The special climate summit convened by the UN Secretary General led to many initiatives, but could not bridge the gap between rich and poor nations on who should do how much
India reiterated its need to develop, China listed the steps it was taking and the US repeated that all countries should control greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions – despite notable advances in many areas, the special climate summit convened by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday failed to bridge the gap between rich and poor nations.
Prakash Javadekar, India’s Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change, told the informal summit, “Just as the fossil fuel led model of industrialization that began in the West a couple of centuries ago is seen responsible for the growing human impact on the climate, the other stark fact is that poverty remains a major polluter… Therefore, this talk about changed realities can only be misleading and motivated.”
The minister was referring to remarks made by leaders of many industrialised countries – including US President Barack Obama – that emerging economies like China and India should commit to tighter control on GHG emissions under a new global treaty scheduled to be ready by December 2015. Though the US President mentioned only China by name, his tenor was clear. So was Javadekar’s response.
GHG emissions – mainly of carbon dioxide – are warming the planet. This climate change is affecting farm output worldwide, making droughts, floods and storms more frequent and more severe, and raising the sea level. Most of the emissions have been caused by rich nations since the start of the Industrial Age, but now China is the largest polluter, US second and India third.
Rich nations want all countries – especially emerging economies – to take legally binding emission control pledges at the treaty, being negotiated under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Developing countries –especially India – remain steadfast in their opposition, on the grounds that such a move would be iniquitous.
At the same time, India has taken major steps to tackle climate change. Javadekar pointed them out at the special summit, saying, “The new government has doubled the Clean Energy Cess on coal to raise more revenue for clean energy technologies.At the same time, over $15 million have been allocated to the National Adaptation Fund; $80 million for setting up of ultra-mega solar projects; $100 million for a new scheme called ultra-modern super critical coal based thermal power technology; and $16 million for the development of 1 MW solar parks on the banks of canals.”
The clean energy cess has been doubled this budget from 50 paise to one rupee per ton – India’s way of putting a price on carbon emissions.
Javadekar listed other initiatives and then pointed out, “Evidence indicates that countries that have achieved a Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.9 or more have per capita energy consumption of at least 2.5 tons oil equivalent per year. The current per capita energy consumption in India is about 0.6 per year, which is a fraction of the figures for the developed world. In other words, with today’s technologies and living standards, the energy consumption in India would need to increase by four times as India’s HDI increases from the current value of 0.5 to a value of 0.9.”
“The key challenge therefore is to enable this higher energy consumption at a cost that people are willing and able to pay, and with lower carbon intensity. We are fully committed to achieving our voluntary goal for reducing Emission Intensity of its GDP by 20-25% by 2020 over 2005 level.”
India has decided to double the installed wind energy capacity over the next five years, increase installed solar capacity to over 20,000 MW by 2020, and use energy efficiency to save 10,000 MW by 2020. Referring to these and other initiatives, Javadekar said, “It is self-evident that developing countries can do more if finance and technology support and capacity building is ensured. This must be a key focus of international cooperation. What is needed is political will.”
The demands for finance and technology support have been major stumbling blocks in UNFCCC negotiations, with rich countries failing to adequately deliver even on the few promises they have made. China, India, Brazil and South Africa have led the demand for better results.
Speaking at the special UN summit, however, Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli stayed away from this, and confined himself to talking about what China had already done to tackle climate change.
Promising that “China will make more effort to tackle climate change out of our own will,” Zhang pointed out, “China has done remarkable work by publishing its National Climate Change Programme before this summit.”
The Vice Premier emphasised three targets of China:
- Reduce carbon emission intensity;
- Increase non-fossil fuel ratio and forest storage;
- Try to achieve carbon (emission) peak as soon as possible.
Carbon emission intensity is the amount of carbon emissions per unit of GDP growth. At the 2009 Copenhagen summit of the UNFCCC, China made a voluntary commitment to reduce this intensity by 40-45% by 2020, compared to 2005 levels. India made a voluntary pledge of a 20-25% reduction, and Javadekar said the country was well on course to achieve that.
Zhang also said China would provide $6 million to support South-South cooperation on tackling climate change.
The Chinese and Indian speeches came after the US President had said, “No nation can meet this global threat alone… Nobody gets a pass.”
Obama also listed domestic efforts by the US to tackle climate change, at the same time pointing out the ravages caused by extreme weather events in the country. “The climate is changing faster than our ability to address it,” he said. “The alarm bells keep ringing.”
Coming to the issue of negotiations, Obama said, big countries like the United States and China “have a special responsibility to lead” on how to tackle climate change.
Climate change legislation is controversial in the US, but Obama promised, “We will do our part.”While right-wing organizations said the US President had gone too far in his speech, some NGOs including Oxfam and Greenpeace felt he had not gone far enough.
All in all, there was little indication that the negotiations logjam would be broken, and there is little time. A draft of the treaty – expected to be signed at December 2015 UNFCCC summit in Paris – is supposed to be ready by the next UNFCCC summit this December, which will be held in the Peruvian capital Lima.
Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the UNFCCC, said, “The only way to make Paris a success is to make a success of Lima – of the markers on the road to Paris.”
Trying to make governments take a more holistic view, the UN Secretary General told the summit, “We must cut emissions. Science says they must peak by 2020, and decline sharply thereafter. By the end of this century we must be carbon neutral.”
“No one is immune from climate change. Not even these United Nations Headquarters, which were flooded during Superstorm Sandy. I ask all governments to commit to a meaningful, universal climate agreement in Paris in 2015, and to do their fair share to limit global temperature rise to less than two degrees Celsius.”
By the end of the day, Ban was more optimistic, largely because the special summit had come up with a series of initiatives. He listed them at the closing session, saying, “I asked for bold announcements from governments, business, finance and civil society in five key areas. The summit delivered.”
“First, we heard strong commitment for a meaningful, universal climate agreement in Paris next year, with a first draft to be presented in Lima in December… We heard commitments to cut emissions from many countries.”
“Second, on finance, public and private sources showed the way forward for mobilizing the finance we need. Leaders expressed strong support for the Green Climate Fund. Many leaders called for the fund’s initial capitalization at an amount no less than $10 billion. A total of $2.3 billion was pledged towards the fund’s initial capitalization today, and others committed contributions by November 2014.A new coalition of governments, business, finance, multilateral development banks and civil society leaders announced their commitment to mobilize upwards of $200 billion for financing low-carbon and climate-resilient development.Private banks announced they would issue $20 billion of green bonds and that they would double the market to $50 billion by 2015, next year. The insurance industry committed to double its green investments to $82 billion by the same date, by next year.”
“Third: carbon pricing. This is one of the most powerful tools available for reducing emissions and generating sustainable development and growth. Many leaders from government and business supported putting a price on carbon through various instruments and called for intensified efforts to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies.Thirty companies announced their alignment with the Caring for Climate Business Leadership Criteria on Carbon Pricing. And, a number of leaders agreed to join a new Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition to drive action aimed at strengthening carbon pricing policies and redirecting investment.”
“Fourth, we heard how strengthening resilience – both climate and financial – is a smart and essential investment. Adaptation needs are growing, particularly for the least developed countries and small island developing states, which are most at risk and need most international support.”
“Fifth, new coalitions are forming to meet the full scope of the climate challenge. The first Global Agricultural Alliance was launched to enable 500 million farmers worldwide to practice climate-smart agriculture by 2030.Leaders of the oil and gas industry, along with national governments and civil society organizations, made a historic commitment to identify and reduce methane emissions by 2020.A new Compact of Mayors, representing 200 cities with a combined population of 400 million people, pledged new commitments to reduce annual emissions by between 12.4 and 16.4%.Leaders from pension funds committed to de-carbonizing investments worth $100 billion and disclosing the carbon footprint of investments worth $500 billion.”
Climate smart agriculture came under prompt attack from some NGOs, who fear the takeover of this initiative by firms manufacturing genetically modified seeds. Most NGOs were also sceptical about the commitment made by oil firms – for long the biggest deniers of climate change.
Mkutano wa hali ya hewa wa Umoja wa Mataifa ulioandaliwa na Katibu Mkuu wa Umoja wa Mataifa ulisababisha mipango mingi, lakini haukuweza kuziba pengo kati ya mataifa tajiri na maskini juu ya nani anapaswa kufanya nini, India ilirudia haja yake ya kuendeleza, China iliorodhesha hatua ambazo inachukua na Marekani ilirudia kwamba nchi zote zinapaswa kudhibiti uzalishaji wa gesi za chafu (GHG). "Prakash Javadekar, waziri wa mazingira, misitu na mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa nchini India, alisema katika mkutano huo, ""Kama vile mfano wa viwanda unaoongozwa na mafuta ya makaa ya mawe ulianza Magharibi karne kadhaa zilizopita unaonekana kuwa na jukumu la kuongezeka kwa athari za binadamu kwenye hali ya hewa, ukweli mwingine ni kwamba umaskini unabaki kuwa uchafuzi mkubwa... Kwa hivyo, mazungumzo haya juu ya hali halisi iliyobadilika yanaweza kuwa ya kupotosha na kuhamasisha.""" Ingawa Rais wa Marekani alitaja tu China kwa jina, maana yake ilikuwa wazi. Hivyo ndivyo Javadekar alivyojibu. Mlipuko wa gesi za chafu - hasa dioksidi kaboni - unaongeza joto la sayari. Mabadiliko haya ya hali ya hewa yanaathiri uzalishaji wa kilimo ulimwenguni kote, na kufanya ukame, mafuriko na dhoruba kuwa mara kwa mara na kali zaidi, na kuongeza kiwango cha bahari. """Mashirika tajiri ndiyo yanayosababisha uzalishaji mkubwa wa gesi tangu mwanzo wa enzi ya viwanda, lakini sasa China ndiyo inayosababisha uchafuzi mkubwa zaidi, Marekani ni ya pili na India ni ya tatu." Nchi tajiri zinataka nchi zote, hasa nchi zinazoendelea, kuchukua ahadi za kisheria za kudhibiti uzalishaji katika mkataba huo, ambao unajadiliwa chini ya Mkataba wa Mfumo wa Umoja wa Mataifa juu ya Mabadiliko ya Hali ya Hewa (UNFCCC). Nchi zinazoendelea - hasa India - bado zinaendelea kupinga, kwa sababu hatua hiyo ingekuwa isiyo ya haki. Wakati huo huo, India imechukua hatua kubwa za kukabiliana na mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa. "Javadekar alisema: ""Serikali mpya imeongeza mara mbili ushuru wa nishati safi kwa makaa ya mawe ili kuongeza mapato kwa teknolojia za nishati safi, wakati huo huo, zaidi ya dola milioni 15 zimetengwa kwa Mfuko wa Kitaifa wa Kubadilisha; $ 80 milioni kwa kuanzisha miradi ya jua ya ultra-mega; $ 100 milioni kwa mpango mpya unaoitwa teknolojia ya umeme wa joto ya makaa ya mawe; na $ 16 milioni kwa maendeleo ya mbuga za jua kwenye kingo za mifereji." "Javadekar alielezea hatua nyingine za maendeleo ya binadamu na kisha alisema, ""Uhakika unaonyesha kwamba nchi ambazo zimepata kiwango cha maendeleo ya binadamu cha 0.9 au zaidi zina matumizi ya nishati ya watu angalau tani 2.5 za mafuta kwa mwaka." Kwa sasa, matumizi ya nishati kwa kila mtu nchini India ni karibu 0.6 kwa mwaka, ambayo ni sehemu ndogo ya takwimu za ulimwengu uliositawi. "Kwa maneno mengine, kwa teknolojia ya leo na viwango vya maisha, matumizi ya nishati nchini India yanahitaji kuongezeka mara nne kama HDI ya India inaongezeka kutoka thamani ya sasa ya 0.05 hadi 0.9 ""Kwa hivyo changamoto kuu ni kuwezesha matumizi haya ya nishati ya juu kwa gharama ambayo watu wako tayari na uwezo wa kulipa, na kwa kiwango cha chini cha kaboni." "Tunajitolea kabisa kufikia lengo letu la kujitolea la kupunguza uzalishaji wa gesi ya uzalishaji wa jumla kwa asilimia 20 hadi 25 ifikapo mwaka 2020 ikilinganishwa na kiwango cha mwaka 2005,"" alisema Waziri Mkuu. ""India imeamua kuongeza uwezo wa nishati ya upepo mara mbili katika miaka mitano ijayo, kuongeza uwezo wa nishati ya jua hadi zaidi ya MW 20,000 ifikapo mwaka 2020 na kutumia ufanisi wa nishati kuokoa MW 10,000." Akizungumzia mipango hii na mingine, Javadekar alisema, "Ni dhahiri kwamba nchi zinazoendelea zinaweza kufanya zaidi ikiwa msaada wa kifedha na teknolojia na ujenzi wa uwezo unahakikishwa. Hii lazima iwe lengo kuu la ushirikiano wa kimataifa. """Madai ya fedha na msaada wa teknolojia yamekuwa vikwazo vikubwa katika mazungumzo ya UNFCCC, na nchi tajiri hazikuweza kutimiza hata ahadi chache zilizotolewa." China, India, Brazil na Afrika Kusini zimeongoza mahitaji ya matokeo bora. Katika mkutano huo wa Umoja wa Mataifa, waziri wa mambo ya nje wa China Zhang Gaoli alisema China haijashiriki katika mchakato wa mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa. "Akiahidi kwamba ""China itafanya juhudi zaidi kukabiliana na mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa kwa mapenzi yetu wenyewe,"" Zhang alisema, ""China imefanya kazi ya kushangaza kwa kuchapisha Programu yake ya Taifa ya Mabadiliko ya Hali ya Hewa kabla ya mkutano huu.""" Kiasi cha uzalishaji wa kaboni ni kiasi cha uzalishaji wa kaboni kwa kitengo cha ukuaji wa Pato la Taifa. Katika mkutano wa COP wa Copenhagen mwaka 2009, China ilijitolea kupunguza kiwango cha gesi iliyotumika kwa asilimia 40 hadi 45 kufikia mwaka 2020 ikilinganishwa na kiwango cha mwaka 2005. India imeahidi kupunguza uzalishaji wake kwa asilimia 20 hadi 25 na Javadekar amesema nchi hiyo iko katika mwendo mzuri wa kufikia lengo hilo. "Mwanamke huyo alisema China itatoa dola milioni 6 kusaidia ushirikiano wa Kusini-Mashariki katika kukabiliana na mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa.""" "Mara nyingi, Obama amekuwa akizungumza na viongozi wa nchi hizo, akisema ""hakuna taifa linaloweza kukabiliana na tishio hili la kimataifa peke yake, hakuna mtu anayepaswa kuachwa,"" na pia alielezea juhudi za ndani za Marekani za kukabiliana na mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa, wakati huo huo akionyesha uharibifu unaosababishwa na hali mbaya za hali ya hewa nchini humo." "Hali ya hewa inabadilika haraka kuliko uwezo wetu wa kuitatua", alisema. "Kama inavyokuja suala la mazungumzo, Obama alisema, nchi kubwa kama Marekani na China ""ina jukumu maalum la kuongoza"" juu ya jinsi ya kukabiliana na mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa." "Mapendekezo ya Obama ya mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa ni ya utata nchini Marekani, lakini Obama aliahidi, ""Tutafanya sehemu yetu.""Wakati mashirika ya kulia yalisema Rais wa Marekani alikuwa ameenda mbali sana katika hotuba yake, baadhi ya mashirika yasiyo ya kiserikali ikiwa ni pamoja na Oxfam na Greenpeace waliona kwamba hakuwa amekwenda mbali vya kutosha." Kwa ujumla, kulikuwa na dalili chache kwamba mgogoro wa mazungumzo ungevunjwa, na kuna muda mdogo. Mkataba huo unatarajiwa kutiwa saini katika mkutano wa kilele wa UNFCCC uliofanyika Paris Desemba 2015 na ambao utafanyika mjini Lima, Peru. "Kristo Figueres, Katibu Mtendaji wa UNFCCC, alisema: ""Njia pekee ya kufanya Paris mafanikio ni kufanya mafanikio ya Lima, alama za barabara ya Paris, kujaribu kufanya serikali kuchukua mtazamo wa jumla zaidi, Katibu Mkuu wa Umoja wa Mataifa aliwaambia mkutano, ""Ni lazima kupunguza uzalishaji.""" Kwa mujibu wa sayansi, kiwango hicho kinapaswa kufikia kilele chao mwaka 2020 na kisha kupungua kwa kasi. "Kufikia mwisho wa karne hii lazima tuwe na kaboni isiyo na athari yoyote, hakuna mtu aliye salama kutokana na mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa.""" Hata makao makuu ya Umoja wa Mataifa, ambayo yalijaa maji wakati wa Dhoruba kubwa ya Sandy. """Ninawaomba serikali zote kujitolea kwa makubaliano ya hali ya hewa ya ulimwengu katika Paris 2015 na kufanya sehemu yao ya haki ya kupunguza ongezeko la joto la dunia chini ya digrii mbili Celsius,"" alisema Ban, ambaye pia ni mwanzilishi wa mkutano huo." Aliorodhesha katika kikao cha kufunga, akisema, "Niliomba matangazo ya ujasiri kutoka kwa serikali, biashara, fedha na jamii ya kiraia katika maeneo matano muhimu. "Mkutano huo ulitoa: ""Kwanza, tulisikia ahadi kali kwa makubaliano ya hali ya hewa ya ulimwengu katika Paris mwaka ujao, na rasimu ya kwanza itatolewa katika Lima Desemba,"" alisema, ""Tulisikia ahadi za kupunguza uzalishaji kutoka nchi nyingi." Viongozi walionyesha msaada mkubwa kwa Mfuko wa Kijani wa Hali ya Hewa. Viongozi wengi waliomba kuwa na mtaji wa awali wa mfuko huo kwa kiasi kisichopungua dola bilioni 10. Mkataba wa mwaka huu unajumuisha serikali, biashara, fedha, benki za maendeleo za kimataifa na viongozi wa jamii ya kiraia, ambao wametoa ahadi ya kuchangia zaidi ya dola bilioni 200 kwa ajili ya maendeleo ya chini ya kaboni na ya hali ya hewa, na benki za kibinafsi zimetangaza kutoa dhamana za kijani kwa dola bilioni 20 na kuzidisha soko kwa dola bilioni 50 kufikia mwaka 2015. Kampuni ya bima ya Marekani imeweka ahadi ya kuongeza mara mbili uwekezaji wake wa kijani kibichi hadi $ 82 bilioni kufikia tarehe hiyo hiyo, mwaka ujao. Hii ni moja ya zana nguvu zaidi inapatikana kwa ajili ya kupunguza uzalishaji na kuzalisha maendeleo endelevu na ukuaji. "Wazalishaji wa mafuta na gesi ya kaboni wameahidi kuimarisha ""Mfumo wa Usimamizi wa Hali ya Hewa"" na ""Mipaka ya Uongozi wa Biashara ya Kutunza Hali ya Hewa"" kwa ajili ya bei ya kaboni." "Na viongozi kadhaa walikubaliana kujiunga na muungano mpya wa uongozi wa bei ya kaboni ili kuendesha hatua za kuimarisha sera za bei ya kaboni na kuelekeza upya uwekezaji. ""Kwa nne, tulisikia jinsi kuimarisha upinzani - wote wa hali ya hewa na kifedha - ni uwekezaji wa busara na muhimu." "Hitaji la marekebisho ya hali ya hewa linaongezeka, hasa kwa nchi zisizo na maendeleo na visiwa vidogo vinavyoendelea, ambazo ziko katika hatari kubwa na zinahitaji msaada wa kimataifa. ""Kwa tano, muungano mpya unaundwa ili kukabiliana na changamoto ya hali ya hewa." Mkataba wa Kimataifa wa Kilimo (GAL) ulianzishwa mnamo 2020 na kuwezesha wakulima milioni 500 ulimwenguni kote kufanya kilimo cha hali ya hewa na kufunua alama ya kaboni ya uwekezaji wa $ 100 bilioni, na kufunua alama ya kaboni ya uwekezaji wa $ 500 bilioni. Mashirika mengi yasiyo ya kiserikali pia yalikuwa na shaka juu ya ahadi iliyofanywa na makampuni ya mafuta - kwa muda mrefu wakataa wakubwa wa mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa.