【明報專訊】According to a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), it is almost confirmed that climate change is directly related to greenhouse gases produced by human activities. Despite the fact that developed countries emit the most greenhouse gases, the burden is shouldered by the world as a whole. Some countries have borne the brunt of climate change due to their geographical locations, with the lives of the people and the existence of their countries under threat. It is argued that developed countries should play a bigger role in emission reduction.

Should developed countries shoulder more responsibility?

Carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere for as long as 100 years. This implies that carbon dioxide released during the second Industrial Revolution is still affecting planet Earth. As stipulated in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, countries shoulder "common but differentiated responsibilities". In 2010, the Green Climate Fund(綠色氣候基金) was created as a result of collaboration between different countries. Developed countries provide subsidies to developing countries, helping them cope with climate change. But it remains unsettled whether developed countries have the historical responsibility to take the lead and cut emissions substantially.

Climate injustice

Global warming leads to more frequent droughts and flooding. While developed countries have the resources and technology to deal with them, poorer countries have to be on their own. For many years, Africa has been affected by droughts, while island nations are fighting for their existence due to rising sea levels caused by global warming. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said that starting from 2008, there were 22.5 million people who were forced to leave their homelands because of flooding, storms and other extreme weather conditions. These people are called "climate refugees(氣候難民)".

Paris Agreement × Financial assistance

The Paris Agreement, which came into effect in 2016, upholds the "common but differentiated responsibility" principle and demand that different countries deal with climate change through "nationally determined contributions" and come up with a scale of emission reduction in accordance with their national situations and capabilities. It also stipulates that developing countries will receive US＄100 billion worth of financial assistance by 2020. Narendra Modi, the Indian prime minister, described the agreement as a victory for climate justice. In June 2017, US president Donald Trump announced that the US would withdraw from the Paris agreement, despite saying that he would renegotiate a deal.

Related concepts:

．global warming

．gas emission

．international summit

[通通識 第474期]