The Global North should bear the blame for climate change

Assistant Dean for Environmental Law Studies at George Washington University Law School (USA) Randall S. Abate explained to Kursiv how to improve the efficiency of environmental protection and decrease the consequences of climate change.

The Paris Agreement and the Kigali Amendment under the Montreal Protocol are international instruments for mitigating the effects of climate change. The latter provides for a phased reduction in chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) consumption.

While the Kigali Amendment works effectively, the Paris Agreement needs to be improved.

The Agreement is optional compared to the previously adopted Kyoto Protocol.

Furthermore, the Agreement does not explicitly require a mechanism to address loss and damage to ensure that the more affluent countries in the Global North bear financial responsibility, at least partially, for the climate change effects in the Global South.

In addition, climate migration and geoengineering should be clearly defined as integral components of the Paris Agreement’s in future amendments.

Water shortages and heat waves in Central Asia directly impact human rights, including access to food and water, and the right to health, property and life. These climate change impacts significantly diminish the quality of life and pose severe threats to public health and safety.

Protecting the most vulnerable from the impacts of climate change requires various measures within global climate governance.

The loss and damage mechanism outlined in the Paris Agreement is a crucial method for ensuring accountability for countries in the Global North and providing vulnerable countries in the Global South with the essential right to recuperate the costs of resources lost or degraded due to the impacts of climate change.

One example is the bleaching of coral reefs, which are crucial for maintaining ecosystem stability, supporting tourism and providing food for developing countries.

Strategic climate litigations are being filed in courts worldwide to safeguard the interests of vulnerable groups, including small island states, indigenous communities, youth, and older people, and to lessen their exposure to the effects of climate change.

The US federal Inflation Reduction Act provides nationwide financial assistance to promote clean and renewable energy projects in vulnerable communities seeking “environmental justice.” Climate change and environmental education are crucial in facilitating a successful shift to clean and renewable energy and building a sustainable future for everyone.

The public needs a human-transparent communication about climate change. The media and experts should provide clear information about the science behind climate change threats, including how its impacts affect human health and safety and damage environmental resources. It’s important to convey both the urgency of the crisis and the sense of hope that our efforts can make a difference in solving these problems.

It is important to provide practical training and raise awareness in the education system to prepare the next generation of environmental leaders. Starting as early as primary and secondary schools is crucial. The good example is demonstrated in New Jersey (USA), where climate change must be included in the curriculum of all public schools.