Why climate change spells danger for South Asia
The heatwave effecting the subcontinent has brought climate change to the forefront of the minds of South Asian countries. In a part of the world that is already politically unstable, a changing climate presents an existential threat that the entire region will need to deal with to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe. The heatwave across India and Pakistan is unprecedented. India is experiencing its hottest months since records began more than a hundred years ago, with New Delhi reaching a record of 49 degrees Celsius in May. The Pakistani city of Jacobabad hit 49 degrees, one of the highest April temperatures ever recorded on the planet. It was also the driest March-to-May period for some time, with 71% and 62% less rainfall than average in India and Pakistan respectively. The Pakistani region of Balochistan has suffered through weeks of these temperatures, rare for this time of year, leading to people unable to live in their homes, work during the day and facing shortages of water. Electricity has also become scarce, with air-conditioners and refrigerators unable to be used for up to nine hours a day when the heat is at its worst. The Pakistan Meteorological Department has reported that the heat has impacted agriculture, human and animal health and has triggered the melting of ice and snow in Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkwa. The heatwave has also resulted in India’s yield of wheat dropping by as much as 50% in affected regions. The high temperatures have arrived up to two months early and are undoubtably a result of a changing climate. This has meant that 1.5 billion people have two additional months to survive before the monsoons arrive. As it currently stands, up to 90 people in India and Pakistan have died because of the heatwave.
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.