Natural Resources and Environmental Economics - Essay Example

Globally, the issue of climate change has been in many nations' focus. This is probably because of the threats posed by it. One of the key components of global climatic change has been global warming. This is a study, is going to look at this scenario of climate change by answering several questions. Global warming summits are part of the tackled factors in the paper. Internationally, the predicament of climate change has been viewed from two legal approaches- 'Soft' and 'hard' legal approach. The 'soft' approach perspective of the issue is in terms of facilitation, while the 'hard' approach is in terms of domestic criminal laws countries and it's supported by sanction threats. The 'soft' legal approach encourages sovereignty of states and calls for cooperation within the system. This is to avoid establishment of supranational institutions. It therefore, facilitates and at the same time encourages cooperation in the international platform. Contrary, the alternative approach has got several vital propositions. The essence of international law is to place particular liabilities on nations, those who violate are supposed to be sanctioned and the obligations set should be made enforceable via a binding and compulsory disputes resolution. Most proponents to this 'hard' legal approach are NGOs whish are environmental- oriented. (Luterbacher & Sprinz, 2001 p 202, 203) A more international handler of issues concerning climate change is the United Nations Environmental Programme. The website of UNEP recognises that the climate change phenomenon is a conspicuous predicament of world environment. It thus, addresses the issue as a central one in its day-to-day work. The current UN secretary General, as a matter of fact, said that climate changes are "the defining challenge of our age". UNEP also puts into account that the climate changes are a threat to sustainable development, peace as well as security in the current world. Recognition of the predicament of climate change is usually reported by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the organisation of world meteorology which were set up by UNEP. (UNEP, 2009) The International approach on climate change is very essential; collaboration is called for since it constructs more apt validation and in situ calibration of observations. It aids in getting world -spread measurements, helps in enjoying synergetic effects and eliminations of redundancy as well, in observation assets deployment. The community of meteorology is a major example in explaining the importance of international collaborations. However, the climate- obliged community has got a lesser collaborative system, compared to the meteorological section. Some of the perceived benefits of this would be coordination in terms of observing arrays, capacity building, product and data sharing and also inter-calibration. (NRC, 2004, p 74) The UK climate change policy is targeted at reducing the Carbon dioxide emissions by 12.5% while within the EU. The local UK's reduction is set at 20% by the year 2010 and further more at 60% by 2050.also the UK has a levy on climate change. This policy is set by UK in the pursuit of fulfillment of the commitments set at the Kyoto protocol covering the period from 2008 through 2012. The UK climate change levy was initiated in 2000 by the government. Particularly, this is a taxation that's fiscally neutral and was imposed on energy usage by various businesses. Provided the businesses adhered to the reduction targets one missions, there was to be an 80% rebate upon the same levy. On energy, the UK government put a target for 10% of the generation of electricity from sources that are renewable by year 2010. However, this was dependent upon the acceptance to the cost placed on consumers. To this, 20% of the nation's electricity should be from renewable energy sources by2020. (House of Lords, 2004 p 20) On the other hand EU's policy is as explained; The European Union set a target of 8% on reductions of Carbon dioxide emissions so as to deliver to the agreements of the Kyoto protocol. This 8% target is set to be realised by 2012. This policy was set by ETS - Emissions Trading scheme. (EurActiv.com, 2004) India's policies on climate, according to the New York Times have no concrete targets and thus no magnitudes have been presented on the same. The Indian government particularly aims to draw a lot of attention to renewable energy utilisation, preservation of natural factors of production and water conservation. This is despite its holding of the forth position behind US, China as well as Russian in terms of Carbon dioxide emission. The missions to be sought by India are; call for energy efficiency, utilisation of solar energy, establishment of a habit that's sustainable, agriculture creation and the initiation of a platform for strategic knowledge about climate change. ( Timmons, 2008) The BBC news states the USA's commitment to the Kyoto Protocol stipulations to be way below expectations. In fact Carbon dioxide emissions have risen by 11% compared to 1990's levels. This is in spite of agreeing to the Kyoto's requirements of cutting emissions by 6%. The proposals presented by the former US president (G.W. Bush) were to ensure inclusion of incentives to industries reducing on the greenhouse emissions. However, policies on climate change differ with given states. For instance, Massachusetts State's policy was to reduce Carbon dioxide emissions to the levels of 1990 by the year 2010 as well as greenhouse gas emissions reduction by 2020 against the levels of 1990. (BBC, 2009) According to the guardian news, scientists were set out to have a summit to be held on an emergency basis so as to make a warning to politicians across the globe upon their poor response to the issue of global warning. It's going to take place in March and Copenhagen was to be the venue. The summit was especially to urge policy makers to take action and get political attention directed towards ways of terminating the ever rising world temperatures. The factor triggering the event is the study which findings were alarming on the global warning matter. (Adam, 2009) One of the summits that has been held before and which has had a worldwide recognition is the Kyoto Protocol. Of the major aims discussed in its 1997's meeting is the reduction of the countries' involved greenhouse gas emissions and that was to be from 2008 to year 2012. Each country was to reduce its emissions to a uniform 5%. Also in this summit was the proposal upon how to approach the encouragement of companies and nations to "going green." (Falola & Geneva, 2005 pp 118, 119) Another summit is the on a held by G8 in 2008. The aim at this summit was to reduce the greenhouse gases. More specifically, according to the BBC, global leaders were aiming at reducing by half the emission of greenhouse gases. They aimed at settling a world target of marking less the emissions of Carbon by at least ' by the year 2050 as a way of cleaning the global warning mess. (BBC News, 2008) The conclusion thus, is that various nations differ in their climate change policies. None of the policies is rightfully desirable as per the findings. The realisation of better results would be possible if an international approach was possible and while the international system would function as a synergy. The achievement of this ideal world is very hard, though. Reference list: Adam, D. (2009). Scientists Plan Emergency Summit on Climate Change. Retrieved March 13, 2009 http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/feb/09/scientists- summit-climate-change BBC. (2009). Climate Change: USA Policy. Retrieved March 13, 2009 http://www.bbc.co.uk/climate/policies/usa_policy.shtml BBC News. (2008). G8 aims to halve greenhouse gases. Retrieved March 13, 2009 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7494702.stm Euractiv.com. (2004). EU Climate Change Policies. Retrieved March 13, 2009 http://www.euractiv.com/en/climate-change/eu-climate-change-policies/article- 117453 Falola, T and Genova, A. (2005). The Politics Of The Global Oil Industry: An Introduction. Greenwood Publishing Group. Edition: illustrated, annotated. House of Lords, et al. (2004). The EU and Climate Change: House of Lords Paper 179-i Session 2003-04. The Stationery Office. Edition: illustrated. Timmons, H. (2008). India Offers 8 Ideals on a Climate Change Policy, but Few Details. Retrieved March 13, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/01/business/worldbusiness/01rupee.html'_r=1 &partner=rssnyt&emc=rss Luterbacher, U and Sprinz, D.F. (2001). International Relations and Global Climate Change. MIT Press. Edition: illustrated. National Research Council (U.S.). (2004). Implementing climate and global change research: a review of the final U.S. Climate Change Science Program strategic plan. National Academies Press. UNEP. (2009). Climate Change. Retrieved March 13, 2009 http://www.unep.org/climatechange/ Read More