– A round-up of the day’s top climate change stories
– Tweet @RTCCnewswire and use #RTCCLive hashtag
– Contact the team at [email protected]
Pakistan: After five years in the pipeline, the Pakistan government has launched its National Climate Change Policy (NCCP). The NCCP was the result of an investigation by a task force appointed in 2008. “What we need [now] is implementation,” said Shafqat Kakakhel, a former UNEP official and member of the original Task Force on Climate Change. (DAWN)
Flooding in Pakistan in 2010, the worst in the country’s history, affected 21 million people (Source: UN)
The country has been devastated by an increasing frequency of severe floods in recent years. Javaid Ali Khan from the country’s Ministry of climate change said it was time to “steer Pakistan towards climate resilient development”. (Tribune)
Rana Mohammad Farooq Saeed Khan, Federal Minister for Climate Change at the launch event said: “The National Climate Change policy takes into account risks and vulnerabilities of various development sectors with specific emphasis on water, food, energy, national security issues.” (Pakistan Daily Times)
EU: European Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik has said he will write and perform a song in front of 1000 people if the same number agree to give up their cars for a week. The stunt is part of the 2013 Earth Hour initiative. (EurActiv)
USA: Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of the Tesla electric car company has said a recent bad review in the New York Times, in which the car ran out of battery, has cost the firm $100m. Musk claims the car’s in board computer shows that it had not in fact been charged properly and that there was no reason why it could not have completed its test drive. (Bloomberg)
Japan: The cost of energy imports in Japan could go so high that they outweigh the country’s stimulus package, according to Reuters. A combination of its weak economy and the shutdown of its nuclear power plants have sent the import bill of Liquefied Natural Gas alone hitting $6.5bn in January alone. the country also imports coal and crude oil. (Reuters)