Martin Khor: Historical Responsibility for Climate Change Emission Reduction
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The Video
Summary
At a United Nations climate change conference, Martin Khor explains presents how to fairly share the burden of actions to reduce greenhouse gases between industrialized and developing nations considering that the historical responsibility of the climate crisis lies mostly with industrialized nations (known as Annex 1 countries
in climate negotiation parlance).
See accompanying slides2
Video Details
- Source
- Technical briefing on historical responsibility as a guide to future action to address climate change 3
- Running time
- 13m 26s
- Filmed
- June 04, 2008
- Credits
- UNFCC
- About Martin Khor
Martin Khor became Executive Director of the South Centre on 1 March 2009. Prior to this, he was the Director of the Third World Network, a leading developing-country civil society organization involved in research and publications in trade, environment and development issues. He was also the Editor of the South-North Development Monitor (SUNS). He is a member of the United Nations Committee on Development Policy.
A former economist and university lecturer, he is also an advisor and consultant to a number of United Nations agencies and other important international bodies. Dr Khor is author of several books on WTO reform, international trade and the global economy.
Transcript
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Related Information
1 articles on “Martin Khor: Historical Responsibility for Climate Change Emission Reduction” and 2 related issues:
Climate Justice and Equity
For a number of years, there have been concerns that climate change negotiations will essentially ignore a key principle of climate change negotiation frameworks: the common but differentiated responsibilities.
Realizing that greenhouse emissions remain in the atmosphere for a very long time, this principle recognizes that historically:
- Industrialized nations have emitted far more greenhouse gas emissions (even if some developing nations are only now increasing theirs);
- Rich countries therefore face the biggest responsibility and burden for action to address climate change; and
- Rich countries therefore must support developing nations adapt—through financing and technology transfer, for example.
This notion of climate justice
is typically ignored by many rich nations and their mainstream media, making it easy to blame China, India and other developing countries for failures in climate change mitigation negotiations.
Development expert, Martin Khor, calculated that taking historical emissions into account, the rich countries owe a carbon debt
because they have already used more than their fair quota of emissions.
Yet, by 2050 when certain emission reductions are needed by, their reduced emissions will still add up to be go over their fair share:
However, rather than continue down the path of unequal development, industrialized nations can help pay off their carbon debt
by truly helping emerging countries develop along a cleaner path, such as through the promised-but-barely-delivered technology transfer, finance, and capacity building.
So far however, rich nations have done very little within the Kyoto protocol to reduce emissions by any meaningful amount, while they are all for negotiating a follow on treaty that brings more pressure to developing countries to agree to emissions targets.
In effect, the more there will be delay the more the poor nations will have to save the Earth with their sacrifices (and if it works, as history shows, the rich and powerful will find a way to rewrite history to claim they were the ones that saved the planet).
These issues are explored in more depth here.
Read “Climate Justice and Equity” to learn more.
Climate Change and Global Warming
The climate is changing. The earth is warming up, and there is now overwhelming scientific consensus that it is happening, and human-induced. With global warming on the increase and species and their habitats on the decrease, chances for ecosystems to adapt naturally are diminishing. Many are agreed that climate change may be one of the greatest threats facing the planet. Recent years show increasing temperatures in various regions, and/or increasing extremities in weather patterns.
This section explores some of the effects of climate change. It also attempts to provide insights into what governments, companies, international institutions, and other organizations are attempting to do about this issue, as well as the challenges they face. Some of the major conferences in recent years are also discussed.
Read “Climate Change and Global Warming” to learn more.
Environmental Issues
Environmental issues are also a major global issue. Humans depend on a sustainable and healthy environment, and yet we have damaged the environment in numerous ways. This section introduces other issues including biodiversity, climate change, animal and nature conservation, population, genetically modified food, sustainable development, and more.
Read “Environmental Issues” to learn more.
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