PORTLAND, USA, AUGUST 10 (IPS) – With climate change increasing the number of people death and not to mention hurtand economic, social and environmental development consequence Around the world, it is time for governments to take bold action to address the climate emergency.
Climate scientists warned that there is only a dozen years for global warming to be kept to a maximum 1.5 degrees Celsius. Exceeding that, even by half a degree, would exacerbate the risk of droughts, floods, extreme heat and poverty for hundreds of millions of people.
In November 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP27) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change scheduled to take place in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. Government representatives from around 200 countries and other parties will focus on securing the 1.5°C target and adapting to the negative impacts of climate change through the implementation of the provisions of the Paris Agreement.
At the time of COP27, World Population expected to reach 8,000,000,000. That number is an increase of more than 2 billion people on the planet since the first time COP Conference was held in Berlin, Germany, in 1995.
The 8 billion people milestone was twice the size of the world’s population in 1974 and quadrupled the size in 1927. With the increase in world population, annual CO2 emissions from fossil fuels and industry have increased. greatly increased over the past century, more than ninefold since 1927 and doubled since 1974 (Figure 1).
World population growth has slowed from its peak in the second half of the 20th century. It continues to increase, currently around 70 million won annually and is expected to reach 9 billion by 2037 and 10 billion by 2058.
If annual CO2 emissions from fossil fuels and industry continue to increase as they have for decades, their annual emissions by 2058 when the world population is expected to reach 10 billion would be 50% higher than today, or about 60 billion tons.
Until relatively recently, thousands of warnings about climate emergency scientists was lower by most governments. Frustrated by the government’s response, many scientists increasingly feel like climate change Cassandras.
Warning that rising carbon emissions are dangerously warming the Earth has been clearly communicated to governments. In particular, scientists have emphasized that the burning of fossil fuels has been heating the planet faster than anything the world has seen in 2,000 years.
In 2020, five countries produce about 60 percent annual CO2 emissions in the world. At the top is China with almost a third of annual CO2 emissions. China also has the most number of coal-fired power plants of any country in 2022, or approximately 1.110 active stations (Figure 2).
The United States is in second place, accounting for 14% of annual CO2 emissions by 2020. This share of the other three countries, India, Russia and Japan is 7.5 and 3% respectively.
In addition to warnings about a climate change emergency, scientists have pointed to several possibilities consequence for life on the planet if the increase in global warming exceeds 1.5 degrees Celsius (Table 1).
Possible consequences include warmer temperatures with increased frequency, intensity and duration, impacts on oceans, sea levels, coral reefs, fish stocks, glaciers and ice cover. In addition, changes in rainfall patterns and rainfall are expected to lead to increased drought and desertification as well as flooding.
The deterioration of climate change on air and water quality is expected to contribute to the spread of some diseases and human disease accompanied by increased malnutrition, starvation, and mortality, as well as ecosystem degradation affecting many species of flora and fauna. Climate change is also likely to contribute to displacement as well as illegal migration as millions of men, women and children seek to escape the consequences of global warming and environmental degradation.
Given the increasingly obvious consequences of climate change, governments are finding it difficult to play down scientists’ warnings. Among the weather consequences of the climate change emergency are record-breaking worldwide temperatures as well as droughts, floods, wildfires, hurricanes and hurricanes.
Global survey also reported that much of the world’s population is worried about climate change. For example, in January 2021, global climate survey of the United Nations Development Program across 50 countries found that nearly two-thirds of respondents consider climate change an emergency and represent a clear call for governments to take action. action needed to solve this problem.
Much measure has been recommended to address the climate change emergency. Among those measures are stabilizing or reducing the size of the population, phasing out the use of fossil fuels, switching to renewable energy, reducing air pollution, restoring ecosystems, switching from meat to processing. predominantly plant-based diets and transition to sustainable GDP growth (Table 2).
The upcoming COP27 conference in November in Egypt is expected to follow the usual pattern of previous sessions with the adoption of a negotiated final report. However, that result is unlikely to be enough to achieve the established international goal of limiting the increase in global warming to a maximum. 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Despite more than two dozen annual COP sessions, various international agreements and listed goals, there is still a lack of a binding international agreement to address the climate change emergency. In addition, an agency that can impose climate change policies is unlikely to be established, especially given the supremacy of national sovereignty.
However, progress to tackle climate change has been made over the past several decades. The international community of nations ratified the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the 2005 Kyoto Protocol and the 2015 Paris Agreement.
In addition, governments agreed on the science behind climate change, acknowledged the possible consequences of inaction and made emissions reduction commitments to slow CO2 emissions. Recently passed policy has improved energy efficiency, slowed deforestation and accelerated the use of renewable energy.
In addition, many governments are adopting additional commitments to address climate change. The United States, for example, recently adopted historical law to address climate change and clean energy includes a budget of US$369 billion.
As mentioned above, climate scientists warned that there is only a dozen years for global warming to be kept to a maximum 1.5 degrees Celsius. With a 12-year deadline to tackle the global warming target, there’s very little time to waste.
The time has come for governments, especially those that are major contributors to global warming, to take bold actions to address the climate change emergency.
* Joseph Chamie is a consulting demographer, former director of the United Nations Population Division and the author of numerous publications on population issues, including his recent book, “Birth, Death, Migration and Other Important Population Issues. “
© Inter Press Service (2022) – All rights reservedOrigin: Inter Press Service
