Renewables growth pushing power emissions towards ‘tipping point’
Millions of people worldwide are at risk of catastrophic flooding from glacial lakes, the BBC reports. A new study has mapped potential flooding hotspots from the lakes, which are formed as glaciers melt due to global warming. The European Parliament's energy committee has backed plans to renovate millions of European buildings to cut emissions and save energy, despite pushback against the new rules from some member states. Buildings account for roughly 40% of the EU’s energy use, and most are heated by fossil fuels. Chile’s far south is experiencing its worst drought in half a century, leaving the earth so dry in some areas that grass cannot grow for grazing. The South American nation has faced a more than a decade-long drought that is posing a challenge to agriculture, biodiversity and its mining industry. The introduction of London's ultra low emissions zone four years ago has cut pollutants from vehicles by more than a quarter, UK newspaper The Guardian reports. A study found that emissions of toxic nitrogen oxides were 26% lower within the zone compared with their estimated level if the scheme had not been introduced.
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.