By: Elijah Recto
Climate change, like global warming is a hot topic nowadays. Global warming is an increase in the earth's atmospheric and oceanic temperature due to an increase in the greenhouse effect resulting especially from pollution. Greenhouse gases like chlorofluorocarbons, carbon dioxide and methane absorb heat from the sun and increase the temperature of the earth. Scientists term global warming a serious issue because it can create problems for mankind in the future.
Scientists believe that global warming is caused by many anthropogenic factors such as deforestation, emission of greenhouse gases by industries, burning of fuels etc. This emerging threat compelled the international community and the UN to adopt new rules to protect the earth. One of the rules is Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol is an international system of rules which were passed by the UN in 1997 to minimize the global warming by reducing the emission of the greenhouse gases. There are three mechanisms to implement Kyoto protocol: (A) Trade in permits to emit greenhouse gases. (B) Joint implementation mechanism. (C) Clean development mechanism. This article will particularly discuss the negative effects of Clean Development Mechanism projects on developing countries. “The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is an arrangement under the Kyoto Protocol allowing industrialized countries with a greenhouse reduction commitment to invest in projects that reduce greenhouse gases emissions in developing countries as an alternative to more expensive greenhouse gas emission reductions in their own countries”.
The Kyoto protocol is ineffective and insufficient .Many projects working under the CDM do not fulfill the commitment of reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases, and undermine the credibility of Kyoto Treaty by endangering life in many developing countries.
The Kyoto protocol is not sufficient and it is not possible to reduce global warming to a satisfactory level through this pact. Most scientists believe that we need a 50% reduction of current levels of greenhouse gases by 2050 to stabilize world climate. If the emission of greenhouse gases is greater than their reduction then the Kyoto protocol is futile. Thus, we need some other regulations which can produce effective results in the future.
Most of the developed countries for their cheap investment in projects in the developing countries do not care about pollution. The clean development mechanism is not effective and fruitful. It has other side effects as well. The promotion of monoculture plantation (cultivation of single crop in a large area) under the CDM creates many social and financial problems. Developed countries are the leading emitters of greenhouse gases. The Kyoto Protocol does nothing in pursuing developed countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emission. On the contrary it further facilitates them economically under CDM. The CDM prevents developed countries from reducing greenhouse gases in the following way. Rapid growth and industrialization has brought us to a point where our energy needs are increasing day by day. Coal and fossil fuels are the largest sources that fulfill our energy demands but at the cost of greenhouse gases. To reduce the greenhouse gases we should find alternate sources of energy such as wind energy, solar energy, bio energy etc that are environment friendly.
To sum up, developing countries contain 75% of the world’s population, and they emit greenhouse gases. Most of the projects running under the label of CDM cause pollution in developing countries.
The outcome of the Kyoto Protocol is yet another proof that the world today could care less about the environment, maybe the UN should develop an improved version of the Kyoto Protocol that would force developed countries to cooperate otherwise they will face a large fine as a consequence.
TumugonBurahin