COP 21: obligation and commitment

COP21 is taking place amid rising concerns about the imminent effects of climate change on every nation. A report released by the UN before the summit said natural disasters as a consequence of climate change have claimed the lives of more than 600,000 people in the last 20 years.

The number of casualties due to natural disasters equals the number due to terrorist attacks. Climate change is as great a global threat as terrorism.

According to the World Meteorological Organization the years from 2011 to 2015 have been the warmest five-year period on record and the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have reached new highs.

Consensus

In contrast to previous summits many countries, including the US and China, who produce half of the global greenhouse gases, committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions on the first day of COP21.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said rich countries should bear greater responsibility in controlling global warming and help poor countries deal with climate change.

US President Barack Obama admitted that the US, who is the world’s second largest greenhouse gas emitter after China, has a big responsibility in addressing climate change issues. President Obama announced on Facebook that he will call for support from other countries in developing clean energy and adapting to climate change. The US has pledged to cut its emissions 28% by 2030.

Mexico’s Environment Minister Rafael Pacchiano Alaman said Mexico would reduce its greenhouse gas emissions 22% and its black carbon emissions 51% by 2030. Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung committed Vietnam would reduce its greenhouse gas emissions 8% by 2030 - 25% if it receives international support.

COP21 provides an opportunity for multi-billion-USD clean technology initiatives to help poor countries achieve green growth. The US, France, India and 17 other countries have announced they will double their budgets for clean energy research and development over the next 5 years.

The World Bank said it will establish a US$500 million fund to help developing countries reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Canada’s new cabinet pledged to contribute US$2.65 billion to the UN Green Climate Fund (GCF) while the UK, France, Germany, and Japan committed US$1 billion each.

Differences to be settled

The biggest gap is the degree of responsibility acknowledged by developed and developing nations. Developed countries led by the EU and the US want developing countries to make similar commitments to reaching greenhouse gas emissions arguing that many developing nations are becoming richer.

Developing nations say they still need to reduce poverty and improve their standard of living so they still need support from developed nations, who produce most of the greenhouse gases.

Money is another problem. The world community is trying to mobilize US$100 billion a year to help less developed countries reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

France, the host of COP21, said this amount of money was a precondition for guaranteeing the summit’s success. But rich countries so far have committed just a little more than US$75 billion and observers say even US$100 billion will not be enough to limit rising global temperatures to no more than 2 degrees Celsius.