Although the Climate Change summit in Durban was a big step forward in terms of recognising the responsibility of all countries, big and small, rich and poor, developing and developed, the agreement reached is a failure.
The 1997 Kyoto protocol never worked because the George W Bush administration never ratified the protocol and other countries followed suit. Bush argued that any such agreement should not only oblige developed countries to cut down on emissions but developing countries should also respect the same obligations. However Bush also argued that the Kyoto agreement would be too costly and called it a ‘straight-jacket’.
The Bush administration also questioned the validity of the science behind global warming, and claimed that millions of jobs will be lost if the US ratifies the agreement. This act of cowardice and bizarre skepticism on global warming, backed by the oil and energy industry, meant that the Kyoto protocol never took off.
The Durban Platform may be rich in intentions but vague and lame in offering solutions. There is no urgency and resolve from politicians who remain hostage of the big industries. Yet in the next few decades, climate change coupled with the food, energy and water emergencies will dominate the world and something will need to be done, if not by politicians, by the masses.
