World gets set for action on climate change front

April 22, 2016, marked an important event in the history of the world. As many as 171 countries ratified the International Climatic Change Convention which was signed in Paris in December 2015. With the formal ratification, the world has agreed to curtail global warming. During the talks for climate treat, world leaders agreed to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius, with developed countries committing $100 billion public and private finance to help developing countries adopt new technologies by 2020 to cut greenhouse gases.

At the event of signing at the United Nations headquarters, UN Secretary General Bank Ki Moon remarked that, "Paris will shape the lives of all future generations in a profound way; it is their future that is at stake.” He further stated that the planet was experiencing record temperatures. “We are in a race against time. I urge all countries to join the agreement at the national level. Today we are signing a new covenant for the future.”

The ratification is certainly a big success story for the United Nations as in a record time of five months it has convinced the 171-odd countries on its importance. Our country, too, ratified the agreement and the event was attended by Minister for Environment and Forests, Prakash Javadekar, who stated that entry into the force of the agreement is a triumph of collective wisdom.

The agreement explicitly highlights the benefits of sustainable lifestyle and consumption and draws the world attention to the extravagant lifestyles of some countries which threaten the planet. “Climate justice is justice to the poorer sections, the four billion poor of the world and justice for
the developing world. We have to chalk out our action plan to implement the Paris agreement,” he said, calling for focus on climate justice and sustainability.

In reality, the United States and China both put together cause around 38% of the total world emissions and, on other side, the 28-nation strong European Union releases 10% of emissions. These developed countries are mainly responsible for the present-day conditions prevailing in the world viz., accumulation of greenhouses gases in atmosphere, disastrous climate events such as droughts, floods, El Nino effects and extinctions.

These countries which now account for 50% of the harmful emissions agreed to cut them by 55% by 2020, which is a significant achievement of the Paris Convention. The Paris Agreement mandates that developed countries raise finances worth $100 billion a year till 2020 to help developing countries switch from fossil fuels to greener sources of energy and adapt to the effects of climate change –other nations are encouraged to provide funding voluntarily.

In the years to come we can see implementation of this convention by the member-states, but there is alarming news coming from the United States that its Republican Presidential nomination hopeful Donald Trump and Ted Cruz have openly defied the Paris Convention, saying it would halts the industrial progress of the US and that if they come to the power they would see that the United States would come out of it.

A quick reaction followed from President Barack Obama, saying Paris Agreement has such broad acceptance and support around the world from countries of every stripe and region and it was hard-fought and hard-won. “If we shall withdraw from Paris, it would inevitably give the country into a diplomatic black eye.” The United States had already committed a blunder mistake by withdrawing from the Kyoto Protocol during the reign of George Bush and this openly criticised by the US allies in the western hemisphere, he warned.

Whatever may be the stand of the United States, the coming into force of the Paris Climatic Convention is the ultimate success of the United Nations Environmental Agency and a number of non-governmental organisations which have been strongly advocating for a world with sustainable development and lifestyles. As ordinary citizens of the world, we have to salute the persons or organisations behind the negotiations for early ratification of the much debated convention, which actually comes into force five years from now. (The writer is Principal, University College of Law, Telangana University, Dichpally)

By Dr Jetling Yellosa