The Dichotomy of Inference: Voluntourism and Outsourced Emissions by Ellen Hyland

Policy The Dichotomy of Interference: Voluntourism and Outsourced Emissions

By Ellen Hyland, JS Law and Political Science

“There is no planet B” encapsulates the recognition of climate change as an issue common to every citizen on earth. The Paris Agreement was signed in 2015 by 196 parties and emphasises the need to reduce global emissions and combat climate change. It also highlights, in particular, the plight of developing countries, who are frequently mentioned in the Agreement for two main reasons: 1. Developing countries are more vulnerable to the effects of climate change. 2. Developing countries are more likely to depend on heavily-polluting industries. Although the facts above are in part an unfortunate side effect of poverty and the natural environment, it is important to note that interference from developed countries and economies can perpetuate these realities. This article will explore two examples: one benign and the other more serious.

Developing Countries are more Vulnerable to the Effects of Climate Change

2010 marked a year of devastating natural disasters, with two major earthquakes hitting Haiti in January, and New Zealand in September. Both earthquakes were of a similar magnitude (7.0 and 7.1 respectively), both were shallow, and both hit near large population centres. In spite of this, Haiti’s earthquake killed an estimated 230,000 people, while in New Zealand one person died of a heart attack and two were seriously injured. Many attribute the dramatic difference in casualties to building code regulations, and the poor construction of buildings in Haiti that led to their collapse during the earthquake. This example highlights the fact that even where the strength of the natural disaster is the same, less developed countries suffer more. In respect of climate change, developing countries are particularly vulnerable because not only are they situated in locations that are more at risk to the effects of climate change, but they are also disproportionately ill-equipped to deal with its side effects.

A 2018 Guardian article on the harm caused by ‘voluntourism’ explains how Western charitable organisations that send unskilled volunteers to developing countries to undertake construction projects can maintain poor building development. Unskilled labour will always produce poorer results than skilled labour. The money would seemingly be better spent on funding public works, education, and training for the residents of the community. It follows that if the effects of climate change are to be mitigated by providing for strong foundational structures that can withstand extreme weather events, we need to rethink the types of construction aid that is needed and realise that money is better spent on sending skilled workers to disadvantaged areas rather than volunteering ourselves. Building long-lasting, durable structures should be a priority for any person concerned about climate change.

This example may seem benign when compared to the catastrophic effects of climate change, but it is arguably representative of a mindset that assumes that because a certain policy or outreach project is well-intentioned, it is good. This mentality may hinder the global effort to combat climate change.

Developing Countries are More Likely to Depend on Heavily Polluting Industries A 2018 report on the “carbon Loophole” explains that around 25 per cent of the global carbon footprint comes from imported goods. In a world characterised by international trade and a growing global economy, this may seem innocuous to the topic at hand. It is submitted that this figure of 25 per cent, however, encapsulates the

Policy Page 66 essence of why those developed countries that are signatories to the Paris Agreement need to be held accountable for their emissions and consequences that arise beyond their national borders.

The “carbon loophole” describes a situation where countries with highly regulated environmental controls do not cut their emissions, but rather outsource them to countries with underregulated environmental controls which are less economically developed. The aforementioned report explains that under the Kyoto protocol – and now the Paris Agreement – these countries are able to claim that they have cut their emissions in order to meet their targets, while maintaining their emissions abroad to help with infrastructure and other projects. In a New York Times article, Brad Plumer explains that between 1990 and 2015, Britain lowered its national emissions by 33 per cent, but in counting the emissions created by imported materials needed to build things like cities and cars, Britain’s emissions actually increased in this period.

Many studies have initially found a positive correlation between foreign direct emissions and carbon emissions, and then a decline as the country is better able to handle environmentally-sound manufacturing and business. Chor Foon Tang and Bee Wah Tan, for example, describe this effect in Vietnam in a 2014 study. They recommend that foreign investors adopt clean technologies to help them curtail emissions and sustain economic development at the same time. These outsourced emissions are not due to necessity or lack of resources; those same companies that can transfer pollutants are also capable of transferring cleaner, more sustainable means of conducting business.

The Dichotomy

To treat less affluent nations as though they are independently creating their own problems when it comes to climate change is potentially damaging. Having said that, it would be ignorant to posture that all interference from developed countries has been detrimental.

The Paris Agreement obligates developed countries to assist developing countries to reduce their emissions, and Article 9.1 even stipulates that “[d]eveloped country Parties shall provide financial resources to assist developing country Parties”. Countries are fulfilling these obligations in unique ways, as a 2018 report from the UN describes how Lithuania paid for six schools in Georgia to have solar power, and New Zealand assisted with a large water and sanitation project in Kiribati. It is reasonable to suggest that projects like these are not just throwing money at the problem in the hopes that climate change will go away - they are finding specific solutions that will do good.

There is therefore a dichotomy that exists between the methods of interference in developing countries when it comes to climate change. Misplaced aid in construction projects and the outsourcing of emissions to developing economies is harmful, but it would be remiss not to also acknowledge the projects that do help communities that suffer from the effects of climate change. It is posited that this phenomenon can be curtailed through education on how to help developing countries in effectively preparing for the ramifications of climate change, and how to stop pollution outsourcing and provide for sustainable trade. When planet A is on fire, there should be no argument over whether water or kerosine is more appropriate to extinguish the flames.

“When planet A is on fire, there should be no argument over whether water or kerosine is more appropriate to extinguish the flames.”