|
Governments have to fight
climate change together, but the rich countries must act first,
because they are causing the problem.
"A child born in a wealthy country is
likely to consume, waste, and pollute more in his lifetime than
50 children born in developing nations. Our energy-burning lifestyles
are pushing our planet to the point of no return."
George Carey, Archbishop of Canterbury, UK
Climate change is a global problem that needs
international co-operation. However, not all countries have
the same role to play. The threat we are facing is mostly a
result of the resource intensive lifestyle of the rich, industrialised
societies and their hunger for too much energy that is based
on too inefficient burning of fossil fuels.
Rich countries must help the poor countries cope
with the effects of climate change. They must also enable them
to choose climate-friendly technologies and to provide clean
and affordable energy sources for their citizens. This is crucial
since projected emission levels for emerging economies, such
as in China or Brazil would soon dwarf those of the rich countries
if they were to follow the same fossil fuel based industry model.
In 1997, governments agreed on an international
treaty, the Kyoto Protocol that commits the industrialised countries
of the world to reduce their combined emissions of greenhouse
gases by 5% by 2012 compared to 1990 levels. The US and Australia
have withdrawn from the treaty, thus it now needs ratification
from Russia in order to enter into force. The Kyoto Protocol
is a good start but what we really need is emission cuts of
80-90%.
Governments need to act together. However, this
is no excuse to do nothing at home now. The European Union has
taken a leadership role in international negotiations so far.
The EU wide Emissions Trading Scheme, If applied properly, can
deliver necessary incentives, as it assigns companies emission
allowances that they have to comply with. Europe must maintain
its positive example and commit to drastic reductions in the
long term. Only then can we hope to encourage other countries
to take action.
|
