Another grim warning on climate change
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a global body under the United Nations (UN), has been conducting periodic reviews (every six or seven years) of the state of scientific knowledge on climate change for the last 30 years. The agency is currently in the process of publishing its Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) in three parts. The first part was published in August 2021 by Working Group 1 (WG1) based on scientific modelling by physical sciences. The first part of AR6 made the unequivocal claim, for the first time in three decades, that the impacts of human-induced climate change are now evident due to the global temperature rise of over one degree Celsius due to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions since the First Industrial Revolution. This was the first time that such scientific attribution could be made. The second part of AR6, prepared by Working Group 2 (WG2) and on vulnerability, impacts and adaptation, was just published this week, and it has reinforced the message that climate impacts are clearly visible everywhere in the world. Having had the opportunity of being a lead author of the IPCC's AR3, AR4 and AR5 in the past, I can provide some context on what the IPCC reports do (and don't), and what the AR6 means for Bangladesh as well as the world. Firstly, the IPCC has grown to become the biggest global collaborative scientific enterprise in the world, with several thousands of scientists from all countries, representing many different disciplines and assessing tens of thousands of scientific papers in different languages from around the world. However, there are two main limitations that must be kept in mind. The IPCC doesn't do any new research, but only assesses existing peer-reviewed scientific publications. And its reports must be policy-relevant, but not policy-prescriptive. In other words, the scientists provide options for policymakers—the decisions are left to the policymakers.
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.