Dr John Mohan Razu
As the COP26 ended at Glasgow though an agreement was reached but without a definitive call on key issues like extending financial assistance to the countries that are solely dependent on fossil fuels and carbon market. The world we live continues to be dictated by the rich and powerful countries. One glaring example is that the wealthy countries emit enormous carbon into the atmosphere. A group of 22 countries including India – termed as “Like-Minded Developing Countries” (LMDC) – protested strongly against “carbon colonization” as the developed nations tried to enforce 1.5-degree Celsius warming limit.
Is limiting the climate to 1.5 degree Celsius possible or feasible? The rich West say that invest on non-carbon energy and eliminate coal energy and thus foresee ‘phase out coal’ -- ‘coal is dead’ in the long-run. This is the tipping point for India and China – a death-knell for many countries. The LMDC group including India, China, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bolivia and Indonesia termed the move as ‘carbon colonialism’ “Developed countries are pushing this narrative of 1.5 degrees Celsius hard. LMDC countries feel that the rich countries have failed by not extending financial assistance to the developing countries, but want the LMDC to agree 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The developed countries are the largest emitters of carbon at different levels, instead want the LMDC to follow1.5 degrees Celsius which characterizes colonial tendencies. Gradually they are employing control mechanisms at global-South. We do not know what would happen in 2050. However, new ways of hegemonic control would come into play and be employed in a world contradiction where those countries especially the vulnerable countries that are not able to achieve net zero target by 2050, would be ethically and financially controlled.
Rich and developed countries tend to promise many things, but do not live up to their promises, after which they extend apologies. Towards the reduction in carbon emission to 1.5 degrees Celsius without getting into the brass-tacks and translating the assurance given by developed and wealthier nations tantamount to betrayal. Pushing for 1.5 degrees Celsius by making the low-income and low-lying countries to agree to the document without promising any financial incentives shows the ploy of the wealthier countries harvesting oil and coal in their backyards is nothing but neo-colonial tendency.
One thing is clear that the climate change is the greatest challenge in our time. Two weeks ago, when COP26 Summit began at Glasgow, there was immense hope and optimism, but post-Summit posits that the vulnerable nations view the proceedings and the outcomes not promising but just bla, bla, bla. Everyone seemed to have agreed with the text, but have not gone far. This is the moment of truth, a moment of truth to us, to our children and grandchildren. Coal and fossil fuels have been the biggest challenges of our times.
Nevertheless, many poorer nations use coal as the popular energy and livelihood source as many poorer countries live by it. These are the critical elements of the poorer countries hold on, but these have been watered down vis-à-vis mitigation, adaptation and facilitation. More financing for the developing countries should be promised because of the historical emissions that the global-North practiced and now asking the poor-South to agree to .1.5 degrees Celsius is absurd. Global-North is hitting at coal emissions by covering up its excessive use of oil and others energies.
Undoubtedly, the use of coal by all means in the long-run should be phased-out, but as of now, is to be phased-down. This is the crux that the developing and those countries situated in the low-lying areas are arguing and voicing out. Insisting on 1.5 degrees by pushing the poor and developing countries is antithetical to climate justice. Further, LMDC group called the conference presidency not to adopt a “mitigation-centric approach” by keeping 1.5-degree Celsius goal as a “collective responsibility” of all nations in the Glasgow decision text and requested to remove paragraph on mitigation” in the revised text.
Speaking on behalf of the LMDC group at a press conference, Diego Pacheco, Bolivia’s lead negotiator, said, “We request developed countries to achieve real reduction of emissions immediately and by 2030, within this decade. They cannot take targets very distant in the future … We as LMDC do not accept that this COP will be a scenario for transferring historical responsibility to the developing countries.” The member countries representing LMDC also expressed the need for higher mobilization of finance from the developed countries instead of trying to change the narrative towards mitigation.” There is no iota of doubt that the priorities of the rich-North and poor-South vary. Arriving at a meeting point is difficult but what is that agreeable based on the reality that these opposing views that echo their points of view.
India being part of LMDC group opposed during the final plenary session that the draft failed to accommodate the concerns of the poor and developing countries because India exemplifies the bewildering complexity of climate mitigation efforts. India has a large number of people dependent on the coal economy for job and 70% dependence on coal for energy needs. The grim reality is coal has large carbon footprints across the country and within the states. Transition from coal to some other non-emitting energy needs huge capital investments, technological transfer and technical know-how.
Over and above, climate changes are also changing the political economy that includes industries like thermal power cement, iron and steel are the major economic players that many states are involved. And so, transition from coal not only affects allied industries it also can result in intense regional political push backs. In addition, over half of India’s population wants an escape route that too young millennial are tied down to agriculture and thus looking out for. But Coronavirus has changed to an extent as there are some who are returning to agriculture.
In such a context, India is gradually shifting towards promoting more and more small-scale manufacturing units. Demands for more air-conditioners and cars on the rise. As a consequence, we see these contributing and adding to climate-negative. In view of drastic climatic changes, for the humanity to survive we need to go for clean technology which is a must. In reality poor and developing countries cannot expect the developed and rich countries financing for green technology and mitigating the emitting carbon by way of financial aid.
A lesion that the poor and developing countries learnt during severe Coronavirus that the rich and developed countries behaved by securing more vaccine doses and in turn not at all concerned about many other countries who could not afford. Now, we are in a different proposition is that of climate mitigation. Low-income countries and developing countries including India will have to depend on rich and developed countries for financial assistance as part of mitigation. India being a fast-growing economy, the rich and technologically advanced countries would dictate in terms of capital and transfer of technology and technical know-
Final agreement of the Summit was disappointing. At one point it was in jeopardy as China and India had initially opposed to the drafts especially on coal. However, almost all the rich and developed countries wanted to see that from COP26 should be the beginning of the end of coal energy. In addition, over1.5degress should be kept alive by downgrading 2.4 is dangerous because it is a survival billions of people as well as other species. ‘Phase down’ or ‘phase out’, and financial assistance for the poor countries by the rich countries should be updated as years go by. Still a long way to go. Humanity is in its ‘death knell’, if we don’t take it seriously.
