Climate Change All over the World - Essay Example

ID Number & Climate Change Introduction Human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels in manufacturing companies and in major power plants including the use of road vehicles badly affect the quality of our environment globally. Specifically the atmosphere is gradually degrading because of the continuous daily emissions of sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide/dioxide and nitrogen oxide in the air. Eventually, the high content of carbon in the atmosphere could lead to serious climate change in the long-run. To counteract the global climate change, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change purposely developed a new protocol which aims to serve as the latest legal instrument that can be used to help us overcome the challenges and negative consequences of severe climate change (Rajamany; United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change). In response to the latest UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the main obstacles behind a successful global agreement will be tackled in details followed by discussing the extent to which these challenges can be easily overcome. About the Durban Climate Change Conference In the past, several Conventions were developed by the United Nations and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change which include the Bali Plan Action in 2008, the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, and the Cancun Agreements were implemented to effectively control the global climate change (Kyoto Protocol; United Nations and UNFCCC). The Kyoto Protocol served as the “legal binding agreement under which industrialized countries will reduce their collective emissions of greenhouse gases by 5.2% compared to the year 1990” (Kyoto Protocol) whereas the Bali Plan Action served as a two-year guideline that aims to finalize the legal agreement in 2009 (United Nations and UNFCCC). In 2010, the Cancun Agreements is composed of decisions made by the international community on each country can work together in solving the long-term problems with regards to climate change (UNFCCC). In 2012, the Kyoto Protocol is expected to expire by the end of 2012 (The New York Times). Last November 2011, the Durban Climate Change Conference was held in Doha, Qatar in order to publicly introduce a new protocol which could serve as a universal legal agreement on issues related to climate change (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change). During the Durban Climate Change Conference, it was mentioned that the new expiration date for the Kyoto agreement would be either 2017 or in 2020 (The New York Times). Main Obstacles behind a Successful Global Agreement As of August 2011, a total of 192 states and countries have already signed and ratified the Kyoto Protocol (UNFCCC b). Up to the present time, countries such as Afghanistan, the Andorra, Vetican City, South Sudan, and other less known states are not yet a member of the UNFCCC. Developed countries such as in the case of the United States are the key contributor to the high concentration of toxic gasses in the atmosphere (Liverman 209; NBC News). Because of fear that ratifying the Kyoto Protocol could endanger the U.S. economy, Bush was firm about not ratifying the Kyoto protocol even though the United States had already signed the said Convention during the Clinton administration (NBC News; The New York Times). It was only during the Obama administration that the United States has agreed to reduce the U.S. carbon emissions by up to “17% below its 2005 levels by 2020” (Environmental & Energy Management News; The Times of India). Despite Obama’s desire to reduce the levels of their carbon emissions, his personal approach in controlling the carbon pollution (i.e. a nationwide cap-and-trade system) was rejected in the Senate back in 2010 (Environmental & Energy Management News; The New York Times). As long as there is an on-going negotiation between the U.S. president and the Senate, it would still take quite a while before the United States can officially implement a domestic system that aims to reduce their carbon footprints. One of the most obvious obstacles that can impede a successful global agreement with regards to the implementation of the latest legal instrument that can be used to help us overcome the challenges and negative consequences of severe climate change lies in the fact that the Kyoto Protocol has not been fair and equal to all countries. As a common knowledge, the Kyoto Protocol strictly requires all developed countries to meet their expected targets when it comes to reducing their total carbon emissions. The Kyoto Protocol did not mandate developing countries like “China, India, Brazil, and South Africa” to reduce their carbon emissions (The New York Times). Even though Australia, Switzerland, a total of 27-member of the EU nation, and eight (8) other countries have agreed to observe the carbon emission cuts by 2020, major countries such as the United States, Canada, Japan, and Russia are all complaining that the treaty has been unfair for not requiring other “big polluters” like China or India to cut off their carbon emissions (Aljazeera; NBC News; The New York Times). During the conference, countries such as in the case of the United States, Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus were very much apprehensive about extending their membership with the said Convention (The New York Times). In line with this, Harrabin reported that most of these countries insisted that they should be given an “extra credit for the emission cuts they made when their industries collapsed” (Harrabin). Aside from the unfair guidelines associated with the implementation of the Kyoto Agreement, question with regards to the sources of funding arises (Aljazeera). Almost all countries would want to have a clean air to breath. However, the lack of financial resources can be a major obstacle behind the successful implementation of the global climate change control agreement. As a common knowledge, the development of alternative sources of energy such as hydropower, solar and wind energy resources require a large sum of capital. For this reason, most of the developing countries will not be able to afford financing the expensive capital requirement in putting up alternative sources of energy. The Extent to which these Challenges can be Overcome There is a saying that “history repeats itself”. To avoid repeating the same mistakes, it is necessary for the environmentalists to consider the past experiences of the United Nations and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change when it comes to the actual implementation and complaints behind the Kyoto Protocol. In reality, there are so many ways in which the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change can overcome the obstacles behind the Kyoto Agreement. For instance, to easily resolve the on-going problem with regards to the Kyoto Agreement, the United Nations together with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change should exert an effort to ensure that the treaty will equally treat all countries regardless of their economic standing. This could mean that other strong developing countries such as in the case of China, Brazil, and India should not be exempted when it comes to requiring them to reduce their monthly and annual carbon emissions (The New York Times). Conclusion and Recommendations Among the major obstacles behind the recent round of negotiations on the issue within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change – launched three days ago, on Friday the 7th of December 2012, in Doha, Qatar include not only the unfair guidelines behind the Kyoto Protocol Agreement, the sources of fund which can be used in the development of renewable energy resources, and unstable economic condition. All these factors contribute to weak global governance on global climate changes. With the purpose of minimizing the risk of unfair treatment, the United Nations together with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change should implement fair treatment to all countries regardless of their current economic situation. For instance, the Kyoto Protocol should not only require the developed countries to reduce their overall carbon emissions. Since the era of globalization, it is the developing countries that have the most of the local and foreign investors. In response to the continuous economic growth of the developing countries, it is but fair to also require these countries to reduce their annual carbon emissions. By implementing a fair treatment to all, countries such as in the case of the United States will not have invalid reason for not observing the universal legal agreement on issues related to climate change. With regards to the issue on the need to extend financial assistance to developing countries, the United Nations together with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change should be able to establish a financial system which aims to provide financial assistance to some developing and under-developed countries. By offering some financial assistance to some of the developing countries, countries that are not financially stable will have no other reason not to comply with the Kyoto Protocol requirements. It is also given that not all countries have the knowledge and technology needed in establishing renewable energy resources. For this reason, the United Nations together with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change should be able to form a competitive group that can play a significant role in the transfer of technology. References Aljazeera. “Deal reached in Doha to extend Kyoto protocol. Delegates end conference with agreement to keep alive legally binding plan limiting greenhouse-gas emissions until 2020”. Aljazeera. 9 December 2012. Web. 11 December 2012 . Environmental & Energy Management News. “U.S. Officially Pledges to Cut GHG Emissions by 17%”. Environmental & Energy Management News. 29 January 2010. Web. 11 December 2012 . Harrabin, Roger. “UN climate talks extend Kyoto Protocol, promise compensation”. BBC News. 8 December 2012. Web. 11 December 2012 . Kyoto Protocol. “Official Website”. 2012. Web. 11 December 2012 . Liverman, D.M. "Conventions of climate change: constructions of danger and the dispossession of the atmosphere." Journal of Historical Geography 35.2 (2009). NBC News. “Bush: Kyoto treaty would have hurt economy. President condemns climate change treaty, dependence on Middle East oil” NBC News. 30 June 2005. Web. 11 December 2012 . Rajamany, Lavanya. "The Durban Platform for Enhanced Action and the Future of the Climate Regime." International and Comparative Law Quarterly 61.2 (2012), 501-518. The New York Times. “Kyoto Protocol”. The New York Times. 12 December 2011. Web. 11 December 2012 . The Times of India. “US against raising carbon footprint bar”. The Times of India. 26 November 2012. Web. 11 December 2012 . UNFCCC. “The Cancun Agreements” UNFCCC. 2012a. Web. 11 December 2012 . UNFCCC. “Status of Ratification of the Kyoto Protocol”. UNFCCC. 2012b. Web. 11 December 2012 . United Nations and UNFCCC. “Report of the Conference of the Parties on its thirteenth session, held in Bali from 3 to 15 December 2007. Part Two: Action taken by the Conference of the Parties at its thirteenth session”. United Nations and UNFCCC. 14 March 2008. Web. 11 December 2012 . United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. “Durban Climate Change Conference – 2011”. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. November/December 2011. Web. 11 December 2012 . Read More