TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY, GS 3: ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY
THE CONTEXT: A recent study scrutinized more than 500 future emissions scenarios assessed by the IPCC, revealing persistent disparities in income, energy use, and emissions between developed and developing nations until 2050.
EXPLANATION:
- These scenarios project lower per-capita GDP and higher carbon sequestration requirements for developing countries, indicating an unequal burden of mitigation action and carbon dioxide removal.
- The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) conducts thorough assessments of scientific literature related to climate change.
- These assessments include reports from Working Groups covering physical science, climate adaptation, and mitigation actions, along with a synthesis report consolidating key findings.
- Additionally, thematic special reports provide focused insights on specific climate-related issues.
Assessment of Future Scenarios:
- The IPCC employs ‘modelled pathways’ to forecast strategies for limiting global warming. These pathways rely on Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs), which integrate various human and earth system components.
- IAMs encompass macroeconomic models projecting GDP growth, energy models predicting future consumption patterns, vegetation models assessing land-use changes, and earth-system models simulating climate evolution.
- Despite their complexity, IAMs aim to offer policy-relevant guidance on climate action.
Issues with IAMs:
- IAMs primarily prioritize least-cost assessments, which often overlook principles of equity.
- While IAMs provide valuable insights into technical and economic feasibility, they tend to neglect historical responsibility and differentiated capacities among nations.
- This oversight leads to inequitable distribution of mitigation burdens, particularly between developed and developing countries.
Equity Principles and UNFCCC:
- Equity principles, embedded in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), emphasize common but differentiated responsibilities.
- Developed countries are urged to lead climate action, considering their historical emissions and economic capabilities.
- However, IAMs often disregard these principles, resulting in inequitable mitigation pathways that fail to address the needs of vulnerable nations.
Importance of Equity:
- Equity is pivotal for ensuring fairness and efficacy in climate action.
- By overlooking equity considerations, IAMs risk exacerbating global disparities and undermining the objectives of the UNFCCC.
- Incorporating equity principles into scenario construction is crucial for advancing climate justice and meeting the diverse needs of nations at different stages of development.
IPCC:
- The IPCC is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change.
- It was established by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 1988.
- IPCC Secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland.
- It has 195 Member countries.
- Its objective is to assess scientific, technical, and socio-economic information relevant to the understanding of human-induced climate change, potential impacts of climate change, and options for mitigation and adaptation.
- The main activity of the IPCC is the preparation of reports assessing the state of knowledge of climate change. These include assessment reports, special reports and methodology reports.