Will the 'Climate Club' do equally good to all countries?
Not only that, all G7 members may not support the plans. On the other hand, countries, which bear the brunt of climate change, must be included in the framework
Published: 02:06 PM,Jun 28,2022 | EDITED : 06:06 PM,Jun 28,2022
Now a “Climate Club” for nations that want to battle global warming! The move by the G7 economies is expected to see tougher actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from rising more than 1.5 Celsius.
Member countries, provided they agree on the conditions, which will be finalised only by the end of this year, are expected to harmonise their measures in such a way that they are comparable and avoid members imposing climate-related tariffs on each other’s imports.
The move was championed by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz amid criticism that the G7 leaders have not made any concrete promises on global warming at a summit dominated by discussion of securing energy supplies during a global crunch caused by the war in Ukraine.
The Club, once it starts functioning, can accelerate climate action in significant ways. However, the question is if the 'climate club' is limited to the G7 countries, will it do equally good to other countries!
Not only that, all G7 members may not support the plans. On the other hand, countries, which bear the brunt of climate change, must be included in the framework.
As Ekkehard Forberg, climate expert at World Vision said, 'A global climate club can be an effective tool if all stakeholders talk to each other at eye level”.
The G7 summit must make progress in curbing climate change in order to reach the 1.5-degree target. This includes the expansion of renewable energies in Africa and Asia.
'Instead, however, industrialised countries are focusing on the expansion of gas production in Africa - the completely wrong path. 'If they really still want to achieve the climate goals, they must financially support poorer countries in the expansion of renewable energies,” explains Forberg.
However, Scholz while outlining the vision of an ‘international climate club’, said in August 2021 said it must be “for everyone who is moving forward with ambitious climate goals. This open, collaborative club will set joint minimum standards, drive climate action that is internationally coordinated and ensure that climate action makes a country more competitive at the international level.”
The G7, therefore, should ensure that the proposed climate club will hold a core commitment to reform investment treaties and Investor-State Dispute Settlement, which are a key part of the legal architecture that underpins the global economy.
When it comes to the countries in the Gulf, climate change policies and responses have evolved since the adoption of the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change. The six countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council have worked to address the problem of climate change in varying degrees of depth and breadth, reflecting the diversity of their political economies and broader policy priorities.
The Sultanate of Oman is one of the most vulnerable countries in the Middle East to the adverse impacts of climate change and has a heightened degree of awareness and concern about global warming.
Climate change-related threats to the Sultanate of Oman have increased in recent years, evidenced by changes in the number, duration, and intensity of tropical cyclones.
Oman has already formulated a national strategy to support a gradual transition to a low carbon economy through an audacious goal of generating a significant portion of electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
The deployment of renewable energy and the deepening of energy efficiency actions are rooted in Oman Vision 2040.
As energy consumption is a leading cause of rising greenhouse gas emissions over the coming years, the country has initiated in 2016 of series of fiscal improvements to enhance energy conservation and to promote the culture of the energy-saving by liberalising the prices of petroleum products and phasing out gradually the subsidies on water and electricity over five years (2021-2025).
It has already stepped up its efforts in advancing its expertise and methodologies to better manage the climate change risks over the past five years. The adaptation efforts are underway, and the status of adaptation planning is still at a nascent stage.
Through its recently developed Climate Change Strategy, national stakeholders have begun to identify climate-resilient opportunities within a set of key vulnerable sectors, namely water resources, marine biodiversity, and fisheries; agriculture; urban areas, tourism and infrastructure; and public health.
Member countries, provided they agree on the conditions, which will be finalised only by the end of this year, are expected to harmonise their measures in such a way that they are comparable and avoid members imposing climate-related tariffs on each other’s imports.
The move was championed by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz amid criticism that the G7 leaders have not made any concrete promises on global warming at a summit dominated by discussion of securing energy supplies during a global crunch caused by the war in Ukraine.
The Club, once it starts functioning, can accelerate climate action in significant ways. However, the question is if the 'climate club' is limited to the G7 countries, will it do equally good to other countries!
Not only that, all G7 members may not support the plans. On the other hand, countries, which bear the brunt of climate change, must be included in the framework.
As Ekkehard Forberg, climate expert at World Vision said, 'A global climate club can be an effective tool if all stakeholders talk to each other at eye level”.
The G7 summit must make progress in curbing climate change in order to reach the 1.5-degree target. This includes the expansion of renewable energies in Africa and Asia.
'Instead, however, industrialised countries are focusing on the expansion of gas production in Africa - the completely wrong path. 'If they really still want to achieve the climate goals, they must financially support poorer countries in the expansion of renewable energies,” explains Forberg.
However, Scholz while outlining the vision of an ‘international climate club’, said in August 2021 said it must be “for everyone who is moving forward with ambitious climate goals. This open, collaborative club will set joint minimum standards, drive climate action that is internationally coordinated and ensure that climate action makes a country more competitive at the international level.”
The G7, therefore, should ensure that the proposed climate club will hold a core commitment to reform investment treaties and Investor-State Dispute Settlement, which are a key part of the legal architecture that underpins the global economy.
When it comes to the countries in the Gulf, climate change policies and responses have evolved since the adoption of the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change. The six countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council have worked to address the problem of climate change in varying degrees of depth and breadth, reflecting the diversity of their political economies and broader policy priorities.
The Sultanate of Oman is one of the most vulnerable countries in the Middle East to the adverse impacts of climate change and has a heightened degree of awareness and concern about global warming.
Climate change-related threats to the Sultanate of Oman have increased in recent years, evidenced by changes in the number, duration, and intensity of tropical cyclones.
Oman has already formulated a national strategy to support a gradual transition to a low carbon economy through an audacious goal of generating a significant portion of electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
The deployment of renewable energy and the deepening of energy efficiency actions are rooted in Oman Vision 2040.
As energy consumption is a leading cause of rising greenhouse gas emissions over the coming years, the country has initiated in 2016 of series of fiscal improvements to enhance energy conservation and to promote the culture of the energy-saving by liberalising the prices of petroleum products and phasing out gradually the subsidies on water and electricity over five years (2021-2025).
It has already stepped up its efforts in advancing its expertise and methodologies to better manage the climate change risks over the past five years. The adaptation efforts are underway, and the status of adaptation planning is still at a nascent stage.
Through its recently developed Climate Change Strategy, national stakeholders have begun to identify climate-resilient opportunities within a set of key vulnerable sectors, namely water resources, marine biodiversity, and fisheries; agriculture; urban areas, tourism and infrastructure; and public health.