• UGI USER
  • Dec 13, 2023
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|| LESSONS FROM COP28: HOW TO SAVE WHAT WE CAN ||

Syllabus: GS-III; Environment &Ecology

Why in the News?

  • The 14th Emissions Gap Report (2023) was just released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
  • The report, which was made public shortly before the Conference of Parties (COP28) in Dubai, focused on how much carbon emissions must be cut worldwide in order to slow down the rise in global temperatures.

Emissions Gas Report

  • By adopting mitigation and adaptation measures as planned, the world’s emission level will differ from what it should be to prevent climate shocks. This difference is measured as the emission gap.
  • This report compares the temperature of the pre-industrial era to the global average and shows how far the world is from meeting the necessary actions to keep global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by the year 2100.

Origin of the Greenhouse Gases (GHGs)

  • GHGs are primarily composed of methane, nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide (CO2), and other synthetic gases.
  • The effects of CO2 can linger for over a century and it makes up a large portion of all greenhouse gases.
  • Despite being roughly 28 times more powerful than CO2, methane is produced at a much lower rate and its negative effects wear off in ten years.
  • Fossil fuel combustion accounts for the majority of CO2 emissions, which are produced by transportation (20%), manufacturing and construction (18%), buildings 8%, industry 5%, and power generation and process heat (43%).

Correlation between GHGs and Global Warming: Global Temperature Rise

  • Linking Greenhouse Gas Emissions to Global Warming: Increase in Global Temperature
  • The Earth’s average temperature has been rising as a result of a significant increase in greenhouse gases.
  • These gases come from a variety of sources, including waste, industry, agriculture, land use, and energy-related activities.
  • The average temperature of Earth has already risen by about 1 degree Celsius since pre-industrial times.
  • GHGs are essential for retaining heat in the atmosphere and preventing its escape. The Earth’s surface is getting warmer overall as a result of this phenomenon.
  • Numerous extreme weather events are a direct result of this temperature spike. Notable effects include unprecedented rains, floods, more frequent droughts, strong storms, and cyclones.

Future Mitigation Strategies:

Power Generation Transition

One of the most important strategies to move away from fossil fuels for power generation is to switch to renewable sources. In this shift, solar and wind energy become important players.

  • Changes in the Transportation Sector: Taking care of the transportation sector requires a move toward vehicles that run on electricity and hydrogen. Making this change is crucial to lowering reliance on conventional fossil fuels in the pursuit of sustainability.
  • Address the Issues in the Industrial Sector:
    • The high heat requirements of industries like iron, steel, and aluminum make this problem especially severe.
    • It will be difficult to replace fossil fuels in this industry because current renewable energy sources cannot keep up with demand.
  • Finance Mechanism for Climate Change Considering the Historical Responsibilities:
    • The process of shifting away from fossil fuels requires a lot of capital, which developing nations cannot afford.
    • Therefore, it is imperative that the developed world transfer technology in addition to finance.
    • Since the developed world is to blame for the excessive carbon footprints, it is only fair that they bear the financial burden of the harm.
    • The polluter pays principle ought to apply in this case, according to logic.
    • The cumulative CO2 emissions of nations like the US account for 25% of global emissions; by contrast, the corresponding figures for the EU and China are 22% and 12.7%, respectively.
    • India’s total emissions are only 3% in comparison to this. Additionally, it is only 1.8 tons per person, compared to the global average of 4.7 tons.

Progress of Ongoing COP28 Climate Meeting

  • Expectations regarding the Use of Fossil Fuels at COP28:
    • Fossil fuels have been absent from climate talks for a long time, but there are signs that they will be included at COP28.
    • The lack of progress made by the international community in meeting the 2030 climate targets is adding to the pressure to address fossil fuels.
    • Countries are invited to submit their ideas for the phase-out of fossil fuels by Sultan Al Jaber.
    • This action indicates a change in direction and a readiness to discuss fossil fuels’ place in the climate debate.
  • Possible Mention of Fossil Fuel Phase-Down: Given that it has gone unspoken for the past thirty years, a potentially radical move could be made in the final decisions made at COP28 if the necessity of phasing down fossil fuels is mentioned.
  • Global Stockate Report: No Agreement: At the COP28 meeting, the most controversial matter—the global stock take report—has not yet been decided.
  • The future course of climate change will be determined by this report, particularly with regard to issues of climate equity and the phase-out of fossil fuels.
  • Positive Developments on the Loss and Damage Fund: Since the fund was operationalized, there has been some progress in this area.

What more can be done?

  • In the Climate Finance, We Must Go Past Statistical Trickery:
    • Over the last fifteen years or so, there has been discussion about giving developing nations $100 billion in annual resource transfers, or only 15% of what is needed to finance sufficient mitigation and adaptation efforts.
    • However, this isn’t actually the case. Although OECD data purports to demonstrate that countries are currently transferring nearly $80 billion annually, this is merely a statistical trick and nations must advance past this point.
  • Additional Steps Are Needed: Every nation has created plans known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs) to fight climate change. According to the most recent NDCs, the temperature will rise by 2.5 to 2.9 degrees Celsius by the turn of the century, according to the UNEP’s emissions gap report. Even though these numbers are merely indicative, they are still quite concerning. Obviously, more work needs to be done.

In conclusion

  • All nations are equally impacted by the global phenomenon known as climate change. Thus, the world needs a collective effort backed by wealthy nations rather than unilateral mechanisms.
    Since they did not cause the issue, developing nations have little financial resources to pay for mitigation measures and a clean-up.
  • Rich nations must practice what they preach when it comes to saving as much as possible, even though there have been some encouraging advancements in the loss and damage fund.

Mains Question

Analyse the global phenomenon known as climate change affects all countries equally, so the world needs to work together with the support of wealthy nations.

 Source:https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/time-for-action-the-hindu-editorial-on-cop-28-climate-meeting-in-dubai/article67583810.ece