The divide between the developed and developing world regarding
the reduc4on of carbon emission. Developed world or Global North: US, Canada, Europe Developing World or Global South: Asia, Africa, South America
Divide from COP (Conference of Par,es) -1 to COP 20 – (1994-2014)
The stance of the developed world led by US and UK: Climate change is a global problem. Higher carbon emission has increasingly threatened the world habitat due to the rise in temperature. For which major emiTers of developed world and developing world are equally responsible. China the world largest carbon emiTer for about 35% world carbon emission is contributed by China (UNFCCC), US the second largest carbon emiTer- for about 15 % carbon emission, India is the 3rd largest carbon emiTer almost 9% carbon. Europe 4th largest emiTer, emiZng almost 9% carbon, then Russian, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Australia etc. there are 38 countries which are exceeding carbon quota limit. Therefore, it is Global responsibility to make carbon cuts. Both Developed and developing bust ini4ate carbon cuts simultaneously.
The stance of the developing world led by China and India: Global south is not equally responsible for carbon emission as compare to the Global North. Developed world has been pollu4ng the environment for the past 150 years. More than 65 % of the overall emission is made by developed world. Coal burning, oil consuming, gas consuming is done by developed world for running industries, transport and domes4c use. Emission from the developing world is a recent phenomenon. Industrializa4on in China is the phenomena of 1980s and 1990s. Industrializa4on in India is 1990s and onward phenomena. Industrializa4on in South Africa and Brazil is 1990s. These countries become major emiTers since 1980s and onward. Hence developing world. Developed world must ini4ate carbon cuts but must have to give enough 4me to the developing world to make carbon cuts and shid to green energy. Developed world has already aTained socio- economic satura4on while the developing of the developing world is recently started. Developed world has both financial and technological capaci4es to shid on to clean energy, and developing world must be given enough 4me to shid onto clean energy.
COP 21 and the North- South divide: COP 21 and Paris Climate agreement 2015, the first ever binding agreement. All the major emiTers from the developed and developing world agreed on the carbon cut plan. US gave its own carbon cut off plan, it agreed to reduce carbon emission by 45% by 2030 against 2006 level. Europe also agreed to make almost the same cuts or follows the plans of US. China agreed on 40% cuts by 2030 against the 2006 level. India, South Africa, Brazil and other countries all gave carbon cut off plan. Not only countries but also almost 23 mul4-na4onal companies gave a carbon cut off plan. US under the leadership of Obama decided to lead to Global effort against climate change. US adopted the decarboniza4on policies on Na4onal level. 1. New coal projects were banned. 2. More restric4ons on Oil and Gas projects. 3. Steps to reduce chlorofluorocarbons 4. More to clean energy projects like solar projects, wind projects, electric cars. Us decided to lead the world from the front. Obama (Ex-President of US) paid visits to China, India, South Africa, Brazil, Japan, Saudi Arabia etc. to make them agree on carbon cuts. Obama Along with his secretary of state John Carry played leading role in making COP 21 as a binding agreement.
China decided to make the required carbon cuts.
Interna4onal pressure pressurized China to agree to make the carbon cut as China do not wants to claim itself as developed world while it is the economically sound country, counted one of the world largest exporters. Technologically it is well equipped, world largest solar panel producer and exporter, one of the leaders of wind projects. Under local pressure, local people of China pressurized Beijing to change its carbon policies. Increasing Carbon emission became a serious breathing problem for the local people in China. Smog became a serious issue. The leader ship of Xi Jing Ping was responsible for the change in Chinese policies. China has become increasingly Global power as it is one of the largest exporters with a high economy worldwide. Therefore, China should have to shoulder Global responsibility by making carbon cuts and helped other countries to have carbon cuts. One of the major dimensions of Belt and road ini4a4ve is clean energy projects.
India, Europe and Australia also agree on carbon cut of plan because of interna4onal pressure as well and Environmental pressure. With that increasingly financial crisis.
COP 26 and the failure of major emiTers to meet the carbon cut off plan: In COP 21 (Paris climate agreement) – 15 years carbon cut off plan was given from 2015 -2030. Ader every 5 years each major emiTer was supposed to present the progress report. In COP 26, Glasgow Scotland, it was found that no single major emiTer did not meet the provided carbon cut plan. US missed the target with huge margin: Trump (Ex- President of US) Pulled US out from Paris climate agreement. He removed the ban over the new coal projects. He removed the restric4on on new Oil and Gas fields. Re-carboniza4on era started in US.
Addi4onally, China also missed the target badly, first China promised to make the required carbon cuts but China announced to con4nue same carbon emission 4ll 2030. From 2030 4ll 2050, it would make cut almost 50% then 4ll 2070 it will reach to net carbon emission or zero carbon emission. India missed the target, Europe, South Africa, Brazil, Japan missed the target. More surprisingly Germany and Canada that has been fore- runners of decarboniza4on did not meet the carbon cut off plan. Moreover, not a single mul4-na4onal company meet the carbon cut off plan.
COP 27 and the challenge of carbon cut off plans: In Sharm El sheikh –
Egypt conference, the major focus was how would the major emiTers meet the given targets. In the conference it was found that US missed the target more than 60%, same as Europe. Canada missed 45%, China, India and other countries missed it very badly. These all failed to meet first five years target. Next Five years and then next ten years, it is impossible to meet ader the stats of first five years. Low op4mism, as all the emiTers are failed to meet the plan. In next years they also missed the target so in next 8 years, it is logically impossible to meet the provided target.
Planta4on and de-carboniza4on: From COP 1 4ll COP 15, dominant
policies are preserving the exis4ng forests like Amazon Forest, African Forest, Australian forest, Indonesian forest, Chinese forest, German forest, Mexican forest, Arizona forest. In COP 15 (Copenhagen conference) two new forest were to be planted under the supervision of UNFCC. One in Indonesia n second is in Brazil. But in COP 21, it was found that planta4on projects were par4ally successful because of less planta4on than required while plants survival ra4o were less. Overall, 46% plants only grow in these two forests.
COP 21 and BONN challenge: On the plajorm of COP 21, Bonn
challenge was given to each country. Bonn is the city of Germany where COP 25 occurs in 2019. Planta4on challenge was given to each country which were met by only a few countries like Pakistan J and Argen4na. Few more countries met the challenge par4ally like China, India, Germany. Majority of the countries badly missed the target. All the oil producing countries missed the target as well. African countries, ASEAN countries, missed the target.
COP 26-27 findings: Increasing wild fires not only hits the world forests badly, deforesta4on is also the reason of world forest deple4on. In Australia, Brazil, China, Turkey, Pakistan, wild fire chances increase. The carbon gasses eaten by the trees, re- emiTed to the environment ader burning of trees due to wild fires.
Funds alloca4on and COPs: The alloca4ons of funds against the climate degrada4on, planta4on and installa4on of clean energy projects con4nued since COP 1. All the major emiTers started contributed funds for promo4ng clean environment but major steps were taken on the plajorm of Copenhagen (COP 15) and Paris (COP 21).
It was decided on the plajorm COP 21 that every year 100 billion dollars will be contributed by major emiTers for the decarboniza4on efforts but not a single year the target was met. In 2020, 78 billion dollars allocated. In 2021, 72 billion dollars allocated. In 2022, 82 billion dollars allocated. US, Australia, UK, India are the major responsible for lesser contribu4on (COP 26).
Loss and damages fund: It was established on the plajorm of COP 27; it was a demand of more than 50+ countries of the world that they ae facing disastrous implica4ons of climate change because of more carbon emission by the carbon emiTers. Therefore, they must be help out financially to overcome the nega4ve socio-economic effects of climate change. Therefore, it is decided to allocate new funds on the name of loss or damages to the countries which are most effected countries whether in the form of floods, migra4on, droughts, etc. But, the detail of this fund would be established in COP 28 (Dubai). Climate Policies of Pakistan: 1. Pakistan is the one of the worst affectee of climate like Flood of 2010 and 2022. 2. Droughts 3. Agricultural hit. 4. Popula4on migra4on. 5. Destruc4on of infrastructure example, because of 2022 flood more than 16 billion dollars loss (world bank report). Pakistan is mainly/ primarily not responsible for floods and other clima4c degrada4on. However, global emiTers are responsible for climate degrada4on in Pakistan. As Pakistan emiZng less than 1% carbon emission worldwide but unfortunately it lies among the top five affectee of climate degrada4on.
Steps taken by Pakistan:
1. Planta4on- billion tree project and 10 billion projects. Unfortunately, these projects and not completed. Overall, more than 2.5 billion trees planted 4ll 2014. Pakistan has met the 2030 target. 2. Clean energy projects like hydel, wind and solar projects. 3. Produc4on of electric cars 4. Pakistan played a leading role in establishment on loss and damage funds. Pakistan demanded financial support from IMF, world bank, ADB and other countries to support. Pakistan should be given more space, in order to return the loan.
