The most eagerly awaited United Nation's Climate Change Conference was held from November 26 to December 7, 2012 in Doha, but the meeting appeared to be quiet compared to any other meetings in the previous years. In the conference, the fate of the Kyoto Protocol - an international agreement on Climate Change was decided as the protocol commitments were due to expire at the end of 2012. The other key issues discussed included giving assurance to the developing countries for funding due to the ‘loss and damage’ that incurred by the climate change, negotiation on a new legally binding agreement by 2015 to enter into force no later than 2020 and accelerate the greenhouse gas reduction actions before the start of the new agreement. The conference outcome carry far reaching effects, as yet, little efforts have been made to public awareness and understanding. The media didn’t exert much effort to bring the information to the public.
Before the conference, the most worrisome of all was the fate of the Kyoto Protocol remained unclear – the only international agreement that sets the binding targets for rich countries. After much debate and wrangling, the Kyoto Protocol was tentatively extended to its second period but Canada, Russia, Japan and New Zealand decided to opt out from the Kyoto commitment. They favoured a non-binding target that expected to cut emissions by 10 to 20 per cent up to 2020. USA and China; two of the largest polluters in the world have refused to commit themselves to any legally binding emission targets. It is indeed very frustrating to see that after almost two decades of international negotiations; little progress has been made in order to keep global greenhouse gas emissions under control and to keep temperature rises below the targeted level of 2°C.
Over the years, the entire negotiation process and outcomes had been very slow and with no doubt if all the countries were convinced and they promised to cut desirable level of greenhouse gas emissions starting in Doha, yet targeted level of 2°C would unlikely be achieved. It’s mostly due to fact that carbon dioxide emissions have risen rapidly by even more than previously anticipated. According to new figures from the Global Carbon Project, co-led by researchers from the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at the University of East Anglia (UEA) that Global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions were set to rise again in 2012, reaching a record high of 35.6 billion tones. The 2.6 per cent rise projected for 2012 means global emissions from burning fossil fuel are 58 per cent above 1990 levels, the baseline year for the Kyoto Protocol.
Everyone recognises that the awful spectre of climate change looms over all the nations, particularly the world's poorest countries suffer first and most from the climate change. According to Fiona Harvey of the Observer newspaper: 'This is first time developing countries have received financial assurances and the first time the phrase ‘loss and damage' from climate change has been enshrined in an international legal document.' By far recognising the ‘loss and damage’ from climate change is one of the successful outcomes of Doha conference. But the key questions remain unanswered, including whether funds devoted to 'loss and damage' will come from existing humanitarian aid and disaster relief budgets (Fiona Harvey, The Observer, 8 December 2012). Funds devoted to 'loss and damage' will probably be one of the most discussed issues in the coming years as the details have not been worked out yet.
Countries like Bangladesh and the Association of Small Island States (AOSIS) have special interests in this outcome as they are facing the toughest consequences of climate change. These funds would allow them to support climate change adaptation programmes in their countries. In the case of Bangladesh, this fund has become rather a contentious issue since the World Bank (WB) wants the control over Climate Resilience Fund. WB also plans to take some percentage of the fund as service charges. The climate change activists in Bangladesh demand that these funds should be controlled by an autonomous board under democratic ownership - meaning, representatives should be involved from all the major political parties, experts, civic society and victims of the climate change. Disagreements will lead more delays hence more suffering for the vulnerable people who are already trapped in a continual round of inequalities, lack of opportunities, social exclusion and lack of access to essential utilities.
It is an on-going debate whether Kyoto Protocol has made the matters worst or it has entirely failed to engage the worst polluters. Despite the extension of Kyoto Protocol, global CO2 emissions will continue to grow. Too little, too late but not doing anything while Global CO2 emissions are on rise is not an option either. European Union should be applauded for their proactive role all the way to the negotiations for a second Kyoto commitment. Now a second commitment period has been ratified by the European Union, Norway, Australia and Switzerland, however it covers only 15% of the global emissions. It’s a tiny portion compared to overall global emissions, but still it’s a step forward to the right direction. Just imagine if no countries want to commit themselves for a second commitment period then the entire protocol process would have been collapsed by now. The consequences would be more unplanned and uncontrolled global emissions hence accelerating the global warming and climate change. We need global collective efforts, patchy and isolated efforts will do very little to combat climate change.
