Global Climate News

The Nordea Economic Outlook report discusses the impact of the green and digital transition on inflation, noting that it may lead to higher inflation due to new taxes and increased demand for certain minerals. The report also mentions the potential for AI to boost productivity in the long term, but highlights challenges like retraining the workforce. The report analyzes the resilience of Nordic economies to monetary tightening and the global economic downturn.

India launched the Genome India Project, sequencing the genomes of 10,000 individuals to understand India’s genetic landscape and develop effective treatments for diseases like sickle cell anemia. The project, involving over 20 research institutions, makes genomic data available at the Indian Biological Data Center. India also aims to boost its Bio Economy, recently launching the Bio E3 Policy to become a global biotech leader.

Taiwan's Executive Yuan passed amendments to the Electricity Act, aiming to promote energy structure transformation and a healthy green energy market. The amendments were passed on January 9, 2025.

Malaysia and Singapore signed an agreement to establish the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), focusing on sectors like manufacturing, logistics, and digital industries. Six memoranda of understanding were also announced, including one related to carbon capture and storage and cooperation on emissions under Article 6(2) of the Paris Agreement.

India launched the National Green Hydrogen Mission in 2023 with a goal to produce 5 million metric tonnes of green hydrogen by 2030. Visakhapatnam will be one of the two initial green hydrogen hubs, creating numerous job opportunities and boosting the manufacturing ecosystem in Andhra Pradesh. Projects worth over 2 lakh crore rupees were launched, including a Bulk Drug Park in Nakkapalli and the KrishnaPatnam Industrial Area (Kris City).

India has launched the first Green Hydrogen Hub under the National Green Hydrogen Mission. The NTPC Green Energy Limited Green Hydrogen Hub Project in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, entails an investment of approximately ₹1,85,000 crore and will produce 1500 TPD Green Hydrogen and 7500 TPD Green Hydrogen derivatives. This project will contribute to India's target of 500 GW non-fossil energy capacity by 2030.

US-based researchers at MIT have been awarded the National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation for their work in various fields, including developing novel materials for solar cells and batteries, researching anesthesia's effects on the brain, creating thin films for drug delivery, and developing CRISPR genome-editing technology. Their innovations have significant implications for energy, medicine, and healthcare.

Czech scientists from Mendel University in Brno have developed highly efficient algae for removing fertilizer and pharmaceutical residues from water. These algae are grown in bioreactors, and lab experiments show promising results for water purification.

India's BIO-E3 policy aims to boost the bioeconomy, creating jobs and promoting environmental sustainability. The policy has spurred growth in India's biotechnology sector, which has increased from \\$10 billion in 2014 to over \\$130 billion in 2024, projected to reach \\$300 billion by 2030. In 2024, the Indian government sanctioned 1000 crores to further accelerate innovation in biotechnology.

India's Department of Commerce has undertaken several initiatives in 2024, including the launch of the InCENT Lab Grown Diamond Project by IIT-Madras to boost indigenous production and reduce import dependency. The Spices Board introduced a new high-yielding, climate-resilient small cardamom variety. The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) agreements for Pillar III (Clean economy) and Pillar IV (Fair economy) were signed, signifying commitment to sustainable development.

Brazil has enacted Law No. 15.071/2024, which modifies previous legislation on the Mover (Green Mobility and Innovation) Program and simplified taxation of international postal shipments. The law facilitates the import of vehicles and auto parts, encouraging innovation in the automotive industry and promoting a more sustainable market. It also includes R$ 19.3 billion (approximately US$ 3.9 billion) in financial credits until 2028 to support investments in research and development and domestic production.

India and Kuwait elevated their bilateral relations to a ‘Strategic Partnership’, focusing on cooperation in political, trade, investment, defence, security, energy, culture, education, technology, and people-to-people ties. They agreed to enhance cooperation in the energy sector, exploring avenues beyond a buyer-seller relationship to include upstream and downstream collaborations. Kuwait's membership in the International Solar Alliance (ISA) signifies a step towards sustainable energy solutions.

The European Union has been actively working towards the commitments made in the 2022 Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). The EU doubled its external financing for biodiversity to €7 billion from 2021 to 2027 and unveiled new initiatives worth close to €160 million at COP16. The Commission is also funding at least 74 nature-based solutions projects in Europe with a total contribution of €654 million.

Researchers have developed a novel core-shell structural catalyst (FeNC@C) for efficient antibiotic degradation that requires no additional energy input. The catalyst achieved 90% degradation efficiency and over 47% total organic carbon removal within 60 minutes, demonstrating significant potential for energy-efficient water treatment and antibiotic decomposition.

India-based researchers from Bharathidasan University and Poland's University of Silesia have developed new eco-friendly ruthenium catalysts for sustainable chemical synthesis. The research demonstrates an environmentally friendly approach to producing bioactive compounds with water and hydrogen as the only byproducts, achieving yields up to 92% using minimal catalyst loading.

Researchers have developed a sustainable electrochemical process for phosphorylation coupling using recyclable triarylamine as a redox mediator. The green protocol demonstrates excellent atom economy, can be conducted under mild conditions without metal catalysts, and has potential applications in drug discovery. The method works with various substrates including functionalized glycine esters, amides and peptides.

Researchers have developed a novel two-electrode system for sustainable chemical synthesis using low-cost electrocatalysts. The system enables direct synthesis of α,β-unsaturated carbonyls in aqueous conditions using minimal energy (1.6V), offering a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional chemical synthesis methods used in pharmaceuticals, plastics, and lubricants production.

China-based researchers from Chongqing University of Technology and Sinopec Lubricant Co. have developed an enhanced water treatment catalyst system using phosphorized magnetic Fe3O4 for removing tetracycline antibiotics from water. The novel P-RC-Fe3O4/PMS system demonstrated high efficiency in degrading tetracycline through both radical and non-radical pathways, with excellent stability and easy magnetic separation capabilities.

Switzerland-based ETH Zurich researchers have discovered serious side effects of using the molecule AZD7648 in CRISPR-Cas gene editing technology. While the molecule was intended to make gene editing more efficient for developing climate-resilient crops and other applications, researchers found it causes massive genetic alterations and chromosome damage. The study, published in Nature Biotechnology, warns against using this molecule for genome editing until further safety testing is conducted.

Researchers developed stable gold-gold sulfide nanoparticles with different coatings that show strong photoacoustic imaging capabilities in both visible and near-infrared regions, demonstrating potential for biomedical applications.