India for annual climate change dialogues with US, EUOctober 3rd, 2009 WASHINGTON - India has proposed annual bilateral dialogues with the United States and the European Union to exchange notes on the issue of climate change, Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh has said. The proposed dialogue with the Europeans and the Americans could be on the lines of the first India-China energy dialogue scheduled to take place in New Delhi Oct 21, he said at a press conference here Friday at the end of his US visit.
Clinton praises Rudd as one of world's 'most intelligent and smartest leaders'September 23rd, 2009 NEW YORK - Former US President Bill Clinton has described Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd as one of the world's smartest leaders. Clinton, who was introducing Rudd as a panellist, along with Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, in the opening session of the four-day climate change conference to discuss key global issues, said: "In my opinion, he is one of the most well-informed, well-read, intelligent leaders in the world today."
According to The Times,he also praised Rudd for his government's recognition of the need to take urgent action on climate change and for its advocacy of the Group of 20 major economies as a preferred vehicle than the smaller G-8 to deal with issues such as the global financial crisis and climate change.
Krishna to present Indian stand on climate change at UN summitSeptember 22nd, 2009 NEW YORK - External Affairs Minister S M Krishna will articulate India's stand on climate change at the UN summit being hosted by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon Tuesday. Krishna will represent Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the summit hosted by Ban to bring about a fair and ratifiable green house gas reduction agreement at this year's Climate Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Obama puts climate on top of diplomatic agenda with India, ChinaSeptember 22nd, 2009 UNITED NATIONS - Warning that the global economic recession could hinder the ability of countries to take necessary steps to combat climate change, President Barack Obama Tuesday told world leaders "we are determined to act". "The journey is hard.
US says differences in global climate talks narrowingSeptember 18th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The United States' top climate official said there had been a "narrowing of differences" after a meeting of the world's 17 top polluters that are critical to reaching any international deal on curbing climate change. Todd Stern, the US State Department's envoy on climate change, said Friday some "concrete initiatives" that could help broker a deal were considered during two days of talks by the climate officials in Washington.
Nair briefs Ban Ki-moon about India's views on climate changeSeptember 17th, 2009 NEW YORK - The Prime Minister's Principal Secretary, T. K. A Nair met the UN Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon and discussed the country's stand on climate change on Thursday.
'Rich countries stealing from poor for climate change aid'September 16th, 2009 LONDON - More than four million children could die unless world leaders deliver additional funds to help poor countries fight climate change, a report warned Wednesday. Rich countries must come up with additional funds for fighting climate change, rather than raid the money from existing aid promises, said the report by the international nongovernment organisation Oxfam.
Climate change talks must include water, say expertsAugust 24th, 2009 STOCKHOLM - Participants at the World Water Week conference here have urged the governments to include the problem of water shortage in the negotiations on climate change. Access to drinking water has a significant impact on economy, health, agriculture and other spheres of life, they said.
UN chief says China wants to seal a deal on a new UN climate treaty in Copenhagen in DecemberJuly 30th, 2009 UN chief says China wants climate dealUNITED NATIONS — Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says China's leaders have assured him they want to seal a deal on a new U.N. climate treaty at a conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December.
G8 leaders 'ignored' UN findings on climate change: PachauriJuly 21st, 2009 UNITED NATIONS - The world's largest economies have "clearly ignored" the findings of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning UN scientific body that evaluates climate change when formulating their recent proposals on slashing greenhouse gases, a top official said. It was a "big step" for leaders of over one dozen developed nations attending the Major Economies Forum (MEF) to recognise that the global average temperature should not increase by more than two degrees centigrade, Rajendra Pachauri, chair of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), told reporters here Monday.
Connect science, policy for progress on climate change: PachauriJuly 20th, 2009 NEW YORK - The chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Monday said there remained a "glaring gap" between the policy and science on climate change. "We need to connect science and policy," Rajendra Pachauri said at a news conference organised by the United Nations Environment Programme.
India, China have to resist pressure on climate change: PMJuly 11th, 2009 ON BOARD AIR INDIA ONE - India and China need to resist pressure from industrialised countries on the issue of climate change, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Saturday. The developed countries are by far the biggest polluters of the environment since the start of the Industrial Age.
J8 meets G8, ask leaders to get tough on climate change defaultersJuly 9th, 2009 L'AQUILA - Fourteen young people from countries attending the G8 today called on their respective leaders to get tough with countries who don't meet climate change targets and teachers whose standards slip. At the meeting, the J8 representatives presented these recommendations and others for the 14 leaders attending the G8.
Manipulation of religion should be prevented: Religion CongressJuly 1st, 2009 ASTANA - Politicians and civil society around the world were Wednesday urged to "counteract" the manipulation of religions or religious differences for political ends to preserve the unity of society at an international conference on religion organised by the Kazakhstan government. "Politicians, public figures, scientists, the mass media and the global community should demonstrate greater moral and spiritual strength and genuine solidarity in pursuing just solutions to the economic, financial, social and environmental problems plaguing the globalised world," said an appeal issued by the third Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions here that Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev inaugurated here Wednesday.
Kerry warns of escalation in Indo-Pak tension due to climatic changesJune 17th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman, John Kerry, expressing concerns over the deteriorating environmental conditions in South Asia, has said that the changing climate of the region could adversely affect the relationship between India and Pakistan. Kerry, in his speech titled 'Climate change and American foreign policy: security challenges, diplomatic opportunities, said the problems of climatic change were acute in South Asia, which could have a serious impact on the relations of the two nuclear powers of the region.