Climate Change: Challenges and Implications for Pakistan

Introduction:

According to the United Nations, “Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns.” These shifts can either be natural, because of changes in the sun's activity or due to large volcanic eruptions. But it's mainly driven by human activities, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas, since the industrial revolution in the 1800s (United Nations, n.d.; Duruji, M. M., Olanrewaju, F. O., & Duruji-Moses, F. U., 2018). Burning fossil fuels generates greenhouse gases which envelopes the earth, trapping the sun’s heat and raising temperatures. Carbon dioxide and methane are the main greenhouse gases that are causing climate change. The average temperature of the Earth’s surface has now increased by about 1.1°C compared to what it was in the late 1800s (before the industrial revolution). Moreover, its warmer than at any time in the last 100,000 years. Each of the last four decades has been warmer than any previous decade since 1850 with the last decade (2011-2020) being the warmest on record (United Nations, n.d.).

According to the UNEP's Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) ’ s Global Methane Assessment, “human-caused methane emissions can be reduced by up to 45 per cent this decade which would avoid nearly 0.3°C of global warming by 2045” (UNEP, December 30, 2022).

There has been much concern about the climate change and its adverse effects and the need to protect the environment globally. Although there have been many efforts, meetings, agreements, and initiatives etc. in this regard, from time to time, but some of them are significant. Among which is a document entitled “Our Common Future,” commonly known as the “Brundtland Report.” It was prepared in 1987, by the World Commission for Environment and Development (WCED) with the coordination of commission, Gro Harlem Brundtland; giving the concept of sustainable development. Sustainable development was thus defined as “ sustainable development is the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Vezzoli & Manzini, 2008; Idris, 2018).

Brundtland Report holds a historic significance for environmental sustainability for two reasons. First, it initiated international debate on aforementioned definitive imposition of the concept of our responsibility towards the future. Secondly, it questioned the previously indisputable concept of development.

Subsequently, many other significant international initiatives were started. The notable initiatives among them include: UN Conference on Environment and Development in 1992 which was held in Rio de Janeiro and World Summit on Sustainable Development that was held ten years later in Johannesburg (Vezzoli & Manzini, 2008; Idris, 2018).

Later in 2012, UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) was held in which, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) also known as the Global Goals, were developed. The SDGs had replaced the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) had started a global effort in 2000 to address a total of 08 Goals which included the goal to ensure environmental sustainability (World Health Organization [WHO], n.d.; Idris, 2018).

The Kyoto Protocol was adopted on 11 December 1997 and entered into force on 16 February 2005 because of the complex ratification process. There are currently 192 Parties to the Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol implements the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change by signatory industrialized countries and economies in transition to restrict and reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions according to the agreed individual targets. The Convention itself only calls on those countries to adopt policies and steps on mitigation and to report periodically (United Nations: Climate Change, n. d. c;Duruji et al., 2018).