Biden plans 'several' stops on Asia trip, region to remain focus -U.S. official
Joe Biden plans several stops during a visit to Asia this spring, which will be his first to the region as president and include a summit with three key regional allies in Japan, a senior administration official told Reuters. The official brushed off questions about whether the Ukraine crisis could distract the administration's attention from Asia, saying: "We continue prioritizing our Indo-Pacific focus and will have more to come." The official, speaking on condition of anonymity on Wednesday, declined to give details of the other stops in the region, which Biden's administration has declared its priority as it seeks to push back against China's expanding power and influence. U.S. officials have said Biden has accepted an invitation to visit Japan in late spring to attend the summit of the Quad, which groups Japan, the United States, Australia and India, but details were still being worked out. A person familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday the trip could be in May, with concerns over China and North Korea on top of the agenda, and that Washington was looking into having Biden visit South Korea at the same time. Japan's Yomiuri newspaper on Tuesday cited multiple government sources as saying the Tokyo visit could be in the last half of May. "The President will travel later this year to Tokyo for the Quad Summit, as part of our commitment to regularize our engagement through the Quad, which continues to operate at full speed," the senior U.S. official told Reuters in an email.
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.