Home 禄 Opinion 禄 Foreign Views
Stop polluting the planet in name of development
Print Edition
Last November, the United Nations Climate Change Conference was held in Marrakesh, Morocco. Participants from all over the world came together to create a plan for implementing the 2015 Paris climate agreement.
It was an important step forward, but the issue remains far more complex than most would care to admit.
The global cooperation that has emerged lately is certainly welcome. But, while teamwork is critical to success, so is recognition of the distinct roles and responsibilities of governments in the industrialized and developing worlds.
The industrialized countries have long produced massive amounts of emissions and other kinds of pollution, while consuming a huge share of the world鈥檚 resources 鈥 including 90 percent of the world鈥檚 water 鈥 all in the name of their own development. As a result, these countries now enjoy high standards of living and food security.
The situation for developing countries is different. Not only have they contributed substantially less to climate change; they are also suffering its worst effects, including food shortages and the loss of livelihoods, brought about by increasingly extreme and frequent weather events like floods and droughts.
Africa is paying a particularly heavy price. Though the continent is responsible for only 4 percent of greenhouse-gas emissions, it is suffering more than any other continent from climate change, as rising temperatures, shifting seasons, and proliferating droughts deplete biodiversity, destroy ecosystems, and undermine security and stability.
Already, Africa has ten million 鈥渃limate refugees.鈥 If nothing is done, that figure will rise to almost 60 million in just three years.
The industrialized countries have pledged to support their developing-country counterparts, like those in Africa, in their effort to steel themselves against climate change.
But their promises are modest, relative to what is actually needed. Policymakers often tout 鈥渟ustainable development,鈥 but lack clear answers for how to achieve it. In many cases 鈥 Donald Trump being the most notable example 鈥 they seem determined to do just the opposite.
As it stands, economic power is being used as a political tool, wielded by leaders attempting to evade their global responsibilities. Trump has explicitly declared his intention to ignore the Paris agreement.
But, as the Marrakesh declaration emphasizes, success in mitigating climate change will require political commitment at the highest level. Moreover, climate action must take into account the special needs and context of developing countries, especially the least-developed economies and those most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
With this in mind, the declaration demands greater efforts to eradicate poverty, ensure food security, and meet the agriculture challenges posed by climate change. And it calls for greater support for climate projects, including through capacity building and technology transfer from developed to developing countries.
Notwithstanding Trump鈥檚 reluctance, many countries seem to recognize the imperative to act. Participants in the Africa Action Summit, held on the sidelines of the Marrakesh conference, offered their own commitment to build an Africa that is resilient to climate change.
Moha Ennaji is President of the South North Center for Intercultural Dialogue and Migration Studies in Morocco. Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2017.www.project-syndicate.org
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
