Originally published on the CGS blog on May 3, 2007.
According to a draft version of a new UN climate report acquired by Reuters, developing countries are already doing a lot to curb climate change. The rising greenhouse gas emissions of rapidly industrialising developing nations such as India and China, which are exempt from emissions caps under the Kyoto Protocol, have long served as an excuse for the U.S. refusal to participate in binding international climate agreements. Yet, the draft report concludes that developing countries, including India and China have already cut their rising greenhouse gas emissions by more than the total emissions reductions required of developed nations under the Kyoto Protocol.
Far from sitting on the sidelines, waiting for rich nations to solve the climate problem, many developing countries have already acted in ways that have reduced their emissions growth – despite their limited resources, and the host of development challenges they face. This should serve as a call to action for the U.S. and its partners in Europe. Historically, developed countries are responsible for the vast majority (77% from 1950 to 2000) of emissions that have caused the rapid change in climate we are experiencing today. And we know that Africa, the continent that has contributed the least to the problem, will suffer first and most the effects of global warming.
The final version of the report is due to be released in Bangkok on Friday. It remains to be seen whether the report’s message will penetrate the fog of inaction that has characterized recent U.S. international engagement on climate change… (played out most recently in the lack of progress at the U.S.-EU summit )
— caveat — I am not suggesting that developing countries, particularly India and China, do not have a long way to go… but perhaps we should be taking emissions reductions as a positive first step and a place to begin good faith negotiations, rather than continuing to play a global waiting game for which we will all ultimately have to pay a steep price?
