United Nations Summit on climate change(COP 24) is a positive step in tackling effects of climate change but challenges remain in effective implementation of the Paris accord. Examine (200 Words )
Refer - Business Standard
Enrich the answer from other sources, if the question demands.
IAS Parliament 6 years
KEY POINTS
COP – 24 a Positive Step
· The Paris accord is the only hope for mankind and it is good that the Katowice meet has drawn up the rules to ensure its meticulous implementation.
· The agreed game plan outlines technical guidelines to allow each tonne of GHG released in the atmosphere to be accounted for; this would facilitate effective monitoring of the progress towards hitting the nationally set goals for climate action in a transparent manner.
· It can help build trust among nations that all countries are playing their part in addressing the global warming challenge.
· The summit enables collective action and coordination at an international level to solve the problems of climate change.
Challenges in effective implementation of the Paris accord
· The Paris accord does not bind countries to fulfil their climate amelioration pledges; it is uncertain whether the outcome of the Katowice meet would suffice to avert the potential damage from global heating.
· Key concerns of the developing countries like common but differentiated responsibilities and access to finance and technology for climate mitigation and adaptation have remained unaddressed.
· Several other rich countries, along with major oil-producing and -exporting countries, have strongly opposed any cut in the use of fossil fuels. Eg: Poland, the host country which presided over the conference, itself produces nearly 80 per cent of its power from coal.
· The developed countries were unwilling even to accept the report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which stated that the failure to achieve the Paris accord’s target of containing global warming to 1.5 degrees over the pre-industrial levels.
· The burden of global warming would fall disproportionately on the poor, who are incapable of withstanding it and are least responsible for causing this menace.
It is, therefore, clear that regardless of a positive deal at Katowice, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are unlikely to abate anytime soon and the process of global heating is set to persist in the foreseeable future.
