Global Climate Justice: Transforming Direct Experience of Climate Change into Political and Social Change

This essay discusses how direct experience of climate change can be transformed into political and social change, and which social and political frameworks will best promote climate justice. It covers the rise in global temperature, greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy, and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It also explores the Bali Principles of Climate Change Justice and the concept of ecological debt.

Running head: International Politic Of Climate Change
International Politic Of Climate Change

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Global Climate Justice
Climate justice is a term which symbolizes the meeting point between the science and politics
of social change. It legislates the socio –ecological relation which is beyond the prevalent
climate society division. The fundamental of climate justice comprehends that urgent action is
required to prevent climate change and it must be established on community based solutions and
the wellbeing of local communities, poor, biodiversity and intact ecosystems (UTS, 2018).
So, in this essay, the research question related to “How can the direct experience of climate
change be transformed into political and social change? Which social and political frameworks
will best promote climate justice and how can these frameworks be formulated will be
discussed.”
Rise in the global temperature forms the fundamental of the climate metric which is associated
with the sea level. The global temperature has now exceeded +1 ◦ C as compared to the 1880-
1920 mean and it was almost 1.3 ◦C. in 2016 .According to me, the rise in the global temperature
is due to the Holocene range and earth is now more warm as compared to the previous
interglacial period and as result at that time the level of the sea was 6-9m higher than the present
scenario. The greenhouse gas emissions have also increased as compared to the past decades.
Furthermore, the energy balance of earth is imbalanced due to the current atmospheric
compositions (Hansen et al., 2017).
The direct experience of climate change can be transformed into social and political change.
Since energy and climate change are interconnected with each other as the main causes of
climate change are due to political impact, technology, organizing and production of energy. The
social processes which form the basis of principal models of capitalism and development and the
arrangements of production of energy and its utility are modifying the ecology and society of the
world (Global Justice Ecology Project, 2018).
As a result, climate change is amongst the top of the political agenda in the last three years. It has
been the focus of the major economic forums like G 20 and G8, the UN meetings, the World
Trade Organizations and the new policies of the International Financial Institutions (IIFIs). As
per my opinion, the report of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in the year

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2007 and the Stern Report in 2006 reveals that the world has already reached the peak of the
crisis (Guerrero,2011) .
So, according to me, out of all the challenges faced by mankind, managing the climate has been
one of the most significant challenges which the world has ever faced. So, without any strong
action to mitigate the risk of catastrophic changes to the geography of the planet, it would create
a severe impact on the lives of the people and wildlife and the prospects of the security for their
future generations. As in the case of greenhouse gas emissions, the main reason is the production
processes and the consumption patters which encourage the flows of greenhouse gasses. The
present level of discharge of gases is more than the absorption capability of the planet which it
stabilizes through its carbon cycle. Thus the concentration of the greenhouse gases have
increased from 285 parts per million (ppm) CO2 e. to 435 ppm CO2 e (Held, Theros and Hervey,
2013).
In this context, the world has already been committed for implementing the policies to mitigate
the effects of climate change. The policy to quote the greenhouse gases and to price them by
using tradable quotes (cap –and-trade). It will allow a fixed quantity to be permitted to the firms
participating in the program. These permits can be transacted at the secondary market by
determining the price with the help of supply and demand. The pricing of tradable quotas in the
market such as imposing taxes shall encourage them to diminish the discharges to the point
where the marginal costs of reducing the emissions equals to the permit price. If in case, the firm
wants to emit more than the permissible limit, it must purchase the market price permits which is
equal to the extra emissions.
According to me, another mode of transforming the experience of climate change into social and
political change is developing the sources of renewable energy. It contributes in mitigating
poverty, increasing the rural development, safeguarding health while promoting environmental
quality, sustainability and increasing industrial production and transportation. In the year 2013,
renewables accounted for 20% of the overall consumption of energy in the world with the most
dominant development in the energy and power sector with their capacity of growth pertaining to
more than 8% (Fisher, 2012).

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So, the United Nations (UN) has declared the years 2014-2024 as the era for sustainable energy
for the world. The technologies comprising of renewable energy forming a portion of the low
carbon characteristic of the overall source of energy has been able to note its existence in many
parts of earth. The five countries which introduced the inexhaustible resources of energy at the
starting of 2014 were US, China, Canada, Germany and Brazil. In the European Union (EU), the
renewable resources of energy comprise of 72% of the new electric generating capacity. In the
other parts of the world such as the African, Asian and Latin American regions, the companies
which produce the renewable resources of energy have been operating on and off grid. Also, the
investment patterns in this sector have been transformed from the governmental and foreign
companies to the private firms and banks. With the help of global subsidies, the renewable
resources of energy will contribute to half of the generation of energy by 2040 along with the
triple times use of biofuels (Kochtcheeva, 2016).
I believe that the social and political framework which shall promote the climate justice
comprise of The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) which
is a process of climate negotiations has now reached its third phase. The first stage was covered
in the years 1992-1994 in which the basic framework and approval of the framework of
UNFCCC came into force. The second stage comprised of Kyoto Protocol which came into force
in 2005 which included the target for reducing the emissions for the developed countries and
evolution of market based mechanisms which comprised of emission trading to accomplish the
targets. The State officers, the corporate representatives, the media, environmental and social
movements have been attending the yearly conferences of the parties (COP) of the Convention.
The UNFCC has provided the institutional arrangements for negotiations and frameworks as
asset of guiding principles to implement the regulations to mitigate the effect of climate change.
Article 3 implements certain principles which guide the accomplishment of the objectives of
Convention. It specifically states that the developed countries should act as pioneers in
mitigating the effects of climate change .It also focuses on the needs of the developing countries
which are prone to the hostile effect of climate change. It also depicts the importance of
sustainable development and the need for an international policy which takes into account the
importance of economic development which is necessary for addressing the climate change
(Bulkeley , Edwards and Fuller ,2014).

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In the developed countries, the supply, energy, transport and industry are accountable for 50% of
the emissions of the greenhouse gases with forestry practices and deforestation emit 30% of
these gasses. These emissions are highly affected by economic development and growing
population in the developing countries as well. If proper mitigation strategies are not adopted in
these regions, then the emissions are predicted to increase by 40-110% between 2000 and 2030.
If the global justice is required to lay heavy burdens on the developed countries, the formulation
of an international treaty has to be adopted for moderating the impacts of climate change and
restricting the emissions (Moellendorf ,2012).
As per United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change(2018) at the United Nations
climate change conference which was held at Paris , COP 21, the governments of the member
states agreed to mobilize an efficient and ambitious climate change response which is urgently
required to accomplish the goals of the Paris Agreement. Action must be initiated from the
governments, regions, cities, investors and business communities. The Paris Agreement
recognizes the necessity to gauge up the global response to climate change which is assisted by
the ambitious actions by the governments of member states.
As per United Nations (n.d.) in the Article 7 of Paris Convention, the parties should establish the
goal of enhancing the capability of strengthening the adaptability and decreasing the
vulnerability to the climate change with the objective to contribute to sustainable development.
It makes sure that appropriate adaptation to the temperature goal shall also be realized by the
member states. The states should identify adaptation is challenge faced by all so they must
contribute to the long term global response to the change in climate in order to safeguard the
interests of the society, ecosystems , livelihood taking into account their immediate needs
(Santos,2017) .
In this context, the leaders belonging to various countries met in Johannesburg for the Earth
Summit and it released a framework of ideologies which focused on putting a humanoid face on
the issue of climate change. Thus the Bali Principles of Climate Change Justice expresses change
of climate from the perspective of environmental justice and human rights. These principles were
evaluated by coordination of CorpWatch, Oil Watch, Third World Network and the

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Environmental Network by mutual agreements at the Earth Summit in Bali in June
2002( Shah,2012).
Its preamble includes the concern for climate change and its impacts felt at the international
level. It also states that with the increased consumption fossil fuels, ecological disturbances and
deforestation, the increase in the temperature will result in the sea level rise, transformations in
the patters of agriculture, increased natural disasters and loss of biodiversity (Nightingale, 2017).
It creates awareness amongst the communities regarding the impact of the increase in the usage
of fossil fuels. It is basically caused by the developed nations and transnational corporations. It
has also highlighted that the development banks, governments and transnational corporations in
the US is attempting to acknowledge the issue of climate change and its impacts are severely felt
by youth, women, local communities, small island states, indigenous, elderly and poor people
residing all over the world.
It also states that the representatives of the member states pledge to work for social and
environmental justice which shall form the basis of the following ideologies. It states that all the
groups have the right to be free from the impact of climate change and other forms of
environmental turbulences. Climate justice denotes that all the governments are accountable for
acknowledging the issue of climate change in such a manner which is both responsible to the
people and according to the principles of common but differentiated accountabilities (Huntjens
and Zhang, 2016).
Climate change requires the need for decreasing the emission of greenhouse gases and related
pollutants. It also bestows the right to indigenous and affected communities to speak for their
benefits. It raises the issue of affected communities and their role in the national and
international processes to acknowledge the question of climate change. It calls for the
identification of the principle of ecological debt which the administrations of the industrial
nations and transnational corporations owe to the rest of the world resulting in the appropriation
of the earth’s capability to engross greenhouse gases.
Additionally , supporting the principle of ecological debt , Climate Justice safeguards the rights
of the sufferers affected by change of climate and related prejudices so that they can receive

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full compensation , reimbursement of the loss done to their land, livelihood and other damages
and their re-establishment. It calls for the need to explore new fossil fuels, construction of new
nuclear plants and large hydro programs.
Lastly, the concept of Climate Justice supports the necessity for solutions to mitigate the effects
of change of climate which do not express the cost to the communities and environment and they
are aligned with the principles of equal and just transformations (CorpWatch , 2002).
This essay can be concluded by stating the fact that global climate justice is essential for the
common interest of the society and it will protect the rights of future generations so that they can
access the natural resources and a unwavering and healthy climate and planet.

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authority and recognition in the context of political instability
authority and recognition in the context of political instability

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authority and recognition in the context of political instability