adminThe debates and signing of protocols started decades ago as it emerged that global warming was indeed causing climate change but they have simply remained just that — high-sounding debates and protocols on paper.
Divergent economic and political interests between the heavy polluters (who are developed nations) and lightweight polluters (developing nations) are overriding sound reason. Developing nations cannot meet the ever-changing goals of the European Union commitment under the Kyoto Protocol as they are already at the receiving end of the effects of climatic change despite being smaller greenhouse gas emitters. The Kyoto Protocol was adopted at the third Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change with one of the objectives being to encourage developed countries to stabilise greenhouse gas emissions.
Failure to comply with the protocol by industrialised countries has become the thorny issue in the fight against climate change. Developing nations are of the view that since they contribute less in greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming and climate change and that they lack resources to adapt and mitigate the phenomenon compared to developed countries, the industrialised countries must commit themselves and their resources more to mitigating and adapting to climate change.
“The developed world should not sacrifice the world’s environment to the dustbin for their selfish and individual political or economic gains,” said the International Institute for Environment and
Development.
World’s Conference of Parties (COP) on climate change has been held almost every year and we have entered into COP18, but no agreement and nothing tangible is forthcoming from the meetings. The first COP was held in 1997. Developed countries are urged under COP to reduce their overall greenhouse gas emission to 1990 levels by this year. However, it appears nothing is forthcoming.
Environment Africa’s Zimbabwe director, Mr Barnabas Mawire, said the blame game and economic interests are always ruling the roost in most climate change debates. He said partners need to commit themselves under the Kyoto Protocol on reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and face what he termed the “inconvenient truth” for the sake of sustainable development.
“Developed and developing nations should work as ‘partners in crime’ in finding solutions and fight to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Kyoto Protocols are not being followed and economic growth is taking centre stage in every debate, while greenhouse gas emissions are on the increase, since the Rio Earth Summit in 1992.
“There is need for global partnership, where individuals and countries should move away from apportioning blame but work like partners in crime to manage climate change,” he said.
Africa, like most developing regions of the world, is under threat from the effects of climate change which have resulted in recurrent droughts and floods.
The negative conditions have caused death and hunger. The impact is hardest in Africa and developing states because their adaptation measures are weaker than those of heavy polluters like Europe and the US.
According to the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Directorate (FANR) assessments, Southern Africa is experiencing more frequent food deficits because of climatic change effects.
Though Malawi tops the region in maize surplus, food security is gloomy for other member states with Zimbabwe, among the most challenged due to recurrent droughts caused by climate change and aggravated economic conditions amid illegal sanctions.
To minimise the impact of climate change, Sadc must concentrate on improving its food security, facilitation and implementation of the 2004 Dar-es-Salaam Declaration and Action Plan on Food Security and Coordination on Transfrontier Conservation Areas which are at various stages of development as part of its climatic change adaptation and mitigation measures within its region.
Developed countries are dragging in their commitment in mobilising adaptation and mitigatory funds under the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) of 1992, to reduce the Green House Gas emissions in the world by at least 20 percent. Developing nations did not have targets under the protocol since their level of emissions contribute only two percent owing to their low industrialisation.
However, in exchange for meeting their targets within their borders, developed countries were expected to invest in low cost abatement opportunities in developing nations and receive credits under a process called Clean Development Mechanism.
Developed and developing countries should adapt to cleaner development mechanisms through use of cleaner technologies without compromising their development. Also developing countries need not emulate consumption patterns followed by the developed world.
Recently in Maputo, Mozambique, Sadc leaders declared and reinforced the need for the region to finalise the Protocol on Environment, and the implementation of the Sadc-EAC-Comesa Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Programme, together with the coordination of the regional position on how to tackle the issue of climate change and greening the environment as a matter of urgency.
Member states were urged to support the Regional Action Plan for adaptation to climate change to save agriculture within the region.
National Climate Change Coordinator, Mr Washington Zhakata said the Government has a number of strategies which are home-grown mechanisms to fight the impact of climate change.
“The debates on climate change seem to be endless but with this realisation as a government, we have some comprehensive strategies in place that will help the nation from adapting and mitigating the impacts of climate change. “We are not only waiting for the outcomes from the world’s climate change debates or conventions, but we have set up our home grown mechanisms to deal with the crisis such as the National Climate Change Response Strategy,” said Mr Zhakata.
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Online Reporter