How Asia is crucial in the battle against climate change (Gerd Leonhard's high-lights)
“In 1990 the Asia-Pacific region’s burning of fossil fuels produced six gigatonnes of CO2, according to the IEA, representing about a quarter of the world total. In 2020 Asia emitted 16.5Gt, or 49%. The IEA reckons that under national governments’ stated climate policies the total will grow by about 9% by 2030 before falling back to 95% of today’s level in 2050. That is a larger climb than in the rest of the world bar Africa, and a smaller long-term cut.” (read more via The Economist)
“China would need to build four times the 770 gigawatts (Gw) of solar capacity that the world can muster today and three times the world’s current 743Gw of wind power. But that is not inconceivable; massive investment is something that China does.” Via The Economist
“In a global-net-zero-emissions-by-2070 scenario, which the IEA says should keep warming below 2ºC, Asian emissions in 2050 need to be a fifth of those now predicted on the basis of current policies, and a third of those predicted on the basis of announced pledges. Even with net-zero pledges from most big Asian economies bar India, a serious shortfall remains.” Via The Economist
“It is enshrined in a phrase from the UNFCCC which is endlessly, and often angrily, cited at all COP summits: that countries of the world should participate in the effort to stabilise the climate “on the basis of their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities” Via The Economist
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