Thank you, hopenhagen
Wednesday, 30 December 2009
Mohiuddin Babar
IT belied all aspirations, expectations, excitement and enthusiasm. The Copenhagen Climate summit has distorted the belief that all is well that ends well. It did not end with an outright outcome which would have relieved billions of people of worries about sustainability of life in the backdrop of the visible impacts of climate change. The dramatic overture, propelled by US President Barack Obama in conjunction with heads of governments of India, Brazil, South Africa and China, has in a way baffled tens of thousands of people including government leaders, scientists, non-government organisation (NGO) activists, environmentalists and so forth who congregated in the Danish capital for several days since early December deeply expecting a bold and hopeful formula to tackle the fast degrading environmental hazards stemming out of global warming, rising seas, increased natural calamities etc.
In fact, lots of hopes were pinned on the COP15 meeting in Copenhagen. As scientific evidences of melting glaciers, rise in atmospheric temperature, expanding deserts, growing water shortages, increased diseases, loss of species etc., portrayed well to generate fears of ecological collapse, hopes fathomed well in Copenhagen. Perhaps, that is why many made the zest of calling it Hopenhagen. Truly, the curtain of the much-awaited summit dropped without the sound of applause.
The Copenhagen Accord, as it came out to be, fell short of the concrete ambitions which were spawned following the ineffectiveness of the Kyoto Protocol to check emission of greenhouse gases and thus global warming. The absence of any bold declaration at Copenhagen has also eclipsed the enthusiasm which was generated by several global meetings like the Bali conference held in 2007. The Bali Conference particularly mooted the track of negotiations on a new international climate change agreement and it was time befitting because by then there were enough scientific evidences of the growing collapse of earth's ecology , changes in weather patterns, rising natural disasters and so forth. So, quite obviously much was expected out of the Copenhagen summit.
As the Kyoto Protocol is destined to expire in 2012 (though no tangible result has been seen due to non-ratification by the United States and Australia), it was pertinent to have a positive outcome from the COP15 at Copenhagen. The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change had made it clear climate change posed serious threat to the future of the world's economies, societies and ecosystems. Hasn't that threat been defused or degraded by the sullen outcome at Copenhagen?
It is now observed in the post-Copenhagen reactions that the world is divided on the issue of tackling climate change. While the US calls it a beginning of a new era of international actions and China siphoning its satisfaction, several others have expressed utter disappointment. The European leaders have already slammed it as imperfect and insufficient. To most of the developing countries which are going to suffer the brunt of the climate change, hopes for immediate mitigation measures have faded away.
The most important drawback of the accord is that it is not legally binding. This was a key demand by the developing countries so that at least the main polluters are brought to a commitment. The accord also mentions about checking the rise in global surface temperature but does not give any time frame.
One flaw that the developing nations had is the lack of unanimity in urging for instant mitigation measures. It was observed that the developing countries were more inclined to receiving commitments of adaptation fund. The first step should have been the manifestation of pledges for deep cuts in emissions by the industrialised or fast industrialising countries. Nothing was achieved towards this end. Many of the developing countries, particularly the island states which fear complete extinction with sea level rise, have reasons to feel lost.
The main problem is that too much was expected from the Copenhagen meet. With tens of thousands of people converging in the Danish capital, braving the freezing weather, the barometer of expectations rose in quick gradients. Secondly, all attentions were focused on the big economies with hopes of their surrender or charitable attitude in terms of reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. No doubt the COP15 succeeded in bringing every one on board but to no tangible result. It was like taking the horse to the pool but the horse couldn't be forced to drink water. The mathematics did not work and with no clear cut commitment of any readymade adaptation fund, the poor nations could slip into oblivion and continue to be bewildered with every centimeter rise in sea level, with every strong gust of storm and every count of devastation due to flood. The trail shall go on and the charismatic endeavours at Copenhagen will soon be forgotten. Thank you, hopenhagen.
The writer is the author of the book 'An apology to nature'. He can be reached on
e-mail : babar.mohiuddin@gmail.com
IT belied all aspirations, expectations, excitement and enthusiasm. The Copenhagen Climate summit has distorted the belief that all is well that ends well. It did not end with an outright outcome which would have relieved billions of people of worries about sustainability of life in the backdrop of the visible impacts of climate change. The dramatic overture, propelled by US President Barack Obama in conjunction with heads of governments of India, Brazil, South Africa and China, has in a way baffled tens of thousands of people including government leaders, scientists, non-government organisation (NGO) activists, environmentalists and so forth who congregated in the Danish capital for several days since early December deeply expecting a bold and hopeful formula to tackle the fast degrading environmental hazards stemming out of global warming, rising seas, increased natural calamities etc.
In fact, lots of hopes were pinned on the COP15 meeting in Copenhagen. As scientific evidences of melting glaciers, rise in atmospheric temperature, expanding deserts, growing water shortages, increased diseases, loss of species etc., portrayed well to generate fears of ecological collapse, hopes fathomed well in Copenhagen. Perhaps, that is why many made the zest of calling it Hopenhagen. Truly, the curtain of the much-awaited summit dropped without the sound of applause.
The Copenhagen Accord, as it came out to be, fell short of the concrete ambitions which were spawned following the ineffectiveness of the Kyoto Protocol to check emission of greenhouse gases and thus global warming. The absence of any bold declaration at Copenhagen has also eclipsed the enthusiasm which was generated by several global meetings like the Bali conference held in 2007. The Bali Conference particularly mooted the track of negotiations on a new international climate change agreement and it was time befitting because by then there were enough scientific evidences of the growing collapse of earth's ecology , changes in weather patterns, rising natural disasters and so forth. So, quite obviously much was expected out of the Copenhagen summit.
As the Kyoto Protocol is destined to expire in 2012 (though no tangible result has been seen due to non-ratification by the United States and Australia), it was pertinent to have a positive outcome from the COP15 at Copenhagen. The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change had made it clear climate change posed serious threat to the future of the world's economies, societies and ecosystems. Hasn't that threat been defused or degraded by the sullen outcome at Copenhagen?
It is now observed in the post-Copenhagen reactions that the world is divided on the issue of tackling climate change. While the US calls it a beginning of a new era of international actions and China siphoning its satisfaction, several others have expressed utter disappointment. The European leaders have already slammed it as imperfect and insufficient. To most of the developing countries which are going to suffer the brunt of the climate change, hopes for immediate mitigation measures have faded away.
The most important drawback of the accord is that it is not legally binding. This was a key demand by the developing countries so that at least the main polluters are brought to a commitment. The accord also mentions about checking the rise in global surface temperature but does not give any time frame.
One flaw that the developing nations had is the lack of unanimity in urging for instant mitigation measures. It was observed that the developing countries were more inclined to receiving commitments of adaptation fund. The first step should have been the manifestation of pledges for deep cuts in emissions by the industrialised or fast industrialising countries. Nothing was achieved towards this end. Many of the developing countries, particularly the island states which fear complete extinction with sea level rise, have reasons to feel lost.
The main problem is that too much was expected from the Copenhagen meet. With tens of thousands of people converging in the Danish capital, braving the freezing weather, the barometer of expectations rose in quick gradients. Secondly, all attentions were focused on the big economies with hopes of their surrender or charitable attitude in terms of reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. No doubt the COP15 succeeded in bringing every one on board but to no tangible result. It was like taking the horse to the pool but the horse couldn't be forced to drink water. The mathematics did not work and with no clear cut commitment of any readymade adaptation fund, the poor nations could slip into oblivion and continue to be bewildered with every centimeter rise in sea level, with every strong gust of storm and every count of devastation due to flood. The trail shall go on and the charismatic endeavours at Copenhagen will soon be forgotten. Thank you, hopenhagen.
The writer is the author of the book 'An apology to nature'. He can be reached on
e-mail : babar.mohiuddin@gmail.com