The world community can ill-afford another failure like the Kyoto Protocol. It is essential that the Paris conference steers clear of all disagreements and establishes a level-playing ground for deliberations
The ongoing 21st session of the Conference of the Parties to the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Paris, with a large number of participating Governments and 40,000 delegates, is a crucial turning point that will determine the well-being of the planet for the remainder of this century.
After the failure of the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, that expires in 2020, and amidst rapidly deteriorating environmental conditions, the world community cannot afford yet another initiative to fail. The proposed international agreement on climate change, with 127 heads of state as signatories, must set a successful course for climate change mitigation and environmental protection.
COP21 provides an exceptional opportunity for the countries to unite and ward off the dangerous effects of a rapidly warming planet. In the run-up to the crucial conference, nearly 150 Governments, including India, committed themselves — through the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions — to reducing emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide that are generated when oil, coal and natural gas is burnt.
Efforts such as this will assist in keeping the planet’s temperature from rising above the 3.6 degree threshold, which in turn, will help avoid the most damaging consequences of global warming.
But in order for the participating nations to accomplish more than what has been done till now, the Paris conference will have to leverage the power of global peer pressure and focus on practical goals that can help nations deliver on their commitments.
During the previous climate conferences, disputes over responsibilities and commitments made consensus a casualty. The Paris conference must steer clear of such disagreements and establish a level-playing ground for deliberations, in order to ensure cooperation and progress.
Unrestrained use of fossil fuels since the industrial revolution has precipitated climate change, and the continued use of these polluting sources of energy by the first world for its rapid economic advancement, has only worsened environmental conditions.
Against this backdrop, emerging nations that are yet to realise their full economic potential, are facing a complex dilemma: Either they shift to green fuel technology which will expensive but planet-friendly or they continue using fossil fuels which are affordable but are bad for the environment. The Paris conference must recognise and address this issue in order to prevent disputes and trading of charges between the developed and developing nations.
Accelerating and diversifying the Green Climate Fund initiative at the conference can help resolve the issue. The Fund proposes to raise $100 billion a year from 2020 onwards. It can help bridge the gap between nations by enabling developing countries to use green technologies and adapt to a warmer planet.
As the world looks at the developed nations to set an example for positive action in the interests of the environment, China and the United States — the largest producers of greenhouse gases — must come forward and set the trend for other countries to follow.
The US has already initiated efforts in this regard and has logged impressive economic growth powered by clean energy technologies in recent times. China, however, is yet to translate its words into actions.
The clean and green economic growth of the US proves that that climate advancements need not come at the expense of the economy or individual livelihoods. India must adopt these principles when it comes to doing the balancing act of ensuring economic progress without penalising the environment.
The agenda of the conference must be sensitive to the resource-intensive needs of developing nations and emerging economies. It is a compelling fact that these countries are struggling with a triad of issues such as ensuring a healthy economic growth rate amid climate change-related challenges, besides struggling to alleviate poverty.
The developed nations must acknowledge that their economic growth was made possible by relentless burning of fossil fuels, and now they cannot ask the developing countries to forgo that path. Hence, equity is central for an agreement to bear fruits.
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi aptly suggested, “Inequity cannot be at the heart of climate change policy.” He further added, “Justice demands that, with whatever little carbon we can still safely burn, developing nations are allowed to grow.”
For over 20 years, the world has been trying to reach a consensus on how to curtail climate change. COP21 can help translate that into reality, provided the international agreement is just and practical, and participating nations sincerely follow up on their commitments.