COP26 Glasgow climate summit: China has made no new commitments, while India demands $US1 trillion
The leaders of some of the world’s biggest polluters have left countries shocked at a climate summit, after demanding $US1 trillion from developed countries while making no new commitments.
Environment
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Some of the world’s largest polluters have come under the spotlight at the COP26 summit on Monday, as countries outlined their commitments on climate change.
India and China left other world leaders shocked, after they called on advanced economies to provide up to $US1 trillion now for developing countries to reduce emissions.
However, both countries rejected the 2050 net-zero targets and failed to make any firm commitments to phase out coal-fired power at the Glasgow climate summit.
In a written statement released on Monday outlining Beijing’s climate change agenda, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for countries to take “stronger actions”.
“I hope all parties will take stronger actions to jointly tackle the climate challenge and protect the planet, the shared home for us all,” he said.
Mr Xi also told world leaders to “govern by reality” and boost support for developing nations, referencing an $US100bn-a-year pledge made by advanced economies in 2009 to support the global net-zero transition.
China is the world’s biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions, making it a key player at COP26.
Mr Xi, who is not attending COP26 in person, acknowledged that the effects of climate change were becoming more apparent.
However, he failed to outline how the world’s biggest polluter and coal-fired power consumer would meet its 2060 net-zero target and reduce its peak emissions.
Instead, he said countries should take a practical approach “in accordance with national conditions”, adding that “developed countries must not only do more themselves, but also provide support for developing countries to do better’’.
Mr Xi also claimed China would “vigorously” develop renewable energy and build wind and solar power stations.
The Chinese leader’s statement comes after US President Joe Biden criticised Russia and China on Sunday, saying they “basically didn’t show up in terms of any commitments to deal with climate change” at the G20.
Meanwhile, India’s Prime Minister pledged to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2070, a date that is 20 years beyond the target set by COP26 organiser and host UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Mr Modi also ramped up pressure for advanced countries to extend their support for developing nations to $1 trillion “as soon as possible”.
The divide between developed and developing nations is again looming as the major obstacle to greater progress at the COP26 summit.
Earlier, Prime Minister Scott Morrison outlined Australia’s plan to reach net zero by 2050 during a short address.
He said driving down the costs of low and no-emissions technologies was crucial to the target and he had a goal to help Australia’s Pacific and South Asian neighbours do the same.
But Australia will not commit to a more ambitious 2030 target despite Mr Bainimarama, the Fijian Prime Minister, calling on Australia to halve its emissions by 2030.
Australia also did not sign a US and EU-led effort to slash methane emissions by 30 per cent by 2030 from 2020 levels.
Among the signatories is Brazil, one of the five biggest emitters of methane, a gas 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide in warming the earth.
Australia, China, India and Russia have not committed to reducing emissions.
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