Climate Change is real and it is happening. It is the single most crucial challenge of the century that we all face. At the same time it is an unprecedented opportunity for humanity to alter our development path that has been laid since inception of the industrial revolution. Delinking the trail that has been set for human progress from the use of the fossil fuel and relating it to far-sighted and sustainable use of the ecosystem would be the keystone in addressing the climate challenge.
The root causes of the present day crises include the pathway of the industrial and technological revolution over last two centuries. Such pathway set in motion the deployment of inventions in the market place with gross greed and indiscriminate exploitation of eco systems. The prosperity that resulted provided the short-term benefits to the select strata of the society rather than the sustained and inclusive development. The present day crisis, whether it is in food, finance or climate, is a manifestation of such short-sighted development and blind financial pursuits.
Under the auspices United Nations, 192 countries of the world are negotiating the measures for last two decades to reduce the emissions of the Green House Gases and to adapt to the climate change. The results of such negotiations have been frustrating, disappointing and near failure. The Kyoto Protocol agreed in 1997 has ended its tenure in 2012, but now extended till 2015 when the new Protocol will be agreed.
The recent global meeting in Warsaw, Poland in November 2013 debated the features of the new treaty and how to make up for the delay in reducing the emissions and adapting to climate change. How far did Warsaw meeting go in making the meaningful progress?
Rajendra Shende, who as United Nations diplomat attended number of global climate meetings including in Kyoto, Japan in 1997 and Warsaw, Poland in 2013 will trace the progress or lack of it and will provide the possible way forward.
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