The world must unite to save environment
Monday - November 4, 2019 10:17 am ,
Category : WTN SPECIAL
WTN- Even as the US threatens to back out of the Paris climate agreement, the environment ministers of BASIC group of countries that comprise India, South Africa, Brazil and China met in Beijing to press the need for compliance to the agreement by the developed nations. The developed nations, including the US, which also happens to be one of the largest polluters, were supposed to grant 100 million dollars to the developing countries to help them put in place the right measures to reduce pollution.
According to Union environment minister Prakash Javadekar, even 100 million dollars is only a pittance given the scale of the problem and the steps to be taken to resolve some of it but the developed countries, despite their promise, have not paid more than 10-20 million dollars, even as the 2020 deadline is nearing. The Trump administration claims that the agreement, signed by the erstwhile Obama administration, is a raw deal for the US and hence it is backing out of it. This move will certainly impact the works to be taken up and those already under process in the direction of environment protection because apart from policy drawbacks, funding is a major concern that sets back initiatives.
Despite being the largest polluters, the rich countries of the West hardly loosen their purse strings for a greater global cause. Now even as the nations are preparing for the mega event – UN climate change summit to be held in Chile in December, it is not likely that any consensus will be reached as narrow interests of countries will overrule global concerns. That is what has been happening through several such climate summits of the past. If the signatories break their promises at will, the deals and treaties hold little significance.
On the ground, little is changing and pollution continues to be a major issue globally. No major collective initiative has been seen in the recent past which could really bring positive change in the environmental conditions. Poorer nations are struggling to commit by the assurances they give because of funding and technology lags and they look up to the advanced nations for help, while the rich are careless in their opulence and ostentatious luxury, easily getting the allowance of breaching their promises. India is trying hard to push the environmental cause on all major platforms and to back it up, it has embarked upon some major projects to promote renewable energy in the country. But without technological backing from rich nations and funding assistance, things cannot move on rapidly.
Environment protection is responsibility of all nations and isolated progresses made by individual countries won’t make that kind of impact which is needed in today’s scenario, at a time when we have already damaged environment beyond redemption. Countries must dump their myopic outlook and short term gains, and instead unite on a giant scale because environment merits giant scale attention given the seriousness of the issue in the backdrop of the little time we have in hand to mend things. - Window To News
According to Union environment minister Prakash Javadekar, even 100 million dollars is only a pittance given the scale of the problem and the steps to be taken to resolve some of it but the developed countries, despite their promise, have not paid more than 10-20 million dollars, even as the 2020 deadline is nearing. The Trump administration claims that the agreement, signed by the erstwhile Obama administration, is a raw deal for the US and hence it is backing out of it. This move will certainly impact the works to be taken up and those already under process in the direction of environment protection because apart from policy drawbacks, funding is a major concern that sets back initiatives.
Despite being the largest polluters, the rich countries of the West hardly loosen their purse strings for a greater global cause. Now even as the nations are preparing for the mega event – UN climate change summit to be held in Chile in December, it is not likely that any consensus will be reached as narrow interests of countries will overrule global concerns. That is what has been happening through several such climate summits of the past. If the signatories break their promises at will, the deals and treaties hold little significance.
On the ground, little is changing and pollution continues to be a major issue globally. No major collective initiative has been seen in the recent past which could really bring positive change in the environmental conditions. Poorer nations are struggling to commit by the assurances they give because of funding and technology lags and they look up to the advanced nations for help, while the rich are careless in their opulence and ostentatious luxury, easily getting the allowance of breaching their promises. India is trying hard to push the environmental cause on all major platforms and to back it up, it has embarked upon some major projects to promote renewable energy in the country. But without technological backing from rich nations and funding assistance, things cannot move on rapidly.
Environment protection is responsibility of all nations and isolated progresses made by individual countries won’t make that kind of impact which is needed in today’s scenario, at a time when we have already damaged environment beyond redemption. Countries must dump their myopic outlook and short term gains, and instead unite on a giant scale because environment merits giant scale attention given the seriousness of the issue in the backdrop of the little time we have in hand to mend things. - Window To News
