Climate Justice: Time For The Global South To Unite
Champika Ranawaka
During my journey to Mizoram, I had a layover at New Delhi airport for approximately five hours, providing me with an opportunity to peruse the latest book authored by India’s External Affairs Minister, Honourable Jaishankar, titled “Why Bharat Matters”. This brought back memories of my visit to Delhi in 2015, when I served as the Minister of Power and Energy alongside our President, Excellency Maithripala Sirisena. During that visit, we engaged in fruitful bilateral discussions with Excellency the Prime Minister Modi, External Affairs Secretary Mr. Jaishankar, and other esteemed ministers. Reflecting on India’s economic growth from USD 2.1 trillion to USD 3.4 trillion over nine years, I realized the potential impact of a pragmatic foreign policy, as outlined in Honourable Jaishankar’s book, on this impressive growth trajectory.
Glancing through the Times of India newspaper, I noted that February of the current year was recorded as the hottest in recent history. Whether attributed to the end of winter, the El Nino effect in the Indo-Pacific region, or global warming, such climate-related events affect both India and Sri Lanka. It’s important to distinguish between “climate” and “weather,” with the former referring to long-term patterns and the latter to day-to-day changes. Climate change, marked by unpredictable alterations in these patterns, is fuelled by solar radiation and exacerbated by the accumulation of carbon emissions, primarily from fossil fuel burning.
Efforts to address climate change have a long history, marked by milestones such as the Club of Rome declaration in 1968 and the Rio convention in 1992, which led to the establishment of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Despite progress, challenges persist, with debates over emission reductions and financial compensations for climate-related disasters. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has underscored the urgency of limiting global temperature rise to avoid catastrophic consequences, emphasizing the importance of adhering to carbon budgets. However, current carbon emissions far exceed sustainable levels, necessitating concerted global efforts to mitigate climate change and its impacts.
Considering historical injustices and disproportionate carbon footprints, proposals such as carbon debt concept and reparations for climate-related damages have gained traction, reflecting the need for accountability and equitable burden-sharing among nations. Just as Indian progressive political activists Mr Sashi Tharoor advocates for acknowledging colonial exploitation (South Asia at large), it’s imperative for industrialized nations to acknowledge their historical contributions to climate change and take responsibility for mitigating its effects, including compensating affected countries for their losses.
Indian progressive political activist like Mr. Shai Tharoor (Inglorious Empire) Argives with substantial substance that the British colonials exploited India (south Asia at large) to develop the United Kingdom.
*Patali Champika Ranawaka (MP), Former Minister of Environment & Natural Resources, Science & Technology, Power & Energy, Megapolis & Western Development
The post Climate Justice: Time For The Global South To Unite appeared first on Colombo Telegraph.
