3- Global Governance: Environmental Flashcards
Environment: collective dilemmas
- rising sea levels
- pollution in Ozone
- space- 500k sattelites
- Tragedy of Commons - states are selfish and will do anything to advance
- Garret Hardin 1968 “mankind greed is depleting the resources of global commons”
Environment: Significance of UNFCCC
- set up in 1992
- 197 states joined/ international legitimi
- intergovernmental panel on Climate ch.
- issued warning in 2018 saying global investments need 2.5% of GDP to transform world and reduce CO2 by 45% by 2030
Environment: Deep vs Shallow green
Shallow - environments needs to be protected for Human survival
Deep green: humans have a duty to not exploit planet - moral imperative
Environment: Sustainable development
- development must not damage env for future gen
- 2015 - sustainable goals set up
- N-S put their own interests before humanity
- states will not commit as they woulnt want to fall behind - China set to reach 2050 net zero by 2080
Environment: developed vs undeveloped
- uneven burden
- developed world is polluting since industrial rev
- economy is priority
- coal usage risen in China/India/China produced 4.1bn tonnes of raw coal, increasing by 5.7% year/coal consumption increased by 4.6%
- Big Oil/TNCs - big role
- big countries withdraw - Bush/Trump paris treaty/2018 word meteorlocial org
Environment: Role of NGOs/activists + lobby + gates
- greenpeace + friends of the earth lobby
- Greta Thunburg / Swedish activist
- 2018 - UN said 7k cities and 6k TNCS committed to cut carbon
- the breakthrough energy coalitions - Gates/Bezos provide financial support for comp to cut down C02
Environment: is effective action being taken to solve Climate Change? (Yes)
- reducing C02 threatens economy making it a significant achievement
- EU pledged to cut 40% of 1990 levels by 2030
- UNFCCC+ IPCC warned ppl - reports
- extinction rebellion-2022 April / top ppl
- C40 provides forum for top 90cities to reduce climate change
- green capitalism - solar panels
Environment: is effective action being taken to solve climate change? (No)
- mandatory targets not agreed
- N-S may decide own small targets to protect economy
- Russias INDC have been labelled “critically insufficient”
- 2018 - IPCC said likely to increase to 3°
- Bush 2001/ Trump 2017 Paris withdraw/set precedent
- fossil fuels are cheaper than green
- aircraft fuel - C02 from 4bil to 7bil ppl
Environment:Rio De Janerio 1992
ADV: - 172 nations attended - NGOs rep - govts given choice to adopt UNFCCC
DISADV: - not legally enforceable -failed to reach consensus - most resp put on developed countries so USA less willing to cooperate/felt discriminated
Environment: Kyoto 1997
ADV: - 37 countries given targets - 2012 target to reduce C02 by 6% - encouraged NS to exceed target emissions
DISADV: - BRIC exempt C02 - chinas emmissions increased 300% - Bush withdrew in 2001 given 7% target - to be enforced had to be agreed by 55% only started in 05’ Rus
Environment: Copenhagen 2009
ADV: - temps needed to be kept at 2° below preindustrial - 1st time china accepted role - 8% carbon emitters agreed - world pledged $100mil to aid
DISADV: - no goals set - no penalitiesnfor failed targets- no methods for carbon reduction - failed urgency
Environmemt: Paris 2015
ADV: - set temp rise limit 1.5° - 2019 184 countries ratified treaty/ 88% of C02 - NS monitored to encourage compliance- coal to be phased out
DISADV:- NS allowed to decide cuts/unprepared to agree - failed to meet 1.5° target-$100 billion finance delayed to 23’
Environment: obstacles to international cooperation
- NS put interests before global
- 2017 Trump withdrew Paris agreement
- 2019: Brazil condemned G7/France for offering Brazil forest fire aid
Climate and politics
- fake pledges/China fake sustainability stickers
- empty promises - biden paid lip service to cut down on CO2 but a deal authorised the release of 180 million bbl of oil from the US strategic petroleum reserve (SPR)- largest in us history
Economy and climate
- capitalism perpetuates the damaging of the environment
- promotes consumer culture - cheap products = more waste/companies damage the environment by $2 bil
- examples: shien- hazardous and non-biodegradeable microplastics - worth $100 billion /primark - paper bags
- greenwashing: unjustified claims of being environmentally freindly - volkswagen and coke
Culture and climate stages
- general denial/acceptance
- stages of climate change:
1- denial
2- deny its a problem
3- deny its our fault
4-deny we can solve it
5- its too late
Climate and inequality
- disproportionate losses in areas like Pakistan 2004/Japan 2011/Bangladesh - developing countries
Fossil fascism versus Ecofascism
- ecofascism - coined by E Zimmerman means a govt that requires the individual to sacrifice their interests in well being of the land
- fossil fascism: the far-right’s fixation with pro-climate views is closely tied to its anti-immigration perspective /stengthening border control/trump-wall + uk rwanda
Exon Mobil
had a report commissioned by Stamford which revealed climate change as early as 1960’s however the report was rejected a new one was recommissioned privately stating there was no such thing as climate change
Rich countries…
…accused of climate talks betrayal reported by BBC news
Climate in the USA
USA hit by mudslides, wildfires, a record 48 hours heatwave and an erupting volcano as a result of climate change as stated by lead climate change expert micheal oppenheimer “such fluctuations in cimate is indeed a result of excessive carbon emission, more is to come if no action is taken”
Net Zero 2050 goals
- USA: 2050 expected
- UK: 2050 expected
- China: 2080 expected
- India: 2070 expected
- Brazil: 2060
