United Nations Secretary General António Guterres stated that the planet earth has entered a new era of ‘’global boiling.’’ It is a catastrophic threat to human race and world habitat. Moreover, the Climate Change Institute (CCI) states a record breaking temperature. The average global air temperature has risen from 16.25ºC from 1979 to 2000, to 17.14ºC on 2023. Meanwhile, NASA declared July 2023 a hottest month ever recorded in the global temperature record.
Greenhouse gas emissions are increased by 50%. Resultantly, Economic losses recorded in billions of dollars and more than 3 billion people around the globe are affected.Wakeup call for the world leaders to take initiatives with strong political will. Conference of Parties (Cop), propose a divide between developed and developing world. Later in 1997 carbon quota allotted in Kyoto protocol. As per that quota 38 countries were exceeding their quota, and 160 countries were emitting less carbon than their quota.The stance of the Global North, led by United States, climate change is a global problem as world habitat is common which is been polluted by the carbon emission by both developed and developing worlds. US Contribute about 15%, Europe 9%, Canada 4%, China 35%, India 9%. Therefore, it is the collective responsibility of the whole world to make carbon cuts.
Contrary, the stance of the Global South, led by China and India, it is not the collective responsibility of the whole world seeming that United Nations Climate Change Conferences (UNCCC) stated that more than 70% carbon emission is already made by the developed world. Besides, the industrialization of developing world is a recent phenomenon. Secondly, the developed world has the financial capacity to shift into clean Energy while developing world needs time to make energy shifts. Therefore, the developed world should make more carbon cuts.Cop21, all of the major carbon emitting countries agreed upon 35% of carbon cuts plan.
Global North has to immediately make carbon cuts by 45%, while Global South has to make carbon cuts by 35% within 15 years. This would reduce the global temperature by 1.5% till 2050. The binding factor of Cop 21 was its success.
Moreover, Cop 21 resulted into 100b $ of financial allocations to the worst affected countries. In which US will contribute 25%, and the rest of the major emitters will contribute 75%. And it has to be allocated in 5 years.President Obama declared, Climate change is a biggest threat to United States National Security.
US will lead this issue and make carbon cuts first. He rejected new coal projects and installed clean energy projects. US addressed climate change issue for the first time which is then resulted into Cop 21.The vision of President Xi JINPING, China is increasingly becoming global, so china has to shoulder global responsibilities too. Hence, China activated solar industries, built 3000+ hydro-electric dams, also became the largest civil nuclear energy producer and second largest soft loan giver. China signed Paris climate treaty as a binding treaty.Cop26, the carbon cut off plan did not met by any single country. Secondly, President Trump said, US will again do Re-carbonization. Climate change is a natural phenomenon, not because of carbon emission. Climate change is a hoax and myth, created by China to slow down American growth. If China make carbon cuts after 2030 than US will also make carbon cuts after2030, he said.Furthermore, the financial allocations were done 75% instead of 100%, in which alone US payed with shortage of 13b$, and the rest of the countries payed with the shortage of 9b$ altogether.
President Biden committed only 14b$ instead of 38b$.Cop 27, Every country in the world should minimize carbon emission by almost 35%. Major carbon emitters started purchasing of carbon quota from the poor countries, resultantly the major 38 emitters continued carbon emission with immunity. So, the carbon trading should beillegalized.
Simultaneously, the loss and damages fund was announced by the efforts of Pakistan. UN. Secretary General said, Pakistan faced worst floods in its history. The floods were because of climate change not by their own defaults. Resultantly, the funds allocated but with unclear criteria of fund distribution.
Plantation drive policy is to preserve the existing forests of the world. Cop 15 resulted into the commitment of the plantation of two new forests in Brazil and Indonesia. But only 50% of its success ratio found in Cop 21 findings. Only Pakistan and Argentina met the target of plantation,rest all of the countries badly missed the target. In Cop 26 and Cop 27, the world face increase in deforestation because of Wild Fires as well as burning of trees.
Succinctly, the politics of climate change in the era of global boiling is crucial for the future of human race. As harsh weather events become more frequent, it is of vital importance for countries to take bold actions. By prioritizing renewable energy, implementing environmental policies, assisting worst affected countries; we can ease the catastrophic impacts of climate change and strive towards a sustainable and resilient future for all.
The author Mr. Owais Khan is a Research Scholar at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad. He is graduated under the discipline BS International Relations from University of Peshawar. He can be approached at [email protected].