ice sheets may hold one 12th of the world's fresh water -- enough to raise the sea level up seven metres (23 feet) if they were to melt -- but climate change is already threatening the village's supply. Cold winters, robust ice and snow are vital for both food and water for the Inuit of the Scoresby Sound, who live deeply intertwined with the natural world. But temperatures in the Arctic are rising up to four times faster than the global average. On a headland of barren tundra some 500 kilometres (310 miles) from the nearest settlement, Ittoqqortoormiit's 350 people get their fresh water from a river fed by a … [Read more...] about Greenland’s Inuit falling through thin ice of climate change
ASEAN-Australia high-level dialogue on climate change, energy transition takes place in Hanoi
Deputy Foreign Minister Do Viet Hung speaks at the event. (Photo: nhandan.vn) Hanoi (VNA) – The ASEAN-Australia High-Level Dialogue on Climate Change and Energy Transition took place in Hanoi on September 29. The event co-organised by Vietnam, Australia, and Laos is within the framework of the implementation of the ASEAN-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, towards the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-Australia relations (2074-2023). Speaking at the dialogue, Deputy Foreign Minister Do Viet Hung said that Vietnam is committed to climate change response and calls for international partners’ support in this process. Vietnam is well aware of climate change impacts on sustainable development and people’s livelihoods, which is why at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in 2021, the country committed to bring emissions to net zero by 2050, he said. Vietnam and the International Partners Group have also adopted the Political Declaration on establishing the Just … [Read more...] about ASEAN-Australia high-level dialogue on climate change, energy transition takes place in Hanoi
Forum discusses impact of climate change
At the forum, held also thanks to the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, speakers emphasised the substantial challenges faced by the climate finance sector in Vietnam in aligning significant investment opportunities with environmental objectives. This sentiment was shared by Allen Forlemu, the IFC's regional industry director for Financial Institutions Group, Asia-Pacific, when he said, “It is evident that climate change is an increasingly disruptive factor for Vietnam's economy, and the costs are already starting to undermine growth. In 2020, Vietnam lost $10 billion, or 3.2 per cent of its GDP, to climate change impacts.” “If nothing is done, costs will only rise. In a business-as-usual scenario with limited global mitigation efforts, climate change could cost Vietnam up to 14.5 per cent of GDP annually in roughly 30 years, with the potential to push a million people into extreme poverty in less than a decade,” … [Read more...] about Forum discusses impact of climate change
PM attends UN climate ambition summit, pandemic preparedness meeting
PM Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the Climate Ambition Summit in New York on September 20. (Photo: VNA) New York (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh joined other world leaders in the Climate Ambition Summit and the UN High-Level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response in New York on September 20 (local time), part of the high-level week of the 78th UN General Assembly . Addressing the Climate Ambition Summit, PM Chinh stressed that climate change remains the biggest global challenge directly impacting and taking a heavy toll on economic development, social security, and people’s life safety and health. A global and universal approach with breakthrough, general, comprehensive, and innovative solutions is required for coping with climate change, he opined, calling for faster, stronger, and more responsible actions to minimise the global temperature rise. He proposed a new vision, a new mindset, new determination, and drastic actions be made to secure … [Read more...] about PM attends UN climate ambition summit, pandemic preparedness meeting
PM hosts US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) and US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry (Photo: VNA) New York (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hosted US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, on the occasion of his visit to the US to attend the General Debate of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Both expressed their delight at the success of President Joe Biden's Vietnam visit, affirming that it has contributed to raising mutual understanding between the two countries, for the benefit of their people and for peace, stability and development in the region and the world. PM Chinh thanked and highly valued Kerry’s support in the successful arrangement of the visit and in the establishment of bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership. Discussing measures to quickly realise the important agreements reached during the visit, particularly those related to climate change response, he proposed that the US continue backing … [Read more...] about PM hosts US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate
IFC: Climate investment opportunities in Vietnam to amount to 757 billion USD by 2030
At the seminar co-hosted by the IFC and the State Bank of Vietnam (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The International Finance Corporation (IFC) estimates that Vietnam's climate investment opportunities will reach up to 757 billion USD by 2030, focusing on renewable energy, green construction, energy efficiency and transportation, said IFC's Regional Director for the Asia-Pacific Financial Institutions Group Allen Forlemu. During a seminar co-hosted by the IFC and the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) in Hanoi on September 21, Forlemu said changing the way banks operate and transitioning towards sustainability is absolutely essential. According to him, climate change response is the cornerstone of the World Bank Group's strategic approach. IFC works with financial institutions, banks, businesses, and other development partners to provide financing for critical investment needs in climate change adaptation and mitigation. These essential funding efforts aim to promote a more sustainable … [Read more...] about IFC: Climate investment opportunities in Vietnam to amount to 757 billion USD by 2030
EuroCham to host Green Economy Forum 2023 in November
Building on the success of the Green Economy Forum & Exhibition 2022, this event will feature insightful sustainability dialogues, a high-level plenary session, and comprehensive conference sessions, uniting industry leaders, policymakers, and sustainability advocates from Europe and Vietnam. The GEF will be hosted in collaboration with Team Europe partners including the European Union Delegation to Vietnam, the EuroCham Green Growth Sector Committee, all nine EuroCham Vietnam-affiliated European business associations, and an array of European countries. During the launch press conference held on September 28, newly appointed Ambassador of the European Union to Vietnam Julien Guerrier emphasised, "The GEF is a symbol of the ongoing collaborative efforts between Europe and Vietnam. I believe that such initiatives pave the way for a successful green transition, showcasing the strength of Europe-Vietnam cooperation." Christoph Prommersberger, deputy head of Mission at … [Read more...] about EuroCham to host Green Economy Forum 2023 in November
PM attends U.N. climate ambition summit, pandemic preparedness meeting
Addressing the Climate Ambition Summit, PM Pham Minh Chinh stressed that climate change remains the biggest global challenge directly impacting and taking a heavy toll on economic development, social security, and people’s life safety and health. A global and universal approach with breakthrough, general, comprehensive, and innovative solutions is required for coping with climate change, he opined, calling for faster, stronger, and more responsible actions to minimize the global temperature rise. He proposed a new vision, a new mindset, new determination, and drastic actions be made to secure green development and net zero emissions, while just energy transition be accelerated with people put at the center and serving as the main stakeholder to leave no one behind. He also asked developed countries and international organizations to assist developing and underdeveloped ones with green technology, green finance, green management, training of green human resources, and development of … [Read more...] about PM attends U.N. climate ambition summit, pandemic preparedness meeting
PM hosts U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate
Both expressed their delight at the success of President Joe Biden's Vietnam visit, affirming that it has contributed to raising mutual understanding between the two countries, for the benefit of their people and for peace, stability and development in the region and the world. PM Pham Minh Chinh thanked and highly valued Kerry’s support in the successful arrangement of the visit and in the establishment of bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership. Discussing measures to quickly realize the important agreements reached during the visit, particularly those related to climate change response, he proposed that the U.S. continue backing Vietnam's efforts to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 and implement the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), especially in developing the renewable energy industry. Kerry said President Biden is deeply impressed and highly valued Vietnam's warm reception during his recent visit. He affirmed that the U.S. appreciates its relationship with … [Read more...] about PM hosts U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate