Topic Background:
In 1972, the United Nations launched the United Nations Environment Programme that aimed to lead international efforts to protect the environment and curb climate change. The launch of the programme was preceded by a set of international agreements focused on protecting the environment, reducing pollution and mitigating the impact of global warming, as well as agreements related to the preservation of plants and animals in their natural state, among others.
Topic Background:
In 1972, the United Nations launched the United Nations Environment Programme that aimed to lead international efforts to protect the environment and curb climate change. The launch of the programme was preceded by a set of international agreements focused on protecting the environment, reducing pollution and mitigating the impact of global warming, as well as agreements related to the preservation of plants and animals in their natural state, among others.
Interestingly, from 1921 until the Paris Agreement in 2015, more than 200 major international environment agreements have been ratified – inclusive of hundreds of other secondary agreements. All of these covenants focused on the damage to the environment and impact on climate.
However, what has actually happened since 1921 until today?
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a specialised agency of the United Nations, whose mandate covers weather, climate and water resources, projected that 2016 would be one of the hottest years on record - clearly reflecting the escalation of global warming and its detrimental impact as well as the inefficiency of all the environment-focused agreements.
Several environmentalists also warned that the latest Paris Agreement was being violated on a daily basis just as the important environmental covenants of the past had been. Furthermore, the World Health Organization (WHO) has released alarming statistics on the increase of illnesses related to water and food pollution. Worryingly, on 15 March 2016, WHO announced that 12.6 million people die annually because of living or working in unhealthy environments with poor sanitation and amenities.
Disturbing numbers pertaining to environmental degradation continue to sound alarm bells across the globe at regular intervals. The World Bank, in collaboration with the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, published a report on 8 September, 2016 pointing out that air pollution was costing the world economy over US$225 billion due to employee absences from work and the accrued costs of health care. The report also noted that an astounding 5.5 million deaths in 2013 were the direct result of air pollution.
Doomsday projections related to the environment continue unabated. The one silver lining to emerge from such data is perhaps the fact that people are increasingly questioning what they can do to mitigate the conscious and also inadvertent environmental impact triggered by human actions. The world today is more aware than ever before of the depleting quality of air, water and food resources, particularly given the fact that international agreements appear to have failed in achieving their desired outcomes.
Key Pillars:
Environmental impact is triggered by several debilitating factors. These include overconsumption of energy and manufactured materials, factory emissions, traditional means of transport, and poverty and economic decline in developing countries. Equally damaging are investor greed for maximum profits without attention to pollution reduction mechanisms, and irresponsible usage of natural resources. All of these factors lead us to consider the following important questions:
- Governments, industries, organisations, societies and individuals are all equally responsible for pollution. Consequently, they should be held accountable for reducing this pollution as well. How can they reinforce their environment credentials and their commitment to the provisions of environmental sustainability?
- International agreements do not seem to be adequate in achieving even rudimentary environmental goals. Do we need more binding legislations and regulations?
- Clean energy is not a shared interest or even high on the agenda for those who own traditional energy reserves and need to ensure their commercial viability. Are we really not able to produce clean and accessible energy despite all the cutting-edge technological advancements that are a defining aspect of our lives today?
- There is a conflict of interests between large corporations and civil and international organisations with regard to reducing the damage to the environment. How can these interests convene for the greater public good?
- Countries are competing to revive their national economies by accelerating production while reducing expenses. Such cost-focused production and manufacturing systems offer limited scope for investments in mechanisms that protect the environment from pollution. Do you agree?
- The prevailing global political polarisation adversely impacts achieving international consensus with regard to environmental agreements. Political disagreements tend to dominate and impair collective efforts that seek to achieve defining environment protection legislations and rulings. Can we allow independent international organisations limitless powers to implement and manage sustainable environment programmes? How can we ensure their impartiality and professionalism?
- The priority accorded to environment protection in international jurisdiction is not consistent with people’s right to a clean environment as highlighted in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. How can we develop effective international legislations and regulations that enforce environmental sustainability provisions on companies, factories and countries that violate them? There are several types of penalties that can be imposed to deal with violations of environment protection laws. Are these penalties possible and effective on the ground?