On Global Warming by Ian Cox The special “summary for policy makers re p o r t t h a t wa s p u b l i s h e d b y t h e Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (“IPCC”) in October 2018 (the “2018 SPM”) is notable for two things. Firstly, it sets out the conservative consensus scientific view of what the world must do if we are to limit the average increase in global temperatures since pre-industrial times to between 1.5°C. and 2°C. Secondly, the States, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait refused to welcome this report at the 24th conference of the parties (“COP”) that took place in Poland in December 2018. Consequently, the 2018 SPM report was only noted at COP 24. This means that the report cannot be adopted in terms of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change or t h e UNFCCC. Thus it has no official stautus other than being a report of the IPCC. This is significant because the UNFCCC convenes these meetings to enable , leaders from member countries to agree on what they must do to ensure that average global temperatures do not exceed the target set out in Paris Agreement. This allows an average increase of preferably less than 1.5°C but no more than 2°C. Blocking a report that says what must b e d o n e t o www.saflyfishingmagazine.co.za
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achieve this suggests that key member countries are not y e t committed to dealing effectively with global warming. It looks like politicians are more concerned about the optics than the issue. People in the climate change industry have tried to counter this impression b y pointing out that only four countries refused to welcome the report. They suggest that the adoption of emission rules for reducing emissions of anthropogenic greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide and methane) is an important step forward. But the detail paints a different story. Countries that have committed to reducing anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions have done so on condition that the global rules for i m p l e m e n t ing and policing r e d u c t i o n s i n anthro pogenic greenhouse gas emissions are transparent and equitable Equitable rules must recognise that those few countries that are responsible for most of the world’s anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions should also pay for the clean-up. This is the ostensible purpose of the fund. It is meant to ensure that the financial burden of reducing global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions are spread equitably between the major source of these emissions and other countries. Return to contents
