Topics tagged with 'United Nations'
Germany cuts gas emissions to below Kyoto marks
2 Dec 2008
Germany has cut its greenhouse gas emissions to below levels required under the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, the government in Berlin has announced on the eve of a crucial climate conference in Poland.
Hot air: Poznan talks will create 13,000 tonnes of carbon
2 Dec 2008
Staging a global forum on climate change is a dilemma, for it adds to very problem it is trying to solve.
Govt mum on position for Poznan
28 Nov 2008
Government ministers and officials are tight-lipped the position New Zealand will take at next week’s Poznan talks preparing for next year’s Copenhagen conference on the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol.
POZNAN 1: Where the big players stand
28 Nov 2008
After a year of debate on what a post-Kyoto climate deal should look like, the United Nations has published a report setting out its ideas in the hope that it will facilitate an agreement during negotiations in Poznan, Poland, next week.
POZNAN 2: We need a shared vision, says UN chief
28 Nov 2008
The need for a shared vision in long-term world collaboration on climate change will be stressed by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the climate change talks in Poznan next week.
POZNAN 3: Our stand won’t change, vows India
28 Nov 2008
Emerging Asian powerhouse India has made it clear that the Poznan talks next week will not bring a change in its controversial stance on greenhouse gas emissions.
POZNAN 4: Maldives awaits dawn of doomsday
28 Nov 2008
The fate of the Maldives, South Asia's most expensive tourist destination, is set to be one of the features in discussions at the UN climate conference in Poznan next week
Key joins APEC leaders in call to fight climate change
25 Nov 2008
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, whose new government has suspended the country’s emissions trading scheme, is among Asia-Pacific leaders who have collectively called for a comprehensive effort to address climate change through international cooperation.
Governors sign pact to work with Obama – and each other
25 Nov 2008
US state leaders are cheering President-elect Barack Obama's plans to make addressing climate change a national priority - but say they'll continue to move forward on their own.
New UN guide seeks to reduce computer waste
25 Nov 2008
The United Nations has launched a new guide on how to recycle computer equipment in a way that minimises the impact of waste on health and the environment, particularly in developing countries.
GLOBE Americas Legislators' Forum on Climate Change
25 Nov 2008
In the midst of the global financial and economic crisis, the Global Legislators Organisation (GLOBE), together with the Mexican Congress, is holding a major international forum for lawmakers from the Americas to tackle the twin challenges of global financial and climate crises
Europe's $14 billion clean-coal plan running out of backers
21 Nov 2008
A European proposal to spend $US14 billion testing how to pump greenhouse gases underground is itself getting buried.
NZ - friend or foe of US?
21 Nov 2008
New Zealanders should be seriously alarmed at the prospect of the National-led government damaging the country’s relationship with the United States over its stance on climate change, says Greenpeace.
China outlines plans for domestic carbon trading
18 Nov 2008
Chinese officials claim their government will establish a nationwide carbon trading scheme.
Beware the brown peril – the abc of ABCs
18 Nov 2008
A three kilometre-thick "brown cloud" of man-made pollution, which stretches from the Arabian Peninsula to China to the western Pacific Ocean, is making Asian cities darker, speeding up the melting of Himalayan glaciers and affecting human health, according to a new United Nations Environment Programme report.
Greenpeace questions ‘missing’ portfolio
18 Nov 2008
The National Party’s press release detailing Cabinet posts makes no mention of the environment and climate change portfolios, nor the MP who’s rumoured to be heading them.
Ban calls on economic summit to tackle global warming
14 Nov 2008
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for this weekend’s Washington summit on the global financial crisis to seize the opportunity to tackle global warming as well, stressing that such action would create jobs and boost the world’s economies.
UN sees need for global body to tackle biodiversity
14 Nov 2008
The possibility of establishing a United Nations-supported scientific intergovernmental body to address biodiversity loss and protect ecosystems is being discussed at a global conference in Malaysia.
ANALYSIS: Clark could follow in Blair's footsteps
11 Nov 2008
The US presidential victory of Democrat Barack Obama boosts the chances of former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark winning a role with the United Nations.
US must take leading role in climate change, says UN official
11 Nov 2008
The head of the United Nations climate change body has said he hopes the United States will take a more active role in fighting global warming once Barack Obama becomes president.
Obama 2: Climate plan must have priority, says Pachauri
7 Nov 2008
President-elect Barack Obama should put global warming ahead of a domestic plan to cut carbon emissions, says Rajendra Pachauri, head of a Nobel Prize-winning United Nations panel of climate-change scientists.
EXCLUSIVE: Forest owners make Kyoto advance
4 Nov 2008
The Forest Owners' Association has made a major international advance in its push to get forest-offsetting and other issues included in Kyoto Protocol regulations.
Rudd government to go easy on emissions trading scheme
4 Nov 2008
The Australian Government has no ambitions to set an example by moving dramatically ahead of other countries with its emissions trading regime, Climate Change Minister Penny Wong says.
UN expert calls for world action to halt desertification
4 Nov 2008
The “silent” crisis of desertification or land degradation if tackled properly can help to address a range of world problems, says a senior United Nations environment expert.
World business leaders back UN climate change deal
31 Oct 2008
The United Nations' drive to clinch a new global framework to curb climate change at its Copenhagen summit next year has been endorsed by global business leaders.
China issues post-Kyoto plans on climate change
31 Oct 2008
The clean development mechanism (CDM) should continue to be implemented even after 2012, when the Kyoto Protocol expires, says a white paper on China's policies on climate change.
Look to your triple bottom line, say fund-keepers
28 Oct 2008
New Zealand’s Super Fund and 51 other international investment funds managing a total of $US4 trillion worth of assets are telling companies to focus on their triple bottom lines.
New climate deal possible in 2009, says EU chief
28 Oct 2008
A crucial global pact on climate change is possible by next year, European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso said in Beijing following two days of talks between Asian and European leaders.
Cities' leaders pledge action on climate change
28 Oct 2008
Leaders of 40 of the world's major cities have pledged action to fight climate change, taking measures ranging from promoting solar energy to tracking genetically modified food.
Japan set to introduce voluntary carbon market
24 Oct 2008
Japan will introduce a voluntary carbon market based on companies' pledged emissions cuts and hopes that thousands of firms will sign up to what could become a forerunner of a mandatory cap-and-trade project.
Settle it, and quickly, Ban tells Europe’s leaders
24 Oct 2008
United Nations’ Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has stressed to leaders of the European Union the need to wrap up the bloc’s energy and climate package by the end of the year.
Climate change needs a Roosevelt ‘New Deal,’ says UN
24 Oct 2008
The world should take a leaf from former US president Franklin Roosevelt's songbook for tackling the Great Depression and fund a "Green New Deal" to fight climate change, a United Nations agency says.
EC eyes market solution to deforestation
24 Oct 2008
The European Commission has called for a target to halt global deforestation by 2030, to be delivered partially through a Global Forest Carbon Mechanism (GFCM), under a post-2012 climate agreement.
Our poisoned world - the top 10 worst pollution problems
24 Oct 2008
The "I Trust My Legs" gold mine in Ghana is a local affair, where miners shift silt from rudimentary pits and then combine it with mercury.
EU’s climate actions could be economic boon, says Ban
21 Oct 2008
European Union proposals on tackling climate change could also be a boon for the economy, generating millions of new jobs at a time when the world is suffering from the financial crisis, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said.
We’re facing climate change havoc, warns new report
21 Oct 2008
Climate change is occurring much faster than predicted by the scientific fraternity, and will wreak havoc unless action is taken on a global scale, says a new report by the World Wildlife Fund.
Finally, EU-Kyoto carbon trading link up and running
17 Oct 2008
Carbon emissions trading schemes in the European Union and under the Kyoto Protocol were connected yesterday after months of technical delays.
Greece again fails to meet emissions test standards
17 Oct 2008
A United Nations committee in Athens said Greece has failed to demonstrate its ability to adequately measure carbon dioxide emissions, endangering its chances of participating in Kyoto Protocol emissions trading programme.
Markets turmoil could usher in new green era, says UN
14 Oct 2008
The global market crisis could provide an opportunity for the world financial system to reconstruct itself to promote “green” growth, the top United Nations climate change official said yesterday in New York.
Don’t blame cities for climate change troubles, says report
14 Oct 2008
Cities are being unfairly blamed for most of humanity’s greenhouse gas emissions and this threatens efforts to tackle climate change, warns a new report.
Top economist supports chamber's views on carbon taxes
14 Oct 2008
The latest pronouncement from one of the world's top economists that a carbon tax is better than an emissions trading scheme to fight global warming is welcome news, according to the Wellington Regional Chamber of Commerce.
EU nods to credit crisis but remains tough on emissions
10 Oct 2008
A powerful European Union committee on Wednesday handed some concessions to industries in an economic downturn but maintained a tough line on curbing carbon emissions in the fight against climate change.
Experts seek clues on impact of climate change on health
10 Oct 2008
Experts at a meeting convened by the United Nations World Health Organisation yesterday agreed on a plan of action to create guidelines on the impact of climate change on human health.
Fiji eyes billion-dollar windfall from carbon trading
10 Oct 2008
The Fiji Government is aiming to receive at least $US1billion in foreign exchange from carbon trading for the next 25 to 30 years.
Financial crisis must not diminish climate change, says UN chief
10 Oct 2008
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has warned of the dangers of the fight against climate change - which he characterised as the "defining challenge of our era" - getting bogged down by shorter-term problems, such as the current global financial turmoil.
Hong Kong, Singapore fight for carbon trading crown
7 Oct 2008
Hong Kong and Singapore are locked in a heavyweight battle to see which will wear the crown of Asia’s first carbon trading hub.
World Bank makes huge jump in funding of renewable energy projects
7 Oct 2008
The World Bank’s funding for renewable and efficient energy projects in developing countries rose 87 per cent during the past year to nearly $2.7 billion, reflecting the growing interest and demand for environmentally friendly sources of power.
Eastern Europe collects windfall as Japan snaps up carbon credits
3 Oct 2008
Thanks to Kyoto emission levels pegged to 1990, when pollution was worse, former Eastern Bloc countries now sell carbon credits to Japan
Millions of new jobs in green economy, says UN report
30 Sep 2008
Tackling climate change could potentially generate millions of new employment opportunities, according to a new UN-backed study – the first of its kind on the emergence of a “green economy” and its impact on labour.
Greenhouse gas pollution up despite economic downturn
30 Sep 2008
World carbon dioxide emissions continued to rise in 2007 despite a slowing global economy, according to energy use figures from oil company BP and an annual report by the Global Carbon Project.
Conservation bill risks climate goals, lawyers say
Wed 1 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Lawyers for Climate Action NZ says the Government's plan to change the law to encourage economic development on conservation land could undermine New Zealand's climate goals by weakening the land's ability to store carbon, as well as allowing new sources of emissions such as mining.
Strong El Niño raises drought and wildfire concerns
Thu 2 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A newly declared El Niño is expected to bring drier conditions to parts of New Zealand over the coming months, increasing the risk of drought, water shortages and wildfires, while experts warn communities should prepare for potentially significant impacts.
$30m airline fund risks ‘burning public money’ without lasting benefit – expert
20 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A $30 million government package to support regional air routes risks delivering poor value for money while increasing emissions, according to transport strategist Tim Adriaansen.
‘They want to destroy Corsia’: Brussels takes aim again at airline emissions
Thu 2 Jul 2026
The European Commission is planning to shoot down the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) largely voluntary decarbonisation scheme, CORSIA, when it presents plans to overhaul the EU’s carbon pricing system, sources suggest.
Upton warns of 'expensive mess' if catchments carved up
Wed 1 Jul 2026
The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment has warned the Government risks creating an "expensive mess" if it abolishes regional councils without first deciding which environmental functions must still be managed at catchment or regional scale.
Inaction on shipping decarbonisation could cost NZ up to $94b by 2050, report says
Tue 30 Jun 2026
By Oli Lewis | Failing to support and enable the decarbonisation of the shipping industry could result in losses of $17.5 billion to $94.4b to the New Zealand economy by 2050, according to a report from the Aotearoa Circle.
Tens of millions swelter as heatwave blasts US
Thu 2 Jul 2026
Tens of millions of Americans sweltered under furnace-like temperatures Tuesday as central and eastern cities hunkered down for a heat wave set to last through the July 4 holiday weekend.
Ocean surface temperatures hit record high as world enters ‘uncharted territory,’ scientists warn
Fri 3 Jul 2026
“The planet is warming because we’re emitting vast quantities of greenhouse gases, primarily from fossil fuel burning,” one expert said.
Carbon markets and biochar: a golden opportunity for NZ?
Wed 1 Jul 2026
By John O’Brien | COMMENT: New Zealand’s abundant and increasing forestry waste could become a multi-billion dollar opportunity for biochar carbon sequestration – as long as the right policies, programmes, and incentives are in place.
China's coal power on the rise again in 2026, reversing first-in-a-decade decline
25 Jun 2026
China's coal-fired power generation is set to rebound this year from its first fall in a decade, analysts said, due to the impact of El Nino and the Iran war and as renewable sources of energy have failed to keep pace with demand.
Politicians need to lead on climate: Carr
Tue 30 Jun 2026
As the election campaign heats up, former Climate Change Commission chair Rod Carr has a list of actions he's hoping to see from our aspiring leaders, which includes confronting climate denial as well as refusing funds or policy advice from vested interests.
Green building council calls for clean energy policies
18 May 2026
The New Zealand Green Building Council has released its 2026 election manifesto calling for policies to reduce energy waste in buildings, lower household and business energy costs, and improve New Zealand’s energy security.
What Magyar’s defeat of Orbán in Hungary means for climate and energy
21 Apr 2026
Hungary has played a disproportionate role in EU climate and energy policy in recent years, by repeatedly vetoing climate action and by delaying the phaseout of Russian fossil-fuel imports.
BNZ and Pāmu team up on ‘carbon insetting’ with existing native forests
Tue 30 Jun 2026
By Liz Kivi | BNZ and state-owned enterprise Pāmu (Landcorp) have teamed up on what they say could be a model for landowners to earn revenue from existing native forests, while businesses pay for carbon removals. The organisations involved say this is “not offsetting,” with less stringent rules needed than for carbon credits.
Taranaki offshore wind developer eyes mid-2030s commissioning after law change
Fri 3 Jul 2026
By Oli Lewis | The first offshore wind farm in New Zealand could be commissioned by the mid-2030s, with its developer saying a new permitting framework has bolstered investor confidence.
Environmental groups call for ETS reform
20 Feb 2026
Several environmental organisations are calling on political parties to make climate and biodiversity central to the 2026 election campaign, with reforming the Emissions Trading Scheme seen as a key priority.
Confidence in tackling climate risks remains low
Fri 3 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams |New Zealanders have little faith in the country's ability to tackle climate risks, with a new poll finding fewer than one in three are confident the country can reduce the impacts of climate change, while many are calling for stronger Government leadership on climate hazards.
Tarakihi on verge of extinction: Stock collapse exposes major fisheries management failings
Fri 3 Jul 2026
Media release: Environmental Defence Society | Fisheries NZ is consulting on new sustainability measures for the country’s two tarakihi stocks.
High Court upholds forestry directors' environmental liability
Thu 2 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The High Court has dismissed appeals by a forestry company, its directors, and a landowner, against enforcement orders over environmental damage in a Gisborne forest, reinforcing that company directors can be personally liable for environmental breaches.
EECA seeks answers on NZ's future fuel mix
Fri 3 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority is looking for specialists to assess the role future low-emissions fuels could play in New Zealand’s energy system.
Savings gap doubles: all-electric households stand to save $3000 a year, report finds
Mon 29 Jun 2026
By Oli Lewis | The economic incentive for households to electrify has become more compelling, although overcoming upfront installation costs remains a barrier.
Cabinet green-lights $55M super-critical geothermal drilling programme
9 Jun 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Cabinet has agreed to release the $55 million unspent of the $60m secured by Resources Minister Shane Jones to drill up to 5 kilometres deep into super-critical geothermal heat under the Taupō volcanic zone.
World Bank to abandon goal to devote 45% of lending resources to climate change projects
Wed 1 Jul 2026
The World Bank Group said on Monday it will "retire" its previous goal to devote 45% of its annual lending resources to projects with climate co-benefits, but extend its longstanding Climate Change Action Plan that was due to expire on Tuesday.
Carbon capture and the need for ‘net zero oil’
16 Jun 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | The answer to making carbon capture and storage work is to make fossil fuel producers responsible for making it happen rather than consumers, says Oxford University climate change policy expert, Professor Myles Allen.
Govt climate claims don't match reality, lawyers say
17 Jun 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Lawyers for Climate Action has accused the Government of presenting an overly positive picture of New Zealand's climate progress at the United Nations climate summit in Bonn, arguing key claims on emissions reductions and support for the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C goal are not reflected in domestic policy.
Lake Onslow pumped hydro consortium secures funding for consent push
26 Jun 2026
By Oli Lewis | The consortium behind Lake Onslow pumped hydro has secured funding to finalise its resource consent application, aiming to lodge it under the fast-track process before 2027.
Ballance secures gas for 2026 as it progresses energy transition plan
16 Jun 2026
By Oli Lewis | One of the largest industrial gas users in New Zealand is working on an energy transition plan to futureproof domestic fertiliser manufacturing, while continuing to secure ongoing gas supply contracts.
$75k up for grabs for climate resilience and inclusion projects
25 Jun 2026
Community organisations and charities working to strengthen climate resilience and social inclusion can apply for a share of $75,000 through the QBE Foundation's 2026 Local Grants.
Climate law change spanner in the works for Waitangi Tribunal Inquiry
19 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s controversial changes to New Zealand’s legal framework for climate policy have thrown a spanner in the works for a long-running Waitangi Tribunal Inquiry into climate change.
Labour promises to repeal bill to block climate lawsuits
Fri 3 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government bill aiming to block climate lawsuits passed its first reading under urgency after a heated debate in Parliament last night, with the Labour Party promising it will repeal the bill if elected in November.
Commissioner ‘unconvinced’ LNG is the best dry-year solution
26 Jun 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment has told the Energy Minister he is “unconvinced” the government’s proposed LNG import terminal is the best ‘dry year’ solution for the country, and criticised the Government’s “extremely limited” options analysis.
Australia is at least ten years ahead of us on solar. It’s time we caught up.
Fri 3 Jul 2026
By Ed Harvey | OPINION: Starting this week, millions of households across New South Wales, South Australia and Southeast Queensland will have access to three hours of free electricity every single day.
Climate risks could reshape business finances, new guidance warns
15 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New guidance warns climate change is set to fundamentally reshape financial outcomes for businesses, including difficult-to-model climate “tipping points” – irreversible changes such as ice sheet collapse or ocean circulation shifts – which threaten severe and sudden financial impacts.
UN chief says fossil fuel industry must cut methane for warming “relief”
25 Jun 2026
UN chief António Guterres called for stronger action to cut emissions of planet-heating methane, taking aim at the fossil fuel industry’s practices and profits, and pointing to coal, oil and gas as the root of today’s climate and energy crises.
New report sounds alarm on risks of unregulated radioactivity from deep-sea mining
Fri 3 Jul 2026
Media release | A groundbreaking scientific report released today by the Deep Sea Mining Campaign exposes a critical, unaddressed threat to global ocean health: the mobilisation of naturally occurring radioactive materials by proposed deep sea mining operations.
Forestry at heart of ETS problems – commissioner
24 Jun 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Forestry is a central driver of growing problems within New Zealand's Emissions Trading Scheme, Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton told the Environment Select Committee during Parliamentary Scrutiny Week.
Hipkins pans LNG plan as ‘massive step backwards’
19 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | Labour leader Chris Hipkins has told a Queenstown audience that a Government he leads would not proceed with a planned LNG import terminal, if elected at November’s election.
A real ‘intergenerational equity’ budget would address Australia’s unceasing environmental decline
15 May 2026
Labor has unveiled a budget designed to tackle intergenerational equity in Australia through bold tax reform.
UN plastics pact talks restart amid fears production curbs will be left out
Thu 2 Jul 2026
Diplomats reconvene a year after negotiations collapsed, but campaigners fear the agenda risks burying tricky discussions on key elements.
Media round-up
Fri 3 Jul 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Getting the most impact from the Government's investment in school solar; NZ needs an objective assessment of LNG imports and renewable storage options; and while greener suburbs are healthier on all kinds of metrics, achieving them isn’t straightforward.
Northern Thai residents march for action on polluted rivers. ‘This is an emergency’
9 Jun 2026
More than 600 residents of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai provinces embarked May 31 on a roughly 68-kilometer, six-day ‘peace walk’ to demand the Thai government take action on the river pollution crisis that has seen Thai rivers polluted with heavy metals.
US defence spending on critical minerals surges in the last decade
22 Jun 2026
Members of communities affected by some of these projects said that U.S. state backing has meant projects are being fast-tracked without the necessary social and environmental checks or meaningful consultation.
A tale of two electricity systems as NZ and Australia roll out new cost-saving measures
Wed 1 Jul 2026
By Oli Lewis | New rules requiring electricity retailers to offer time-of-use pricing plans, where consumers can access lower-cost electricity at off-peak times, have come into effect.
Offshore renewable energy bill passes, opening path for developers
Thu 2 Jul 2026
By Oli Lewis | Feasibility permits for offshore wind developments could be issued within months after the Government passed a long-awaited law to establish a regulatory regime.
Labour won't scrap RMA replacement laws: Hipkins
26 Jun 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins says New Zealand needs to move beyond the "repeal and replace" approach to resource management, confirming the party would amend rather than scrap the Government's RMA reforms, if elected.
Climate scientist wins 'emerging scientist' prize
Wed 1 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | University of Waikato scientist Luke Harrington has been awarded the Prime Minister's MacDiarmid Emerging Scientist Prize for developing new ways to measure how climate change is increasing the likelihood and intensity of extreme weather.
Carbon trading schemes cut more emissions than carbon taxes, according to global study
20 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Carbon trading schemes are more effective than carbon taxes at reducing emissions, cutting fossil fuel use, and accelerating the shift to renewable energy, a global study has found.
Lack of finance stalling sustainable innovation – report
12 Jun 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A lack of access to suitable finance is threatening growth in New Zealand's sustainable innovation sector, despite strong confidence and ambitious expansion plans among purpose-driven businesses, according to a new report.
Pacific climate response in question as NZ finance remains unclear
19 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | With New Zealand's $1.3 billion international climate finance commitment set to end with no clarity on what follows, the Auditor-General says oversight of that funding remains patchy and long-term outcomes are unclear.
New Delhi offers residents $1,000 to scrap old cars for EVs to curb air pollution
Thu 2 Jul 2026
India's capital New Delhi will offer a cash incentive of over$1,000 to car owners willing to scrap their old vehicle for an EV, according to a new policy finalised by the government on Monday in a move aimed at reducing high levels of air pollution.
Next Govt must restart action on plastic pollution
Wed 1 Jul 2026
Media release - Zero Waste Aotearoa | Plastic Free July begins with an urgent call to put plastic pollution back on the political agenda. Plastic Free July is a worldwide campaign to reduce plastic waste and eliminate single use plastics.
Waikato Council advances water security action plan
23 Jun 2026
Waikato Regional Council has endorsed a new action plan to strengthen the region’s water security.
Increase in wildfire-driven ozone linked to premature deaths across the U.S.
10 Jun 2026
Smog linked to wildfires is getting worse across much of the U.S., playing a role in more than 300 additional premature deaths every year since 2013, researchers say.
