COP28 Dubai
By Manish Anand
New Delhi, November 30: Heads of the states will begin making three-minute speeches in Dubai from today to assert their resolves to meet commitments ratified to achieve the goals of Paris Accord. The COP28 is taking place in Dubai against the backdrop of darkening reality that the goals set previously have been missed by miles, and the people all around the world have been stricken by the wrath of the climate change.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is taking part in the inauguration of COP28, which will conclude on December 12. The UAE is expecting a participation of not less than 70,000 people from 200 countries during the COP28, said Reuters in a report. Fresh from the presidency of G20, India has been seen as a vocal voice on climate issues after New Delhi sought to forcefully raise the sufferings of the people in the Global South.
Yet, the COP28 faces usual challenge from China and the US. The two largest economies of the world account for almost half of the emissions of the greenhouse gases. “The US and China are now the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases, amounting to a whopping 43 per cent of global GHG emissions between themselves. The US and China have already labelled the forthcoming COP28 in Dubai as a ‘Methane and non-CO2 Greenhouse Gases Summit’. This is clever by the two biggest polluters. By focusing on Methane and non-CO2 Greenhouse Gases, inconvenient truths relating to coal, oil and gas use as well as climate finance may be brushed under the carpet,” wrote former diplomat Mohan Kumar in a curtain raiser article.
He explained that the Paris Accord, reached in 2015, had set an ambitious task to limit the rise in the global average temperature below two degree centigrade. However, the UN in its ‘Emission Gap Report 2023’ said that the world is going to miss the target by a long distance. It stated that the world would be warmer by 2.9 degree centigrade by 2100. Also, the greenhouse gas emissions will be higher by three per cent by 2030 in place of being cut by 28 per cent.
Recently, Chinese diplomats in Europe claimed that there is no linkage between carbon emissions and climate change. The remarks were made after critical reports came against over 10 per cent rise in carbon emission from China in the first quarter this year. With China coming out of the lockdown after over two years, experts have grimly noted the Communist country burning fossil fuels sourced cheaply from Russia to fire the economic engines.
Former US President Donald Trump is being shown leading the race for the presidency of the largest economy in the world and also a companion of China as rogue polluter. Trump had led the US in walking out of the Paris Accord. While incumbent US President Joe Biden has served lip services to fulfil the climate commitments, the American political space is resonating with rhetoric against efforts to limit carbon emissions.
Foreign Affairs in a commentary in the run up to the COP28 warned that the Global North is alienating the Global South on climate efforts. It may be noted that the climate mitigation efforts require almost 30 times more finance for mitigation efforts from the current level. The Global North consisting of the developed nations continue to shrug off the burden of the finance by arguing that China should not be counted among developing nation and avoid the financial responsibilities.
About The Author
