Articles by "Germany"
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Hello Jammu News at 10:10:00 PM 0


Munich, Feb 16 :  German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Saturday that Washington's plan to swiftly pull its soldiers out of Syria risks allowing Russia and Iran to boost their role in the region.

Islamic State group fighters have been boxed in to a scrap of land in the battle for their last remaining territory in northeastern Syria and their final defeat is expected imminently.

Once they are defeated, US forces are set to soon withdraw after President Donald Trump in December announced the pullout of around 2,000 troops.

But Washington is struggling to convince allies to stay on in Syria after it leaves and Merkel warned of the risks of leaving a vacuum in the region.

"Is it a good idea for the Americans to suddenly and quickly withdraw from Syria? Or will it once more strengthen the capacity of Iran and Russia to exert their influence?" Merkel said at the Munich Security Conference.

Pentagon chief Patrick Shanahan on Friday pledged ongoing backing for the fight against IS - but kept allies guessing as to how that would be achieved once US forces pull out, and won no solid pledges of support.

Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said the US had told partners in the global anti-IS coalition that its soldiers would leave in "weeks rather than months".

The decision has stunned allies including France, which contributes artillery and about 1,200 forces in the region, including soldiers who train Iraqi troops.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian asked why the US would create a vacuum in Syria that could benefit its enemy Iran, calling the approach a "mystery".

A French government source told AFP it was "totally out of the question" to have French troops on the ground without US forces.                   AFP
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Hello Jammu News at 11:45:00 AM 0


Mumbai, Oct 8 (PTI) Priyanka Chopra's maiden Sikkimese production, "Pahuna" ("The Little Visitors") bagged two awards at SCHLINGEL International Children's Film Festival in Germany.


Written and directed by Pakhi A Tyrewala, the film won the trophies for Best Film (Jury Choice) and Special Mention by Professional Jury in The International Feature Film Category.

Produced under Priyanka and her mother Dr Madhu Chopra's banner Purple Pebble Pictures, "Pahuna" received an overwhelming response at the European Premiere of the film festival held on October 2 and 5.

"Pahuna" ("The Little Visitors") revolves around three Nepali children who get separated from their parents, escape the Maoists agitation in Nepal and flee to Sikkim.

Madhu said the film will always be very special film for the production house.

"When we started the journey of 'Pahuna', we didn't anticipate the film to go this far. But God has been kind and the film has resonated with the audience not just in India but across the globe. 

"I'm grateful to SCHLINGEL International Children's Film Festival for the recognition. Looking forward to many more such milestones," the co-producer said in a statement.

"Pahuna" had its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) last year.

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Hello Jammu News at 2:48:00 PM 0

Frankfurt Am Main, Sep 10: The first major German court case against Volkswagen over the "dieselgate" scandal that has shaken up the car industry gets under way Monday, as investors pursue the world's largest automaker for billions in compensation.

From 10 am (0800 GMT) the regional court in Brunswick will examine whether the auto giant should have informed investors sooner about so-called "defeat devices" it built into 11 million cars worldwide to fool regulatory emissions tests.

On the first day, "we are hoping for first indications from the judges about their view of the facts and the legal position," said Andreas Tilp, a lawyer representing investment fund Deka.

The shareholder's "model case" against VW is supposed to clear up more than 200 questions common to some 3,650 claims totalling around 9.0 billion euros ( 10.5 billion), with judges expected Monday to highlight timelines and priority issues in the massive case.

At issue is a 40-percent plunge in Volkswagen stock over two days in September 2015, which wiped billions off its market value.

After markets closed on Friday, September 18 that year, US authorities accused the group of using the defeat devices -- engine software designed to cut harmful emissions during regulatory tests, only to allow them to rise again during on-road driving.

Investors say they could have avoided painful losses had executives -- who are legally obliged to share promptly any information that could affect the share price -- informed them sooner of the cheating.

Ahead of Monday's hearing, Volkswagen lawyer Markus Pfueller said the group was "confident" that it had "complied with its disclosure obligations toward shareholders and the capital markets".

So far, dieselgate has cost VW more than 27 billion euros in fines, vehicle buybacks and recalls and legal costs, mostly in the US.

Judges are expected to take at least until next year to rule.

Deka lawyers argue that board members knew about the fraud and should have revealed it between the offending software's first deployment in 2008 and September 2015.

For its part, VW blames a handful of engineers acting without authorisation for the scheme, and says the information it had before the American authorities intervened was not significant enough to warrant warning capital markets.

At the centre of attention in the court case will be Martin Winterkorn, the trained engineer who claimed to know "every nut and bolt" of Volkswagen's entire range of models and ran the company as chief executive from 2007 to 2015.

VW said in 2016 that Winterkorn -- who stepped down after the scandal became public -- was sent a "memo" highlighting emissions irregularities in the manipulated EA189 engine, without confirming whether he ever read it.

Backed by government tax incentives, German and other European carmakers bet big on diesel in the 1990s and 2000s as a lower-carbon alternative to petrol engines.

But the "dieselgate" scandal has revealed the flipside of the technology, nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions that can be harmful to health.

Investigations into Volkswagen and other manufacturers are dragging on.

Another investor probe starting Wednesday, against Porsche SE, the holding company with a controlling stake in VW, could be stalled or superseded by the Brunswick case.

Rupert Stadler, CEO of VW subsidiary Audi, is in custody on suspicion of fraud and issuing false certificates, and VW-owned Porsche, Mercedes-Benz manufacturer Daimler and components supplier Bosch are in prosecutors' sights.

Meanwhile, the fallout for German society has been far wider-ranging.

The EU has toughened emissions testing with a new procedure known as WLTP, which comes into force this month.

Car companies are hoping a flood of new battery-powered vehicles will help meet tighter fleet-wide CO2 targets that bite from 2021, rather than ever-more efficient diesels.

And courts are increasingly pressuring German cities to clean up their air, with a diesel ban on two major roads in Hamburg and city-wide exclusion zones for older vehicles coming in Stuttgart and Frankfurt.

Consumers have reacted to the prospect of more bans by shunning diesel, sending its share of the new car market plunging from 46.5 percent in August 2015 to 32.6 percent last month.

Potentially even more terrifying for carmakers is a law allowing collective class action-style lawsuits that Berlin aims to pass before the statue of limitations runs out for VW. (AFP)
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Hello Jammu News at 3:15:00 PM 0


New Delhi, Mar 22: President of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife Elke Büdenbender on Thursday arrived here on a five-day State visit to the country.
The visiting dignitaries were received by Union Minister of State for Drinking Water and Sanitation SS Ahluwalia.
"Herzlich willkommen! Warm welcome to President of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Mrs Elke Büdenbender to India. Minister of State, Drinking Water and Sanitation SS Ahluwalia received the honoured guests," MEA Spokesman Raveesh Kumar tweeted.
In a telephonic call to German Chancellor Angela Merkel to congratulate her on assuming office as the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany for the fourth successive term, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was looking forward to his meeting with President Steinmeier.
During his visit, Mr Steinmeier will be going to Varanasi and is likely to visit Sarnath Archaeological Museum there and also interact with the students of Banaras Hindu University. UNI
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Hello Jammu News at 12:08:00 PM 0


Bonn, Germany, Mar 2: A wave of cold weather hitting Europe this week poses health risks, particularly to people in vulnerable situations, WHO/Europe experts warn.
Temperatures are expected to plunge below average in western European Russia, central Europe, the Balkans and the Baltic States, a WHO release said on Friday.
"Cold, even in places where the temperatures are not at their lowest, can be harmful to people’s health in many ways. It can aggravate existing conditions and raise the risk of increased blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes. Taking preventive action can help reduce the health impacts and risks," said Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe.
"WHO is carefully following the situation in countries of the European Region. Affected countries should stay alert. Measures must be taken to protect people at risk," Dr Zsuzsanna said.
Cold weather increases the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory disease. Anyone can be affected by cold temperatures at home, at work, while commuting or during leisure activities. Those most at risk of cold-related illness include elderly people, children, and people who have chronic diseases or physical or mental limitations. People taking certain medications or those who are malnourished are also at greater risk of cold-related illnesses.
Frequently, poor households are the hardest hit as the poor can least afford to adequately heat their homes. Homeless people, and refugees and migrants can be especially vulnerable. Their risk increases if they lack adequate shelter, proper clothing, food and medical care.
Health and social services often face the challenge of caring for an increased number of patients suffering from various cold-related illnesses. Disruptions in services and infrastructure can further indirectly aggravate the health effects.
Extreme weather, including cold waves, are common in countries of the WHO European Region and are expected to occur more frequently and severely as a result of global climate change.
Severe cold weather spells are especially common in eastern European countries, where 28 people per million died as a result of extreme cold events in 1991–2015.
Adverse health effects of cold weather are also costly to health-care systems: in 2009 the United Kingdom’s Department of Health estimated that annual costs to the National Health Service of treating winter-related diseases amounted to around 859 million British Pound. UNI
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Hello Jammu News at 12:44:00 PM 0

Bonn, Germany, Nov 17: United States has again expressed its desire to withdraw from the Paris Agreement at the earliest opportunity, however the country pointed out that it remained "open to the possibility of rejoining at a later date under terms more favorable to the American people."Making her statement at the COP23 here on Thursday, Acting Assistant Secretary (Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs), Judith G Garber, said the US was pleased to be engaging with other Parties at the 23rd Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change; however pointed out that the US President Trump had already made clear the US position with respect to the Paris Agreement. "Although he indicated that the United States intends to withdraw at the earliest opportunity, we remain open to the possibility of rejoining at a later date under terms more favorable to the American people," she elaborated.Extending her sincere appreciation to the Government of Fiji for its leadership in presiding over this COP, and to the Government of Germany and the City of Bonn for hosting COP23, Ms Garber said the US would continue to be a leader in clean energy and innovation irrespective of US views on the Paris Agreement. "We understand the need for transforming energy systems," she pointed out.
President Trump had made this clear when the United States joined other G-20 countries in the G-20 Leaders’ Declaration in stating that "we remain collectively committed to mitigating greenhouse gas emissions through, among other things, increased innovation on sustainable energy and energy efficiency, and working towards low greenhouse gas emissions energy systems.""Our guiding principles are universal access to affordable and reliable energy, and open, competitive markets that promote efficiency and energy security, not only for the United States but around the globe," she said.Ms Garber claimed that the US would continue supporting a balanced approach to climate mitigation, economic development, and energy security that takes into consideration the realities of the global energy mix. UNI
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Hello Jammu News at 11:25:00 AM 0


Bonn, Germany, Nov 17: Climate engineering, or climate intervention, is risky but needs to be explored as a supplement – not as a 'Plan B' – to greenhouse gas emissions reduction, said experts at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP23) here.
Climate engineering, also referred to as geoengineering, is the deliberate and large-scale intervention in the climate system with measures including carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere or solar radiation management, the UN News reported on Thursday. “We can do a lot, we have to do a lot, we have to try much harder at cutting our emissions, but there will remain certain emissions, especially in the land use sector, which are not going away. So we actually need to start talking about this removal of greenhouse gases inevitably,” said Matthias Honegger, research scientist with the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies, at a press conference. Different approaches are being discussed. Some already exist, like planting trees. Other ideas include dispersing certain minerals in the oceans to enhance the growth of algae, which then as they sink to the ocean floor, would create a net flux of carbon from the atmosphere into the oceans. “Business as usual is a little worrying,” said Dr. Hugh Hunt, from the Department of Engineering at Cambridge University. “The concept of not doing anything is full of danger. Now the concept of cooling the planet is full of danger as well.”
“We need to have full-on public engagement, full-on societal involvement. The reason is that the risks of climate change are huge, the risks of doing nothing are huge; but the risks of geoengineering are huge as well. We've got to explore those risks, because who knows, we may end up entering a very risky world without understanding it,” he added. “Geoengineering risks are not well understood and need to be explored.” Due to the great uncertainties over effectiveness and side effects of climate engineering – including the risk of disrupting natural systems – experts think that there is a need to discuss climate engineering governance, especially as it relates to stratospheric aerosol injection. Stratospheric aerosol injection consists of injecting sulfate aerosols into the stratosphere with aircraft or balloons to create a global dimming effect. “This technology is absolutely terrifying. We may actually need it, but then, who do we want to decide. That's where this society-wide discussion has to take place,” said Janos Pasztor, Executive Director of the Carnegie Climate Geoengineering Governance Initiative (C2G2), and former UN senior climate advisor. “It would require a level of international cooperation that we have not yet seen.” “Who will decide whether we should make use of stratospheric aerosol injection and when that decision should take place? […] Who will make that decision on behalf of the world? And then how far do we turn the thermostat of the global air conditioning system […] to cool the planet?” he said. “There are issues: the more temperature you want to reduce the higher the chance there will be negative impact and the higher the chance that some of these impacts will not be the same across different geographical zones. You might end up in a situation where some people benefit from the reduced temperature but some people would have negative impacts. What do you do with those people? How do you compensate them? How do you take care of them?” he added. Mr Pasztor concluded that the highest priority should remain the gas emission reduction. “But we have to consider these other options, as supplements, not as a 'Plan B,'” he warned. UNI
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Hello Jammu News at 1:56:00 PM 0

Bonn, Germany, Nov 16: Addressing the United Nations Climate Conference (COP23) here, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for more ambition, more leadership and more partnerships to tackle climate change.
“Our duty – to each other and to future generations – is to raise ambition,” said Mr Guterres at the opening of the high-level segment of COP23 on Wednesday, which was also attended by Heads of State and Government, including President of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Prime Minister of Fiji, Frank Bainimarana, who is also the President of COP23. “We need to do more on five ambition action areas: emissions, adaptation, finance, partnerships and leadership,” the Secretary-General added. The Bonn Conference, which opened on 6 November 2017, is taking place one year after the entry into force of the Paris Climate Agreement. The Agreement, which was adopted by the 196 Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in December 2015, calls on countries to combat climate change by limiting the rise of global temperature below 2 degrees Celsius and strive not to exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius. Today, 170 Parties have ratified the treaty. Regarding emissions reductions, the UN chief urged countries “to use the 2020 revision of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to close the 2030 emissions gap.” He also stressed how essential climate mitigation is, calling for adaptation measures and strengthening resilience. The Green Climate Fund can play a catalytic role in this regard. He appealed to its members, especially donor nations, to reinvigorate engagement with that vital finance mechanism. As greater ambition on emissions, adaptation and resilience “is inextricably linked to funding,” the Secretary-General stressed the need “to mobilise the agreed $100 billion annually for developing countries.” “We must stop making bets on an unsustainable future that will place savings and societies at risk,” he added, stressing that “if we add the economic benefits of avoiding the devastation of climate change impacts, gross domestic product (GDP) in 2050 would soar by 5 per cent.” “The world should adopt a simple rule: If big infrastructure projects aren’t green, they shouldn’t be given the green light. Otherwise we will be locked into bad choices for decades to come. Investing in climate-friendly development is where the smart money is needed,” Mr Guterres said. The Secretary-General stressed that more ambition required action coalitions across all key sectors and by all actors. “We must engage all actors – national, regional and local governments, philanthropists and investors and consumers – in the transformation to a low-emission economy,” he said.
As for political leadership, Mr Guterres encouraged countries to be bold in their deliberations and decisions in Bonn and at home. “Show wisdom in investing in the opportunities of the future. Show compassion in caring what kind of world we build for our children,” he stated.
Also addressing the COP23 High-Level segment, the President of the UN General Assembly, Miroslav Lajčák, reminded participants that “the decisions we make today will affect not only us – but also those who come after.” He added: “If we hand over a planet with an uncertain future, history will not forgive us.” For his part, Mr Guterres welcomed a series of summits and conferences on climate change which are scheduled ahead of the UN Climate Summit in September 2019, including the ‘One Planet summit’ to be convened by France next month and focusing on financing, a gathering in California, bringing together non-State actors, and the COP24 in Katowice, Poland, in December 2018. UNI
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Hello Jammu News at 3:10:00 PM 0

Bonn, Germany, Nov 15: On the heels of one of the worst – and most costly – Atlantic hurricane seasons on record, a global initiative was launched Tuesday at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP23) here with the aim of providing insurance to hundreds of millions of vulnerable people by 2020 and to increase the resilience of developing countries against the impacts of climate change.
In 2017, extreme weather events are estimated to have caused more than $200 billion worth of damage worldwide, as hurricanes, droughts and rising sea levels devastated vulnerable communities with increased frequency and intensity. In the face of skyrocketing costs, new forms of financial protection have become an increasingly urgent part of the climate change discussion, the UN News said. The InsuResilience Global Partnership is a major scaling-up of an initiative started by the G7 in 2015 under the German Presidency. It aims at meeting the pledge of providing cover and support to an extra 400 million vulnerable people by 2020. The Global Partnership now brings together G20 countries in partnership with the so called ‘V20’ nations, a group of 49 of the most vulnerable countries including small islands like Fiji, which holds the Presidency of COP23. “The Global Partnership is a practical response to the needs of those who suffer loss because of climate change,” said the COP23 President and Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama. This announcement on climate risk insurance was made a day before the high-level segment of COP23, which Heads of State and Government, Ministers, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres are expected to attend. Thomas Silberhorn, Parliamentary State Secretary to the German Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, announced support of 125 million dollar for the new Global Partnership as part of the launch. This follows the £30 million commitment to the initiative made by the British Government in July 2017. “Climate risk insurance is a response to the simple fact that extreme weather events are constantly increasing in number and intensity, and also a response to our experience that the international community and the countries affected by extreme weather events tend to really act after those incidents occurred and they tend to come too late and to intervene not significantly enough,” Mr. Silberhorn told a press conference. “So our intention is to act more preemptively, to act in time, and to act decisively in order to reduce the impact of extreme weather events. Insurance is one tool to address this challenge,” he added. The Global Partnership supports data and risk analysis, technical assistance and capacity building according to countries needs and priorities, solutions design of concrete risk finance and insurance solutions, smart support for the implementation for such schemes and monitoring and evaluation efforts. “This new and higher-ambition initiative represents one shining example of what can be delivered when progressive governments, civil society and the private sector join hands with creativity and determination to provide solutions,” said Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the UN Climate Change secretariat (UNFCCC). The Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF), for example, is being supported with the help of ‘InsuResilience.’ The most recent example of support was in September 2017, when more than $55 million was paid out to 10 Caribbean countries within 14 days of hurricanes Irma and Maria, which left an arc of destruction across the region. The money was used in various ways, for example, to quickly buy urgently needed medicines and to build emergency shelters for the people affected by the storms. In Zambia, InsuResilience supports the NWK Agri-Services cotton company, which offers direct weather and life insurance to small contract farmers. In 2015, some 52,000 farmers decided to buy insurance. Following a major drought in 2016, more than 23,000 farmers received payments.  UNI
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Hello Jammu News at 12:32:00 PM 0


Bonn, Germany, Nov 14: The urgent need to raise the finances to meet the funding goals of the Paris Agreement, especially to support action by developing countries, takes centre-stage at the UN Climate Conference (COP23) in Bonn, Germany.
“We need all financial players – public, private, domestic, international – and including markets and regulators, to work together effectively to mobilise at least $1.5 trillion in climate finance that is needed every year,” said Eric Usher, Head of Finance Initiative at the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) on Monday. As part of ‘Finance for Climate Day’ at COP23, high-level representatives from across the sector highlighted their efforts to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement of keeping the average global temperature rise well below 2 degrees Celsius and as close as possible to 1.5 Celsius. They stressed that every dollar invested in cutting greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change gets double the bang for the buck because it directly supports the international community’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
According to the UN Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat, finance for climate is flowing at a greater pace than ever, with vibrant and growing markets for renewable energy, electric vehicles, green buildings and climate-smart agriculture seeing aggressive growth, backed by exponential advances in innovative green financial instruments, indices and markets. Equally, the finance sector is recognising to a much greater degree where and how climate change presents risks to its existing investments and the need to adjust their portfolios away from carbon-intensive assets to reduce that risk. However, much more is needed to secure finance and investment at the scale required to deliver a fully de-carbonised and climate-resilient global economy by 2050.
“The potential for climate friendly investment in areas such as clean energy and climate-smart agriculture is enormous,” said Laura Tuck, Vice-President Sustainable Development at the World Bank. “The key is to get the funding to flow so that everyone everywhere can benefit from low-carbon and climate resilient investments.” Peter Damgaard Jensen, CEO of the Danish Pension provider PKA and Chair of the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC) said at a press conference that “it is extremely important that there is a significant increase of investor awareness and action with regards to supporting the transition […] to a low carbon economy.” “Strong investment signals from policy makers across carbon trading, energy, transport and buildings, are essential to unlock the necessary capital,” he added. Members of African civil society and members of Parliament spoke Monday on the urgency of climate finance as a prerequisite to ambitious action in African countries. “Africa is the continent that pollutes the least,” but “it is Africa which suffers the effect of climate change,” said at a press conference Roger Nkodo Dang, President of the Pan-African Parliament, which is the legislative body of the African Union. In an interview with UN News, he added that developed countries have a duty to provide additional support to Africans for their green development. “If you tell us 'do not cut the wood,’ we say, ‘you bring us electricity,’” he said. “It’s not a favor; it’s a compensation.” UNI
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Hello Jammu News at 12:37:00 PM 0

Bonn, Germany, Nov 13: With the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP23) here entering its final week of negotiations, the Fiji Presidency announced the Gender Action Plan, highlighting the role of women in climate action.
At a press conference on Sunday, President of COP23 and Prime Minister of Fiji, Frank Bainimarama, announced that the States Parties had finalised the plan. “This recognises the role of women in climate action,” he said. “It is about integration of gender into all the work around climate policy – both nationally and internationally,” added Nazhat Shameen Khan, the Chief Negotiator for the COP23 Presidency. Heads of State and Government, Ministers, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres will be attending the high-level segment of COP 23, on 15-16 November. Also on Sunday, countries and corporations announced new initiatives to cut emissions from forest use and establish sustainable forestry management programmes.
The efforts include an Ecuadorean initiative to reduce 15 million tons of CO2 emissions in the forest sector; a commitment to deforestation-free commodities by Walmart; Mars Inc.'s new policy to reduce their carbon footprint 27 per cent by 2025 and 67 per cent by 2050 through addressing deforestation throughout their corporate value chain; and Gabon's National Park Service efforts to combat illegal logging. “The forests have this incredible ability to store carbon and we have under-invested in that,” said Inger Andersen, Director-General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), at a press conference.“Protecting and restoring the forests is absolutely key to achieving the Paris Agreement [as well as] the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).” Also today the industry sector said it is set to deliver much of the emissions reductions needed to achieve the Paris Agreement goal but added that closer national and international policy and implementation strategy partnerships together with governments will help business take further, faster action. “Industry is taking action on climate change like no other period in history,” said Peter Bakker, President and CEO of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD, a global, business leaders-led organisation of over 200 leading businesses working on sustainable development). “The transition to the low-carbon economy is inevitable, and business will continue to implement the solutions necessary for fulfilling the Paris Agreement,” he added. Since 2015, over 600 companies with combined revenues of more than $15 trillion have made over 1,000 commitments to climate action through 'We Mean Business,' a global non-profit coalition. Many are going 100 percent renewable, are implementing science-based targets and are collaborating across sectors through the Low Carbon Technology Partnership initiative (LCTPi). Local and regional leaders from around the world signed the Bonn-Fiji Commitment Sunday, pledging action to deliver on the Paris Agreement. Cities are responsible for as much as 70 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels used for energy and transport, and with more than half the global population living in urban centres and this figure expected to approach two-thirds by 2050, the Bonn-Fiji Commitment pushes efforts to advance sustainable urban development. The Commitment encompasses 19 initiatives, including The European Covenant of Mayors and Compact of Mayors joining forces to create the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy – the largest coalition of over 7,400 cities from six continents and 121 countries to reduce emissions and make societies and economies resilient to climate change. Similarly, the UN World Health Organisation (WHO), in collaboration with the UN Climate Change secretariat (UNFCCC) and in partnership with the Fijian Presidency launched an initiative to protect people living in small island developing States from the health impacts of climate change. The vision is that, by 2030, all small island developing States will have health systems that are resilient to climate change.
UNI
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Hello Jammu News at 2:28:00 PM 0

New Delhi, Nov 3: Emphasising India’s upward jump in the World Bank Report rankings for “ease of doing business”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday gave a call to global leaders, captains of industry and private sector to become a part of India’s growth journey in the food processing sector.
Inaugurating the first-ever World Food India 2017 here, Mr Modi said the food processing sector held the key to raising rural incomes across the value chain and that state governments could play a vital role by specialising in at least one farm produce that can be marketed in the world. Each district should also identify its potential and strength in food processing sector that will draw world attention.
It is expected that India will attract Foreign Direct Investment to the tune of 11 billion dollars during the three-day World Food India 2017 event.
The event was attended among others by Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, Latvian Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis, Ministers from Italy, Germany and Denmark, Chief Ministers Raman Singh and N Chandrababu Naidu.
Seeking investments in “contract farming”, Mr Modi asked global supermarket chains to look at India as a major outsourcing hub. “There is a great opportunity here for investing in logistics, infrastructure, cold chains, refrigeration transportation and in niche areas such as organic farming and fortified foods.’’
Sharing the dais were global heads of Nestle, Unilever, Metro cash and carry and Tata International and many others.
The Prime Minister said the government had taken several crucial steps to attract investment in the sector such as repealing archaic laws, simplifying procedures for clearances and reducing burden of compliance.
“The Good and Services Tax eliminates multiplicity of taxes, 100 per cent FDI in trade and manufacturing and Single Window clearances are key reforms to help the food processing industry. “Hand holding” extends to loans and priority sector lending for agro processing,” he said.
Stressing India’s supremacy in production of cereals, milk, fruits, vegetables, Mr. Modi said the “blue revolution” in fisheries, organic farming and the potential in the north-east were areas that have much to offer.
“Can we link India’s potential in the sector with world’s requirement.? Can we have joint ventures that can raise incomes and add nutrition value to the farm produce? Can we link to world markets?” the Prime Minister asked.
On the occasion, Mr Modi opened “Nivesh Bandhu”, an online portal that will give all infrastructure and agriculture potential information to an investor for every state and union territory in the country.
Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, the host of the event, described the event as “historic” and said 8,000 exhibitors from 60 countries were participating at the event.
The Prime Minister, accompanied by Ms Badal, later visited the exhibition venue on India Gate lawns. UNI
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