IDN-InDepthNews - TOWARD COPENHAGEN: Rich Nations Owe Two-Fold 'Climate Debt'

IDN-InDepthNews - TOWARD COPENHAGEN: Rich Nations Owe Two-Fold 'Climate Debt': "TOWARD COPENHAGEN: Rich Nations Owe Two-Fold 'Climate Debt'
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Credit: Wikimedia Commons BY JAYA RAMACHADRAN

IDN-InDepthNews Service

BRUSSELS (IDN) - Rich industrialised countries owe a ‘climate debt’ for causing global warming that is mostly impacting the poor and vulnerable of the world. This view is gaining ground as the international community heads for the United Nations climate change conference Dec. 7-18 in Copenhagen.

The concept of a debt related to climate change has been advanced by Bolivia and other countries in several rounds of United Nations climate negotiations. It is finding support of an increasing number of heads of state, government ministers, officials, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and social movements -- representing indigenous peoples, development and gender activists, organised labour – as well as environmental and social justice groups in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe and North America.

The climate debt of developed countries comprises ‘emissions debt’ and ‘adaptation debt’. They have run up an emissions debt to developing countries for over-using and substantially diminishing the Earth’s capacity to absorb greenhouse gases (GHGs), denying it to the developing countries that most need it in the course of their development.

The industrialised nations have also accumulated an adaptation debt to developing countries for the adverse effects of excessive GHG emissions contributing to the escalating losses, damages and lost development opportunities confronting developing countries.