By Kurt Reynolds LONDON (IDN) — As the COP26 climate summit in Scotland was winding down, the long-term pledges and bountiful promises made by world leaders seemed never ending—stretching all the way to 2070. UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a global roadmap to achieve a radical transformation of energy access and transition by 2030, while […]
Ardern Loses the Gloss as New Zealanders Protest About COVID Restrictions
By Kalinga Seneviratne SYDNEY (IDN) — Last year, New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was hailed by the western media as the heroine of fighting the Covid-19 pandemic because her country was able to weather the first onslaught of the pandemic, but today she is fighting to keep away thousands of protestors invading the parliament […]
UN’s New Work Style Generates 25 Per Cent Less Greenhouse Gas Emissions
By Thalif Deen NEW YORK (IDN) — The United Nations has long held the dubious distinction of not practicing at home what it preaches to the outside world—whether it is racism in the UN system, inequities in high-level appointments or gender inequalities in its staff. But it has proved its success at least in one […]
Food Insecurity At ‘Crisis’ Or ‘Emergency’ Levels Haunts More Than Half of Afghans
By Radwan Jakeem NEW YORK (IDN) — Forty years of war, recurrent natural disasters, chronic poverty, drought and the COVID-19 pandemic have devastated the people of Afghanistan. The recent upheaval has only exacerbated needs and further complicated an extremely challenging operational context, notes the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in its […]
COP26: Indigenous Peoples Join UN Representatives in Calling to End the ‘War on Nature’
By J Nastranis NEW YORK | GLASGOW (IDN) — Mother Nature, or “Pachamama“, as they say in Latin America, took centre stage as the critical UN climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland, reached the halfway point on November 6. No one knows more about how best to protect nature, than the indigenous peoples of the world, […]
Australia Accused Of ‘Bullying’ Pacific Over Climate Action, ‘Buying Silence’
By Asia Pacific Report Newsdesk SUVA (IDN) — Australia is accused of using “diplomatic strong-arm tactics” to water down outcomes in Pacific climate negotiations and “buy silence” on climate change, a new report has revealed. Greenpeace Australia Pacific’s report, Australia: Pacific Bully and International Outcast, reveals that the Australian government uses “bullying tactics” in regional […]
Australian PM Criticised for Presenting A “Plan Without a Plan” at COP26
By Kalinga Seneviratne SYDNEY (IDN) — Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison returned to Canberra on November 5 after presenting a “plan” to the UN climatic summit COP 26, which he claims will help Australia to reach a Net Zero strategy that will reduce emissions, protect regional communities, and meet an emissions reduction strategy consistent with […]
In Saving the Planet, What Should We Keep, Cows or Cars?
By Busani Bafana BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe (IDN) — Livestock has been vilified as one key sources of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas which has contributed to global warming. There have been global calls for a shift in livestock production and even removing meat off the menu in favour of plant-based diets to save the planet. But […]
COP 26: Can a Singing, Dancing Rebellion Save the World?
Viewpoint by Medea Benjamin and Nicolas J. S. Davies* NEW YORK (IDN) — COP Twenty-six! That is how many times the UN has assembled world leaders to try to tackle the climate crisis. But the United States is producing more oil and natural gas than ever; the amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere […]
Thailand: Devoted Monk Helps COVID Affected People to Embark on A New Sustainable Livelihood
By Pattama Vilailert SISAKET, Thailand (IDN) — With a series of COVID-19 lockdowns, many workers in Bangkok and other major business cities like Pattaya, Phuket, Chiang Mai, and Samut Prakarn flocked to their hometowns. They are forced to seek ways to begin their new lives and rationalise how to live sustainably in the long term. […]