China celebrated its first Lunar New Year without restrictions since the start of the pandemic. The observance followed the lifting of quarantine restrictions earlier this month. Around 2.4 billion journeys were made across the country during the holiday week. The tourism sector also largely recovered from its pandemic-induced slump, with revenue from domestic Lunar New Year tourism generated at 73% of 2019, according to the country’s Tourism Ministry. This could mark the beginning of China’s economic recovery, following almost three years of strict zero-COVID policy. However, the country remains in the grip of a massive COVID-19 wave. Chinese government scientist Wu Zunyou noted that over 80% of people in China have been infected so far. While this means that infections have already peaked, holiday celebrations will likely cause the virus to spread into more remote areas with weaker healthcare systems and lower vaccination rates. According to official government data, around 60,000 people have died of the disease since restrictions were lifted in early December, although this is likely an undercount by several hundred thousand. The country has highly stringent criteria for when COVID-19 can be listed on a death certificate and also excludes all deaths outside hospitals.
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.
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.
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.
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.