68
edits
Changes
DEVE
,no edit summary
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. On the one hand and being mainly responsible historically for emitting the most GHGs we have "the West". Even though the '''EU and the United States of America''' are often seen as '''“the West”''' and in many levels share a set of common values and ideas, when it comes to climate justice, their ideas and policies vary widely. With the USA being the second largest GHG’s emitter - In 2015, U.S. greenhouse gas emissions totaled 6,587 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents – and with Trump's very well-known '''support of the fossil fuel industry''' and the recent drop out of the Paris Agreement, the '''USA environmental policy''' could severely weaken the chances of mitigating climate change. On the other hand we have the developing countries. 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]]
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 see sigificant differences when it comes to 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 risk of being affected by the rising sea levels. They 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, however, as soon as the 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 consequences of climate change are increasing in intensity.
[[File:Climate-Analytics.jpg|thumb|Average warming projected for 2100]]
Despite this 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 whether a global power shift in which fossil fuels would no longer be the cheaper fuel is the only way the global climate change threat could be tackled effectively.
<ref>"United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change", retrieved from http://newsroom.unfccc.int/ )</ref>
The [[United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change|UNFCCC]] also has an operating entity of the financial mechanism on an ongoing basis - '''The Global Environment Facility'''. This entity also '''manages two special funds''' established by the Parties: the '''Special Climate Change Fund'''; and the '''Least Developed Country Fund'''.<ref>"The Global Environmental Facility", retrieved from: http://www.thegef.org/about-us</ref> The EU is the largest contributor of climate financing and it still aims to scale up climate financing with the goal of 20% of its budget being spent on climate action by 2020. <ref>Article “Financing Adaptation”, retrieved from: https://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/adaptation/financing_en</ref> Similarly and emphasizing the importance of monetary aid to the most affected countries by climate change, a number of international organizations are actively engaged in administering and/or operating climate change funds, including the '''United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)''', the '''United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)''', and the U'''nited United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN-ISDR)'''. Also, a number of multilateral development banks have set up dedicated funds to address climate change. The In terms of international cooperation, the EU is the largest contributor , besides being a key supporter of climate financing action, international treaties and promoter of international cooperation through funding and it still aims policies, contributes to scale up fighting climate financing change at global level with the goal both '''domestic action''' and '''international cooperation''' through policies, legislation and initiatives for more efficient use of 20% less polluting energy, cleaner and more balanced transport options, more environmentally-friendly land-use and agriculture, more sustainable cities more climate-resilient communities and fewer emissions from all sectors of its budget being spent on our economy.<ref>"Adaptation to climate action by 2020change", retrieved from: https://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/adaptation_en</ref> The EU development cooperation policy: the '''Agenda for Change''' pays particular attention to the energy sector for inclusive sustainable growth. It aims to improve access to affordable and sustainable energy, enhance energy efficiency and increase the use of renewable energy sources. <ref>Article “Financing Adaptation”"EU Communication on the Agenda for Change", retrieved from: https://ec.europa.eu/climaeuropeaid/policies/adaptationeuropean-development-policy/financing_enagenda-change_en</ref>It has also committed, in the global initiative '''[http://www.se4all.org/ Sustainable Energy for All]''', to helping provide 500 million people in developing countries with access to sustainable energy services by 2030. Furthermore, the EU launched the '''[http://www.gcca.eu/ Global Climate Change AlliancePlus (GCCA+)]''', a seven-year programme to help the world’s most vulnerable places tackle climate change
[[File:Targets.png|thumb|Image 3 - Possible 80% cut in greenhouse gas emissions in the EU]]
<big>'''Opportunities'''</big>
Since this topic will be tackled in a EU perspective, it is crucial to define the EU's stance as well as the opportunities of using soft power to influence a truly global matter. Soft power refers to the ability of making a stance and a change through talk, external policies, culture and political debate; opposite to the use of hard power - force, coercion and using money as means of persuasion. The EU is a major stakeholder in the climate justice issue and must represent the moral values that it defends throughout all the process.
The use of soft power sources, identified as “culture”, “political institutions” and “foreign policy” becomes especially relevant when it comes to the BRICs. How can the '''EU influence''' these economic powers that are still now deciding between fossil fuels or clean energy and human rights or economic growth? We must also take into account that the path the BRIC’s choose now will also influence the future of the countries that are going to be in the spotlight of development soon, such as Colombia, Nepal, Indonesia and the Balkan countries.
The '''EU’s stance''' on climate justice is that financial support to developing countries should be based on '''"low carbon development strategies"''' developed by them. These should set out which measures a country can take without additional financial and technical assistance. The [[European Commission]] also proposes that developed countries can contribute via the use of '''carbon crediting mechanisms and public funding'''. Public financial contributions should be based on emission levels and each country’s economic capability<ref>"Climate action", retrieved from: https://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/international/cooperation_en</ref>.
People are being forced to leave their homes, losing their lives and more and more human rights are being threatened due to climate change, especially minorities’.
The EU has had a historically valuable role in the climate justice fight, with its groundbreaking policies, conferences, research support, external policies and monetary aids. However, how far can the EU impact the reality of climate change whilst other developed countries, like the USA, turn its back to their historical duties to the rest of the world? How The EU-28 represents only 6,9% of the global population<ref>"The EU in the world - population", retrieved from: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/The_EU_in_the_world_-_population</ref> and therefore reducing its GHGs emissions can only help so far can in the EU impact climate change whilst fight. Whilst safeguarding the right to development is undoubtely important, the road to climate justice calls for unprecedental international cooperation. The EU is in itself the most successful peace project in world history, having put to an end the sceptre of developing countrieswar between its members states. How can it use its soft powers to help mitigate climate change? What are the next steps to be taken to achieve a greener world and how can the EU help reach it through domestic policies and soft power?
