Climate Change

Syed Muhammad Ali Shah

Lecture delivered at
National Officers Academy
NOA, G-10, Islamabad
(12.01.2016)
Climate Change
 Climate Change & Global Warming
• Climate Change refers to any significant change in
the temperature lasting for an extended period of time.
It may include major changes in temperature,
precipitation, or wind patterns, among other effects,
that occur over several decades or longer.
• Global Warming refers to the recent and ongoing rise
in global average temperature near Earth's surface. It
is caused mostly by increasing concentrations of
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Global warming
is causing climate patterns to change. However, global
warming itself represents only one aspect of climate
change.
How Climate Change Occur
 Why Climate Change is a Serious Issue?
Some Global Impacts…
• Cyclone/Storm Surge: Increased frequency, intensity,
increasing salinity.
• Flood: Increased frequency, magnitudes.
• Droughts: Spreading over time and space, famine.
• Erratic rainfall: Intensive rain in short time.
• Temperature: Extremes increasing.
• Riverbank and coastal erosion: Increasing
• Security of Food, Water, Energy etc.
 UNFCCC
• Established in 1992, it enables representatives from
different countries to meet and discuss scientific and
political actions.
• Each year, the nations meet to discuss climate change
strategies. These meetings are called COP
(Conference of the Parties).
• The nations that signed the UNFCCC agreed not to
hinder food production or economic interests of other
countries as well as to support sustainable
development within their own countries.
 Kyoto Protocol - 1997
• COP 3 held in 1997 in Kyoto, Japan.
• Kyoto protocol is a plan within the UN, requiring
industrialized nations to reduce their GHG emissions
by 5% by the year 2012. It was signed by 161 countries
to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
• It went into effect in 2005, as of 2008 about 183
countries had ratified it. It outlined a framework in
which each country was assigned a target for the
greenhouse gas reduction.
• USA never ratified the Kyoto protocol.
 Common, But… Differentiated
Responsibilities:
• Developed countries (US,UK, Canada) have already
polluted the atmosphere with greenhouse gases
(GHGs) through industrialization. So they’re the
one who created/started global warming and all
the mess.
• The Developing countries (China, India and Brazil)
have started polluting the world only recently.
• Therefore, the developing countries may share less
of the burden of lowering overall emissions.
Common, But Differentiated Responsibilities
• Developed countries (US, EU) should bear more
responsibility in fixing global warming issues
because they’re the one more responsible for it.
• As it is the “Common” responsibility of every
nation of this world to reduce Green House Gas
emission, there is some difference between the
responsibility given to developed countries and
developing countries.
• Kyoto Protocol follows that principle and assigns
separate responsibilities to the countries.
 Differential Requirements
• Developed nations (USA,UK), will compulsorily
reduce their green house gas (GHG) emission by 2012.
• Emission targets were set based on the level of
pollution created by each developed nation.
• Developing nations like China, Brazil, South Africa,
and India, may reduce GHG emission but not
compulsory
 Incentives in Kyoto Protocol
As an incentive to follow through with the targets
outlined in the Kyoto Protocol, countries were
offered emission reduction credits for the following:
1. Helping a developing country reduce its
emissions.
2. Helping a developed country reduce its
emissions during a temporary economic problem.
3. Engaging in practices that help to remove CO2
from the atmosphere (e.g: planting trees).
 Carbon Credits & Trading
• Each country is given an emission target quota
(1Kyoto Unit = 1 carbon credit = 1 metric
tonne of CO2 emitted).
• Countries are expected not to emit more than
their assigned quota (by UNFCCC).
• However, if any country need more carbon
credits, that can purchase these credits from
other countries who haven’t reached their
quota.
 Green Climate Fund
• The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is a fund within the
framework of the UNFCCC founded as a mechanism to
assist developing countries in adaptation and
mitigation practices to counter climate change issue.
• It supports projects, programs, policies and activities
in developing country Parties using thematic funding
windows.
• Identified the need to assess various options for how
nations could access the fund, involving the private
sector, plus ways to measure results, and ensure
requests for monies being country-driven.
• Pakistan may get green funded projects also.
 Carbon Credits & Trading
• Each country is given an emission target quota
(1Kyoto Unit = 1 carbon credit = 1 metric
tonne of CO2 emitted).
• Countries are expected not to emit more than
their assigned quota (by UNFCCC).
• However, if any country need more carbon
credits, that can purchase these credits from
other countries who haven’t reached their
quota.
COP21: Future Hopes
 COP21: Future Hopes

• COP21, the December 2015 Paris Climate Conference, for

the first time in over 20 years of UN negotiations, aimed to
achieve a legally binding and universal agreement on climate,
with the aim of keeping global warming below 2°C.
• COP21 attended by about 50,000 participants including 25,000
official delegates from government, intergovernmental
organizations, UN agencies, NGOs and civil society.
• All hoped to reduce GHGs and retard Climate Change havoc.
• First draft allowed further discussion but in favour of mutually
agreed upon legal bindings for GHGs reductions (including
industrial, agricultural and services sectors).
 Way Forward
• Sustainable economic development strategies should
be adopted by all states.
• Developed nations should transfer renewable
technologies to the developing states.
• Agricultural practices need sustainable solutions and
practices.
• Conservation strategies (water, food, energy) to cope
with Climate posed threats are essential in 21st century.
• Enhanced global cooperation would be helpful for all
developed as well as developing states.
Thank you