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0 viewsA significant worldwide event is about to take place on our doorstep – but how much do we actually know about it? The seventeenth annual gathering of representatives from the world’s governments, international organisations and civil society, known as the Conference of Parties (COP) are meeting in Durban at the end of November to address issues of global climate change. Discussions will be held to advance the implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol, as well as other plans and agreements adopted at previous COPs.
With a few weeks before the summit officially begins (28 Nov – 9 Dec), what has been making headlines barely shows any relevance to COP17 itself. The South African public has not been shown the facts and information behind the summit, but rather irreverent and inane comments about how the event is being organised. There are more articles about the city of Durban’s rounding up of street vagrants in order to beautify their city before thousands of delegates stream in than there are that inform and educate the public on this important event that is being held in our country.
The fact that the COP will be held in South Africa is very interesting, as developing countries such as ours face problems in the battle against climate change that developed countries do not. In vulnerable areas of the world, climate change poses a very serious threat to poverty reduction and alleviation, because minimising the effects of climate change requires adaptation as well as a huge proportion of governmental budget. The role of the international community is important too, and although there have been agreements for their assistance, the struggle is not nearly over.
South Africa is the most industrialised country in Africa, and produces a substantial amount of greenhouse gas emissions, amounting to about 1.5% of the world’s total of CO2 emissions. Our strong reliance on coal is the primary reason for our high level of greenhouse emissions, which is far above that of other developing countries. As one of the more developed countries in Africa, and as the country with the highest greenhouse gas emissions in Africa, South Africa needs to play a key role in the climate change battle.
It does not need to be said that climate change will (and already has) affected everyone across the globe, but it is often not noted that climate change will affect those living in poverty disproportionally. We have already seen socio-economic impacts on poor countries due to drought and flooding, brought on by climate change. Environmental crises have a far greater impact on people living in poverty than on those in first-world countries. Climate change can also directly undermine poverty reduction efforts. People living in poverty are the most vulnerable to climate change, and are often the worst affected by the impacts.
There is a clear global problem regarding climate change, yet the situation calls for much more than blaming and finger pointing. Climate change will affect every person, and the responsibility is everyone’s. Every country needs to do what they can in order to make real progress, and in Africa, South Africa has an important role to play.
It all seems much easier said than done, and in developing countries such as our own, there needs to be a careful balance between climate requirements and development requirements. The immediate priorities of developing countries seem rather far removed from immediate priorities of climate control, but the challenge that we face is in integrating the priorities. In a developing country, basic human needs are a priority – poverty eradication, access to clean water, access to basic education and healthcare.
How then, can climate change imperatives be realised alongside these requirements? In very simple terms, climate change addresses quality of life in the future, while basic human needs addresses quality of life right now. The two issues are of equal importance, but are tackled very differently. The challenge is whether a developing country can address both concurrently. Developing countries should not avert focus from their development imperatives, yet they still need to ensure that their responsibilities to the Kyoto Protocol are met.
A balance of mitigation (tackling the real causes of climate change, like reducing greenhouse gas emissions), adaptation (taking actions that minimise the consequences of climate change) and the continuation of sustainable development and poverty alleviation needs to be found. An awareness and understanding of climate change is absolutely necessary to achieve this, from those in government making decisions to those living in extreme poverty.
A brief background:
Since 1995, there has been an annual meeting of the COP to the UNFCCC to assess progress. Seen as the supreme body of the Convention, the COP meet to make decisions and resolutions. Seen more as a starting point to address climate change problems, its ultimate objective is stated as being “to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations at a level that will prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system”. The UNFCCC has a near universal membership with 194 parties from different governments as members. Members commit to “gather and share information on greenhouse gas emissions, national policies and best practices”, “launch national strategies” and “cooperate in preparing for adaption to the impact of climate change”.
The UNFCCC is an international environmental treaty which was produced in 1992 at the Earth Summit (the UN Conference on Environment and Development, UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, and aims to stabilise dangerous greenhouse gas emissions and concentrations in the atmosphere. Since 1995, the COP has met annually. A big step was taken in 1997 when the Kyoto Protocol was concluded, which established legally binding conditions and obligations for developed countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The Kyoto Protocol was put into action in 2005. One of the expected outcomes of the Durban meeting is that a step will be taken to reach an agreed outcome of the future of the Kyoto Protocol, which is due to expire next year.
The Kyoto Protocol has not proved as effective as hoped for many reasons, and there is talk of the Protocol being replaced with another treaty altogether. The precious COP, held in Cancun last year, did not address many crucial political issues, and these also need to be addressed in Durban.
Read more about the South African Government’s role in the Kyoto Protocol.
For an interesting guide to change and poverty, see the OneWorld’s guide to Climate Change.