PROBLEM OF EQUITY IN IPCC REPORTS

Copyright infringement not intended

Picture Courtesy: https://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?8626466/IPCC-climate-report-business

Context: In a recent study, researchers examined more than 500 potential emission scenarios assessed by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). These scenarios refer to mitigation activities such as lowering carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel combustion and enhancing carbon sequestration through forestry.

Key findings of the study

• The study of more than 500 projected emission scenarios suggests that economic, energy-use, and emissions differences between industrialised and developing countries will continue till 2050.
• The report focuses on regional disparities, with forecasts indicating that per-capita GDP in key regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, West Asia, and the rest of Asia will stay lower than the world average by 2050. Also, there exist disparities in the consumption of products and services, as well as energy and fossil fuel usage, between the Global North and the Global South.
• The report estimates that developing countries will sequester more carbon and implement carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies than developed countries. This means that poorer countries may carry a disproportionate burden of both mitigation and carbon dioxide removal, despite contributing less to past emissions.

Significance of Equity in Climate Action

• The report highlights the concepts of equality and common but differentiated responsibilities contained in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). These principles recognise developed countries' historical responsibility for climate change and emphasise the necessity for them to take the lead in tackling it.
• Viewing climate action purely through the prism of global-level technical and economic feasibility risks overlooking the localised impacts and obligations associated with climate change. Equity concerns require that advanced nations take more dramatic mitigation measures and assist less developed countries in meeting their development goals while lowering emissions.

Conclusion

• The study highlights the significance of addressing equality and fairness in climate action, particularly in relation to IPCC assessments. Policymakers should work towards more equitable and long-term actions regarding climate change by integrating equity concepts into scenario creation and encouraging international collaboration.

Must Read Articles:

IPCC ASSESSMENT REPORTS: https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/ipcc-assessment-reports#:~:text=About%20the%20Intergovernmental%20Panel%20on,change%20caused%20by%20human%20activities.