Home ›› 07 Jan 2023 ›› Editorial
The 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP-27), also called climate summit, held from 6th to 19th November at Sharm el-Sheikh, located on the Red Sea coast on the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, has just ended. A total of 197 Parties and more than 3,000 observers attended the Conference. This Conference is organised by the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) which is located in Bonn, Germany.
As usual, the main aim of the conference was to review and update the national climate goals of the parties. Moreover, to draw long-term strategies designed to remove all harmful emissions by the middle of the century to achieve net zero. Roughly speaking, the goal involves taking immediate steps to implement the decisions taken in the 2015 Paris Agreement which were further refined in Glasgow in 2021. This also includes providing US$ 100 billion each year for developing countries affected by climate change.
Amid continuous failure of earlier conferences this conference has showed slight development. Setting aside the claim of billion billion dollars the rich countries agreed to set up a Loss and Damage fund to provide financial assistance to poor countries affected by climate change. However, the conference did not make much progress on increasing efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions responsible for the climate disaster.
As reported by Reuters, loss and damage refers to financial damage already caused by climate change. According to the proposed agreement rich countries that emit carbon over a long period of time will pay into this fund. For three decades poor countries have been demanding money from rich countries for damages caused by climate change. Finally, rich countries have agreed to form the fund. 130 affected countries of the world will be partners of this fund.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres welcomed the agreement. In a video message, he said, "This agreement is an important step for justice." German Climate Affairs Minister Jennifer Morgan said, "We agreed to this agreement because we want to stand beside the countries at risk." McCarthy, former top official of the United States Climate Affairs, says that developing countries are not prepared to protect themselves from climate change or adapt to it. It is the responsibility of developed countries to help them in their survival efforts. Finally, the issue of damages due to global warming became the main topic of discussion at this year's conference in Egypt, in view of the changed situation due to the effects of climate change. After continuous discussion the historic agreement was announced.
It should be noted that in 2015 the Paris climate conference agreed to take steps to limit increase in global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius from the pre-industrial era. This goal has been reiterated in the agreement of this conference. However, scientists have warned that if the current trend continues, global warming cannot be restrained within these limits. Meanwhile, the global average temperature has risen to 1.1 degrees Celsius. However, climate experts have expressed disappointment that COP-27 has not taken any steps to prevent the rise in temperature. They say that this year's conference proposal is deficient in its emphasis on ending the use of fossil fuels.
Bangladesh stands at the 7th position among the countries affected by climate change. Environment Minister of Bangladesh has said that as a result of climate change 12% to 17% land of Bangladesh territory will be submerged in water by the end of this century. In this context, he told the world leaders that despite the validity of the Paris Agreement of 2015, Bangladesh is not getting compensation. On the other hand, record amount of greenhouse gas is being released into the atmosphere. He said that although there was no consensus on the provision of 100 billion dollar fund, the issue of loss and damage was raised in the conference for the first time in climate conference. Earlier, the countries affected by climate change asked for financial compensation but it was not possible to present the issue due to objection from the polluting developed countries. Global contribution of Bangladesh in terms of harmful carbon emissions responsible for climate change is only 0.48% whereas Bangladesh is a cruel victim of it.
From Sharm-el-Sheikh Mr. Mizan R. Khan, deputy director of International Centre for Climate Change and Development, said that according to the Paris agreement, developed countries are supposed to give 100 billion US dollars every year to the affected countries from 2015. But the talks are not over yet. “However, there is a criticism about formation of this fund. Critics say the $200 million fund has been committed to divert attention from ongoing negotiations with the developed world to pay $100 billion per year,” he added
The government of Bangladesh and environmental experts think that as an affected country Bangladesh will be able to implement some projects from that fund, but the partners of this new fund are 130 affected countries. In this context, Bangladesh Environment Minister Shahab Uddin demanded that developed countries should pay the promised money.
Dr. Atiq Rahman, Head of Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies, has said that two words cannot be used in climate change discussion - compensation and attribution. That is, rich-developed countries will pollute nature and as a result of it underdeveloped countries will be affected. But in discussion you cannot say who is responsible for this pollution. When it is said that we are suffering because of you, compensate us for that - they will give some money but that cannot be called compensation. Providing this small amount of shield fund developed countries will say that they are protecting climate.
According to him, Shield Fund has been formed but its detailed features have not yet been disclosed. As known from international media, its amount is slightly above 200 million dollars. It will be shared among 130 affected countries. Now understand how much money each country will get. I think, apart from increasing the amount, specific criteria should be fixed for its management, he added. However, it may be expected that shaking off earlier lapses this fund will be a functioning one. To know the result we have to wait for next COP scheduled to be held in 2023 in the United Arab Emirates.
The writer is a former Commissioner of Taxes. He can be contacted at chinmayprasunbiswas@yahoo.com
