The Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change carried out a visit to Bangladesh from 4 to 15 September 2022, at the invitation of the Government. During the two-week visit, the Special Rapporteur met with various government officials, United Nations agencies, civil society organizations and Indigenous Peoples’ organizations and communities. He visited the districts of Sylhet and Kulna. It is evident that Bangladesh is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and this has significant implications on the enjoyment of human rights. A number of linkages were made between the issue of climate change loss and damage and the implications for human rights. This included the right to life, health, food, housing, water and sanitation, cultural life, education and work. The international response to loss and damage and its inherent human rights implications is inadequate. Nevertheless, the Government is making efforts to protect its population from the ravages of climate change through the establishment of special funding for disaster recovery and adaptation. The Special Rapporteur noted that there were domestic issues associated with the right to freedom of expression, particularly around the rights of Indigenous Peoples, who are not recognized in Bangladesh. While Bangladesh is a relatively low emitter of greenhouse gas emissions, these emissions are likely to grow as the Government expands its use of coal. The Special Rapporteur, in his recommendations, notes that the international community must take accelerated action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In the Special Rapporteur’s recommendation to the Government of Bangladesh, he suggested that it should consult more widely on climate change planning, adopt clear strategies to assist persons displaced by climate change, desist from harassing those defending environmental rights and Indigenous Peoples and develop a clear strategy for renewable energy and energy efficiency.
India’s economy will become carbon neutral by the year 2070, the country’s prime minster has announced at the COP26 climate crisis summit in Glasgow. The target date is two decades beyond what scientists say is needed to avert catastrophic climate impacts. India is the last of the world’s major carbon polluters to announce a net-zero target, with China saying it would reach that goal in 2060, and the United States and the European Union aiming for 2050.
China's carbon emissions are vast and growing, dwarfing those of other countries. Experts agree that without big reductions in China's emissions, the world cannot win the fight against climate change. In 2020, China's President Xi Jinping said his country would aim for its emissions to reach their highest point before 2030 and for carbon neutrality before 2060. His statement has now been confirmed as China's official position ahead of the COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow. But China has not said exactly how these goals will be achieved.
China's carbon emissions are vast and growing, dwarfing those of other countries. Experts agree that without big reductions in China's emissions, the world cannot win the fight against climate change. In 2020, China's President Xi Jinping said his country would aim for its emissions to reach their highest point before 2030 and for carbon neutrality before 2060. His statement has now been confirmed as China's official position ahead of the COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow. But China has not said exactly how these goals will be achieved.
A crucial U.N. conference heard calls on its first day for the world's major economies to keep their promises of financial help to address the climate crisis, while big polluters India and Brazil made new commitments to cut emissions. World leaders, environmental experts and activists all pleaded for decisive action to halt the global warming which threatens the future of the planet at the start of the two-week COP26 summit in the Scottish city of Glasgow on Monday. The task facing negotiators was made even more daunting by the failure of the Group of 20 major industrial nations to agree ambitious new commitments at the weekend.