As the reality on the ground across the globe would have it, developing countries are highly affected by carbon emissions released from developed/advanced ones and have forcibly swallowed the bitter morsels of the impacts of climate change though they have been distributing little or no share to the global atmospheric oscillation.
Being punishable and primarily susceptible to danger without committing any wrongdoing could by no means be just and acceptable. What developed nations of the world are imposing on those of the developing ones is tantamount to such a devastating picture. If it happens unfortunately, in case, proportional compensation has to be well fixed and a number of promising mechanisms have to be devised at least to narrow the gap which can be expressed using a paradoxical canto—highly contributing to climate change via emitting too much carbon, but no harm; making no or little contribution, but incur unbearable socio-economic cost. What an iniquitous global reality!
Unequivocally, developed countries are responsible for a large portion of global carbon emissions, and are expected to overshoot their carbon emission targets as they have all the time been responsible for grand cumulative global CO2 emissions. Besides, these countries, prime emitters, have to deepen their emissions cuts to meet global climate goals.
Yes, advanced nations have to think of compensating developing counterparts for carbon emissions, following their state of rapid industrialization and the ever-shifting stance towards manufacturing, which has been imposing serious harm on developing ones.
It is also well recognized that developing countries are more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change since they are more exposed to extreme weather events, susceptible to adverse impacts on health and agriculture, less resilient due to weaker infrastructure and institutions, as well as highly uncovered to the effects of climate change.
Hence, the advanced nations have to live up to their promises and should meet their pledge to provide developing nations with compatible climate finance, of course.
No doubt, most of the climate finance has been earmarked for mitigation and adaptation to climate change. Since the financial need of developing countries to transition away from fossil fuels to deal with climate impacts is a huge amount of money, advanced ones are seriously urged to embark on climate financing.
As some countries have been leading the way in reducing their carbon emissions, which aims at cutting greenhouse gas emissions by a significant percentage and having a net-zero carbon economy in the near future, some others have to follow suit.
Undeniably, gas emissions resulting from human activity are the main root of climate change. These emissions are produced from industrial chimneys and different types of fuels. These kinds of emissions often come from developed and well-industrialized nations. That is why it is recurrently heralded that industrialized nations have to pay compensation.
Since developing countries like Ethiopia have contributed a lot to carbon sequestration through forest coverage expansion, as forests are a vital part of climate change resilience and can absorb greenhouse gas emissions, carbon capture and storage as well as rehabilitation of degraded lands, these nations have to be well nurtured and the best experience they have been exhibiting has to be replicated to confidently defeat climate change. One of the most common offsetting schemes in this regard is planting tree seedlings, indeed!
The feasible actions developing countries have been taking to reduce emissions like forestation and reforestation, producing blue and green hydrogen phasing out coal and curtailing operations of coal-fired thermoelectric power plants require huge amounts of capital, they have to be well backed through sufficient climate financing.
It is also well-recognized that universal deforestation has long been an important factor in the rise in carbon emissions. Therefore, reforestation is an accessible and economical way to contribute to offsetting greenhouse gas emissions.
Most importantly, the climate financial pledge developed nations made earlier needs to be properly discharged for it is instrumental in fostering the effort geared towards creating a safer planet.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 14 NOVEMBER 2024
