Environment & Natural Resources Class 12 Political Science

Political Dimensions:

1. These issues involve questions of responsibility and power.
2. Environmental degradation is a global issue requiring worldwide political involvement.

Political Questions:

• Who causes damage?
• Who bears the costs?
• Who controls resources?

Historical Context:

• From the 1960s, environmental awareness gained political significance with the publication of Limits to Growth and the rise of international environmental organizations.

Earth Summit 1992:

• Attended by 170 states; highlighted differences between the global North and global South on environmental priorities.
• Resulted in conventions on climate change, biodiversity, and forestry, and the Agenda 21 framework for sustainable development.

Criticism of Agenda 21: Criticized for prioritizing economic growth over ecological conservation, raising contentious issues in global environmental politics.

• Commons are resources shared by a community, not owned by anyone specifically, such as a common room, community center, park, or river.
• Global commons are regions outside any single state's sovereignty, requiring international governance. Examples include: Earth's atmosphere, Antarctica, Ocean floor and Outer space
• Cooperation over global commons is challenging due to Difficulties in achieving consensus on environmental agendas and Vague scientific evidence and time frames.
• Significant agreements include:
  1959 Antarctic Treaty
  1987 Montreal Protocol
  1991 Antarctic Environmental Protocol
• The ozone hole discovery in the mid-1980s highlighted both opportunities and challenges in addressing global environmental issues.
• Outer space management is affected by North-South inequalities, with disparities in technology and industrial development.
• The benefits of exploitative activities in global commons are uneven, impacting present and future generations differently.

North-South Approach Differences:

• Developed North: Advocates for equal responsibility for ecological conservation.
• Developing South: Believes that developed countries, responsible for most past degradation, should bear more responsibility for addressing it. They argue that developing countries should not face the same restrictions during their industrialization.

• Established in the Rio Declaration (Earth Summit, 1992).
• Acknowledges different contributions to environmental degradation and emphasizes that developed countries should take greater responsibility for sustainable development due to their historical emissions and technological resources.

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC):

• UNFCCC Emphasizes action based on equity and common but differentiated responsibilities.
• Recognizes that developed countries are historically responsible for the majority of greenhouse gas emissions, while per capita emissions in developing countries are lower.

Kyoto Protocol:

• Kyoto Protocol was Agreed upon in 1997 in Kyoto, Japan.
• Sets targets for industrialized countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• Exempts developing countries like China and India from emission reduction requirements.
• Focuses on gases like Carbon Dioxide, Methane, and Hydrofluorocarbons, which contribute to global warming and potential catastrophic consequences.

• India signed and ratified the 1997 Kyoto Protocol in August 2002.
• Developing countries like India and China were exempt from Kyoto Protocol requirements due to their relatively small historical contributions to greenhouse gas emissions.
• Critics argue that developing countries, including India and China, will soon become significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions.
• At the G-8 meeting in June 2005, India highlighted that per capita emissions in developing countries are much lower than those in developed countries.
• India maintains that developed countries should bear the primary responsibility for reducing emissions due to their historical contributions.
• India’s international negotiating stance is based on the principle of historical responsibility, as outlined in the UNFCCC, which emphasizes prioritizing economic and social development for developing countries.
• India is concerned that new binding commitments on rapidly industrializing countries might undermine the spirit of the UNFCCC.
• Despite rising per capita emissions, India’s emissions are predicted to remain below the global average.
• The Indian government is engaged in global environmental efforts, including the National Auto-fuel Policy, Energy Conservation Act, and Electricity Act, which promote cleaner energy and improved energy efficiency.
• India is also advancing projects such as the National Mission on Biodiesel and has one of the largest renewable energy programs globally.
• In 2016, India ratified the Paris Climate Agreement.
• A review in 1997 highlighted the lack of progress in transferring financial resources and technology to developing countries.
• India believes developed countries need to provide financial support and clean technologies to help developing nations meet their commitments under the UNFCCC.
• India advocates for a unified stance among SAARC countries on global environmental issues to strengthen the region’s influence.