In spite of everything, a culture of peace is emerging in all fields of human endeavour
monthly, year 24th, number 325 – 14th June 2024
Good News Agency carries positive and constructive news from all over the world relating to voluntary work, the work of the United Nations, non-governmental organizations and institutions engaged in improving the quality of life – news that doesn’t “burn out” in the space of a day. It is distributed free of charge through Internet to media and editorial journalists, NGOs, service associations and high schools and colleges around the world.
It is an all-volunteer service of Associazione Culturale dei Triangoli e della Buona Volontà Mondiale, an educational charity associated with the United Nations Department of Public Information It is a supporter of the Global Movement for the Culture of Peace. In the final report of the Decade for a Culture of Peace project (2001-2010) provided to the UN Secretary-General for presentation to the UN General Assembly, Good News Agency is included among the three NGOs that have been playing an active role in the field of Information through Internet.*
Government and politics – Education and teaching – Economy, finance and planning
Arts of living and relationships – Work, science and industry
Society and communication –Rules, regulations and environment
CONFERENCE - Community Energy Innovation Summit
June 25, 2024 - The Community Energy Innovation Summit—taking place on June 25, 2024 in Washington, DC—will bring together stakeholders working to engage underserved communities to ensure an equitable clean energy transition. (…) The summit will feature pitch presentations by Collegiate Track winners of the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Community Energy Innovation (CEI) Prize, followed by workshops and roundtable discussions to support the Clean Energy and Manufacturing Ecosystem Tracks teams along with other stakeholders seeking to promote a just clean energy transition. The event is free, open to the public, and will offer ample opportunities to network with teams competing in all tracks of the prize and other attendees. (…)
https://energycentral.com/event/community-energy-innovation-summit
News related with SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy
Italy bans ground-mounted solar panels on agricultural land
May 6, 2024 - Italy's rightwing government on Monday banned the installation of ground-based solar panels on agricultural land, just days after Rome committed to triple installed renewable energy capacity by 2030. (…) The ban covers photovoltaic systems placed on the ground in areas classified as agricultural, but does not refer to agrivoltaic projects, where solar panels are installed above fields of crops (…).
News related with SDGs number 12-Responsible Consumption and Production
REGULATION (EU) 2024/1252 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL
of 11 April 2024 establishing a framework for ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials and amending Regulations (EU) No 168/2013, (EU) 2018/858, (EU) 2018/1724 and (EU) 2019/1020 - (Text with EEA relevance)
May 3, 2024 - The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union (…) have adopted this regulation:
CHAPTER 1- GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 1- Subject matter and objectives
1. The general objective of this Regulation is to improve the functioning of the internal market by establishing a framework to ensure the Union’s access to a secure, resilient and sustainable supply of critical raw materials, including by fostering efficiency and circularity throughout the value chain.
2. To achieve the general objective referred to in paragraph 1, this Regulation lays down measures aiming to:
(a) lower the risk of supply disruptions related to critical raw materials likely to distort competition and fragment the internal market, in particular by identifying and supporting strategic projects that contribute to lowering dependencies and diversifying imports and by undertaking efforts to incentivise technological progress and resource efficiency in order to moderate the expected increase in the Union consumption of critical raw materials;
(b) improve the Union’s ability to monitor and mitigate the supply risk related to critical raw materials;
(c) ensure the free movement of critical raw materials and products containing critical raw materials placed on the Union market while ensuring a high level of environmental protection and sustainability, including by improving their circularity. (…)
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L_202401252
News related with SDGs number 15-Life on Land
UN approves complaint process for carbon credit projects
May 3, 2024 - The United Nations said Friday it had introduced new rules to allow people harmed by projects under the global carbon credit market it is designing to file a formal appeal. (…) The UN said the introduction of new safeguards was a "milestone" that would protect human rights and ensure integrity under the global carbon market it is designing. (…)
https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/UN_approves_complaint_process_for_carbon_credit_projects_999.html
News related with SDGs number 12-Responsible Consumption and Production
General Assembly Adopts Text to Mark 25 Years of Landmark Declaration on Culture of Peace
May 2, 2024 - As speakers discussed the importance of collective efforts to promote a culture of peace in a world torn by conflict and crisis, the General Assembly today adopted a draft resolution in pursuit of that goal, in addition to draft texts on a variety of other topics. (…)
News related with SDGs number 16-Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Economic and Social Council - Eightieth session - Agenda item 3 - Special Body on Least Developed, Landlocked Developing and Small Island Developing States - Resolution adopted by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific on 26 April 2024
Apr 29, 2024 - The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (…)
4. Notes the importance of sharing experiences and working in partnership on the implementation of and the follow-up to the 2030 Agenda by strengthening the means of implementation, as appropriate, including
capacity-building for voluntary national reviews (…)
https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/240/021/7e/pdf/2400217e.pdf?token=2kezCKnJ8jT0UgcoCv&fe=true
News related with SDGs number 8-Decent Work and Economic Growth
Malala Fund welcomes Pakistan's new plan to address its national education crisis
May 16, 2024 - More than 26 million children in Pakistan are out of school. To help tackle this crisis, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced a new Education Emergency plan. Malala Fund welcomes this news, which responds to demands from Pakistani activists, educators and civil society for the administration to take urgent action on girls' education. Through the Education Emergency initiative the government of Pakistan aims to make significant reductions to the overall number of children out of school. In a directive released from the Prime Minister’s office today, the government has committed to allocating at least Rs. 25 billion to education over the next five years. This includes a commitment to increase its education budget from 1.7% to 4% of GDP. The directive also included commitments to fast track teacher recruitment and support the development and expansion of nutritional, financial literacy, and science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) programming for students. This announcement comes at a critical moment for school children in Pakistan. Last week’s bombing of a girls’ school in North Waziristan was a stark reminder of the need to take urgent action to protect the right to education and combat the rising ideological and violent threats to girls’ rights. In Pakistan, 12 million girls are out of school, and only 13% of girls advance to grade 9. At the existing rate, it would take the country another half-century to enrol all girls in school. Malala Fund wants to help speed up progress.
News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education
Education Above All Foundation and UNHCR partner to enrol more out-of-school, refugee children
April 29, 2024, Doha – UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and global development organization Education Above All (EAA) Foundation have signed a new, five-year agreement aimed at addressing the global challenge of out-of-school children (OOSC), including refugees, internally displaced people and host community children. The new agreement builds on the success of enrolling more than 1.6 million OOSC in 14 countries globally since 2012. The strategic partnership agreement will focus on supporting, promoting, and protecting the right to education for children and youth, especially in conflict-affected countries. In addition to increased OOSC enrolment, joint projects between EAA and UNHCR have demonstrated varied and significant impact through policy change in a number of countries, increased community resources through the construction of new schools and classrooms, employment opportunities, teacher training, and financial/material support to children and their families. The collaboration has also facilitated sports programmes to boost enrolment and retention, enhance well-being and foster social cohesion and inclusion.
News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education
China and WFP join forces to boost school meals and promote access to education in Uganda
April 24, 2024, Kampala – The Government of the People’s Republic of China has provided funding to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) for the provision of school meals to over 165,000 children in Karamoja region in Northeastern Uganda. This contribution will enable WFP to procure maize, beans, and vegetable oil locally, benefiting school children and smallholder farmers alike, thereby stimulating the local economy. WFP registered a fivefold increase in the local procurement of food from smallholder farmers in Karamoja (from 414 metric tonnes in 2022 to 2,345 metric tonnes in 2023), injecting USD 1.9 million into the local economy. Research demonstrates that providing daily school meals serves as a powerful incentive for impoverished families to enrol their children in school. These meals enable students to concentrate on their studies, leading to sustainable increases in school enrolment and lower dropout rates. Studies indicate that school meal programs can boost enrolment by an average of 9 percent and reduce anaemia prevalence in girls by up to 20 percent. Harvard University has found that every USD 1 invested in school meals yields an average return of USD 9 in economic benefits.
News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education
Initiative to advance literacy learning in Morocco launches
April 22, 2024 - Digital skills are key for literacy teaching in the twenty-first century. However, many literacy educators have limited capacity in using technology for instruction. Locally relevant training in this area is therefore essential. On 23 April 2024, the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) and the UNESCO Regional Office for the Maghreb, the Moroccan National Agency for the Fight against Illiteracy (ANLCA), with support from Huawei hence launched a national initiative to promote quality literacy provision by increasing effective use of technologies in literacy instruction and learning. By training literacy teachers to use technology effectively and integrating ICT-facilitated learning into its national education programmes, Morocco is enhancing the quality of education in the country in line with Sustainable Development Goal 4. This project is part of an initiative to improve the digital competencies of literacy educators worldwide, which was developed by GAL in partnership with the multisectoral Global Education Coalition (GEC). To date, the digital skills training for literacy educators initiative has been implemented in Bangladesh, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt and Nigeria.
https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/initiative-advance-literacy-learning-morocco-launches
News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education
Multilingual Education: a key to quality and inclusive learning
April 2024- In today’s world, multilingual contexts are the norm rather than the exception.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Atlas of Languages reveals that there are around 7,000 spoken or signed languages in use around the world. It’s estimated that at least half of the global population is bilingual, navigating daily life in two or more languages or dialects. Language is more than a tool for communication; it’s a very specific human cognitive faculty and the foundation of our shared humanity. It enables the transmission of experiences, traditions, knowledge and identities across generations. Languages play a crucial role in promoting peace, fostering intercultural dialogue and driving sustainable development. They permeate every facet of our lives—from family and work to education, politics, media, justice, research and technology. Our values, beliefs, knowledge, identities and worldviews are intricately shaped by language, reflecting the richness of the human experience. Improved access and inclusivity through mother tongue education. Adopting a mother language-based, multilingual education improves access to and inclusion in education, particularly for population groups that speak non-dominant, minority and indigenous languages. Studies have shown that such approaches can boost classroom participation, improve retention rates and encourage family and community involvement in education. They also play a vital role in mitigating the challenges faced by migrant and refugee learners, promoting a sense of safety and resilience. (…)
https://www.un.org/en/un-chronicle/multilingual-education-key-quality-and-inclusive-learning
News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education
Italy team develops biobased, inflammation-busting burn bandages
(by Rebecca Gendron)
May 7, 2024 - In Italy, a team from Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia has developed a biodegradable and biocompatible bandage using plant-based materials such as maize, pectin, and soy lecithin. (…) IIT’s bandage can block excessive inflammation and reduce the number of free radicals, thus shortening the time needed for healing. (…)
News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Shiru creates an “Amazon for proteins”
(by Rebecca Gendron)
May 7, 2024 - In California, Shiru is launching the world’s first marketplace and discovery platform for proteins. Dubbed ProteinDiscovery.ai, the platform allows users to search, discover, pilot, and buy molecules for food, agriculture, personal care, and advanced material applications. It is comprised of a searchable database that catalogs more than 33 million molecules by sequence, functional use, and successful expression. The tool also links natural protein sequences with novel applications, creating new intellectual property of biobased ingredients. (…)
https://www.inoreader.com/article/3a9c6e7428a05314-shiru-creates-an-amazon-for-proteins
News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
No more dirty diesel for Paris Olympic sites
(by Natalie Alonso)
April 30, 2024 - French sports venues preparing for this year's Paris Olympics are set to ditch their diesel generators in favour of power grid connections as part of efforts to cut the carbon emissions linked to the Games. Though little known to most sports fans, many stadiums around the world rely on diesel generators for the power that runs their lighting, broadcast facilities and computer systems. (…) French organisers view the new electricity connections at venues around France, including at the 80,000-capacity national stadium in northern Paris, as part of the legacy of the Games which run from July 26-August 8. (…)
https://www.oilgasdaily.com/reports/No_more_dirty_diesel_for_Paris_Olympic_sites_999.html
News related with SDGs number 12-Responsible Consumption and Production
Mater creates furniture line from coffee waste and wood
(by Rebecca Gendron)
April 23, 2024 - In Denmark, design company Mater is expanding its offering of furniture manufactured from wood fibers and spent coffee grounds mixed with sugarcane-based plastic. The new Alder collection is completely biodegradable except for its recycled steel frame and was designed in collaboration with architect and designer Patricia Urquiola. (…)
News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Fraunhofer researchers develop biobased synthetic rubber
(by Meghan Sapp)
April 22, 2024 - In Germany, synthetic rubber is indispensable today, especially for car tires and technical rubber goods. Until now, the raw materials for its production have largely been obtained from fossil sources. Under the leadership of the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP, four Fraunhofer Institutes are now developing alternative, biobased raw material sources for synthetic rubber, which will enable completely new types of rubber for car tires. The three-year project is being funded by Fraunhofer with 3.25 million euros and starts in April 2024. (…)
News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
“Red Card Against Polio”
Using the power of sports to unite communities in the fight against polio in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
May 13, 2024 – Goal!!! The ball streaked past the goalkeeper’s outstretched hand, nestling into the top right corner, sending the stadium into a frenzy of euphoria. This remarkable 82nd-minute strike by left-back Arthur Masuaku propelled the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to a 3-1 victory over Guinea, securing their spot in the semi-finals of the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire earlier this year. Despite their subsequent loss in the semi-finals, the DRC remains one of Africa’s most successful teams, having won the AFCON twice in the past.Like many countries in the continent, soccer in DRC is more than just a sport – it’s a passion that bridges generations. Leveraging this fervour, the country embarked on a unique initiative to combat a more insidious foe – the variant poliovirus (cVDPV), which has afflicted over 750 children with paralysis in the last three years alone. In August 2023, the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with UNICEF and partners of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, kicked off the ‘Red Card against Polio’ campaign. The six-month campaign till February 2024 aimed at garnering widespread community support for childhood vaccination to ‘kick polio out of DRC’ and protect children from other vaccine preventable diseases. (…)
https://polioeradication.org/news-post/red-card-against-polio/
News related with SDGs number 3-Good Health and Well-Being
In the hills along the border, Lupita brings water, first-aid and a big dose of humanity
May 8, 2024 – For Mexican Red Cross medical responder Lupita Gonzalez, ‘Keeping humanity alive’ means being present in an unforgiving desert that has claimed the lives of many desperate people. ‘Their stories continue to move me as they did on the first day.’
In the city of Nogales, in the northern Mexican state of Sonora, just about everyone knows Rosa Guadalupe Gonzalez Bucio. Health personnel, local authorities, consular representatives, social organizations, local merchants – everyone knows this smart, determined, red-clad woman who drives an all-terrain vehicle through the streets and remote dirt paths in and around Nogales. “Lupita,” as she is affectionately known, is an emergency medical technician, the focal point of the Mexican Red Cross's humanitarian aid for vulnerable migrants on the Mexican side of Nogales, a city that straddles the United States and Mexican border. Every day, Lupita is out there, on her little Red Cross buggy, looking for people who are lost, dehydrated or who have been injured after trying to climb the wall that divides the two countries. (…)
News related with SDGs number 3-Good Health and Well-Being
Gender equality: in a healthy relationship, men and women grow together
May 2024- importance of gender equality and mutual support in daily relationships. Studying and reconsidering the role of the male component in couple relationships could, in fact, represent an incentive to understand the dynamics that characterize them, as well as an opportunity to enrich self-knowledge.
The role of man: a precious support. The man, traditionally seen as a dominant figure, is now re-evaluated in the context of the couple as a precious source of support. This shift in perspective could lead to a better understanding of relational dynamics and the building of more equitable and harmonious relationships. In fact, academic studies confirm that relationships based on gender equality and mutual support are related to lower levels of stress and anxiety. ...
News related with SDGs number 5-Gender Equality
In the United States, Generation Z and Millennials are reinventing book clubs
May 2024- New York- From Dua Lipa to “silent” book clubs, Millennials and Gen Z are joining book clubs as a way to socialize. Book club event listings grew 24% in the United States in 2023 from the previous year, according to ticketing platform Eventbrite. Meetup saw a 10% increase in book club listings. Many of these book clubs are not the stodgy ones of old, however, featuring wine and crackers in a host’s living room. Book club organizers and members are creating new gatherings to talk about books at dating events, breweries and on group runs. Social media is also helping lead younger readers to new genres and in-person communities built around reading. #BookTok was TikTok’s most popular community, outpacing #CarTalk and #MovieTalk.The growing popularity of book clubs reflects a renewed interest in events and experiences in-person following the isolation of the pandemic, as well as growing fatigue with endless time on screens. (…)
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/02/23/business/book-club-growth/index.html
News related with SDGs number 3-Good Health and Well-Being
The story of Gulala Salih: integration and writing from Kurdistan to Italy
May 2024-The Kurdish writer Gulala Salih: an example of integration and resilience in Italy. Specifically, Gulala works on Italian territory to support the many women who find space in our society. She is the author of the book "Suspended Identities": the project that leads her to pursue her own destiny, help and support girls of different origins. Through the Openpolis dossier "The double obstacle of foreign women in the path of entrepreneurship" and as highlighted in the latest IDOS report, for over half a century women have been protagonists of the integration phenomenon in Italy. Suffice it to say that since the 1970s, most of them have achieved success, found work and studied, stimulated by socio-economic factors. Integration in Italy highlights a reality made up of dynamic, autonomous people who are protagonists of their own path. Gulala was born in Iraqi Kurdistan. In 1999 she escaped from the regime, arriving in Italy. Today she lives in Salzano, in the province of Venice, she is a mother, writer and activist
News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education
Friendship, respect, and harmony: the legacy of the Olympic Games shared with the new generations
Over 730 middle and high school students gather for an exchange with three athletes and para-athletes on a remarkable day about how sport changes lives and society.In the fervor of the Olympic and Paralympic Games - Paris 2024, hundreds of young students from Paris and the Île-de-France region gathered at the UNESCO House, curious and enthusiastic, ready to explore the values of Olympism and the impact of sport on society during an exceptional Campus. The event began with a welcome address from Matthieu Guevel, Director of Communications at UNESCO, who welcomed the students and wished a "happy birthday" to the UNESCO Campus program, which celebrates its 10th anniversary in April 2024.
News related with SDGs number 10-Reduced Inequalities
The world’s largest carbon removal plant is here, and bigger ones are on the way
(by Justine Calma)
May 8, 2024 - Mammoth, the largest industrial facility yet built to filter carbon dioxide out of the air, just powered up in Hellisheiði, Iceland. It’s run by Swiss climate tech company Climeworks, whose clients include JPMorgan Chase, Microsoft, Stripe, and Shopify, among others. It was the latest industrial plant built with the purpose of sucking carbon dioxide out of the air, a process called direct air capture (DAC) — with more facilities planned around the world. DAC is supposed to be a way to fight climate change by getting rid of greenhouse gas emissions that have built up in the atmosphere (…)
News related with SDGs number 13-Climate Action
G7 reportedly agrees end date for coal-fired power plants
April 29, 2024 - G7 energy ministers have agreed a time frame for phasing out coal-fired power plants, a British minister said Monday, as the UN warned "excuses" for failing to take bold actions on climate change were "not acceptable". (…) On the first of the two days of talks, energy and ecological transition ministers from the G7 agreed to committing to a common target of shutting down coal-fired power plants. (…) A European source confirmed to AFP the G7 looked likely to commit to close the plants "in the first half of the 2030s". (…)
News related with SDGs number 13-Climate Action
UN-led panel to draw up sustainability standards for critical minerals supply chain
(by Michael Holder)
Apr 26, 2024 - The UN has convened a new panel of experts and governments from around the world to develop a set of common voluntary principles for safeguarding environmental standards and human rights in the emerging critical minerals supply chain for clean technologies, it announced today. The UN said the move was in response to increasing concerns about the impacts on the environment, communities, and workers rights of the expansion in mining for minerals, such as lithium, nikel, and copper, that are critical to the development of clean energy technologies, including electric vehicle (EV), batteries, solar panels, and wind turbines. (…)
News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
'UK first': Aldi moves to 100 per cent recycled plastic for soft drinks packaging
(by Amber Rolt)
April 26, 2024 - Supermarket chain Aldi has announced it is moving all its own-brand soft drinks and bottled water into 100 per cent recycled plastic across its stores in England and Wales. The move is set to make Aldi the first UK supermarket to shift its entire own-label soft drinks to 100 per cent recycled packaging, excluding only the cap and label. The supermarket estimated the move will save around 10,00 tonnes of virgin plastic annually and forms part of its target to include 50 per cent recycled content in its plastic packaging across the business by 2025. (…)
News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Negotiations on global plastic treaty to resume in Canada
(by Marion Thibaut)
Apr 22, 2024 - Negotiators from 175 countries are meeting from Tuesday in Canada to nail down a binding global treaty to end plastic pollution with many sticking points to be resolved five months after the last round of talks in Kenya. Nations in 2022 agreed to finalize by the end of this year a world-first UN treaty to address the scourge of plastics found everywhere from mountain tops to ocean depths, and within human blood and breast milk. Negotiators have already met three times and are expected, after the Ottawa talks, to hold a final round of negotiations in South Korea. (…)
News related with SDGs number 17-Partnerships for the Goals
Providing a safe space for youth in Lebanon
May 8, 2024 – The Makani Project, implemented by Anera with the support of UNICEF, serves as a safe and inclusive space catering to individuals of all ages. It offers essential services such as capacity and skill-building initiatives, child protection and education support, and health awareness programs. Specifically designed to foster the holistic development of children, the project prioritizes their physical, social, and emotional well-being. Participants, including children and mothers, engage in various programs covering topics such as nutrition, health, water safety, personal and public hygiene, as well as sessions addressing child health, psychological development, and breastfeeding. By promoting healthy behaviors and habits within families, the Makani Project plays a crucial role in enhancing the overall welfare of beneficiaries, irrespective of nationality or gender.
https://www.anera.org/blog/providing-a-safe-space-for-youth-in-lebanon/
News related with SDGs number 11-Sustainable Cities and Communities
Working to keep Náhuat, the only remaining pre-hispanic language in El Salvador, are the last hope that the language will not die out.
May 2024- López is part of the Náhuat Cuna project, which since 2010 has sought to preserve and revive the endangered indigenous language through early immersion. She is one of two teachers who teach it to children between the ages of three and five at a preschool center in Nahuizalco, a municipality in the department of Sonsonate in western El Salvador
https://www.ipsnews.net/2024/05/working-keep-nahuat-language-pipil-people-vanishing-el-salvador/
News related with SDGs number 11-Sustainable Cities and Communities
WORLD HERITAGE DAY: empowering youth for sustainable heritage preservation
May 2024- Featuring an exhibition and a series of youth workshops, the event provided a vibrant platform for the younger generation to connect with heritage preservation. Creative local and entrepreneurial ventures were on display alongside product demonstrations. All designed to peak a proactive interest in heritage conservation among youths.
News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education
Dog that flunked out of police academy becomes a hero in Taiwan’s earthquake response
May 2024- Though Roger flunked out of the Kaohsiung City police academy in Taiwan, his career in public service was not over, and has now captured the hearts of his people with his rescue efforts during Taiwan’s recent earthquake. Striking the northern part of the island with a magnitude of 7.4, it caused a landslide in a popular national park that destroyed several buildings and claimed a dozen victims.
News related with SDGs number 3-Good Health and Well-Being
Playful competition brings together Muslims and non-Muslims over street vendor’s Ramadan snack
May 2024- In the world’s largest Muslim nation, a street food vendor’s tasty sundown snack has become so popular that people rush to get one whether they’re breaking a Ramadan fast or not. The resulting rush has created a kind of friendly competition in the decidedly laid-back country of Indonesia, and even though the vendor first made the snacks for Muslims, he and thousands like him relish how it is bringing people together.
News related with SDGs number 16-Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Child prodigies and gifted students: what are we talking about?
May 2024- Once upon a time he would have been called a child prodigy. Today we talk about children with high cognitive potential, gifted, gifted. Recent political declarations have put two complex problems on the same level and given the same solution: the inclusion of people with disabilities in classes and the recognition of pupils with high cognitive potential. While for the former an inclusive path is established by law, for gifted students there is still no process of recognition or valorisation. A problem, given the quantity of children and young people who possess these characteristics.
News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education
Rules, regulations and environment
(top)
Companies Partner to boost Biodiversity at UK Renewable Energy Sites
(by Beth Anton)
May 9, 2024 - Queequeg Renewables, a UK developer of renewable energy projects, has unveiled a new partnership with Biodiverse Consulting, a UK environmental consultancy that specializes in biodiversity net gain. The two companies are working together on five solar and BESS (Battery Energy Storage System) projects across the UK to ensure that each site meets its BNG targets. (…) Solar farms improve local biodiversity by supporting new and existing plant and animal life in a range of ways, both on-site and also on nearby land. (…)
News related with SDGs number 17-Partnerships for the Goals
IEA: Investment in key clean energy technologies topped $200bn in 2023
(by Cecilia Keating)
May 7, 2024 – Investment in manufacturing capacity for solar PV, wind turbines, batteries, electrolysers, and heat pumps surged by 70 per cent last year, according to the International Energy Agency. Investment in manufacturing plants for key clean energy technologies surged more than 70 per cent in 2023, with just five sectors collectively accounting for roughly four per cent of all global GDP growth last year. (…)
News related with SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy
Midsummer partners with Asian maker of thin film solar panels
(by Robin Whitlock)
May 3, 2024 - Swedish solar energy leader Midsummer has entered a partnership with Chinese maker of thin film solar panels Kaisheng New Energy Technology in which Kaisheng will manufacture thin film roof top products for Midsummer based on its certifications and quality assurance. (…)
News related with SDGs number 17-Partnerships for the Goals
European Commission awards $768M to seven renewable hydrogen projects
(by Meghan Sapp)
May 2, 2024 - In Belgium, the European Commission is awarding nearly €720 million to seven renewable hydrogen projects in Europe, selected through the first competitive bidding process under the European Hydrogen Bank. The funds for this auction come from the revenues of the EU Emissions Trading System. The winning bidders will produce renewable hydrogen in Europe and will receive a subsidy to bridge the price difference between their production costs and the market price for hydrogen, which is currently driven by non-renewable producers. (…) The renewable hydrogen they produce will be used in sectors such as steel, chemicals, maritime transport and fertilisers. (…)
News related with SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy
Tobago Oil Spill Crisis: ADRA and Church volunteers continue response operations to save the coastline
May 1, 2024 - SILVER SPRING, MD– On the morning of February 7, Trinidad and Tobago’s fishermen set out under the usual azure skies, their boats slicing through the tranquil waters. But this day would mark a profound shift in the island’s serenity. Instead of the familiar blue expanse, they encountered a foreboding darkness—a visual testament to a looming ecological catastrophe. The cause? A barge, laden with a staggering 35,000 barrels of fuel oil, had met its demise on a reef just off Tobago’s coast. As it succumbed to the depths, it unleashed a deluge of toxic crude, staining the coastline and threatening the delicate balance of the marine ecosystem, the wildlife, and the island’s shores. Instantly, it became a national emergency forcing several beach resorts to ban guests from the once pristine beaches. In response to the crisis, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) sprang into action, rallying volunteers from across the community and the Adventist Church. Together with the Tobago Emergency Management Agency (TEMA), they embarked on a herculean cleanup effort to combat the thick oil slick that now marred Tobago’s sea. (…)
https://adra.org/tobago-oil-spill-crisis
News related with SDGs number 14- Life below Water
Hanwha Ocean, Amogy and Hanwha Aerospace partner to develop ammonia-to-power technology
(by Juan Pedro Tomas)
April 25, 2024 - In South Korea, Hanwha Ocean, Amogy and Hanwha Aerospace announced a partnership aimed at accelerating the decarbonization of the maritime industry through the deployment of Amogy’s zero-emission ammonia-to-power technology for ammonia-powered vessels. (…)
News related with SDGs number 14- Life below Water
Construction begins on New Zealand’s biggest solar farm, another gets green light
(by Joshua S Hill)
April 25, 2024 - Two solar farms planned for development in New Zealand have taken important steps forward this week, with construction beginning on the country’s largest solar farm, a 63MW project near Christchurch, while consent was also granted to build a 40.8MW project on the North Island. (…) The as-yet unnamed solar farm is located an hour’s drive from Christchurch, at Lauriston on the Canterbury Plains on New Zealand’s South Island. Set out on a 93-hectare site, the project is expected to generate power equivalent to the needs of 13,000 households and will create more than 50 jobs during the construction phase. (…)
News related with SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy
Biden Unlocks $7 Billion Solar Investment On Earth Day
(by Steve Hanley)
April 23, 2024 - On Earth Day 2024, today, President Joe Biden announced $7 billion in grants through the Environmental Protection Agency’s Solar for All grant competition, a key component of the Inflation Reduction Act’s $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. Selectees under the Solar for All program will serve every state and territory in the nation and deliver residential solar power to over 900,000 households in low income and disadvantaged communities, saving overburdened households more than $350 million in electricity costs annually — approximately $400 per household — and avoiding more than 30 million metric tons of carbon pollution over the next 25 years. (…)
https://cleantechnica.com/2024/04/22/biden-unlocks-7-billion-solar-investment-on-earth-day/
News related with SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy
Hello Europe, Ukraine has the Green Hydrogen you’re looking for
(by Tina Casey)
April 22, 2024 - The nations of Europe have been throwing many dollars at the green hydrogen industry, seeking a way to cut imports of natural gas from Russia. However, the EU’s 2030 production goal is sliding out of reach and industry stakeholders are complaining that the stuff is just too expensive, even with subsidies. Into this picture marches Ukraine with a solution — but it will work only if the Russian war machine is stopped in its tracks. (…)
https://cleantechnica.com/2024/04/22/hello-europe-ukraine-has-the-green-hydrogen-youre-looking-for/
News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
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