Temperatures last year were the hottest on record, with the world warmer than it has been for 100,000 years, scientists say. AFP
Temperatures last year were the hottest on record, with the world warmer than it has been for 100,000 years, scientists say. AFP
Temperatures last year were the hottest on record, with the world warmer than it has been for 100,000 years, scientists say. AFP
Temperatures last year were the hottest on record, with the world warmer than it has been for 100,000 years, scientists say. AFP

Victory in climate race 'still possible' even if 1.5°C hits this decade


Tim Stickings
  • English
  • Arabic

Record heatwaves could take the world beyond the key 1.5°C global warming benchmark as soon as this decade – but that does not mean all hope is lost, the UN’s top climate scientist says.

Jim Skea said it is “still technically possible” to meet the goal of curbing the global temperature rise to 1.5°C, staving off the worst effects of climate change such as catastrophic floods and droughts. He said enough money exists to cope with the crisis if it can be extracted from the private sector.

Because scientists take a 20-year temperature average, it may not become clear for many years whether the line has officially been crossed. Temperatures are currently measured at about 1.1°C above a pre-industrial benchmark.

Extreme heat records were broken last year, with many days crossing into 1.5°C territory and global temperatures probably higher than at any time for 100,000 years, according to satellite monitoring.

If the 1.5°C limit is breached, the world would have to look to removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, or else turn to more radical engineering options.

Pledges at the recent Cop28 talks in the UAE, such as a first ever global commitment to “transition away” from the use of fossil fuels, were intended to keep hope alive of achieving the 1.5°C goal.

“I think that [it] is still technically possible to do that within the 21st century,” said Prof Skea, chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which advises leaders on the science of global warming.

By convention, the 1.5°C mark “is meant to mean the middle of a 20-year average”.

“Which means, in principle, you will never know until 10 years after the event whether you’ve actually passed it,” the British scientist said.

“But that does not mean that we will not reach 1.5°C in individual years, including within this decade, possibly. That could certainly happen.”

British scientist Jim Skea was elected chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change last year. Getty Images
British scientist Jim Skea was elected chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change last year. Getty Images

Speaking at an event hosted by the International Institute for Environment and Development, Prof Skea said scientists would turn their focus towards adapting to a warmer climate as extreme weather becomes ever more visible.

He said clear scientific advice could help the private sector raise the trillions of dollars likely to be needed to help countries withstand a hotter climate, with measures such as flood defences and drought-resistant farming techniques.

“There’s enough money in the world to deal with these problems, it’s a question of how you get it to the right places,” he added.

“At the level of trillions, it probably needs private finance as well as public finance to make it happen.

“My hope would be, if we do more work on indicators, metrics, targets etc, that you can actually produce indicators that would allow adaptation projects to be bankable in a bigger way for the private sector in the future.”

Diplomats from particularly vulnerable countries are also calling for progress on the adaptation front.

While the talks in the UAE brought headline agreements on fossil fuels and meeting the costs of climate disasters, talks on funding and global targets for adaptation were passed on to Cop29 in Azerbaijan.

“We are not doing well on adaptation, because most of our countries, especially the least developed countries, are still suffering from extreme weather events,” said Yamikani Idriss, a negotiator from Malawi.

“As we are speaking now, a lot of LDCs [least developed countries] are in a mess, being affected by floods, droughts and so on, which is very catastrophic. And we are not doing well in finance, in the means of implementation.”

Vulnerable countries are holding their breath in a bumper year of elections that will see climate-sceptic candidates such as Donald Trump competing to steer global policy.

“We are hoping for the best, to make sure that those who are elected really are those who understand that climate change is real and indeed it affects the most vulnerable countries most,” Mr Idriss said.

The outcome of Cop28 “built momentum” but for “all this to be in practice we need leaders who will drive this agenda”, he added.

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Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

Specs

Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request

RESULTS

 

Catchweight 63.5kg: Shakriyor Juraev (UZB) beat Bahez Khoshnaw (IRQ). Round 3 TKO (body kick)

Lightweight: Nart Abida (JOR) beat Moussa Salih (MAR). Round 1 by rear naked choke

Catchweight 79kg: Laid Zerhouni (ALG) beat Ahmed Saeb (IRQ). Round 1 TKO (punches)

Catchweight 58kg: Omar Al Hussaini (UAE) beat Mohamed Sahabdeen (SLA) Round 1 rear naked choke

Flyweight: Lina Fayyad (JOR) beat Sophia Haddouche (ALG) Round 2 TKO (ground and pound)

Catchweight 80kg: Badreddine Diani (MAR) beat Sofiane Aïssaoui (ALG) Round 2 TKO

Flyweight: Sabriye Sengul (TUR) beat Mona Ftouhi (TUN). Unanimous decision

Middleweight: Kher Khalifa Eshoushan (LIB) beat Essa Basem (JOR). Round 1 rear naked choke

Heavyweight: Mohamed Jumaa (SUD) beat Hassen Rahat (MAR). Round 1 TKO (ground and pound)

Lightweight: Abdullah Mohammad Ali Musalim (UAE beat Omar Emad (EGY). Round 1 triangle choke

Catchweight 62kg: Ali Taleb (IRQ) beat Mohamed El Mesbahi (MAR). Round 2 KO

Catchweight 88kg: Mohamad Osseili (LEB) beat Samir Zaidi (COM). Unanimous decision

In numbers

Number of Chinese tourists coming to UAE in 2017 was... 1.3m

Alibaba’s new ‘Tech Town’  in Dubai is worth... $600m

China’s investment in the MIddle East in 2016 was... $29.5bn

The world’s most valuable start-up in 2018, TikTok, is valued at... $75bn

Boost to the UAE economy of 5G connectivity will be... $269bn 

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Day 1, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance

Moment of the day Dimuth Karunaratne had batted with plenty of pluck, and no little skill, in getting to within seven runs of a first-day century. Then, while he ran what he thought was a comfortable single to mid-on, his batting partner Dinesh Chandimal opted to stay at home. The opener was run out by the length of the pitch.

Stat of the day – 1 One six was hit on Day 1. The boundary was only breached 18 times in total over the course of the 90 overs. When it did arrive, the lone six was a thing of beauty, as Niroshan Dickwella effortlessly clipped Mohammed Amir over the square-leg boundary.

The verdict Three wickets down at lunch, on a featherbed wicket having won the toss, and Sri Lanka’s fragile confidence must have been waning. Then Karunaratne and Chandimal's alliance of precisely 100 gave them a foothold in the match. Dickwella’s free-spirited strokeplay meant the Sri Lankans were handily placed at 227-4 at the close.

Play-off fixtures

Two-legged ties to be played November 9-11 and November 12-14

 

  • Northern Ireland v Switzerland
  • Croatia v Greece
  • Denmark v Ireland
  • Sweden v Italy
BRIEF SCORES:

Toss: Nepal, chose to field

UAE 153-6: Shaiman (59), Usman (30); Regmi 2-23

Nepal 132-7: Jora 53 not out; Zahoor 2-17

Result: UAE won by 21 runs

Series: UAE lead 1-0

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The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
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  • Price: Not announced yet
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
  • Riders must be 14-years-old or over
  • Wear a protective helmet
  • Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
  • Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
  • Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
  • Do not drive outside designated lanes
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Started: 2016

Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel 

Based: Ramallah, Palestine

Sector: Technology, Security

# of staff: 13

Investment: $745,000

Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors

While you're here
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

UAE finals day

Friday, April 13
Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City

3pm, UAE Conference: Dubai Tigers v Sharjah Wanderers
6.30pm, UAE Premiership: Dubai Exiles v Abu Dhabi Harlequins

WOMAN AND CHILD

Director: Saeed Roustaee

Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

PROFILE OF HALAN

Started: November 2017

Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: transport and logistics

Size: 150 employees

Investment: approximately $8 million

Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar

The Cockroach

 (Vintage)

Ian McEwan 
 

Three ways to boost your credit score

Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:

1. Make sure you make your payments on time;

2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;

3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.

Updated: January 31, 2024, 8:25 AM`