According to Energy think tank Ember’s report, in the first half of 2025, renewable energy overtook coal to become the largest source of electricity globally.

Key Findings of Report

• Among major economies, fossil fuel generation decreased in China and India, where clean generation outpaced demand growth.
• Emissions: Despite global electricity demand rising by 2.6%, emissions fell in China (-46 MtCO2) and India (-24 MtCO2) while increased in EU and US. 
• Clean energy growth: Solar (+25%) and wind (+29%) set record growth, pushing clean energy share higher.

National e-Governance Division and National E-Governance Services Limited (NeSL) signed a MoU to integrate digital document execution for e-BGs.

• NeSL is India's first Information Utility (IU), registered with the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) to serve as a repository of legal evidence for debts and claims.

About Electronic Bank Guarantees (e-BGs)

• It eliminates the physical documentation usually associated with issuance of BG. 
• It reduces the turn-around time of the BG issuance and delivery to the beneficiaries.
• A bank guarantee is a financial instrument from a bank promising to pay a third party (the beneficiary) if their customer (the applicant) fails to fulfill a contractual obligation.

Russia’s lower house approves withdrawal from Plutonium Management and Disposition Agreement (PMDA) with the U.S.

• Previously, Russia in 2016 suspended implementation of the agreement, citing U.S. sanctions.

About PMDA

• The agreement signed in 2000 commits the U.S. and Russia to each irreversibly dispose of at least 34 metric tons of weapons-grade plutonium.
  • Plutonium (atomic number 94) is a radioactive material with a high melting point, and the heaviest naturally occurring element.
• Disposition goal: Convert plutonium into safer forms (MOX fuel, reactor irradiation).

India is set to scale up its flagship scheme PM-KUSUM and replicate its success across developing nations, through the International Solar Alliance (ISA).

About (PM-KUSUM)

• Ministry: Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
• Launched in 2019 to provide energy and water security to farmers, de-dieselise farm sector and reduce environmental pollution.  
• Target: To add Solar capacity of about 34,800 MW by March 2026.
• Components:
• A: Setting up of 10,000 MW solar capacity through small solar power plants.
• B: Installation of Stand-alone Solar Agriculture Pumps.
• C: Solarisation of Grid Connected Agriculture Pumps including Feeder Level Solarization.

Despite ambitious goals, Great Green Wall project faces significant challenges in Africa.

About Great Green Wall Initiative

• Launched in: 2007 by African Union
• Objective: 
  • To restore 100 million hectares of currently degraded land; sequester 250 million tons of carbon and create 10 million green jobs by 2030.
  • Aims to increase the amount of arable land in the Sahel Region, the region bordering Africa's Sahara Desert.
  • It promises to be a compelling solution for climate change, drought, famine, conflict and migration.

Snow leopards have very low genetic diversity likely due to a persistently small population size throughout their evolutionary history rather than recent inbreeding.

• Genetic diversity is the total variety of inherited traits and different genes within a population or species,.
  • It is crucial for a species' ability to adapt and survive environmental changes and stresses.

About Snow Leopards

• Geographical Spread: Flagship species in the mountainous regions of South and Central Asia, spanning 12 countries.
  • In India, found in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand in Western Himalayas and Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh in the Eastern Himalayas.
• Conservation status: 
  • IUCN Red List: Vulnerable.
  • Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• Declared as: State animal of Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh.
• Characteristics: Do not roar,solitary animals, most active at dawn and dusk.

MeitY announced the transfer of technology under the Agrienics Programme.

About Agrienics Programme

• It is a national programme of MeitY involving research, development, deployment, demonstration, and commercialization of technologies in agriculture and environment domain. 
• It is being implemented by Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Kolkata, as the nodal agency.