Central Idea

• The New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) has emerged as a significant commitment in global climate financing at the recently-concluded Bonn climate conference in Germany.
• The conference, which sets the stage for the upcoming Conference of Parties-28 (COP28) in Dubai, has exposed significant gaps in funding for climate action.

What is New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG)?

• The commitment of $100 billion per year till 2020 to developing nations by developed countries was set at the 2009 COP.
• The cost estimates for addressing climate change indicate that billions, and possibly trillions, of dollars are required.
• The 2015 Paris Climate Agreement emphasized the need for a NCQG for climate financing before 2025.
• The NCGQ aims to account for the needs and priorities of developing nations and has been termed the “most important climate goal.”
• It should reflect scientific evidence, respond to increased funding requirements for Loss and Damage, and involve developed countries increasing their commitments.

Need for NCQG

• Developed countries provided $83.3 billion in 2020 out of the promised $100 billion per year.
• However, an analysis by Oxfam suggests that these figures may be inflated by as much as 225% due to misleading and dishonest reporting.
• The $100 billion target set in 2009 lacked clarity in terms of the definition and source of ‘climate finance.’

Challenges and Concerns

(A) Accessibility and Sustainability of Climate Finance

• While the funds for climate finance have increased, they remain largely inaccessible to developing countries.
• The majority of climate finance comes in the form of loans and equity, burdening developing nations with a debilitating debt crisis.
• Only around 5% of climate finance is provided as grants, which severely limits the capacity of countries in need.

(B) Developed Countries’ Perspective

• Developed countries argue that the NCQG should be seen as a collective goal for all countries.
• This perspective places the burden of mitigation, adaptation, and loss and damage on developing countries.
• Experts raise concerns that developing nations may struggle to bear the costs while also ensuring sustainable infrastructure development.
• Developed countries advocate for mobilizing private-sector investments and loans as a critical component of climate finance.

Future roadmap

• A deadline looms for countries to agree on the NCQG before 2024.
• While there is no official figure yet, estimates suggest that transitioning to a low-carbon economy requires annual investments of $4 trillion to $6 trillion.
• Some propose setting separate targets or sub-goals for focus areas like mitigation, adaptation, and loss and damage instead of a single aggregate figure.
• The focus should be on scaling up concessional financing, halting debt creation, and transforming the NCQG into an equitable and people-led transition process.

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Central Idea

• A new study published in Nature Communications warns that the Arctic Ocean could be ice-free in summer by the 2030s, even with significant emission reduction efforts.
• This alarming conclusion challenges previous predictions and highlights the global, damaging, and dangerous consequences of such a scenario.

Accelerated Climate Heating in the Arctic

• Fastest Heating: The Arctic region has been experiencing climate heating at a faster rate than any other part of the planet, making it a frontline area for climate change.
• Focus on Sea Ice: Scientists and local indigenous communities closely monitor the sea ice that covers much of the Arctic Ocean during winter, as it is a critical indicator of climate change.
• Diminishing Sea Ice: Over the past 40 years, multiyear sea ice, which remains at the end of summer, has reduced from approximately 7 million sq. km to 4 million sq. km, representing a significant loss.

Predicting an Ice-Free Arctic: Blue Ocean Event

• What is it: Scientists have been studying when the Arctic Ocean might become ice-free in summer, known as a “blue ocean event,” defined by the sea ice area dropping below 1 million sq. km.
• Complex Modeling: Sea ice is challenging to model accurately due to its sensitivity to atmospheric and oceanic circulation and heat transfer. Previous climate models underestimated the loss of sea ice compared to actual observations.
• Observationally Constrained Projections: The latest study takes a calibrated approach, using observational data to refine the models and project sea ice decline. It suggests the Arctic could become ice-free in summer as early as the 2030s, even with emission reductions.

Implications of an Ice-Free Arctic:

• Climate Feedback: The loss of Arctic sea ice amplifies warming through positive feedback, as it reduces sunlight absorption by the ocean, potentially accelerating the melting of the Greenland ice sheet and contributing to sea-level rise.
• Environmental Shifts: An ice-free Arctic would lead to changes in atmospheric circulation, storm tracks, and ocean biological activity, with far-reaching and undesirable consequences.
• Slender Benefits: While there may be some perceived benefits, such as shorter shipping routes, they pale in comparison to the negative impacts on the climate system and global ecosystems.

Conclusion

• The potential ice-free Arctic Ocean by the 2030s, as indicated by the study, underscores the urgent need for climate action.
• The consequences of such a scenario extend far beyond.
• The study highlights the imperative of mitigating climate change to avoid further damage to the Arctic and the planet as a whole.

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Central Ideas

• A recent study conducted by scientists at Seoul National University has revealed that the extraction of groundwater from the earth has caused a shift in the planet’s axis, tilting it nearly 80 cm to the east.
• This phenomenon, along with the movement of water through melting ice caps and glaciers, has implications for both the earth’s rotation, sea-level rise, and the distribution of water resources.

Earth’s Axis and Rotation

• The Earth’s axis and rotation play significant roles in shaping our planet’s climate, seasons, and day-night cycles.
• Here are some key points about Earth’s axis and rotation:

1. Axis: The axis is an imaginary line that extends between the North Pole and the South Pole and is tilted at an angle of approximately 23.5 degrees relative to its orbital plane around the Sun. This tilt is responsible for Earth’s seasons.
2. Rotation: Earth rotates on its axis from west to east, completing one full rotation in approximately 24 hours. This rotation is what gives us the cycle of day and night. The side of the Earth facing the Sun experiences daylight, while the opposite side experiences darkness, resulting in day and night.
3. Polar Regions: The axis of the Earth is inclined with respect to its orbital plane. This inclination causes the Polar Regions to experience variations in daylight throughout the year. During the summer solstice (around June 21), the North Pole is tilted towards the Sun, resulting in 24 hours of continuous daylight in the Arctic Circle and 24 hours of darkness in the Antarctic Circle. The opposite occurs during the winter solstice (around December 21).
4. Equator: The equator is an imaginary line equidistant from the poles and divides the Earth into the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere. The equator experiences relatively consistent day and night lengths throughout the year, with two equinoxes occurring when the Sun is directly above the equator. During the equinoxes (around March 21 and September 21), day and night are approximately equal in length worldwide.
5. Precession (Cyclic Wobble): In addition to its axial tilt, Earth experiences a slow, cyclic wobble called precession. This wobble causes the orientation of Earth’s axis to change slightly over a period of approximately 26,000 years. Precession does not affect the tilt or the length of the seasons but does influence the positions of the celestial poles and the timing of Earth’s closest approach to the Sun (perihelion) and farthest point (aphelion).

Why in news?

• Unlike a stable rotating globe, the earth’s axis experiences a wobble due to various factors such as weather, seasonal changes, the molten core, and natural events like hurricanes.
• Scientists track this motion relative to astronomical phenomena, but the role of water movement, including groundwater extraction, had not been fully considered until now.
• The earth’s axis wobbles in a circular pattern several meters wide every year.

Study Findings

• Researchers at Seoul National University built a climate model linking the earth’s axis shift with water movement, including the melting of ice caps and glaciers.
• Initially, the model did not match the observed drift of the axis until groundwater extraction was added to the equation.
• Groundwater pumping accounted for the unexplained cause of the rotation pole drift.
• The shift in the earth’s axis due to groundwater extraction was measured at nearly 80 cm tilt to the east.

Implications for Sea-Level Rise

• The study revealed that approximately 2,150 billion tonnes of groundwater were pumped and drained into the oceans between 1993 and 2010, contributing to a sea-level rise of 6.24 mm.
• Groundwater depletion plays a significant role in the location and magnitude of the axis drift.
• Mid-latitude regions, particularly northwest India and western North America, showed the most significant groundwater redistribution effects.

Impact on Water Resources

• Groundwater extraction for human activities, including irrigation, is affecting the distribution and availability of water resources.
• Excessive groundwater pumping has led to a significant redistribution of water, altering the balance between surface water and groundwater reserves.

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