Ukraine events bring urgency to ASEAN and Quad agenda
The new world order has been born in Ukraine. It was a multi-year gestation in which the rules that kept the world mostly at peace have been whittled away in places like Iraq and the South China Sea. Might-makes-right is back in fashion, as it has mostly been since Thucydides wrote “Right, as the world goes, is only in question between equals in power, while the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must”. The non-allied nations of the world, including those that are not economically resilient to global geopolitics, must play the new hand they have been dealt. Australia and its Quad/AUKUS partners should help these third nations maintain their sovereignty. The official statements which came out of the recent Quad meeting in Melbourne left no doubt that standing up to and competing with the PRC remains the key motivating factor behind the grouping. But perhaps most significant of all was the considerable emphasis placed on working with other nations in the region, and especially ASEAN, to help them build “resilience” against pressure from China. As Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said in her post-Quad press conference: “We continue to support the centrality of ASEAN, including to advance practical implementation of ASEAN’s outlook on the Indo-Pacific”. This, combined with statements in the US Indo-Pacific Strategy document released on February 11, and upcoming Indo-Pacific Economic Framework from the US both make clear that working with Indo-Pacific nations is a key part of the overall strategy for the US and its Quad partners. These renewed promises of co-operation, especially economic co-operation, is an opportunity and a challenge for ASEAN and its member states. They should challenge the Quad to make good on its promises by clearly stating those areas that it wants such co-operation, including specific infrastructure projects.
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.