The study report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released last year, prepared by a group of 234 scientists, has alarmed the whole world, reminding us that there is no place for humans to run away or hide in the event of a severe climate crisis. The report loudly proclaimed that not only is the world’s climate changing drastically due to human activities, but massive floods and scorching heat are knocking at our door. To what extent was this concern assessed at the United Nations Climate Summit (COP 27), which concluded yesterday in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt?
The summit concluded with an important decision to establish a compensation fund for developing countries suffering the catastrophic effects of climate change due to global warming. There is no doubt that the promise of rich countries to help deal with disasters caused by climate change is a crucial step. Countries including India have been demanding compensation for climate disasters for 30 years. Bangladesh, Maldives, Ethiopia, Somalia and other countries close to the equator will also benefit from this.
The US was initially opposed to the funding, arguing that the responsibility for global warming disasters was not solely that of the developed countries. There was also no consensus on the recommendation that developed countries and large companies, which emit large amounts of greenhouse gases, should pay equivalent compensation. Due to this, the summit, which was supposed to conclude on Friday, had to be extended by one more day. Although there is still a long way to go with discussions and follow-up actions, the most important decision of this summit gives hope.
Further discussions on the formation of the compensation fund will be held at the summit to be held in Dubai next year. At the same time, prominent environmentalist Sunitha Narayan is pertinent to ask how practical this is in the absence of clear targets and details. Also remember that many decisions from previous climate summits have still not been implemented. There was no place in the summit agreement to phase out the use of all fossil fuels, including coal and petroleum, which lead to climate change by 2025.
This was the main focus of the Glasgow Summit. India had also announced the goal of achieving zero carbon emissions by 2070. Efforts by countries around the world to phase out the use of coal and petrol are still nowhere to be found. The G-20 conference in Bali decided to sign an agreement between Indonesia and the G-7 countries to pave the way for the transition from petroleum to other natural energy sources, which is a sign of future changes.
It is certain that even the countries that are opposed now will have to join this change in the future. India also needs to adopt a more visionary policy decision in this regard, not just considering the development needs of the near future. The summit reiterated the Paris summit’s announcement that the average global temperature should be kept within 2 degrees Celsius of what it was 150 years ago (before the rise of industrialization).
At the same time, the fact that India’s proposal to phase out all fossil fuels, despite the support of the European Union and the US, did not make it into the final resolution highlights the power and weakness of geopolitics. We also have the unfortunate reality that the countries that are disrupting the global climate through the highest carbon emissions are turning their backs on preventive measures.
English Summary : Severe Climate crisis and Environmental issues discussed in World Climate Summit