The climate change and its implications is one of the most pressing issues all around the globe. The climate change is the non-traditional security threat to the existence of the planet which has not been given due importance which it deserves. For bringing real outcomes, the United Nations organizes the climate summits which are called as Conference of Parties (CoP).
Recently, the 24thCoP was held at Katowice, Poland under the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCCC) from 2-15 December 2018. The Conference welcomed and noted the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) special report on the global warming of 1.5 degrees Centigrade amidst the contention between small island nations and oil-exporting countries for its adoption. Paris “rulebook” on how governments are going to measure and report their emission-cutting efforts, which would enter into force in 2020 was also approved after lots of contentions. However, the rulebook does not prescribe for a governance framework for the carbon market which was mandated under the Paris Pact.
The climate pledges, which are usually known as “nationally determined contributions”, reflect on the progress of the respective countries in fulfilling their targets. The Talanoa Dialogue, UNEP emission gap report and numerous catastrophic events call for the more ambitious targets from all the countries by 2020.
The world needs to understand that climate change and its adverse impacts are real which can be witnessed in the forms of frequent storms, floods, environmental degradation, extinction of species, famine and crop failures. Its deteriorating impact on health, agriculture, and labor can be seen worldwide. The vulnerability of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) like Kiribati, Vanuatu, The Maldives, Tuvalu, Solomon Islands, Samoa, Nauru, Fiji Islands, Marshall Islands is much higher as they are on the verge of disappearing due to the climate change led global warming. The challenge is more to the developing countries to weave a fine balance between national development and international obligations regarding the carbon emissions target.
One should learn from the history that the appeasement policy by Britain and France led to the disastrous Second World War (1939-45) and in a similar manner, deliberate neglect by the developed states towards the developing and vulnerable countries can haunt the whole world in the near future. On one hand, the Global North (developed world) should acknowledge and implement the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR)” in true spirit and needs to shoulder more responsibility to tackle the climate change and provide the clean energy mechanisms through transfer of technology and financial assistance to the Global South (developing world). While on the other hand, developing countries should take steps by investing more in renewable sources of energy and by incorporating hard compliance regime at the domestic level to meet the international targets.
The deep philosophical words of Mahatma Gandhi that “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed” is a stark reminder to the world that it needs to pause and ponder over the deteriorating condition of the mother Earth. Any further delay in taking substantial steps would endanger the whole planet with an existential threat.