Climate funding was one of the topics discussed at the Climate Conference in Glasgow, Scotland. It is important to determine how to compensate the poorest countries for the losses of the rich countries that have contributed to global warming. An analysis published in the New York Times says that in order to establish justice for poor countries, it is important to determine the historical responsibility of a country behind climate change. In addition, the per capita carbon emissions of countries need to be identified.
The United States, Canada, Japan, and much of western Europe are home to only 12 percent of the world’s population. However, these countries are responsible for 50 percent of the world’s total carbon emissions. Countries have been contributing to global warming by burning fossil fuels for 180 years. During this period, global warming has increased at the rate of 1.1 degree Celsius. And as a result, extreme heat waves, floods, droughts and wildfires are happening in the world.
Sonam Wangdi, president of the Summit, a leader of the LDC Group of 48 Least Developed Countries, told a climate conference that her country, Bhutan, had no responsibility for global warming. The country emits far more carbon emissions than the amount of carbon emitted from cars and homes. Huge forests absorb the carbon. However, Bhutan is at serious risk due to global warming. Glaciers in the Himalayas are melting, flooding and landslides due to rising temperatures. The villages are falling apart.
“Even though we are not responsible for global warming, we are suffering severely,” Wangdi said. He called for increased support for climate change.
A decade ago, the world’s richest nations pledged বিল 100 billion a year in aid to the poorest nations by 2020 to tackle climate change. However, they could not keep that promise. Hundreds of crores of dollars are going to the annual deficit in this fund. The assistance that poor countries receive for various measures, including the establishment of early warning for floods and droughts, is negligible.
Other countries at risk due to climate change have also warned of their future consequences. They say they do not have the capacity to adapt to storms, hurricanes or famines caused by climate change. The world is constantly warming up. The loss of life in various disasters related to climate change will continue. As the sea level rises, so will the villages.
Countries that are at risk of climate change, despite their low carbon emissions, have called for separate funding. Wealthy countries that contribute to climate change by emitting excess carbon need to be funded as compensation. In other words, this fund will be the price for the damage they have already done.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abdul Momen has said that many people are losing their lives and their future is being ruined. Someone has to take responsibility for it.
Speaking about climate change, AK Momen drew attention to the US government’s crackdown on tobacco companies in the 1990s. At that time, the US government had to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on health care because of smoking. That’s when the U.S. government sued the tobacco companies to recover the money.
Rich nations have been rejecting calls for specific funding. They fear that this will create an opportunity for many complaints to arise. Different questions will come up regarding the responsibilities of rich countries. The Scottish Government is the only country that has voluntarily announced a specific amount of grants. At the climate conference, the country announced that it would provide ৭ 2.7 million in assistance to those affected by the climate disaster.
China is home to 16 percent of the world’s population. The country is responsible for about 14 percent of the world’s carbon emissions since 1850. By far, China is the world’s largest carbon emitter. China is responsible for 31 percent of the carbon emissions this year due to human activities. At the Glasgow Conference, China agreed to set up a climate fund for countries at risk. However, the country has not been pressured to contribute to the fund.
The New York Times reports that justice cannot be done by simply identifying the place of historical responsibility. Another important thing is to identify the rate of carbon emissions per capita in a country. For example, India alone emits 6 percent of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions this year. The European Union has emitted the same amount. And the United States has made half of India’s emissions. But there are more people living in India than in the European Union and the United States. Also relatively poor. Millions of people in India are still deprived of reliable electricity. As a result, considering the rate of carbon emissions per capita, the people of India now emit less carbon per capita.
The United States and the European Union claim that the world will never be able to reduce the damage caused by global warming unless countries like India take further steps to curb carbon emissions. However, India has recently announced that it will reduce its carbon emissions to “net zero” by 2060. The country has said it will need more funding to stop using coal and launch an environmentally friendly energy system.
The New York Times reports that it is important to note that this is not the case. Because it will determine whether countries can reach a new agreement to limit future global warming risks.
