Time to act faster on climate change: Rishi Sunak at COP27
London (PTI): British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday declared that it was time to act faster on climate change because it is the right thing to do as he committed 11.6 billion pounds as the country's commitment to the climate fund during his address at the COP27 summit in Egypt.
In his first major address on the world stage since taking charge at 10 Downing Street, the Indian-origin leader pointed to green energy investment as a "fantastic source of new jobs and growth" as he pledged to build on the room for hope created during the UK's presidency of COP26 in Scotland last November.
He also used his speech to pay tribute to COP26 President, Indian-origin former minister Alok Sharma, "for his inspiring work" to deliver on the Glasgow climate pact of last year.
[Russian President] Putin's abhorrent war in Ukraine and rising energy prices across the world are not a reason to go slow on climate change they are a reason to go faster," said Sunak, in his relatively short address at the summit being held in Sharm El Sheikh.
"Instead of developing countries being unfairly burdened with the carbon debt of richer nations and somehow expected to forgo that same path to growth, we are helping those countries deliver their own fast track to clean growth," he said.
Sunak referenced a speech by the late Queen Elizabeth II to the COP26 summit last year, where she said there was "hope" for the climate if countries come together.
"She reflected how history has shown when nations come together in common cause, there is always room for hope. I believe we found room for hope in Glasgow with one last chance to create a plan that would limit global temperature rises to 1.5 degrees, we made the promises to keep that goal within reach. And the question today is this can we summon the collective will to deliver them? I believe we can," he said.
The UK Prime Minister reflected on the fact 90 per cent of countries are now signed up to net zero targets even as he admitted the pandemic "all but broke" the global economy.
"But I can tell you today the United Kingdom is delivering on our commitment of 11.6 billion pounds, and as part of this we will now triple our funding on adaptation to 1.5 billion pounds by 2025, he said, adding that he profoundly believed it is the right thing to do.
Listen to Prime Minister Motley of Barbados as she describes the existential threat posed by the ravages of climate change, or look at the devastating floods in Pakistan where the area underwater is the same size as the entire United Kingdom.
When you see 33 million people displaced, with disease rife and spreading through the water, you know it is morally right to honour our promises. But it is also economically right too. Climate security goes hand-in-hand with energy security," Sunak said.
Sunak called on nations to honour the promises made in Glasgow and direct public and private finance towards the protection of the planet, which would turn the struggle against climate change into a global mission for new jobs and clean growth.
"And we can bequeath our children a greener planet and a more prosperous future. That's a legacy we could be proud of. So, as we come together once again in common cause today, there really is room for hope. Together, let us fulfil it," he noted.
Earlier on Monday, he held a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit in Egypt, including his first in-person interaction with French President Emmannuel Macron and European Commission President Urusula Von Der Leyen.
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IPL first phase schedule announced amid travel concerns caused by war in West Asia
New Delhi (PTI): Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 opener in Bengaluru on March 28 as the BCCI announced the first phase of the tournament schedule amid concerns around players' travel arrangements due to the ongoing West Asia conflict.
All matches scheduled at the Chinnaswamy Stadium remain subject to clearance from the Karnataka government appointed expert committee, which is scheduled to meet on March 13 to assess venue preparedness in the wake of the deadly stampede at the stadium last season.
The BCCI announced the schedule of the first 20 games on Wednesday and will unveil the full schedule once the dates of elections in three states -- Tamil Nadu, Assam and West Bengal -- are announced.
Besides the state elections, the escalating conflict in West Asia will also be at the forefront of BCCI officials' minds. The war has wreaked havoc to international travel with operations of major airports like Doha and Dubai being heavily restricted.
As a result of that, some of the squad members of South Africa and West Indies are yet to reach home a week after the completion of their T20 World Cup campaign.
It remains to be seen if IPL bound players of those two nations report to their respective teams in time.
"There was a substantial delay in departure of West Indies and South Africa players. It would be a tough task to get them back to India on time. Plus the airfares have gone up substantially due to the war in West Asia," a team official told PTI.
Additionally, hotels across India are facing cooking gas shortage due to the raging conflict and on Tuesday, the central government invoked Essential Commodities Act to ensure uninterrupted supply of domestic cooking gas.
Chennai Super Kings CEO Kasi Viswanthan told PTI that he is expecting his players from the West Indies and South Africa -- Akeal Hossein and Dewald Brevis, to join the team well before their IPL opener.
"We are expecting no delays from their end," he said.
The second game of the opening weekend will see Mumbai Indians host Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium and the opening weekend will not feature any double-headers.
A total of 20 matches will be played across 10 venues: Bengaluru, Mumbai, Guwahati, New Chandigarh, Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad.
"During the season, Royal Challengers Bengaluru will play five home matches in Bengaluru and two in Raipur. Punjab Kings will play four home matches in New Chandigarh and three in Dharamshala, while Rajasthan Royals will play three home matches in Guwahati and four in Jaipur," said the BCCI in a statement.
"During this period (the first 16 days), the tournament will feature four double-headers, with the afternoon matches beginning at 03:30 PM IST and the evening matches commencing at 07:30 PM IST.
"Following the opening encounter on Saturday, Mumbai Indians will take on Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.
"The matches scheduled in Bengaluru are subject to clearance from the Expert Committee constituted by the Government of Karnataka," the BCCI added.
