North Edinburgh News – Page 2245 – The NEN

Teachers edge towards industrial action over COVID-19 safety

Teachers’ union the EIS has announced that an increasing number of its local associations are now moving towards balloting members on disputes with local authorities over school COVID-19 safety.

At present, six EIS local associations are moving to ballot members with at least four others currently considering whether to take this step towards a formal dispute with employers.

The EIS had called for a move to teaching and learning via remote online platforms for the pre and post-Christmas period, in the interests of minimising infection risk and protecting the health and wellbeing of students, teachers and their families over the festive season.

Despite broad support from many parents, teachers and others this call was flatly rejected by the Scottish Government, which has pledged to keep school buildings open at all costs right up to Christmas.

Following this rejection by the Scottish Government, EIS local associations called on local authorities to utilise their devolved powers to move to remote learning platforms around the festive season.

Subsequently, these pleas have been rejected by local authorities, with many councils citing a recent letter from the Scottish Government which urged them not to utilise their devolved authority to move schools to remote learning.

Yesterday, the EIS also released its latest themed briefing, based on teacher comments in a recent national survey. The briefing highlights teachers’ views on the importance of moving to remote learning around the festive period, as a means to protect staff, students and their families.

The key issues highlighted include:

Teachers believe that moving to blended or remote learning would help reduce infection spread in the new year
Teachers are concerned about being able to safely mix with family during the holidays, without having the ability to isolate for 5 days beforehand
There are concerns that with schools remaining open full time, right up until the 23rd December in some areas, many school staff will have to work over the Christmas period to ensure the track and trace policies are enacted – a fact that was confirmed by the National Clinical Director earlier this week.
A small adjustment in the final few days of term would make an immeasurable difference to staff and pupil wellbeing.

EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said, “The Scottish Government and local authorities seem determined to keep schools physically open, at all costs, right up to Christmas.

“Scotland’s teachers are clear that this will present a very real risk to their health, their pupils’ health and the health of their families by increasing the risk of COVID-19 spreading through family festive gatherings. Making a very slight change to arrangements around the holiday period, by allowing teachers and students to work remotely from home for a few days, would significantly reduce the risk of pupils or staff taking the virus into their family groups in the festive period.”

Mr Flanagan continued: “It was extremely disappointing when the Scottish Government rejected calls from teachers, and many parents, for schools to move to remote learning to protect families over the festive season. It is quite incredible that the Scottish Government has then placed pressure on local authorities not to use their devolved authority over education to move schools to remote learning in the run up to Christmas.”

Mr Flanagan added: “The number of EIS local associations moving to consultative ballots, together with the number still considering this action, is a clear indicator of the strength of feeling amongst teachers.

“Scotland’s teachers see governments in other countries increasingly taking steps to close school buildings early and move to remote learning in order to protect families over Christmas – this raises the question of why the Scottish Government apparently values its teachers less than governments in England, or Wales, or Sweden or Germany value theirs.”

The briefing paper, published on Sunday, focuses on teacher comments on the value of moving to blended or remote learning.

One teacher said, “It was with disappointment that I heard that the Scottish Government chose not to allow schools to move to a blended model for the 21st and 22nd December and while I welcomed the relaxing of lockdown tiers over the Christmas period, in reality, for me this won’t change the fact that I shouldn’t visit with my 80 year-old mum and other family members who are in the vulnerable category for fear of taking the contacts of the many pupils I work with on a daily basis to them.”

Another teacher said: “I am physically and mentally exhausted at the moment and am looking forward to Christmas as a time to relax a little and recover from the stress. I am now faced with the choice, however, of seeing my family at Christmas and risking the possibility of carrying infection to them or of isolating and not seeing them. Every day I am sitting in a room with 31 upper school children and whilst measures are in place, they are at times impossible to maintain. Should I carry the virus to anyone let alone my elderly in-laws I would never be able to live with myself.”

Another teacher added: “Going to blended learning on the 18th would not have a massive impact on the education of the children … but it would have a huge impact on the mental wellbeing of staff who would be able to isolate, and then confidently visit with their bubble at some point over the holiday period.

“It would also be considered a gesture of goodwill in a season where it is supposed to be at its most prominent.”

The EIS is continuing to urge its members to share their experiences of working in schools during the pandemic and their views on keeping school buildings open around the festive period using the hashtag #NotAtAllCosts, tagging the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister in their posts.

Recently, the EIS also wrote to all Directors of Education and the Deputy First Minister, calling for an urgent rethink on their refusal to move to remote learning around the Christmas holiday period.

The letters highlight the health & safety implications of the decision and note that governments in other countries are increasingly taking the decision to close their school buildings early ahead of Christmas to protect students, staff and their families.

For further information on the EIS #NotAtAllCosts campaign, visit https://www.eis.org.uk/Coronavirus/NotAtAllCosts

Fit for free: BX Plans workout app available to download

At the beginning of 2020 BX Plans had a mission to ‘get the world fit for free’. Pre-Covid the publishers decided that fitness for all was paramount and wanted as many people as possible to experience the benefits of this timeless workout plan.

Twelve months on and the way we live, learn and exercise has been radically changed. Many of us are either in forced or voluntary isolation removed from our normal everyday routines. That’s why the publishers of BX Plans are offering a free download of the XBX 12-minute workout app for women for a limited time. Perfect for ‘lockdown living’ it is a great way to get fit and stay fit during the winter months.

Created almost 70 years ago and used by the Royal Canadian Airforce, BX Plans has become a fitness phenomenon. Its popularity has grown over the decades because of its easy to use, no fuss approach to exercise.

There’s no gym equipment needed, and no expensive gym fees to worry about.

Ian Walton, publisher of the BX Plans for men and women said: “I had used the 5BX Plan in my younger days and as I passed 60, I decided it was time to get fit again. I published the books because I believe it is the best fitness plan ever devised; so simple.”

There is no doubt that BX Plans has helped millions of people maintain their fitness.

Many high-profile celebrities including members of the Royal Household such as Prince Phillip and Prince Charles have enjoyed the benefits of BX Plans. In a recent Telegraph article Dame Helen Mirren says, “It is the exercise I have done off and on my whole life. It just very gently gets you fit. Two weeks of doing it and you think: ‘Yeah, I could go to the gym now.”

The BX Fitness plan is great for men and women of all ages as well as children aged between 7-17. It is available in 5 languages which include English, French, German, Spanish and Polish.

The books are available worldwide and can be bought direct from the BX Plans website or Amazon.

A free eBook is available for both men and women to download. Customers who prefer a book can get 30% off any book purchase which can make a great Christmas gift for a loved one or friend.

As a bonus the women’s XBX 12-minute workout app is available to download for free for a limited time from Google play.

The app is fully illustrated and designed to guide users through daily workouts with many charts to choose from. The flexibility of the app on a variety of devices allows workouts to be done with ease in the comfort of the home, office or anywhere else suitable!

This free download can make a great Christmas present for a friend or loved one so remember to share the news.

Visit: https://bxplans-uk.com/ for further information about BX Plans.

megabus offers thousands of extra coach seats and urges: Book ahead for Christmas

5,600 additional coach seats available from 23 to 27 December
Support provided by the Department for Transport to provide significant extra capacity over the festive period
23 and 27 December busiest days for travel, with Sheffield, Newcastle and Leeds most popular destinations
Additional destinations now back on the map following government agreement
Customers advised to book ahead as services are expected to be busy, to wear a face covering unless exempt, sanitise their hands regularly and maintain space when travelling
Tickets can be booked at megabus.com with free alterations up to 24 hours before travel

Stagecoach, Britain’s biggest bus and coach operator, has announced that 5,600 extra socially-distanced seats are being made available on its megabus coaches over the Christmas period, and urges families and friends planning to be reunited to book ahead.

With support from the Department for Transport, Stagecoach can offer extra megabus seats from all the major cities and many regions across the country including the North East, Leeds, Sheffield, Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham, Bristol, Cardiff and London.

Additional seats will also be offered on services to and from Glasgow and Edinburgh.

The agreement with government will also allow megabus to provide services from additional places across the South West including Falmouth, Plymouth, Exeter, Cheltenham, Gloucester and Swindon. There will now also be services running to and from the north including Doncaster, Bradford and Scunthorpe with extra stops at Cambridge and new services to Great Yarmouth.

Around 50% of the previously available seats throughout December have now sold out, with cities such as Sheffield, Newcastle and Leeds showing big spikes in demand. Wednesday 23 and Sunday 27 December are the most popular days for travel and now thousands of extra seats are on sale, megabus is urging people to book ahead, especially as rail services are expected to be busy.

Students have also been successfully using megabus coaches to get home for Christmas, with figures showing a 90% increase during the student travel week, compared with the previous week. Extra coaches were provided on many routes.

Mark Venables, Managing Director for megabus, said: “Direct and high frequency intercity coaches are an increasingly popular travel choice and this year in particular, they will play a vital role in helping families and friends to be reunited for Christmas.

“On the busiest days in December, we have already sold around 50% of the capacity we had available, so it’s great news that we’re working with the UK Department for Transport to increase the number of seats on our services in the run up to the festive break. This agreement also means we’re able to add many more towns and cities across the South West and Northern England onto our network.

“We know that coach and train seats are booking up quickly, and with the increase in advance ticket sales that we have seen, we’re urging people to plan ahead and book travel as soon as possible.

“Our megabus services offer safe, easy and hassle-free travel and provide a great alternative to cars and train travel, which are typically a much more expensive way to travel. All of our tickets offer free amendments up to 24 hours in advance, so we’re offering flexibility this year, as well as great value travel.”

Extensive additional safety measures have been introduced across all services to ensure that people can travel with confidence. This includes regular touch-point cleaning, social distancing and anti-bac stations on board all coaches. All customers travelling are asked to wear face coverings in line with the government’s rules.

Customers travelling in the run up to Chrsitmas are advised to:

Plan and book ahead to try and avoid busy times and routes
Reserve a seat in advance
Try to avoid making unnecessary stops during your journey
Come with a face covering to wear throughout your journey
If you feel unwell or have any Coronavirus symptoms, please do not use public transport

megabus will be operating throughout the festive period including on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, providing a safe and convenient way for people to get together with family and loved ones in line with the government’s Christmas rules.

All megabus tickets can be altered up to 24 hours in advance free of charge. Those wishing to reserve a seat benefit from double the usual luggage allowance, and the coaches can be tracked while they’re on the road at https://coachtracker.uk.megabus.com/.

All tickets can be booked at megabus.com.

Edinburgh students in line to win global startup competition with Seagrass planting robot

Seagrass meadows are responsible for 11% of the World’s saltwater CO2 storage – critical to marine biodiversity. However, in the last century 92% of the UK’s seagrass has disappeared.

In just five months during lockdown, Edinburgh University student Niall McGrath and a team of six others have developed a robot that crawls along the ocean floor re-seeding this vital plant and reducing the need for divers – who traditionally plant it.

With a lifelong interest in environmental issues. Niall and his team are now the UK’s finalist in Red Bull Basement, which is taking place this weekend – a global event enabling the next generation of entrepreneurs to innovate with purpose.

Selected from over 3,500 entrants, Niall’s team includes a mechanical engineer who has helped to create the invention, and their dream of sharing ROBOCEAN with David Attenbrough.

If they win the event this weekend, they’ll have the chance to turn this business into a reality, which could save as much as 2 football fields of seagrass globally every hour.

https://youtu.be/xNN3T1RZVlo

Niall’s video pitch for the business can be seen above, and you can read more about ROBOCEAN here.

‘We cried, we clapped …’: First Minister’s Christmas card 2020

This week, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon chose her Christmas card.

People under 16 were invited to send in their drawings representing the theme of kindness for this year’s card.

Congratulations to the winner: Sophie Blackett, age 10, from Calderwood, East Kilbride.

And well done to everyone who took part, there was almost 700 entries!

The message inside the Christmas card this year reads: “At this festive season, we remember all those who lost their lives to COVID in 2020 … but, in remembering them, we also look forward with hope to better times ahead, especially for our young people.”

There’s still time to take the Next Step this Winter

There’s still time to take the #NextStep and support people like Ben this winter.

This year we need your support to provide people experiencing homelessness the opportunity to take their #NextStep.

Our services from street outreach to family mediation have never been more needed. With the impact of Covid still ongoing, we’re seeing rising numbers of people who need us.

You can take action now and help tackle homelessness right here in Scotland.

As we move into Winter, we are asking if you could help people like Ben take the #NextStep towards a more settled and positive future.

For every £10 donated to our #NextStep winter appeal, our generous appeal sponsors will match your donation pound for pound making your gift go further.

Your gift could support people like Ben to access essential short-term survival items, and work with our Navigators to move into safe accommodation with access to food and support over the harsh winter months.

Families like Ben’s could access our award-winning family mediators to support them to navigate family conflict and prevent their young person from leaving home.

Whatever you can do to support people like Ben this winter, thank you. With warm wishes this winter, The Team at Cyrenians.

https://cyrenians.scot/donate

Vaccinations in Care Homes to start tomorrow

Residents of homes for older people in Scotland will begin to receive the Pfizer vaccine against the Covid-19 virus from tomorrow (Monday).

After more than 5,000 key NHS workers and vaccinators received the Pfizer vaccine in the first few days of the programme, it is now being extended to include care home staff and residents.

The move has been made possible following confirmation that the Pfizer vaccine can be ‘packed down’ into smaller pack sizes. The vaccine, is received in packs of 195 five dose vials which must be diluted before use, but these can also be transported in an unfrozen state for up to 12 hours, and can be stored undiluted for up to five days.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has given the go ahead for health boards to do this, making it possible to take the vaccine direct to care home residents or to vaccination centres nearby, with minimal wastage.

Cabinet Secretary for Health, Jeane Freeman said that care home residents would be prioritised for receipt of the vaccine from current supplies but warned that pace of the vaccine delivery programme remains dependent on the supply of doses.

Ms Freeman said: “This is another important moment in our journey through the coronavirus pandemic and I am delighted that we have received the authorisation we need to enable us to vaccinate the most vulnerable people in our care homes.

“Officials in the government and our health boards, along with Pfizer, and the MHRA, have worked really hard to allow this to happen and it is another step on the road to our collective recovery and a return to a more normal way of life.

“We are providing the vaccine to people in care homes according to the order of priority set out by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and we will work through that order of priority as quickly as vaccine supply allows.

“We are hopeful that subject to further stringent approvals, other vaccines may meet MHRA approval for supply – for example, AstraZeneca and Moderna – enabling more vaccinations to take place at a faster rate.”

“In the meantime it remains vital that we all stick to the published restrictions and follow public advice to keep suppressing the virus to as low a level as possible.”

New Town Quarter Community Update Bulletin: December 2020

Latest Updates From The New Town Quarter Project Team

Following the consultation for our planning application which was submitted at the end of August this year, we have been liaising with the City of Edinburgh Council planning department and have agreed to make some technical design amendments to specific areas of the development proposals, in line with advice received.

These amendments include:

•   moving the office building further away from Fettes Row
•   reducing massing on the top floor of the northern residential blocks to improve the view from Dundonald Street
•   increasing the use of natural stone in the office building facing Fettes Row and the building on Eyre Place, along with some of the hard landscape paving on the main route through to the King George V Park
•   design refinement to some areas of the elevations on Dundas Street and Eyre Place.

The drawings and supporting information will be with the Council by the end of this week. A further consultation period will run from 11 December to 12 January and will be available for review on the Council’s portal. You can access the link here:

https://citydev-portal.edinburgh.gov.uk/idoxpa-web/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=QE494UEWGJT00

We will be in contact with the relevant local community groups to advise them of the changes and we will make ourselves available to provide any additional information required if we can.

We hope you find the time to look at the updated proposals and provide comment. If you do have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.

In the meantime, I would like to thank everyone once again for their input to the proposals so far and hope you are able to enjoy the festive season. Have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Ross McNulty, Development Director at Ediston

ross.mcnulty@ediston.com
Mobile: 07651 207402

Reflecting the Very Best of Edinburgh’s New Town

Plans have been submitted to the City of Edinburgh Council for the New Town Quarter development.

Proposals include a mix of new homes, offices and public amenities on the 5.9-acre former Royal Bank of Scotland site, at the heart of Edinburgh’s New Town. We have received a huge amount of interest in our proposals – including more than 4,000 visitors to our website from Edinburgh, Scotland and across the world.

This has become one of the largest consultations ever carried out for a city centre development and we would like to thank everyone who has contributed to it by passing on their views and comments, all of which has helped shape our final application. It is hoped that the application will be discussed at committee by the City of Edinburgh Council in the New Year.

For more information on the New Town Quarter, please click HERE

Business Benefits To The City Centre

A recent survey of 32 local businesses which surround the New Town Quarter area showed overwhelming support for the development plans. The area brings together an interesting mix of mainly independent traders – including cafes, restaurants, bars, hairdressers and guest houses.

Many of them were hit hard when RBS vacated their premises in 2017 and are now suffering further following the ongoing trading restrictions imposed by the pandemic. The New Town Quarter will bring much-needed investment to the city centre – and most importantly, bring people back to the local area to create a vibrant and exciting new destination.

Click HERE to read some of the comments posted by local businesses who support our planning application.

Click HERE to find out how the New Town Quarter will help local businesses back on the road to recovery.

Feedback & Contact

For more information on New Town Quarter, please contact:

Ross McNulty, Development Director, Ediston.ross.mcnulty@ediston.com

Mobile: 07651 207 402

Four charged following march in central Edinburgh

Four men have been arrested and charged following an illegal march in Edinburgh from outside the Scottish Parliament to Charlotte Square yesterday (Saturday, 12 December, 2020).

The men, aged 37, 31, 53 and 31, are due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court at a later date.

Chief Inspector Murray Starkey said: “Today people marched in contravention of legislation. We would urge people to find alternative ways to protest, such as online and on social media.

“Our approach throughout the pandemic has been to engage with the public, explain the legislation and guidance, and encourage compliance, only using enforcement as a last resort.

“Our response today has been measured and appropriate.”

Climate Summit: A new surge in ambition and action

“Today we have seen what can be achieved if nations pull together and demonstrate real leadership and ambition in the fight to save our planet” – PM Boris Johnson

Global climate leaders have taken a major stride towards a resilient, net zero emissions future, presenting ambitious new commitments, urgent actions and concrete plans to confront the climate crisis.

Co-convened by the United Nations, the UK and France, in partnership with Italy and Chile, on the 5th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, yesterday’s Climate Ambition Summit marked a major milestone on the road to the crucial UN climate conference COP26 in Glasgow next November.

75 leaders from all continents outlined new commitments at the Summit. This is a clear signal that the Paris Agreement – more than ever before the compass of international action – is working to steeply increase climate action and ambition.

The Summit showed clearly that climate change is at the top of the global agenda despite our shared challenges of COVID-19, and that there is mutual understanding that the science is clear. Climate destruction is accelerating, and there remains much more to do as a global community to keep the global temperature rise to 1.5C.

However Saturday’s Summit showed beyond doubt that climate action and ambition are on the rise. The announcements at or just before the Summit, together with those expected early next year, mean that countries representing around 65% of global CO2 emissions, and around 70% of the world’s economy, will have committed to reaching net zero emissions or carbon neutrality by early next year.

These commitments must now be backed up with concrete plans and actions, starting now, to achieve these goals, and today’s Summit delivered a surge in progress on this front.

Leading the way to Glasgow with strengthened national climate plans (NDCs)

The number of countries coming forward with strengthened national climate plans (NDCs) grew significantly today, with commitments covering 71 countries (all EU member states are included in the new EU NDC) on display. As well as the EU NDC, a further 27 of these new and enhanced NDCs were announced at or shortly before the Summit.
A growing number of countries (15) shifted gears from incremental to major increases. Countries committing to much stronger NDCs at the Summit, included Argentina, Barbados, Canada, Colombia, Iceland, and Peru.
The leadership and strengthened NDCs delivered at the Summit mean we are now on track to have more than 50 NDCs officially submitted by the end of 2020, boosting momentum and forging a pathway forward for others to follow in the months ahead.
Today’s announcements, together with recent commitments, send us into 2021 and the road to the Glasgow COP26 with much greater momentum. The Summit showcased leading examples of enhanced NDCs that can help encourage other countries to follow suit – particularly G20 countries.

Another stride towards a resilient, net-zero emissions future

Following today’s Summit, 24 countries have now announced new commitments, strategies or plans to reach net zero or carbon neutrality. Recent commitments from China, Japan, South Korea, the EU and today Argentina have established a clear benchmark for other G20 countries. A number of countries at the Summit set out how they are going even further, with ambitious dates to reach net zero emissions: Finland (2035); Austria (2040) and Sweden (2045).
Climate vulnerable countries are at the forefront of action and ambition. Barbados and the Maldives have set a highly ambitious target for achieving carbon neutrality by 2030, with the right support. Fiji, Malawi, Nauru and Nepal indicated that they are aiming for the 2050 goal.
At the Summit, adaptation and resilience moved to centre stage. 20 countries indicated new or forthcoming commitments to protect people and nature from climate impacts. Countries, such as Ethiopia, said they were taking a whole-of-economy approach that protects people and nature, while Suriname said it is stepping up its implementation of its National Adaptation Plan. Developed countries, including the UK, Portugal and Spain, announced they were stepping up their adaptation efforts. A major new global campaign – the Race to Resilience – was also launched today, setting a goal of safeguarding 4 billion people vulnerable to climate risks by 2030 (more details below).

Speeding up the shift from grey to green economies

Several countries set out concrete policies to implement their economy-wide targets at the Summit. Pakistan announced no new coal plants, while Israel said it was joining the growing list of countries stepping away from coal. 15 countries provided details on how they will speed up their transitions to renewable energy by 2030, including Barbados (aiming for fossil-fuel free), Vanuatu (100% renewables), and Slovakia (decarbonised power). Denmark announced it will end oil and gas exploration. India announced a new target of 450GW installed capacity of renewable energy by 2030. China committed to increasing the share of non-fossil fuel in primary energy consumption to around 25% by 2030.
In line with this momentum, the UK, France and Sweden set out plans to end international financial support for fossil fuels, while Canada announced it will ramp up its price on carbon to C$170 per tonne by 2030.

Working with nature, not against it

The Summit showed dedication to protecting nature with 12 leaders highlighting their existing plans to increase the use of nature-based solutions to combat climate change. As we approach the UN Biodiversity Conference in 2021, the Summit highlighted the need for more integrated solutions to confront both the climate and biodiversity crises, and speeding up progress right across the Sustainable Development Goals.
12 donor countries highlighted their commitments to support developing countries, including just under €500m in additional investment from Germany, an additional €1bn per year from France from its previous target, as well as a World Bank commitment to ensure that 35% of their portfolio includes climate co-benefits, and EIB commitment to ensure that 50% includes climate co-benefits, as well as 100% alignment of EIB’s activities on Paris agreement.
However, the Summit also demonstrated there is much more to do to ensure that no one is left behind. With COVID-19 impacting international climate finance flows this year, 2021 will be critical to show that finance is flowing and to meet and surpass the $100bn goal.

From momentum to a truly global movement: cities, business and financiers stepping up ambition at scale

Race to Resilience (Global) – a campaign launched today which brings together initiatives involving mayors, community leaders, businesses and insurance companies, among others, who commit to building resilience actions to safeguard by 2030 the lives and livelihoods of 4 billion people from groups and communities vulnerable to climate risks. Examples of actions and initiatives include the following:
- Zurich Insurance (Switzerland) announced that the Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance will triple funding by 2025 and expand its reach from 11 to 21 countries.
- Mayor of Freetown (Sierra Leone) committed to planting 1 million trees between 2020 and 2021.
Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative (Global) – representing US$9 trillion of assets under management has seen each of the 30 founding members unequivocally commit to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. This includes setting individual portfolio targets, as well as engaging companies in each member’s portfolio to set decarbonization goals in line with limiting global temperature rise to 1.5C.
C40 Cities (Global) – reinforced the commitment and action by cities to implement the Paris agreement by announcing the launch of the Cities Race to Zero campaign and that 70 cities have joined in the first month.
Godrej & Boyce (India)—a manufacturing company, announced commitments to key global initiatives including the Business Ambition for 1.5C, setting science-based targets, and advancing energy efficiency, through the EP100 initiative for energy-smart companies, in line with their overall ambition to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
International Airlines Group (Spain/UK) — are the first airline group worldwide to commit to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. The Oneworld Alliance of 13 airlines representing 20% of global aviation, is investing US$400m in sustainable aviation fuels (over the next 20 years) to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Dalmia Cement (India) – 40 of the world’s leading producers of cement as part of the Global Concrete and Cement Association have issued a industry commitment to deliver carbon-neutral concrete by 2050. The Indian cement company has gone further and established a roadmap to become carbon negative by 2040 and is working globally to meet its 100% renewable energy objectives.
Movida-Rent-a-Car (Brazil) – presented the actions that will underpin their pledge of net-zero emissions by 2030 and becoming carbon positive by 2040. Movida is reducing emissions across its operations, offsetting the carbon footprint of the company and its customers by planting trees, as well as adapting to impacts of climate change and undertaking risk analysis using methodologies of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures.
Apple (United States) – pledged carbon neutrality for its supply chain and products by 2030 and announced new progress that 95 of its suppliers have committed to moving to 100% renewable energy.
Artistic Milliners (Pakistan) – a textile company announced joining the UN Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action and shared their actions on the circular economy to reduce their carbon footprint and provide zero emissions energy to thousands of homes.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said: The Summit has now sent strong signals that more countries and more businesses are ready to take the bold climate action on which our future security and prosperity depend.

“Today was an important step forward, but it’s not yet enough. Let’s not forget that we are still on track to an increase of temperature of 3 degrees at least in the end of the century, which would be catastrophic.

“The recovery from COVID-19 presents an opportunity to set our economies and societies on a green path in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

“As we look ahead, the central objective of the United Nations for 2021 is to build a truly Global Coalition for Carbon Neutrality.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Today we have seen what can be achieved if nations pull together and demonstrate real leadership and ambition in the fight to save our planet.

“The UK has led the way with a commitment to cut emissions by at least 68 percent by 2030 and to end support for the fossil fuel sector overseas as soon as possible, and it’s fantastic to see new pledges from around the world that put us on the path to success ahead of COP26 in Glasgow.

“There is no doubt that we are coming to the end of a dark and difficult year, but scientific innovation has proved to be our salvation as the vaccine is rolled out. We must use that same ingenuity and spirit of collective endeavour to tackle the climate crisis, create the jobs of the future and build back better.”

President Macron said: “Despite the global pandemic and one of the worst economic crises of our time, we have shown today that climate action remains at the top of the international agenda.

“The crisis gives us the opportunity to accelerate our ecological transition and I welcome the announcements made today by more than 70 heads of State and government. This summit has confirmed that the Paris agreement struck under the French COP Presidency five years ago remains, more than ever, the compass of international climate action.

“The EU is a leader in this global fight, with our new target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 – which is a fundamental milestone on the way to carbon neutrality.

“The EU and France will continue to promote ambitious levels of climate finance. We look forward to working with the United Nations, the UK COP Presidency and all parties to the Paris Agreement to keep raising ambition, and deliver on it through concrete action, in the year ahead.”