#Opinion

In Support of a Non-Aligned Climate Ecology

Published On: October 6, 2022 07:05 AM NPT By: Prem Lamichhane


Will the non-aligned countries take the necessary measures to avert the climate catastrophe that has been predicted since 1992?

A tripartite diplomatic environment reminiscent of the Cold War is emerging as a result of the reversal of globalization and the slew of crises, nationalisms, and wars. A significant victim could be climate diplomacy. The disagreement between the opposing blocs undercuts the global agreement and the coordinated actions of the 175 signatory states to the Rio de Janeiro, 1992, treaties on global ecology.

A stalemate in climate diplomacy?

Realistic climate diplomacy exists. In addition to trying to minimize climate change as much as possible, this strategy also tries to help us adapt to new climatic conditions, which will take more work if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise. Each year, signatory nations to the climate treaty convene for a summit to discuss the advancements and losses in this battle. However, since China, the United States, and the European Union release more than half of the hazardous gasses, the decrease of emissions is mostly dependent on a small group of actors.

Their interactions are getting worse to the point that it is doubtful that they will work together to combat climate change. As a result of Bill Clinton's wish to see China flourish and join the WTO, the United States has increasingly deteriorated relations with China since Barack Obama's victory in 2008 out of concern about the stability of its leadership. Beyond their profound differences, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden all share the desire to stop China from expanding, demonstrating the significance of this subject for the elites of North America.

This thawing of international relations inevitably has a detrimental effect on climate diplomacy. China ceased having one-on-one climate talks with the United States after Nancy Pelosi, the US No. 3 representative, visited Taiwan in August.

Example from Macky Sall

Analogists in these troubling times tend to ignore the importance of the non-aligned during the Cold War. A test of the capabilities of the new non-aligned is the conflict in Ukraine, which strengthens the tripartite nature of the international diplomatic scene. Macky Sall, the President of the African Union and Senegal, flew to meet Vladimir Putin to break the blockade after Russia's blockade of Ukrainian ports led to grain shortages and the threat of famine in Africa and Asia. This opened the way for Turkey, the UN, and the belligerents to resume Black Sea navigation.

Is there room for a global environment that is not aligned?

What tools do the non-aligned nations have to break the US and China's stranglehold on climate diplomacy? The basins of the Amazon and Congo rivers are key areas for climate change. Due to the tremendous levels of carbon stored in the lush Amazon rainforest, Rio de Janeiro was chosen as the location to sign the Climate Convention in 1992. When all signs point to the failure of our efforts to limit the rise in global temperatures to + 1.5°C from pre-industrial levels, tropical deforestation releases carbon and necessitates further global efforts to reduce emissions. The IPCC warns that this threshold will be crossed in the coming years unless harmful emissions fall by 43% by 2030.

For a just climate

Can the "non-aligned" nations of Latin America reinvigorate climate diplomacy? The incoming presidents of Chile and Colombia, Gustavo Petro and Gabriel Boric, have made this vow. Alberto Fernandez, the president of Argentina, joins their endeavors. All eyes are currently on Brasilia, which is expecting the results of the presidential election, where Lula is the favorite, in early October. Marina Silva, a well-known advocate for the Amazonian rainforest, backs him and works to have a "climate accord" passed. To involve the Latin American continent and the non-aligned of the other continents more extensively, the ecological and diplomatic decisions of the voters and the future president of Brazil will be vital.

Can this dynamic be strengthened by the intelligentsia and the research institutions? The leaders of universities in these nations are considering their engagement, supported by a global network of scholars who have been studying climate change for forty years.

Can those who are neutral successfully advocate climate justice? The disparities between the richest and poorest people are made more apparent by climate change. Climate change disproportionately affects people living in tropical and equatorial regions, who have fewer resources to adapt than people living in wealthy countries. This situation is made worse because wealthy countries bear the primary responsibility for the overload of the greenhouse effect and global warming because they built their industrialization with technological advancements.

A living mega organism, the earth system. More visibly, the skies and the seas respond to our excesses. Heat waves, storms, fires, and floods affect billions of people. Can the non-aligned reduce the damage, build a bridge between antagonistic groups, and restore fairness and reason to how we live on earth?

So we hope.

 


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