Bangladesh assures UN of no forced return for Rohingya refugees
Bangladesh has assured the United Nations it will not force the Rohingya refugees to return to their native Myanmar against their will. "Refugees who wish to return should have access to clear, factual information to be able to make free and informed decisions," Kelly T. Clements, the U.N. deputy high commissioner for refugees, said in a statement late Monday after a four-day visit to Bangladesh. "Under no condition should refugees be forced or coerced to return, which the government assured us would not happen," added Clements, who met both government officials and refugees. Bangladesh is home to around a million Rohingya, most of whom fled a 2017 military crackdown in neighboring Myanmar that is now subject to a U.N. genocide investigation. The Rohingya are widely viewed in Myanmar as interlopers from Bangladesh, despite roots in the country stretching back centuries, and are stateless after Myanmar ceased recognizing their citizenship in 2015. Bangladesh and Myanmar have agreed to pilot repatriation of 1,176 refugees, despite concerns raised by refugees and rights groups such as Human Rights Watch, who last month warned it poses "grave risks."
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.