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COP26

COP26
Reports on and analysis of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), which was held in Glasgow, Scotland, between October 31 and November 12, 2021.
Indonesian Vice-President Ma’ruf Amin. Photo: Facebook
Indonesia

Opinion | How Indonesia can use G20, Asean platforms to lead climate change efforts

In call for real implementation and global support, Indonesia aims to become regional leader in accelerating efforts to protect the Earth.

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Climate change

Opinion | Xi and Biden hold the key to climate action at COP27

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Climate change

Eye on Asia | Climate handouts are not enough: Asia must build its own carbon market

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Climate change

Opinion | Coal seems to be making a comeback, despite Glasgow climate pact

Faced with power shortages due to extreme weather and war, countries from Asia to Europe have taken up coal again, pushing global consumption towards a record high. The great coal phase-down agreed to at the UN climate change conference in Glasgow last year is starting to look more like a phasing in of the fuel.

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A man waters plants in front of a coal-fired power plant in Hanchuan, China’s Hubei province, on October 13, 2021. To stabilise domestic energy supply, China is pushing its coal output to 12 million tonnes a day. Photo: Getty Images
Climate change

Opinion | COP27: Rich nations must pay for climate damage in poor states

As rich nations resort to coal in an energy crisis while resisting calls for climate reparation, poor countries continue to suffer the worst effects of climate change. At COP27, a climate loss-and-damage facility must finally be set up to compensate vulnerable states, which must stand together for a louder voice.

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Climate change

The View | Broken green finance promises leave developing world seeking climate justice

Unless major carbon emitters drastically reduce their pollution and pay for the poor to prepare for coming disasters, suffering will be an everyday reality. Global financial support to build climate-resilient and green societies is negligible, leaving developing countries to fend for themselves.

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Climate change

The View | Pakistan floods latest sign of blatant climate injustice for Global South

Pakistan is one of many developing nations on the front line of climate change, with its struggling economy further strained by severe weather events. The developing world cannot wait any longer for rich countries to act as climate injustice grows worse.

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Three flood victims float their belongings on an upturned table following heavy rains during the monsoon season in Dera Allah Yar, Jafferabad district, Pakistan, on September 5. Photo: Reuters
Climate change

Opinion | Amid heatwaves and floods, time is short to make good on climate pledges

The current pledges of financial and policy support are nowhere near enough to meet the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees. Instead of protecting carbon-emitting industries, the world needs economic diversification and green jobs for a just, sustainable transition.

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Vietnam

Can Vietnam revive flagging wind, solar to transition to clean energy?

China’s experience could offer lessons but Hanoi remains wary of involving Chinese investors in projects deemed crucial to national security.

United Nations

Opinion | UN failures over Ukraine just the latest sign of multilateralism’s decline

Multilateral institutions have been declining as regionalism and informal agreements such as the Quad and the RCEP proliferate – raising serious challenges on how to address global issues from the refugee crisis to climate change.

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Illustration: Stephen Case
Climate change

Editorial | Apathy not an option when climate change threatens all of us

The latest UN report may be bleak, but it claims that a liveable future remains possible with coordinated international effort and resolve this decade.

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Smoke rises from the chimneys of a coal-fired power station. Photo: AP
Ukraine war

Opinion | War in Ukraine: the inconvenient truth about why peace must prevail

The fragile agreement on climate action hammered out at COP26 is in danger of being swept aside by the distraction of war. De-escalation is urgent – without focused action on global warming, everybody’s survival is at risk.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Abacus | There’s a solution to China’s lithium squeeze: EV battery recycling

The rising price of lithium – and the environmental cost of throwing batteries away – threatens demand unless manufacturers are willing to think outside the box, writes Neil Newman.

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King Charles III

Prince Charles pays tribute to human rights defenders in New Year message

The Prince of Wales paid tribute to people in places such as Afghanistan, Syria and Myanmar facing political and religious persecution and insecurity.

Britain’s Prince Charles at Windsor Castle. Photo: AFP / Clarence House
Environment

What world leaders can do to make COP26 deforestation pledge a success

Nations must quickly strengthen forest protection laws, line up funding and include indigenous people in conservation efforts, experts say.

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A deforested area is seen near El Capricho, Guaviare department, Colombia, in November. Photo: Bloomberg
Climate change

Climate disasters cost world more than US$170 billion in 2021: study

This year is expected to be the sixth since 2011 that global natural disasters have cost more than US$100 billion, said the report from British charity Christian Aid.

Climate change

Will global climate crisis actually herald the ‘end of oil’?

It’s no longer taboo for climate defenders to call for the end of crude oil extraction. But the world economy’s deep dependence on hydrocarbons isn’t going away any time soon.

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Income inequality

Opinion | We need a global summit to tackle wealth inequalities

The least we can do is have a democratic, transparent and constructive dialogue on how those who can afford to, and who emit more carbon, should pay higher taxes to foster a more sustainable and inclusive world.

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Activists from Amnesty international, Emergency and Oxfam stage a flash mob demonstration to denounce global vaccine inequalities, on October 29 in Rome, on the eve of the G20 World Leaders Summit. Photo: AFP
China’s carbon neutral goal

China’s rising coal power output hurting decarbonisation efforts: IEA

China’s coal power output, which is expected to grow by 9 per cent this year, is undermining efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the IEA says.

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Climate change

Opinion | Why our current plans to tackle climate change will fail

Despite the COP26 agreements, the world is still not equipped to take collective climate action. For this to change, we need policies that do not disproportionately hurt poor countries, and a more inclusive decision-making process.

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Climate change

Opinion | In wake of COP26, Asia’s oceans must not be left high and dry

Urgent action is needed as continent’s economies, communities, ecosystems all depend on sustainable management of marine resources.

An activist in Glasgow holds up a placard during a protest against deep sea fishing. Photo: AFP
Veganism and vegetarianism

The grisly truth about factory farming, and the vegan alternative

At a conservative estimate humankind slaughters 150 million sentient animals a day for food, their lives made miserable by unspeakable cruelty, writes Roanne van Voorst as she bangs the drum for a vegan diet.

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A pig stands in a shed of a pig farm in Brandenburg, Germany. Photo: EPA-EFE
Climate change

Opinion | How Hong Kong can do its part to achieve COP26 goals

While the UN climate change conference fell short of the needed commitments, it still showed a way forward for Hong Kong’s climate action plan. The window to keep the 1.5-degree goal alive is closing fast, but it is still achievable if we act with urgency and commitment.

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US-China relations

US, EU diplomats voice concern about China’s human rights abuses, aggression

Wendy Sherman and Stefano Sannino discuss repression in Xinjiang and Tibet and ‘the erosion of autonomy and democracy in Hong Kong’, among other topics.

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Climate change

Analysis | Can entrepreneurs help turn zero-emission jets, ships into reality?

The progress in aviation and shipping to decarbonise, or switch to non-oil power sources, has been slower than electric cars and trucks, even if the industry’s overall carbon footprint is smaller than road transport.

Illustration: Joe Lo/SCMP
China pollution

China sets sights on coal, petroleum and waste industries to cut methane

Beijing encourages companies to use market mechanisms to reduce methane, including a voluntary greenhouse gas emissions trading system, climate official says.

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China plans to improve its methane emissions measurement, reporting and verification system, senior climate official Lu Xinming said. Photo: Shutterstock Images
Climate change

Opinion | How US and China can show real leadership on climate change

The world’s two largest economies, and biggest carbon emitters, have the political and economic clout to push the developed world to taken financial responsibility for the years of emissions that have contributed to climate change.

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Energy

Is China’s funding tool for coal projects a step in the right direction?

China’s decision to fund clean coal projects shows that it cannot abandon the highly polluting fossil fuel easily, say analysts. It is seen as a stopgap measure while the country works on reversing its emissions trajectory.

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