Convert economies into greenfields

Attention has now shifted beyond the recent Durban conference, which produced a less-than-expected outcome. It is now fixed on the future, 2012 immediately, whether it will deliver on the promises of yesteryear, or it will be just another year hastening humanity’s descent into despondency.
The major events on the climate change calendar for 2012 is the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD or Rio+20) in June in Brazil, as well as the annual UN Conference of the Parties (COP18) to be hosted by Qatar later in the year.
Several other smaller conferences dealing with a variety of issues ranging from energy to forest management will also be held during the year. At Rio+20, nations will discuss the key issues of sustainable development, and sustainable consumption and production through a “greening of economies”.
The concept of the green economy is central in sustainable development, as it encourages economies to grow sustainably in ways that at best, cause below minimum injury to the environment. Transforming world economies into green economies is regarded paramount and indispensable in tackling climate change and global warming.
Rio+20 will examine the way that people eat with a view of promoting responsible and sustainable eating lifestyles in face of world food shortages, caused by climate change.
Discussions will concentrate also on encouraging governments worldwide to adopt and implement national sustainable development strategies; promoting production patterns that reduce greenhouse gases and limit environmental degradation. The World Summit on Sustainable Development targets poverty eradication and the sustainable management of natural resources. While the transition into a green economy may open up new opportunities such as employment creation, sustainable development in a green economy is an uphill task for most developing countries, eager to catch up with industrialised Europe.
The challenge is to balance risk and responsibility. Indications are that most of the developing world will take their chances with the environment. South Africa, which emits more than 25 percent of all carbons in Africa, stressed recently that coal was the future of its power generation for a long time to come.
This is despite widespread global calls to drastically limit the use of fossil fuels, which have been proven to cause most of the warming in the world today.
South Africa and India, another growing polluter, are also pursuing dangerous nuclear, as an energy source. Several big emitters in waiting in the developing world are likely to continue using and expanding the use of fossil fuels in their development agendas.
There is a greater task at Rio+20 to ensure governments commit to achieving economic development in a verifiable and sustainable manner. World leaders recognised the importance of converting economies into greenfields through sustainable development 10 years ago when they agreed to pursue the matter on a global scale at a UN conference in South Africa.
Rio+20 will coincide with the 20th anniversary of the landmark United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED).
The UNCED marked the first inclusive global response to climate change, resulting in the signing of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which gave birth to various globally binding agreements to curb emissions and improve environmental governance.
In 2012, several subsidiary bodies will be established to fulfil agreed outcomes from Durban. Major among these will be the subsidiary body to drive negotiations that will lead to a new world treaty replacing the Kyoto Protocol to be implemented in four years’ time.
Whether this deal will come to pass is anyone’s guess. Climate change negotiations have been largely incremental, dragging and procrastinating on major deals that could have a huge bearing on climate change response. Urgent action is required, especially the fulfilment of long overdue commitments from developed countries on finance. The year 2012 may be a litmus test for global action and commitment on climate change, as growing calls for immediate action continue growing, drowning those of delayed action.
God is faithful.

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