Aneesa Batool
From north to south and east to west entire globe is reeling from climate change. Due to the climate change entire globe is facing enormous destructions like rising temperature, melting Ice,
sea level rise, Ocean warming and acidification, more extreme weather events ,droughts and aridity. Moreover the displacement ,food insecurity, Humanitarian crisis disproportionate
impacts on low contributing nations.Furthermore Climate change is not only the environmental issue it is
a Global security and governance challenge as well. As climate change on to resources scarcity food water displacement increased competition and conflict our resources extraction as well climate change directly threaten human security by increasing hunger poverty loss of livelihood which required effective governance policies or approaches to address this issue. Moreover climatechange impact vulnerable community more than developed which contribute to inequality and
injustice.
In addition if we considered Pakistan as an example Pakistan contribute less than 1 percent to global carbon emission but still Pakistan is suffering few of the world worst disaster which include
floods due to which a number of people was lost their lives,million were being displaced their home swept away ,fields were laid waste by the flood. Further more approximately 3.6 billion
people affected due to floods droughts and heat wave, 20 million were displaced and on the daily basis extreme heat affect 1.8 billion people around the world. Moreover climate change contribute to approximately 13 millions deaths all over the world.
Furthermore the United Nations plays an important role in global climate governance via different policies, International engagement, and influence in assigning different agreements but still question arise has United Nations Global governance failed? As we know with the influence of United Nations different treaties were assigned under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC),which include Kyoto protocol 1977 under thisaimed to reduce greenhouse gas emission, it is just legally binding for developed countries. Under the Kyoto protocol introduced market based mechanism include emission trading, clean development mechanism, and joint implementation. But the fact is that United State itself never ratified it. Another important agreement is the Paris agreement 2015 assigned by 195 countries aimed to limit global warming. This agreement is for both developed and under developing countries. In addition organisation like Intergovernmental panel on Climate Change(IPCC), different COps and Sustainable Development (SDGs) world summit 2002,and Green Climate
fund motive is that the developed countries help under developing Nations to combat climate change issues.
Despite of such a spectacular structure United Nations failed in effected governance to address such an ambiguous issue like climate change. Firstly United state never rectified Kyoto protocol, Moreover Paris agreement is not legally binding which means no any state is accountable if violate this agreement . Furthermore the commitment to provide climate finance to the poorer nations poorer still unmet and Intergovernmental Panel on climate change give warnings but government ignore these warnings for their short term political and economical benefits due to weak enforcement or accountability. Moreover still global inequality exist like rich countries those who contribute highly to climate change delays actions and vulnerable communities bears consequences.
Furthermore, when United States withdrew from Paris Agreement on November 4,2020 under president Donald Trump exposed how the powerful countries can violate the treaties or agreement for their own benefits.
Moreover United Nations elude considering climate change as security threat due to scarred stiff, according to United Nations Security Council if they considered climate change as security threat it will leads to clash with big powers. In addition the powerful countries like United state itself prefer its own benefits over the climate change because United state itself is a big emitter of greenhouse gass emission due to transportation and other industries . So whenever the powerful States violate any agreement or treaty United Nations did not take any strict action against them.
Lastly United Nations failed to protect globe from the destruction of Climate Change due to lack of enforcement in policies, finance commitments still unfulfilled, powerful countries dominate
negotiations for their own interest and benefits they don’t care about others. United Nations failed to practically implement the policies as we see destruction due to climate change even getting worsen day by day.
The author is a student and she can be reached at :
[email protected]
