It has become apparent to the global community that a globe spanning treaty to both combat and adapt to Climate Change is necessary for our collective future. However, a conclusive, effective agreement has proved elusive, to say the least.
Huge time and resources have been spent in negotiations on the subject. Massive summits of global leaders have been called in Kyoto, Copenhagen and Cancun (to name only the most prominent) and yet, climate change continues unabated.
The agreements usually fall on the issue of how to share the burden between the developed and developing world. Developed countries argue that they are already doing their bit to reduce their emissions of fossil fuels and point out that even if they reduced such emissions to virtually zero, if the developing world’s emissions rise as predicted, it will not be enough and global emissions will still rise.
As China and India are poised to overtake the US as the world’s largest polluters and South American and African countries set to quickly catch up, it is apparent that it is in the developing world that efforts must be concentrated to combat climate change.
However, as leaders of developing countries ranging from Brazil to India are quick to point out, to put the burden on their shoulders is hardly unfair. Their economies are still developing and expanding and their populations are increasing; aall causal factors in increasing the emission of greenhouse gases. It’s easy for the developed world with dwindling populations and loads of money to develop in sustainable energy but as long as coal, gas and other fossil fuels remain the cheapest energy sources, economic development will continue to lead to higher emissions. It is not fair of the developed world to expect the rest to curb their own economic growth when they themselves have been heavy polluters for so long and done far more than their fair share of environmental damage already.
The developed world and its major economies need to take this on board and commit to aiding the developing world to develop sustainable into economies. Like democracy and human rights, the development of sustainable energy sources and the reduction of carbon emissions should become essential components of any bilateral and multilateral trade deals between the developed and developing nations.
The developing world should begin to fund development projects that promote the necessary infrastructure for the development of green economies across the developing world. They must provide the necessary assistance so that the developing world’s economies can develop in an environmentally friendly and sustainable fashion.
They must also take not of specific circumstance and realise that a broad sweeping, elegant solution is likely not possible. For example, Brazil is one of the world’s biggest contributors to climate change. However, its energy sources are incredibly environmentally friendly and put most of the rest of the world to shame. It is Brazil’s vast deforestation that must stop for a sustainable global environment to come about.
Hopefully, next time around the developed world take on board the reasonable concerns of the developing regions of our planet and come to appreciate the intricacies that will be involved in any successful agreement. Hopefully, they do this and together we can put in place a framework to combat climate change and adapt successfully for the future.
Originally published in:
Green Piece, Issue 2 (p.17)
Official paper of the European Youth Summit on Climate Change and Adaption Strategies, Friedrichshafen, August 2011
