Germany presents G7 leadership agenda with focus on climate
Germany on Friday laid out its programme for its presidency of the Group of Seven (G7) this year, focusing on climate protection, international justice and post-pandemic economic recovery. Europe's largest economy will host the G7 summit on June 26-28 at Schloss Elmau, an idyllic, isolated retreat in the Bavarian Alps where it also held the 2015 summit. Presenting the programme, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Germany wanted to develop the G7 into a "climate club" working to reach agreements on uniform standards for emissions and CO2 pricing to accelerate the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement. "We want to ensure that each country does not go it alone but joins forces," Scholz said in a joint news conference with Economy Minister Robert Habeck and Finance Minister Christian Lindner. Scholz had proposed the idea of the European Union creating a "climate club" last year as a mechanism to avoid trade friction linked to green tariffs. A planned EU carbon border levy has already stoked tensions with countries including China.
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.