We had earlier noted Nepal's lack of preparation for the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21) that was being held in Paris between November 30th and December 12th. Nepal was the only country in South Asia which had not prepared its Indented Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) document outlining its adaptation and mitigation measures. A vital chance was thus missed to make the world aware of the adverse impact of climate change on Nepal. But Nepal, a smallish country with light carbon footprint, by itself could have done little to shape the final outcome of this crucial gathering of world leaders. So the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) like Nepal—which are among the least industrialized, but, nonetheless, among those most affected by climate change—could have, at the most, forcefully presented their case before the rich and more polluting countries—and kept their fingers crossed.Thankfully, common sense seems to have prevailed among world leaders. On December 12th they successfully negotiated a universal agreement to check climate change—for the first time in the 16-year history of the global climate talks. The Paris Agreement, if it is accepted by at least 55 countries that represent at least 55 percent global greenhouse gas emissions, would be a major achievement. It is being seen as the first big step to keep average global temperatures from rising above 2 degree Celsius by 2100, as compared to the level before the industrial revolution. If global warming crosses the 2-degree threshold, climate scientists have long warned, there could be alarming consequences like dangerous rise in sea levels, severe droughts and widespread food shortages. Thus the Paris deal is undoubtedly a major breakthrough after years of fruitless negotiations that repeatedly foundered due to competing goals of the industrialized world (the US, Western Europe) and the fast-industrializing parts of it (China, India). Most crucially, the Paris Agreement recognizes the unique challenges of LDCs.
The agreement takes "full account of the specific needs and special situations of the least developed countries with regard to funding and transfer of technology." It further instructs international institutions to "ensure efficient access to financial resources" for LDCs. Furthermore, the "capacity and ability" of LDCs will be enhanced to make them better suited to fight climate change. At least US $100 billion a year has been pledged to help developing countries meet their emission targets. But, sadly, this monetary commitment is not binding. It would also have been better if our vulnerable Himalayas that have seen their ice caps recede dangerously and from which there is an imminent risk of flash-floods downstream had also found a mention in the final agreement. But in the big picture this is a triviality for if the larger promise to cap global temperature rise is kept, the vulnerabilities of our mountains and other ecosystems will, by default, be greatly reduced. Now the 100-billion-dollar question for LDCs like Nepal is: Are the major polluters of the world really committed to cleaning up their act this time, or will the Paris Agreement prove to be yet another white elephant?
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