Consumerism and climate change
After the Glasgow climate summit, which involved more talks than action, the hollowness of the global leaders' commitment towards limiting global warming became apparent. The idea of keeping global temperature 'well below' 2.0 degrees Celsius by 2100 and the target of pursuing the 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to the pre-industrial level as agreed in 2015's Paris Agreement have perhaps lost their relevance by now. The Inter-government Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)'s latest report portrays a rather grim future for the earth as a liveable place for anything living, let alone humanity. Notably, IPCC keeps the policymakers abreast of their regular scientific assessment on climate change. The report is indeed horrifying. Consider the warnings. The earth's ecosystem is on the verge of collapsing. Animal and plant species are going extinct on a larger scale. The incidence of insect-borne diseases like malaria, dengue, zika are on the rise. The frequency of the deadly heat waves has broken all previous records recently and the future is going to be worse. More mega storms will be lashing across different countries. Droughts and downpours are and will be the order of the day. And the worst scenario of all is the shortage of water for everyday use and for agriculture. Humanity's food security will be getting threatened with more crop failures combined with low yields. Obviously, the picture so drawn is not something remote as humanity is already going through the ordeals. What the IPCC report has tried to stress is that time is fast running out to reverse the deadly trend born of human-induced climate change. Ironically, the IPCC report has come at a time when the world is witnessing the worst type of action that humanity can take to destroy the environment. It is the war now raging through eastern Europe, in Ukraine, to be specific, imposed by a world power, Russia. And the rest of the world is either looking on or trying to make matters worse by adding more fuel to the fire of war. So, at the moment there is practically none, other than the climate scientists themselves, to notice the IPCC report and the warnings for humanity it contains. It is hardly surprising that the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, termed the report a 'damning indictment' of the world's 'failed leadership'. He even went so far as to call it as nothing short of 'criminal'. However, taking note of the 3,600-page IPCC report, the US foreign secretary, Antony Blinken, in an oblique reference to Russian invasion of Ukraine said that the world cannot still be distracted from the truth of the long climate report. He, however, did not fail to remind the international community of the urgency of taking climate action despite other challenges facing the global community. But the question is, the international community that the US secretary of state has pointed to is not something abstract. In fact, the US itself is the most powerful and influential member of the international community. Evidently, the world at large would be willing to hear from him what concrete action is being taken at the moment from his government's side to end the war in Ukraine that is killing people and at the same time inflicting an irreversible damage on the environment.
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.