This week has seen some positive developments in different parts of the world. For one, the rate of deforestation in the Amazon has decreased by 55.8% as compared to last year. Amazon Conservation, a charity that monitors deforestation across nine countries, attributes this success to impactful efforts to halt tree loss, especially in Brazil. Another report by the Climate Trace organization indicates a similar positive trend. Indonesia, which was once plagued by slash-and-burn agriculture, managed to reduce its deforestation emissions by 56% between 2015 and 2022. However, globally, emissions from deforestation have still increased by 5% in 2022. Also, according to Carbon Trace, total emissions have increased by 1.5%, despite the urgency to cut carbon. To help reduce carbon emissions, Positive News has provided several ways to reduce individual carbon footprints, and other emissions reduction methods that few people talk about.
The United States has also made a positive step to mitigate climate change by committing to quitting the use of coal, pursuant to signing up to the Powering Past Greenhouse Alliance. Although the US is one of the world’s biggest coal consumers, the country has formally pledged to build no new coal plants and phase out existing ones. This move will spur other countries, like China, Japan, and Australia, to kick off the coal habit. The commitment comes as the Cop28 summit is underway, though it has been marred by the presence of fossil fuel lobbyists and a climate denial scandal.
Another positive development was the return of 42,360 hectares of land in the Ecuadorian Amazon to the Siekopai tribe. The tribe was expelled from their ancestral land in 1941 amid the war between Ecuador and Peru. Following a landmark court ruling in Ecuador, the government has been forced to return the land, in recognition of the Indigenous population’s right to possess a declared protected area. Research indicates that placing Indigenous people in control of land is one of the most effective methods to deal with deforestation.
Finally, the world’s first four-day week trial in developing countries has reported success. The South African research, which involved 470 employees in 26 different firms, showed that offering the same pay for fewer hours led to an increase in productivity, a drop in absenteeism, and an 11% decrease in resignations. The trial’s success indicates that the four-day workweek offers benefits to both employees and employers regarding well-being, productivity, and work organization
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