Global emissions were unchanged last year, the first time that’s happened amid economic growth in four decades, according to the International Energy Agency.

President Barack Obama ordered the federal government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent from 2008 levels over the next 10 years by shifting to renewable energy sources such as solar power.

European Union negotiators are endorsing an accelerated overhaul of the bloc’s carbon market after the price of emission rights fell to levels that fail to deter polluters.

Executives from 13 major U.S. corporations are announcing at least $140 billion in new investments to decrease their carbon footprints as part of a White House initiative to recruit private commitments ahead of a United Nations climate-change summit later this year in Paris.

Companies including Apple Inc., Berkshire Hathaway Energy Co., and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. will join Secretary of State John Kerry and top administration officials at the White House for the announcement. In addition to pledges to cut emissions, provide financing to environmentally-focused companies, and reduce water consumption, the companies have said they will procure at least 1,600 MW of new, renewable energy. The White House said in a statement that it expects to announce a second round of similar pledges later this fall from additional companies.

The commitments are being announced as President Barack Obama is looking to build momentum toward a legacy-defining global climate accord in Paris. In addition to company-specific commitments, the corporate leaders on Monday will signal their support for a strong climate agreement out of the United Nations talks. They administration is using the pledges to set an example for companies to find ways to eliminate their carbon emissions.

Climate Talks

“As the world looks toward global climate negotiations in Paris this December, American leadership at all levels will be essential,” the White House said in a fact sheet detailing the announcement.

The administration’s actions are pushing the issue into the 2016 presidential debate. Hillary Clinton, the front-runner for the Democratic nomination, released an energy strategy saying she would both defend and go beyond Obama’s efforts. Republican candidates have criticized the administration’s initiatives as costly to the economy and unnecessary.

Among the pledges, aluminum manufacturer Alcoa Inc. has agreed to reduce emissions by 50 percent from its 2005 levels, while agricultural giant Cargill Inc. says 18 percent of its total energy use will come from renewable sources.

Coca-Cola Co. said it would drive down the carbon footprint of its beverage production by 25 percent over the next five years, while Google says it plans to triple its purchases of renewable energy over the next decade. Berkshire Hathaway says it plans to invest up to an additional $15 billion in the construction and operation of renewable energy generators, while Bank of America Corp says it will increase its environmental business initiative by $75 billion over the next decade, according to the White House

Other participating firms include Wal-Mart, United Parcel Service Inc., PepsiCo Inc., Microsoft Corp., General Motors Inc.

The corporate commitments won’t be the administration’s only major climate announcement in the next few weeks. The Environmental Protection Agency is set to present final regulations that aim to reduce carbon emissions from power plants by 30 percent from 2005 levels by 2030 later this week.

While visiting Kenya over the weekend, Obama repeatedly praised the country for its efforts to address climate change, saying its efforts tor educe emissions “has put it in the position of being a leader on the continent.” And next month, the president will travel to Alaska for an international summit on Arctic climate issues.

©2015 Bloomberg News

For more, see Big Companies, Big Renewable Investments.

The security situation in the Central African Republic remains dire, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said Thursday.

Evidence from low- and middle-income countries suggests that digital and mobile communication technology can improve management of diseases.

The post Mobile technology can improve access to healthcare in Nigeria – if it’s regulated appeared first on Premium Times Nigeria.

HANGU: The police claimed to have foiled a car-snatching bid and arrested the accused in the district on Saturday.Police said that one Arifur Rehman, a resident of Naryab, was going to Peshawar in his car when accused Syed Saqi Abbas and Fahim intercepted him in Ibrahimzai area after a long...

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Today, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has handed down its decision in the case of  KHS AG v Winfried Schulte, an important case about whether a worker on long term sick leave has the right to carry forward annual leave accrue...

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The rush to get the medicine was a quick one and the minister's phone has not stopped ringing since he returned

Local leaders say the crowding of the trucks at the border is risky as the country is trying to contain the spread of coronavirus

BEIJING: The coronavirus outbreak exposed “shortcomings” in China’s public healthcare system, a top health official admitted Saturday, saying that reforms are underway to improve the country’s disease prevention and control mechanisms.China has faced criticism both at home...

BEIJING: The coronavirus outbreak exposed “shortcomings” in China’s public healthcare system, a top health official admitted Saturday, saying that reforms are underway to improve the country’s disease prevention and control mechanisms.China has faced criticism both at home...

"Can a single human actually be as loathsome as Ilhan Omar? It's hard to believe. She's like a parody of repulsiveness," the Fox News anchor said.

"All genders are equal, so why is the Queen worth less? And what about the Jack, where's the princess?"

The project is estimated at about NIS 30 million.

Universal and free healthcare will help us all in combating the virus, but this policy will also have benefits in the longer term

The post In the era of Covid-19 healthcare should be universal and free appeared first on The Mail & Guardian.

Beijing says reforms are underway to improve disease prevention and control mechanisms.

Tour comes at a time when world leaders are holding virtual meetings

The looming eviction and relocation of 150 elderly residents at a decades-old care home in Hong Kong amid the coronavirus pandemic has left many fearful of infection risks, as a resident prepares to launch a last-minute legal battle against the government to stop a demolition plan within a month.Situated in the suburbs of the northern border town of Sheung Shui, Dills Corner Garden has housed 16 elderly care homes since 1997 and is much beloved by many residents for its tranquil life, quality…

The B.C. Centre of Disease Control says the Calgary to Kelowna flight happened on May 5.

Environmental and charitable groups call on Sandinista government to respond to hunger and drought

Developers are leading effort in Oakland, California, with a blood pressure clinic in low-income housing

For decades, not-for-profits have supported the medical system, but a new approach may cut off funding and health care

1. Covid-19: Navy ship carrying 698 stranded in Maldives arrives in Kochi  Hindustan Times
2. "Safe Now": Indians On Navy Warship That Reached Kochi From Maldives  NDTV
3. Naval ship arrives in Kochi with 698 repatriated Indians from Maldives  Times of India
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VISAKHAPATNAM, India: Angry protesters carrying dead bodies stormed an Indian chemical plant on Saturday to demand the facility's closure after a toxic gas leak that killed 12 people days...

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The Awami National Party Sindh chapter has decided not to hold a gathering to commemorate the May 12 carnage because of the coronavirus outbreak.ANP Sindh president Shahi Syed said that the May 12, 2007, tragedy was unforgettable for them and the party would continue to commemorate it until those...

BEIJING: The coronavirus outbreak exposed “shortcomings” in China’s public healthcare system, a top health official admitted Saturday, saying that reforms are underway to improve the country’s disease prevention and control mechanisms.China has faced criticism both at home...

Visakhapatnam, India: Angry protesters carrying dead bodies stormed an Indian chemical plant on Saturday to demand the facility’s closure after a toxic gas leak that killed 12 people days earlier.Thursday’s pre-dawn accident in the industrial port city of Visakhapatnam injured hundreds...

VISAKHAPATNAM, India: Angry protesters carrying dead bodies stormed an Indian chemical plant on Saturday to demand the facility’s closure after a toxic gas leak that killed 12 people days earlier.Thursday’s pre-dawn accident in the industrial port city of Visakhapatnam injured hundreds...

BEIJING: The coronavirus outbreak exposed "shortcomings" in China’s public healthcare system, a top health official admitted Saturday, saying that reforms are underway to improve the country’s disease prevention and control mechanisms.China has faced criticism both at home and abroad...

Palo Alto, CA – HARMAN announced today that its Aha Radio service will be a standard feature in all Subaru models and trims starting with the 2015 Legacy. Subaru of America, Inc. was one of the first automotive manufacturers to integrate the Aha Radio service into its vehicles. A partnership that was established through the availability of the service in 2014 Subaru Forester’s top trim levels has been consistently growing since then.

Tired of carrying hundreds of business cards? What you only needed to carry one? That's the idea behind this Moo card with embedded NFC tag inside it. You just tap it to a phone with NFC-capabilities and it share just about any information you want.

Incoming Bank of England governor Mark Carney explains where he differs with the IMF on austerity, central bank inflation targeting and how he was made Bank of England chief even though he's Canadian.

(Clarifies in paragraph 18 that some UK newspapers carried images of Charlie Hebdo front pages)

Natasha Atchley, 19, was found dead in the trunk of her burned out Chevy Camaro hatchback on May 3, 1992, in Shephard, Texas, about a mile down a rural dirt road from a party she attended the night before. The Texas Ranger Unsolved Crimes Investigation Team is investigating.

Ricardo Allen didn't budge when Georgia was one of the first states to open businesses during the coronavirus pandemic.

If you squint, you can almost see season three from here.

Thirty-three million Americans have filed for unemployment since the coronavirus lockdowns began in earnest. Many more have tried and failed thanks to an extremely creaky system running on ancient software, easily overwhelmed by a tsunami of layoffs.

But 20.5 million, the official number of jobs lost in April, according to a report released on Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is a terrifying figure in its own right. That’s the worst single month for job losses in a data set that dates back to 1939. As in, when Franklin Roosevelt was president and the Great Depression was still fading in the rearview mirror.

After weeks of mounting evidence of economic collapse, the official U.S. unemployment rate has spiked to 14.7 percent, and that number was biased down because 6 million people just gave up and dropped out of the labor market and were thus not counted in the jobless rate. That rate will almost surely go even higher from here.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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There has been a significant surge in contactless payments for everyday purchases since the onset of COVID-19, according to a new study. The Mastercard global consumer study conducted from April 10 to 12 says that in Canada, 76 per cent of consumers say contactless payments are now their preferred way to pay when making in-store…

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