The climate meeting in Lima, COP 20, has finished and it is time to reflect on the result. Actually, there is not much result to reflect on, as the meeting delivered an extremely weak agreement. As during previous conferences one key discussion block progress in all different thematic negotiations. It is the question about how to share the efforts in a fair way. How to achieve “climate justice”.
In the UN language “climate justice” is not used. Instead references are made to “Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities”, also known as “CBDR-RC. The concept “CBDR-RC” is already agreed, but as there is no agreement about the interpretation, climate negotiations are again and again returning to the questions about how efforts are to be shared.
In Lima, and during previous talks, there are two major positions. USA, EU, Canada, Australia and other northern countries wants to end the old division between developed and developing countries, by arguing that capability and current responsibilities develop over time. China, India, Malaysia and a group of other developing countries, wants to keep the so called “fire wall” between developed and developing countries, based on the argument that developed countries have a big historic responsibility.
These two perspectives conflict, and make any discussion about mitigation, finance, adaptation, loss and damage difficult.
Effort sharing, and CBDR-RC, is certainly a complex matter, but it must be solved if the climate summit in Paris next year is to deliver an ambitious agreement. The only way to move forward must be to look for new solutions, which consider both current and historic responsibilities. A few richer developing countries, most recently Peru and Colombia, have taken concrete action by pledging funds to the green climate fund. This is an action they were not required to do, but something they chose to do considering that they, in spite of being developing countries, have relatively strong economies, and thus capabilities to act. Brazil has made a proposal, for how a future effort sharing could look like. They propose three concentric circles, where countries with the biggest responsibility to act are in the center, while the most vulnerable countries are in the circle further out.
The challenges caused by climate change are huge, for all of us. And we all need to take action. However, efforts should be shared in a fair manner, so that development in poor countries, with the least responsibilities for global warming, is not jeopardized. Clearly historic responsibility has a role to play. Western countries have been aware of the effects of increased emissions for years, but still emissions in many countries have been allowed to increase. Still, capabilities must also be considered. The urgent need for action must be taken seriously of all, and thus developing countries should also engage, taking into account their additional efforts to create development, and possible need for support.
True climate justice is difficult to achieve, but still, it needs to be addressed. If not, climate negotiations will continue to stumble, with difficulties to deliver ambitious result.
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