Climate Change Science, Policies, National Perspectives in the Global Context

Abstract

India signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1992 and ratified it in 1993. In general, UNFCCC efforts supported the developing countries in combating climate change by providing a platform for finance, technology transfers, discussions, global partnerships, etc., not seeking emission reduction commitments in recognition of their small contribution to global warming as well as low financial and technical capacities. UNFCCC initiatives helped creating public awareness regarding climate change, which is much higher today than in the late 1990s. Although climate science in the late 1990s was certainly strong enough to negotiate an international treaty, it is hard to deny that the scientific understanding of the climate crisis has improved considerably over the past two decades through IPCC in which UNFCCC played a significant role. The Ministry of Environment and Forest and Climate Change (MOEF & CC) is the main organization responsible for climate change policy in India.

The Kyoto Protocol under the heads of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) says that the developed countries should take more responsibility and liability to take care of our degrading environment and make appropriate rules to save it for future generations by taking legally binding commitments. A major shortcoming of the Kyoto Protocol was the non-inclusion of dangerous microscopic environmental air pollutants that come from car engines and combustion-based power plants. Russia joined the Kyoto Protocol in 2005 but the USA was never a part of it (and Canada subsequently dropped out of the Protocol).

Now the world has reached almost 1.2 °C warming already, and UNFCCC needs to deal with unsustainable commitments as the Paris 2015 NDC contributions are found to be inadequate to maintain 2 °C levels. Although low-lying countries that are facing unsustainable sea level rises in a warming world argued for a tougher target of 1.5 °C, a largely unsatisfactory response was seen till the proceedings of the COP-26 held at Glasgow, UK, in 2021. The main challenge faced by UNFCCC is to ensure all rich nations that pledged to maintain a $100bn a year funding beyond 2020 contribute fully from now on at least, although several Pacific island countries advocated its inadequacy to fully meet the adverse impacts of climate change.