Powering Past Coal Alliance Membership Blows Out Past 50

The Powering Past Coal Alliance, launched only last month by the UK and Canada at COP23, has seen its membership blow out past 50 countries, regions, and businesses, according to news revealed at the One Planet Summit held in France on Tuesday.

The Powering Past Coal Alliance membership has blown out past 50.

Among a raft of announcements from the One Planet Summit held in France on Tuesday, the UK and Canada announced that membership to their Powering Past Coal Alliance — which was only launched last month at COP23 in Bonn, Germany — has now blown past 50 countries, regions, and businesses, including the State of California, Sweden, New Zealand, Italy, and France, as well as high-profile corporations such as Unilever, Virgin Group, and EDF.

The Powering Past Coal Alliance wants to accelerate the transition away from coal and toward “low-carbon, climate-resilient economies” and is bringing together “a diverse range of governments, businesses and organisations that are united in taking action to accelerate clean growth and climate protection through the rapid phase-out of traditional coal power.”

Read the Joshua S. Hill story from CleanTechnica - “Powering Past Coal Alliance Membership Blows Out Past 50.”

France to commit 700 million euros to International Solar Alliance

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - France will commit 700 million euros to the International Solar Alliance (ISA), President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday at the founding conference of the organization, reiterating the European country’s commitment to the alliance and clean energy.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) shakes hands with French
President Emmanuel Macron as he arrives to attend the International
 Solar Alliance Founding Conference in New Delhi, India, March 11, 2018.

ISA is an inter-governmental organization that aims to mobilize $1 trillion in funds for future solar generation, storage and technology across the world. It has 60 signatories, with 30 of those countries having ratified the agreement.

The treaty-based organization, launched by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015, aims to promote solar energy in 121 countries.

Speaking at the conference, Macron said France was more than tripling its commitment to the alliance, and its total monetary contribution to the alliance stood at one billion euros.

Read the Reuters story by Sudarshan Varadhan - “France to commit 700 million euros to International Solar Alliance.”

Powering Past Coal Alliance: 20 countries sign up to phase out coal power by 2030

Twenty countries including Britain, Canada and New Zealand have joined an international alliance to phase out coal from power generation before 2030.

The Hazelwood power station in Victoria's La Trobe Valley.

The Powering Past Coal Alliance was unveiled at the COP23 climate talks in Bonn, Germany, which were working out the technical details of the 2015 Paris Agreement.

"I think we can safely say that the response has been overwhelming," Canadian Environment Minister Catherine McKenna said.

The alliance, which isn't legally binding, was launched days after a pro-coal presentation by the Trump administration jarred with many ministers who wanted the talks to focus on cleaner energy sources.

Read the ABC News story - “Powering Past Coal Alliance: 20 countries sign up to phase out coal power by 2030.”

Chaning climate will undoubtedly worsen humanity's health status

The unfolding difficulties associated with our changing climate will undoubtedly complicate, and worsen, humanity’s health status.

An organization acutely aware of those complications is the 2010 established “Climate and Health Alliance”.

The alliance is a coalition of health care stakeholders eager to see the threat to human health from climate change and ecological degradation addressed through prompt policy action.

“This commitment,” it says, “is based on the understanding that further global warming poses grave risks to human health and biodiversity and if left unchecked, threatens the future of human civilization”.

Alliance members acknowledge that they have a particular responsibility to the community in advocating for public policy that will promote and protect human health.
In advocating for policy action to prevent further global warming, the CAHA recognizes that this must include dramatic and urgent reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and removal of excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to restore a safe climate.

More details about the alliance can be found on its website.