Good morning, this is Michelle writing to you from Geneva, where conversations are still resounding around Wednesday’s events in the US, leaving us pondering many questions as to what 2021 has in store for democracies.

On the climate front, Colombian farmers say no to pesticides, the UN’s panel on climate change is taking a fresh look at consumer action, and we ask if artificial trees can help us get rid of all that CO2 in the air.

One last thing - our Saturday op-eds are moving to our weekly newsletter, so have a great weekend and we’ll find you back here on Monday!

Michelle Langrand

08.01.2021

Today’s reason for hope

Photo article

Pixabay

Norway is leading the way in electric car sales. Battery powered vehicles made 54 per cent of sales in 2020, surpassing petrol, diesel and hybrid engine cars. Norway, plans to end petrol and diesel car sales by 2050, becoming the first country to do so. Its policy that exempts electric cars from taxes has encouraged automakers to see it as a testing ground. Despite its green domestic policy, Norway still remains one of the world’s largest exporters of oil.

Reuters (EN)

Climate News

👨🏽‍🌾 Betting boldly on sustainable agriculture. After years of health problems and crippling debt, 52 farmer families in southwest Colombia have decided to grow organically. But they are facing many hurdles, from disbelief by fellow farmers to climate change.

Geneva Solutions (EN)

🛍️ Consumers are a piece of the puzzle. The UN panel on climate change’s next report, which won’t come out for another year, will be focusing on solutions to address the climate emergency. Understanding what drives people’s behaviour will be key.

Geneva Solutions (EN)

🌳 Capturing CO2 from the air. Latest technology developments are aiming to capture carbon from the air artificially and even transform it into jet fuel. However, without much interest from investors and progress still to be made, is this a viable solution to global warming?

Geneva Solutions (EN)

Here's what else is happening

‘Is this really happening?’ Five reporters who were inside Congress at the time of the siege describe what they saw.
Politico (EN)
Swiss logistics firm to distribute Moderna Covid vaccine globally. Kühne+Nagel will distribute the doses from production sites in Europe.
Swissinfo.ch (EN)
The second-warmest year on record cost the world $210bn in losses, said insurer Munich Re, who also warned of more perilous years ahead.
Bloomberg (EN)
Israeli diamond tycoon Beny Steinmetz to face Geneva court on Monday in bribery case.
Le Temps (FR)
The ex-monk and the Thai sex mafia. How a former businessman operating out of a Buddhist monastery is helping sex trade victims.
Global Geneva (EN)
Callamard calls for ‘clear, explicit and unambiguous standards’ to protect civilian planes during conflicts, ahead of Ukrainian plane crash anniversary.
UN News (EN)
Meet the EPFL’s new feminist vice-president, whose job will be to make the school more inclusive.
Heidi.news (FR)
COVID-19 made it harder to find safety in the EU, as 2020’s first nine months saw a 30 per cent drop in asylum requests.
The New Humanitarian (EN)
Which urban areas will experience the most climate warming? As homes to more than half of the world’s population, their mitigation plans are critical.
Quartz (EN)

Number of the day

Photo article

A milestone for veganism. A record number of people have pledged to stay away from animal products for the whole month of January. This is twice as many people that joined the global campaign in 2019. Participant's motivations range from health to animal suffering to reducing their carbon footprint. According to a survey from last year by UBS, in November 53 per cent consumers said they had tried plant-based alternatives to meat, compared to 48 per cent in March.

The Guardian (EN)

Spotlight

🎧 Economist Asks: Margaret MacMillan Is violence an inevitable part of civilisation? The Economist asks Professor Margaret MacMillan, a historian and the author of “War: How conflict shaped us”, whether the invasion of the Capitol qualifies as a coup

The Economist (EN)

Next on the agenda

11 January | One planet summit for biodiversity. Ahead of the Cop15 summit on biodiversity in May, State leaders, businesses and civil society will be reiterating their commitment to preserving nature.

One Planet Summit (EN)

14 January | D’abord les forêts. EPFL architect reflects on the importance of rediscovering our need for forests.

FBA (FR)

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Have a good day!

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