by Young Green, Luisa Jackson.
Climate change is real. So is poverty. With the developed world’s evermore carbon intensive lifestyles, these problems are only set to escalate. And, like always, the developing world will foot the bill, both economically and environmentally. Clear evidence of this already exists in Africa where 12 million are facing climate related droughts and famine. The injustice of this equation is blaringly obvious as while Africa is only responsible for a minute percentage of the world’s carbon emissions, they will pay the highest price for global warming.
We’ve certainly all heard these problems before and there is no denying their urgency. If only there was a viable solution…
Well there is.
The answer is Contraction and Convergence. Contraction and Convergence is a truly democratic method of greenhouse gas reduction that has the ability to both alleviate poverty and promote sustainable development worldwide. Sound too good to be true? Well, check out the figures – they add up.
The theory of Contraction & Convergence firstly recognises the status of the atmosphere as a “global good”, belonging to each member of the human race in equal value. This means that each human being has a ‘right’ to emit an equal amount of carbon. The theory then sets a realistic maximum atmospheric limit of carbon dioxide emissions, or carbon emissions “budget” – this has been calculated at 450 parts per million by volume (ppmv)*. This carbon emissions budget is then divided between each country of the world on a per capita basis. The level of carbon emissions that each country is entitled to produce is therefore based on its population and calculated into a number of “shares”.
These carbon shares can be traded between countries so that high carbon emitting countries can purchase the shares of low carbon emitting countries (i.e. the United Kingdom would have to purchase a large proportion of shares from African countries in order to continue its current practices).
The process of having to trade these carbon shares between countries will have two effects. Firstly, it will provide developing nations with the financial capital to defend themselves against future climate change while also investing in green / sustainable infrastructure and development. Secondly, the process of share trading will give a real financial incentive for developed nations to quickly and efficiently transition from carbon based to “clean” economies and to utilise the remaining stocks of fossil fuels in the process of conversion to sustainable infrastructure.
The theory of Contraction and Convergence sets a future date (proposed to be 2045) at which all countries should emit an equitable level of carbon based on their population – this is “Convergence”. The total global level of emissions will reduce, or “Contract”.
In order to prevent an economic incentive for population growth, the theory proposes to use a “capping” system where a nation’s population is regarded as stable from a certain year. This has been suggested as being the year 2000 for developed nations and the year 2045 for developing nations (using the UN’s population forecast statistics).
So the theory of Contraction and Convergence effectively resolves two of the largest problems that the world faces; it provides the social equity desperately needed in the developing world, while producing the necessary carbon reductions to counter the effects of global warming and an incentive for developing clean and sustainable economies. In doing so, it proves itself both revolutionary and truly democratic.
What is provided above is a modest overview of Contraction and Convergence. For a more in-depth look at the theory’s formulas, graphs, calculations etc please refer to www.gci.org.uk/contconv/cc.html. The Global Commons Institute is the independent body that originally developed this theory and actively promote it in the UN.
The latest round of UN talks on climate change in Nairobi has again proved ineffective with no real agreement or viable solution found. Perhaps this is because the only truly viable solution already exists in the theory of Contraction and Convergence. The next round of talks will be held in Bali in December 2007. We have an opportunity to add our voices to the call for true environmental and social justice by advocating Contraction and Convergence and lobbying our government and the UN to adopt this methodology and begin the implementation process in the 2007 round.
Get active!
Now is the time to take action on climate change. We can already see the visible effects of global warming with increasingly volatile weather patterns, changing seasons and dramatic impacts such as the Tsunami.
It is our generation who are experiencing these problems and must do something - we can't wait.
Young Greens attended the March against Climate Change in London again this year - see here for more information,
For ways that you can personally reduce your carbon emissions, see the Green Party's Green Energy Works Campaign.
