A moral dilemma for the West

India and China have published reports on their projected greenhouse emissions this week - and posed an important moral question to the developed world.

Although both countries have massive net CO2 emissions, both emit far less CO2 per capita than we do in the developed world. For example, in 2006 India emitted only 1.1 tonnes of CO2 per person compared to 10.8 tonnes in the OECD countries and 15 in North America. China emitted 4.3 tonnes per person. The report also predicts that there will be such big improvements in India’s energy efficiency that by 2031 the country will probably still have a lower emissions rating per capita than the world average in 2006 - and be more energy-efficient than Germany.

So, both India and China are questioning why they should have to pay to develop a low carbon economy – a cost would seriously risk their overall economic development. After all, the countries that are now classed as developed got rich in a time of cheap fossil fuels, a luxury which is now long gone. Because of this, the European Union has this week proposed tens of billions of Euros in global aid to help developing countries fund the transition to low-carbon economies.

It’s not as much as countries like China would like, but at least it’s a step in the right direction. For Copenhagen to work, we need some give and take: richer countries must take the immediate ambitions of countries like China and India into consideration, but as the world’s first and third largest net emitters, they must set out some concrete goals too.

David Miliband fears for climate consensus

UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband has spoken out about his fears for Copenhagen this week, and the risk that the talks could end with no concrete plan to succeed the Kyoto Protocol. He reckons that the complexity of the issue, the global recession and mutual ‘suspicion’ between rich and poor countries could stop world leaders coming to an agreement. He’s now off on a series of visits around Europe in an attempt to raise awareness of the threat of climate change. Let’s hope he succeeds - and let’s also hope he’s travelling by train...

Chairman of the Copenhagen Climate Council, Tim Flannery, is also not convinced. He believes there’s just a 50:50 chance that a deal will be reached, and that it depends on cooperation between the USA and China, countries that use vast amounts of fossil fuels.
Despite the obstacles, there are some green shoots – the new Japanese government has announced plans to reduce its emissions by to 75% of 1990 levels by 2020, and China is making plans for big emissions cuts as well as investing more and more in renewables.

New carbon tax for France

Closer to home, France’s President Nicolas Sarkozy has announced a new carbon tax which will see householders paying 17 Euros for every tonne of CO2 emitted. This will mean an increase in the average heating bill and an increase of about 4 cents per litre for unleaded petrol. There won’t be a tax on electricity, as almost 90% of it comes from nuclear power. Sarkozy’s decision to bring in the tax has been preceded by fierce debate across the country, with a poll showing that around 2/3 of voters are against the tax – which could be seen to unfairly penalise lower income households  and struggling industries like fishing and farming in what is already a difficult time financially.

Despite the negativity towards the carbon tax, Sarkozy’s efforts to bolster his green credentials ahead of Copenhagen haven’t all been widely denounced; France’s Green Party did much better than expected in the European elections in June, earning 16.8% of the national vote and, according to AFP, environmentally-friendly measures are widely supported by the French in general. Sarko’s also planning to unveil a new "clean cars" programme that will offer a 5,000-euro bonus to consumers who opt for environmentally-friendly models.

So, will other governments follow suit? Sarkozy’s certainly urging them to, but the debate rumbles on as to whether carbon taxation is really a viable method of cutting CO2 emissions.

Green Energy Republic