G7 environment ministers could reduce the risk of a future pandemic by acting to protect wildlife, a leading scientist said.
Britain is hosting two days of online talks at a summit that starts on Thursday as preparations continue for November's Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow.
The UK wants to use its presidency of Cop26 and the G7 to drive action to protect wildlife, which experts say is needed to reduce the risk of diseases like Covid-19 emerging from the animal world.
Andrew Cunningham, a professor of wildlife epidemiology at London's Institute of Zoology, told The National that fostering biodiversity and giving more space to animals would reduce the risk to humans.
“Biodiversity acts in a protective way,” Prof Cunningham said.
“When you have similar numbers of lots of species together, then you can’t get a pathogen taking over because it can’t influence most of those species.
“If we degrade wild habitats and degrade biodiversity, the types of animals that can adapt are the types of animals that tend to have a higher proportion of zoonotic pathogens. We’re talking about rats, bats and species like that.”
Bats are regarded as a likely source of the Covid-19 virus, whose emergence in China in late 2019 put the spotlight on the illegal wildlife trade.
How the coronavirus made the jump to human beings is not yet clear, although scientists suspect that it passed through another animal first.
A report by the World Wildlife Fund last year said that keeping animals in cramped conditions increased the risk of viruses spreading to humans.
Prof Cunningham said intensive animal production was a source of other human pathogens such as swine flu and avian flu.
He said G7 leaders could foster rewilding efforts to promote biodiversity and free up more land for wildlife.
“I think the Covid-19 pandemic has really made policymakers and politicians realise that a continue-as-we-are approach is just not sustainable,” he said.
“I’m cautiously optimistic that the politicians now get it.”
Climate diplomacy ramps up ahead of Cop26
Germany says measures to protect nature and biodiversity will be among the central themes of the G7 talks.
One of the delegates is US climate envoy John Kerry, who spent the past week in Europe on a trip to strengthen co-operation ahead of Cop26.
While in Britain he sought to play down fears that the US government would have to tell people to eat less meat to meet climate targets.
"There's a lot of research being done now that will change the way meat is produced, cattle are herded and fed," he said.
It's human behaviour which is the problem
But Prof Cunningham said that reducing meat consumption could help by cutting the amount of land that needs to be farmed to feed animals.
This would not require everyone to adopt a vegan diet, but perhaps reducing meat consumption to once or twice a week, he said.
“It’s human behaviour that is the problem,” he said.
Reducing animal production would also have the advantage of cutting methane emissions.
Britain, the EU and the US all have ambitious targets to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
US President Joe Biden’s climate goals envisage a 50 per cent to 52 per cent reduction from 2005 levels of greenhouse gas pollution by 2030.
The UK’s targets call for a 68 per cent cut by 2030 compared with 1990 levels.
Diplomats in the US and Europe are seeking to extract similar pledges from other countries before Cop26.
Mr Kerry and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas raised the spectre of security threats caused by climate change during talks in Berlin on Tuesday and a German expert panel said that fighting climate change was essential to preventing refugee crises in Europe.
The panel’s report said Germany should offer “massive support” to developing countries to prevent environmental disaster from causing waves of migration.
Countries should consider offering “climate passports” to allow refugees from high-risk areas to settle elsewhere, it said.
Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
The bio
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite travel destination: Maldives and south of France
Favourite pastime: Family and friends, meditation, discovering new cuisines
Favourite Movie: Joker (2019). I didn’t like it while I was watching it but then afterwards I loved it. I loved the psychology behind it.
Favourite Author: My father for sure
Favourite Artist: Damien Hurst
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
The specs
Engine: 2.5-litre, turbocharged 5-cylinder
Transmission: seven-speed auto
Power: 400hp
Torque: 500Nm
Price: Dh300,000 (estimate)
On sale: 2022
