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The idea that climate change is solely an environmental issue misses the bigger picture - '''climate change represents and perpetuates power imbalances across the world'''. The industrialised nations of the Global North emit about '''80%''' of global greenhouse gases, while developing nations from the Global South face the worst impacts. In fact, global warming poses a threat to some southern vulnerable countries’ survival - rising sea levels will contaminate the drinking water, agriculture, infrastructure and threaten biodiversity in the coastal areas, making some uninhabitable. It is even predicted that entire cities could flood, including Rotterdam and Sydney. Some islands in Africa, Asia and South America are facing the risk of disappearing under water. The regions that will be most affected by the rising sea levels are east, south east and south Asia.<ref>"Sea-Level Rise and Impacts in Africa, 2000 to 2100. Application of the DIVA model to Africa.", retrieved from: https://www.weadapt.org/knowledge-base/economics-of-adaptation/impacts-of-sea-level-rise-in-africa</ref>
So, the debate centers on the obligation of industrialized states - due to '''historical responsibility''' - and international organizations to provide development assistance to developing countries and to invest in energy proportionate to what they emit and use. The current controversy also focuses on the process of globalization, including the right and possibility of equal participation of developing countries in that process, and its relation to human rights. A number of big emitting emerging economies are unwilling to sign up to a condition that they feel can hamper their economic growth and development. However, '''the climate change fight is difficult if only developed countries reduce their emissions'''. Developing countries, especially the most advanced ones, need to take a part too. For example, the four largest developing nations - '''Brazil, Russia, India and China''' (also called the '''BRIC’s''') - with a combined population of 3 billion people, will have a huge impact on the future of climate change.
[[File:Climateimpacts.jpg|thumb|Climate Change Impact in 2050]]
Furthermore, although the UN has recognised the category of '''environmental and climate refugees'''. In 2009, 36 million people were displaced by natural disasters. This number is predicted to rise to at least 50 million by 2050. In spite of that, they environmental refugees are not protected by international law and or asylum systems. The criteria by which refugees are classified defines a refugee as a person who, nor states in owing to a well-founded fear of persecution on the European Unionbasis “of race religion, several nationality,” or “membership of which a particular social or political group,” has fled his or her homeland. For this reason, climate refugees are currently closing their borders to refugees and building fencesgenerally denied protection under the existing international framework.Developing countries '''lack <ref>"Climate Refugees: Exposing the resources''' to address this new environmental and social threat that is Protection Gap in International Law", retrieved from: http://climate change. Least developed countries are especially vulnerable, since their budget org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Kamali-Climate-Refugees.pdf</ref> This criteria is stretched based on the [http://www.unhcr.org/1951-refugee-convention.html 1951 Refugee Convention] and thus international action towards broadening the scope of the term "refugee" seems like a logical solution to meet basic needs, such as access to food, water, and housingthe protection gap.
Developing countries '''lack the resources''' to address this new environmental and social threat that is climate change. Least developed countries are especially vulnerable, since their budget is stretched to meet basic needs, such as access to food, water, and housing. Also among the '''southern countries''' we have big see sigificant differences when it comes to their positions regarding the international approach of targeting climate change. For instance, the '''priorities''' of the Alliance of Small Island States are taking a different path to that of most of the least developed countries because they are most at riskof being affected by the rising sea levels. They have shown demonstrated progressive initiative in striving for legally-binding emissions reduction targets and financing whereas the majority of '''least developed countries''' has been stuck in a rhetoric of '''mistrust and historical responsibility''' at the expense of negative-sum results.
'''Evaluating the effectiveness of international cooperation in addressing climate change is a complex undertaking.''' From the one perspective, the fact that countries are implementing the '''[[United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change]]''', the '''[[Kyoto Protocol]]''' and the '''[[Paris Agreement]]''', three major international treaties on the topic, on a gobal scale would suggest that they have sought to cooperate. From another point of view, if however, as soon as the duty to cooperate cooperation requires effective '''solutions to the climate change problem''', it could be regarded as a failure of countries to effectively cooperate the fact that the both the predictions and the actual and impending consequences of climate change are increasing in intensity. In fact, it clearly shows the failure to arrive at a binding agreement providing for effective mitigation, adaptation and other climate measures.
[[File:Climate-Analytics.jpg|thumb|Average warming projected for 2100]]
Among the '''criticism made to the more recent Paris Agreement''' is the fact that the contribution that each individual country should make in order to achieve the worldwide goal is '''determined by all countries individually'''. Also, the country's emissions targets themselves are '''not legally binding''' as a matter of international law, unlike the ones in the Kyoto Protocol, and there is '''no enforcement''' if a set target is not met. Neither are punitive measures in place in case of non-compliance.<ref>Article “What Does the Paris Agreement Mean for Climate Resilience and Adaptation?“, retrieved from: http://www.wri.org/blog/2015/12/what-does-paris-agreement-mean-climate-resilience-and-adaptation</ref> This is due to a number of big emitting emerging economies - including China, India and South Africa - being unwilling to sign up to a condition that they felt could hamper their economic growth and development. However, the '''regular review and submission of emission reduction targets will be binding''' and so too will the '''$100 billion fund from developed economies to help emerging and developing nations decarbonise their energy mix'''. The funding will come from public and private, bilateral and multilateral, and alternative sources of finance with the ultimate goal of meaningful mitigation action and transparent implementation by developing countries.<ref>Article “Financing Adaptation”, retrieved from: https://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/adaptation/financing_en</ref>
Despite this, as you can see in Picture 2, the predictions are still that '''temperature will rise 2,7ºC by 2100'''<ref>Article “COP21: What does the Paris climate agreement mean for me?”, retrieved from: http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-35092127 </ref> even if all the Paris Agreement conditions are met, which is well above the 2ºC threshold. This calls for further measures and raises the question on whether a global power shift from fossil fuels in which fossil fuels would no longer be the cheaper fuel is the only way the global climate change threat could be truly addressed and tackled effectively.