Reading between the lines of President Kovind’s visit to Bangladesh
As 2021 draws to a close, the Indian President, Ram Nath Kovind, visited Bangladesh at the invitation of his counterpart, President Abdul Hamid, to be the guest of honour at the 50th Victory Day Celebration in Dhaka. President Kovind’s presence at this occasion is an acknowledgement of the support India had extended to Bangladesh (formerly known as East Pakistan), during its war of liberation against West Pakistan in 1971. It also commemorates the golden jubilee of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, as 50 years ago, India had been the first to recognise Bangladesh as a separate and independent country. Since then, strategic circumstances have led both countries to emerge as each other’s foreign policy priorities, and the foundational goodwill has only helped strengthen bilateral ties. President Kovind’s visit is, thus, a gesture of recognising Bangladesh’s significance for India, especially as it was his first international travel since the outbreak of the pandemic. On the other side of the border, this gesture was also duly reciprocated, as the Indian President, his family, and an official delegation were the only foreign dignitaries invited to the event.
India targets net-zero carbon emissions by 2070, says Modi
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.
COP26: What climate summit means for one woman in Bangladesh
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.
Why China's climate policy matters to us all
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.
Deliver on promises, developing world tells rich at climate talks
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.