The United Nations Climate Change Conference began in Egypt with a warning that our earth is “sending a despotic signal.”
Climate change is a global crisis that does not discriminate among races, adhere to borders, or separate the rich from the poor. It affects everyone and global solidarity is needed to tackle it with shared responsibilities, resources, and technologies. Therefore, climate solidarity is no longer a matter of contribution or compensation; rather it has become a sheer commitment to humanity and civilization.
“Humanity has a choice: Cooperate or perish. It is either a Climate Solidarity Pact — or a Collective Suicide Pact,” the UN Secretary-General told over 100 world leaders reunited for the first official plenary of the UN Climate Change Conference.
However, when at no other point in human history has there been a more urgent cause than tackling climate change, why is it taking so many years to materialize climate commitment? Besides, the world agreed in 2015 during a UN summit in France to try to limit the average global average temperature increase to 1.6C, a deal dubbed the Paris Climate Agreement that was seen as a breakthrough in international climate action.
The commitment has still not been upheld, generating mistrust and reluctance among some developing nations to accelerate the reduction of carbon emissions. In the absence of vigorous action, rousing speeches, and uplifting words on climate change are merely hollow talk.
Global climate solidarity is at stake due to the global financial and geopolitical crisis. Inflationary pressures, and food and fuel problems have impacted all countries and forced developed countries to abandon their climate commitments. They are now revising their previous climate commitments.
– Saume Saptaparna Nath is a Research Associate at the KRF Center for Bangladesh and Global Affairs (CBGA). Previously, she worked as an Intern at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh.
Published in Dhaka Tribune [Link]
