Essay Flashcards
Intro
Climate Change is a global issue that transcends international borders and requires a unified response to mitigate its impacts. While the UN and various states have made efforts to address the crisis, their responses have been only partially effective due to weak enforcement mechanisms, economic barriers, and conflicting national interests. The UN’s lack of enforcement power, combined with states like Australia and the US prioritising economic prosperity over environmental action, undermines global progress and prevents a comprehensive resolution.
UN Positives to include
- Facilitated global cooperation
- NDCs (A3)
- $300 billion Climate Funding (A9)
- Ratified by 192 states
UN negatives topic sentence
The UN’s response to climate change, while well-intentioned, is ultimately flawed due to the ambiguity of key terms within the Paris Climate Agreement and its lack of enforcement mechanisms.
Ambiguity P1
There is ambiguity in key terms of the agreement such as “ambition” and “common but differentiated responsibilities.” This has led to varying interpretations and disagreements between states about who should bear the burden of mitigating climate change, hindering progress as key states such as the US pull out of the “unfair one-sided Paris climate rip-off” as a result.
NDCs P1
The issue with NDCs is that they are determined by states. Because there are no strong enforcement mechanisms in the law, states have the autonomy to set unambitious goals without remonstration, or simply not achieve their goals at all. Antonio Guterres described this common trend of weak NDCs as “humanity waging war on nature” urging states to act before it “strikes back… with [a] growing force and fury.”
P1 Conclusion
According to climate action tracker even if all states achieved their current NDCs, which not a single state is projected to, global warming would still reach 2.6DC above pre-industrial levels. This exemplifies that weak enforcing mechanisms as the most significant issue with the PCA, as a lack of “ambition” and willingness currently being conveyed through states NDCs will ultimately lead to an ineffective response.
P2 Topic sentence
Despite strong efforts by some states to combat climate change, their inability to fully meet their ambitious targets reflects the systemic challenges in achieving the global goals set by the Paris Agreement.
Brazil positives to include
Tuvalu Examples
Brazil failure
- New commitments at COP29 (NDC) (A3)
- Renewable energy (89%)
- $35 billion USD
- “Spared no efforts”
- “climate safety” from Brazil is exemplified by the current state of Tuvalu.
- 95% of land mass set to be under sea level by 2100
- Measly 0.01% of greenhouse emissions (Climate index)
- COP26 knee deep speech promoting a cosmopolitan response
- Insufficient by CAT
contradicts their “tired[ness] of unfulfilled climate agreements” - Manifests a global culture of insufficiency which will lead to the failure of the PCA.
- This lack of response to international law will be to the detriment of small island states such as Tuvalu exemplifying the ineffectiveness of the current global response.
Australia negatives
- Has the ability (economic and technological capacity to transition but lacks willingness)
- 0.016% of Australia’s land could power Australia on renewables (The Guardian)
- Reliance on fossil fuels
- “climate change [is] a threat with serious direct implications for the security and wellbeing of Australians and [their] region.”
- Actions don’t match (coal expansions)
- $91 billion (backbone of economy)
- Is an example
USA example
For example, in 2017 the Trump administration announced that it will withdraw from the 2015 Paris Agreement by invoking its Article 28 right under the treaty, which came into effect in 2020 and again in 2025 when he was re-elected. Trump disregards the important of the PCA citing the need to “represent the people of Pittsburgh and not Paris” and that the law is an “unfair… one-sided rip-off.” The US have ceased their annual $1 billion annual contribution to the UN’s climate funding (article 9) and no longer has any obligation to reach the aims of NDCs, demonstrating their prioritisation of economic interests.
Conclusion
Climate change demands urgent action, yet global responses remain ineffective due to weak enforcement mechanisms, economic barriers, and national self-interest. While the UN promotes cooperation, its lack of enforcement allows states to set inadequate targets. Even ambitious nations like Brazil struggle to meet their goals, while states like Australia and the US prioritise economic gain over sustainability. Ultimately the responses of global actors to climate change has not been successful, as weak NDCs and ambition will ultimately lead to a projected minimum increase of 2.6DC to pre-industrial levels.
