Indo-Pacific Geopolitics Newsletter
US President Joseph Biden released his administration’s first National Security Strategy (NSS) document on October 12. The strategy, which lays out US national security priorities and strategies, was long delayed following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and was eagerly awaited by both domestic and international audiences. The document emphasizes confronting competition with China and Russia abroad, securing economic growth and democratic institutions domestically and combating climate change. However, Biden also noted that foreign and domestic policy are now blurred, as strengthening US democracy will help strengthen democracies abroad in what he has posed as the critical fight against autocracies. The National Security Strategy points to Russia as the more immediate threat to US security, while China is a larger, longer-term challenge. To confront these threats, the NSS advocates for increased military spending and modernization, strengthened international alliances and growing private industry and trade with partners to maintain a competitive edge. On transnational issues like climate change, the administration hopes to work with all nations, where possible, to solve issues of mutual interest. Critics argue that the strategy does not do enough to bolster American forces to combat future aggression by China in the Pacific. They also say it is too ambitious for limited US resources and must prioritize issues to create realistic solutions.
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.