Voluntary but necessary pact

Voluntary but necessary pact

FPJ BureauUpdated: Friday, May 31, 2019, 08:02 PM IST
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COP21Paris2015 |

One hundred and ninety six countries gathered in Paris deliberated for twelve days to produce an agreement which is not fully binding on any one of them and yet reflects their collective commitment that without concerted action the world could be headed for a huge climate-related calamity. In the end, all agreed that ideally they should all exert their energies and resources to try and keep the increase in global temperature below 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius from the pre-industrial era. The developed world would not bind itself to financially compensate the developing world for having contributed immensely to the global warming in the first place but it made voluntary commitments — both financial and emission-related — which duly found expression in the final agreement. Importantly, the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities found favour with the signatories. As Prime Minister Modi said, the outcome of the Paris meet produced no winners or losers but “climate justice has won and we are all working towards a greener future.” Criticism that the agreement is weak is valid. But given the diverse interests, vastly varying stages of development and financial and ecological situations of each country, only a broad-based agreement enshrining common principles and voluntary commitments could be possible. But the spirit behind the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, 1992, signed by 195 countries finds full reflection in the Paris Agreement. With Palestine joining the Paris convention, a total of 196 countries acknowledged the need to prevent global warming to protect the planet from environment-related catastrophes. For the common man it ought to be enough to know that the freak phenomenon of cloudbursts, heavy rains, landslides, etc., as witnessed in India and other countries in recent times, is mainly due to nature’s furies against willful environmental changes induced by global warming. Emission of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels like coal and petroleum products is directly linked to global warming. Sea levels are rising, threatening low-lying countries. It was to take on board the concerns of these countries that the Paris conference scaled down the goal from the earlier two degrees to 1.5 degrees below the pre-industrial levels. In short, by the turn of the century the world should produce only as much greenhouse gases as can be absorbed by forests, seas and soil — and no more. It is an ambitious goal. Developing countries wanted to be compensated for scaling down reliance on fossil fuels and for switching to renewable sources of energy such as sun, wind and water, but what they got was a non-binding promise to raise $100 billion annually by 2020.

However, it is undeniable that in its own way each nation is doing what it should to check the emissions. In the US, for instance, President Obama has set stricter fuel efficiency standards for the auto industry which aim to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2025. Likewise, China and Europe too have set strict auto industry standards achievable by the end of the next decade. Adaptation for green technologies might be costly but in the long run it will yield universal benefits. Climate mitigation in each country can take different forms but the common global goal remains the same. Reliance on cleaner fuels, better cropping patterns, optimum use of water and fertilisers, etc., too can contribute greatly in keeping the emissions under check. The Indian Government has hugely scaled up the target for solar power, a commitment which won it plaudits at the Paris conference. The government has voluntarily set climate goals which reflect its commitment to protect the people from catastrophic climate events such as flash floods. In other words, self-reliance in the war against global warming is the best prescription to make the planet safe for humankind. The Paris Agreement, non-binding largely, does reflect that collective will of the world.

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