Jim Skea, the world’s most senior climate scientist, showed four slides to diplomats on Tuesday revealing “what we know” and “what we need to know”.
Much of the “know” column is familiar by now – we are heading for more than 1.5ºC of global warming, causing irreversible damage to the Earth, unless we move fast.
The “need to know” section includes studying what is sometimes called the ‘plan B’ of overshooting 1.5ºC then trying to claw temperatures back down.
It is feared that runaway global warming could blunt our ability to fight it, for example by ruining land that was meant to be given over to nature.
These are some of the "very significant knowledge gaps that science needs to work on”, Prof Skea said at the first formal UN climate talks since Cop28 in the UAE.
In his slides there also lurks a key question for the 195 governments meeting in Germany this week to discuss their green plans – what will be their social and economic ripple effects?
Just transition
Virtually everyone involved in the talks at UN climate headquarters in Bonn agrees net-zero policies will be a non-starter if they are seen as socially or economically unfair.
The term in UN jargon for what is wanted is a "just transition".
A set of meetings known as the UAE Just Transition Work Programme is taking place to address exactly that issue, building on what was agreed at Cop28 in Dubai.
“Just transition is not just about reducing carbon emissions – it’s about building a future where social and economic sustainability go hand in hand,” said Pakistan’s Nabeel Munir, one of those chairing of the talks.
The deal struck at Cop28, known as the UAE Consensus, included a commitment to “transitioning away” from fossil fuels and making vastly more clean energy available.
It is now up to all 195 parties to draw up new green plans at a national level, by 2025 at the latest, taking the Dubai pledges into account.
Prof Skea, the British head of the UN science panel known as the IPCC, told delegates that green action has “more synergies than trade-offs” with global anti-poverty goals.
He said scientists sketching out a just transition saw good jobs, retraining, fair energy access, investment in new technology and social and democratic dialogue as key elements.
Africa, for example, should benefit from the green rush by producing the materials key to clean technology, lobbyist Mithika Mwenda from Kenya said.
“For us, a graceful transition is very important,” the executive director of the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance told The National.
“Look at the African continent for the minerals which are driving the transition. Lithium in [the Democratic Republic of Congo], cobalt, copper and all these are worth trillions and trillions of dollars.”
However, the “equity, justice and distributional impacts” of climate action are one of Prof Skea’s unknowns.
“There’s a need for increased research on the synergies and trade-offs of climate action and of sustainable development,” said negotiator Cheryl Jeffers of St Kitts and Nevis.
“Just transitions do require a greater understanding of the unique climate impacts and the policies that would help us to minimise any sort of risks associated with the loss of livelihoods.”
At the same time, concerns have been raised about mixing science with political decision-making and countries are warned that stalling on clean energy may not help them economically.
The risks include countries “being left behind in a new innovation era”, said Sonia Seneviratne of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich.
Prof Skea’s “need to knows” also include how the Earth’s biosphere would respond to a world in which CO2 is removed from the atmosphere in a last-ditch bid to save the planet.
He said it may not be as simple as “retracing our steps” and more research was also needed on which effects are reversible.
Finance push
The question of raising finance for climate policies is overshadowing the Bonn talks and is also expected to dominate Cop29 in Baku.
African delegates warned of “ballooning costs” of dealing with climate-related hazards while small island states are pushing for a new funding pledge higher than a previous $100 billion.
“We remain steadfast on our numerous calls for a climate finance goal to be centred on the provision of public finance by developed countries,” Mr Mwenda said.
“We are, however, alarmed by the attempts by those who bear the biggest responsibility on the climate crisis to transfer the burden of action to the victims of their actions.”
The UAE’s Cop28 presidency, meanwhile, announced a new task force to help farmers tackle climate threats.
Building on a 159-country pledge on agriculture that emerged from Cop28, it will focus on helping developing and climate-vulnerable countries switch to sustainable farming methods.
Cop28 President Dr Sultan Al Jaber separately called for advances in AI to be used to accelerate “climate positive” development.
Speaking at Baku Energy Week in Azerbaijan, he said AI was driving a surge in energy demand and “efficiencies that curb emissions”.
“The closer AI and energy collaborate, the more solutions we can unlock to drive decarbonised growth everywhere.”
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
RESULTS
6.30pm Handicap (TB) US$65,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner Golden Goal, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
7.05pm Dubai Racing Club Classic Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (Turf) 2,410m
Winner: Walton Street, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
7.40pm Dubai Stakes Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner Switzerland, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
8.15pm Singspiel Stakes Group 3 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner Lord Giltters, Adrie de Vries, David O’Meara
8.50pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Military Law, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
9.25pm Al Fahidi Fort Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Land Of Legends, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
10pm Dubai Dash Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,000m
Winner Equilateral, Frankie Dettori, Charles Hills.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
The specs: Rolls-Royce Cullinan
Price, base: Dh1 million (estimate)
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 563hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 850Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 15L / 100km
Dubai World Cup Carnival card:
6.30pm: Handicap (Turf) | US$175,000 | 2,410 metres
7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Conditions (Dirt) | $100,000 | 1,400m
7.40pm: Handicap (T) | $145,000 | 1,000m
8.15pm: Dubawi Stakes Group 3 (D) | $200,000 | 1,200m
8.50pm: Singspiel Stakes Group 3 (T) | $200,000 | 1,800m
9.25pm: Handicap (T) | $175,000 | 1,400m
Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
States of Passion by Nihad Sirees,
Pushkin Press
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20WATCH%20SERIES%209
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Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
Company%20profile%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EYodawy%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Egypt%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKarim%20Khashaba%2C%20Sherief%20El-Feky%20and%20Yasser%20AbdelGawad%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHealthTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2424.5%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlgebra%20Ventures%2C%20Global%20Ventures%2C%20MEVP%20and%20Delivery%20Hero%20Ventures%2C%20among%20others%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20500%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Scoreline:
Manchester City 1
Jesus 4'
Brighton 0
Dunki
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rajkumar%20Hirani%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Shah%20Rukh%20Khan%2C%20Taapsee%20Pannu%2C%20Vikram%20Kochhar%20and%20Anil%20Grover%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
More coverage from the Future Forum
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Brief scores:
Toss: South Africa, chose to field
Pakistan: 177 & 294
South Africa: 431 & 43-1
Man of the Match: Faf du Plessis (South Africa)
Series: South Africa lead three-match series 2-0
About Proto21
Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
Based: Dubai
Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
Staff: 18
Funding: Invested, supported and partnered by Joseph Group
Teri%20Baaton%20Mein%20Aisa%20Uljha%20Jiya
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amit%20Joshi%20and%20Aradhana%20Sah%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECast%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Shahid%20Kapoor%2C%20Kriti%20Sanon%2C%20Dharmendra%2C%20Dimple%20Kapadia%2C%20Rakesh%20Bedi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
