Key questions about "loss and damage" from climate change

 Following are the 8 key questions answered in the WRI's article:

1) What Is Loss and Damage?
2) What Counts as Loss and Damage?
3) What Is the Difference Between Mitigation, Adaptation, and Addressing Loss and Damage?
4) What’s the History of Loss and Damage in UN Climate Negotiations?

Explosive growth of EVs global fleet over the next 20 years

The global EV fleet passed the 5‑million mark in 2018, which represents more than tenfold growth since 2013 (IEA, 2019). Despite the phenomenal recent growth, EVs still represent less than 0.5% of the total world stock of the cars on the road, estimated in the range of 1.2-1.4 billion (BNEF, 2019; carsguide, 2018).

BloomberNEF’s analysis slows that over the next 20 years fast growth of EVs will continue in all road transport vehicle segments (see the diagram above). It is expected that the shares of electric cars and electric buses will reach 30% and 65% in 2040, respectively.

Among commercial vehicles, a higher share of freight moves to smaller vehicles due to urbanization, city restrictions, and economics. 

Investments in clean energy by developing countries declined in 2018

Developing nations are moving toward cleaner power but not nearly fast enough to limit global CO2 emissions. Due to economic slowdown, investment in new wind, solar, and other non-large hydro renewables projects in China fell to $86 billion in 2018 from $122 billion in 2017. 

Financing of clean energy projects in India and Brazil also slipped $2.4 billion and $2.7 billion, respectively from the year prior.

Credit Suisse: poorest half of the global population own less than 1% of total wealth, the richest 1% have more wealth than the rest of the world

In its Global Wealth Databook 2015, Credit Suisse, a leading global financial services company, reveals staggering facts about world's wealth distribution. Global Wealth Databook is based on research undertaken by recognized authorities from the Credit Suisse Research Institute.

UK spends 0.7% of national income on foreign aid - highest rate among developed countries

According to  The Economist , since 2010, the UK's aid budget has risen by 40% and reached $19 billion. Only America disburses more - $33 billion, what represents just  0.2% of its gross national income. About 62% of UK Department for International Development (DFID) spending now goes to multilateral organisations, up from 56% in 2009. 

Héla Cheikhrouhou: the Green Climate Fund goal is to support low-emission, climate-resilient development

This statement was made by Executive Director of the Green Climate Fund in her speech, given on the occasion of World Water Week held in Stockholm, Sweden at the end of last month. GCF is the only international financing institution set up with the sole goal of supporting the UNFCCC’s objective of keeping global warming below 2 degrees Celsius.

Unanimous adoption of the historic global New Sustainable Development Agenda

A new global agenda to end poverty by 2030 and pursue a sustainable future was unanimously adopted by the 193 UN Member States. It happened on September 25^th at the start of a three-day Summit on Sustainable Development in UN Headquarter in New York. The new agenda includes 17 global goals at its core and commits every country to take an array of actions that would not only address the root causes of poverty, but would also increase economic growth and prosperity and meet people’s health, education and social needs, while protecting the environment.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: climate change is a real threat

According to The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development document climate change is no longer a distant or abstract threat.  The annual losses from natural disasters now average U.S. $250 billion to U.S. $300billion. 

EU is the largest donor of official international development assistance and the top contributor in tackling climate change

According to European Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development Neven Mimica, EU is the biggest donor in the world, collectively providing over €58 billion in Official Development Assistance (ODA) in 2014,  and it is expecting to mobilise €100 billion through blending by 2020.