US environmental group calls for international cooperation on clean energy

The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), a U.S.-based nonprofit organization, has called for international collaboration on a swift transition to cleaner energy sources to curb global warming and its devastating effects.

The world is reeling from the intensifying impacts of climate change, with extreme weather events becoming more frequent and destructive. These disruptions are wreaking havoc on human societies and ecosystems alike.

In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) on Saturday, Amanda Leland, executive director of the EDF, said the solution is to drastically cut carbon dioxide emissions, methane emissions and other greenhouse gases.

"Global warming affects us all, and everyone has a stake in this problem and the solutions. The transition to cleaner, more efficient energy is happening all around the world – faster than many people predicted, but it's still not happening fast enough. And that's why we need governments and industry working as hard and as fast as possible to cut greenhouse gas pollution and really accelerate that transition to cleaner forms of energy," said Leland.

Leland commended the Chinese government's efforts in achieving environmental sustainability.

"We've witnessed a lot of positive actions in China. The government has issued comprehensive guidelines to advance the Beautiful China Initiative, which is a vision highlighting China's path to modernization in harmony with nature. The Chinese government has also made climate a central focus using market-based solutions. China continues to improve its national emissions trading system, which is already the largest in the world, and plans to broaden the coverage of this emissions trading system to encompass even more sectors. At the end of 2023, China developed the country's first national methane action plan, which is an important framework for how methane is used and monitored in China," said Leland.

Leland stressed the urgent need to combat climate change and accelerate the transition to cleaner energy sources.

"What we all know is that international collaboration is key. And that's how we keep everyone moving on the same path and working together. The important thing is that all countries need to keep moving forward," said Leland.

US environmental group calls for international cooperation on clean energy

The Fengyun-3F (FY-3F) satellite officially commenced operational services on Monday following ground and application system in-orbit testing reviews and operational trial runs, according to its ground application system operator, China Meteorological Administration (CMA).

The FY-3F satellite will take over the in-orbit duties of the FY-3C satellite and provide services in areas such as weather forecasting, climate prediction, disaster monitoring, and environmental monitoring.

Equipped with 10 operational instruments, the satellite is able to conduct full-spectrum, high-spectral, and quantitative observations. These capabilities significantly enhance the precision of observing global atmospheric and surface environmental conditions, including atmospheric temperature and humidity profile information, trace gases, and Earth's radiation balance.

During its in-orbit testing and trial operation phases, the satellite-ground system operated reliably, ensuring smooth testing progress. It has already shown practical benefits by effectively monitoring weather events such as recent heavy precipitation in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, according to the CMA.

It will integrate into the operational network alongside with other Fengyun meteorological satellites in orbit, leveraging synergistic observational advantages to support precise monitoring operations.

The satellite was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Aug 3, 2023.

China's Fengyun-3F satellite begins operational services