Human-caused climate change is the world's largest, most widespread threat to the natural environment and civilizations, and the poorest countries are paying the most price, according to Amb. Dr. Joseph Legend Mfon, a global pollution expert and UN SDG Ambassador.
The world is on the verge of crossing a key climate threshold, indicating that time is running out to save the world from the most disastrous effects of global warming, he warned. Climate change is affecting and violating human rights all around the world. This includes the right to life, health, food, development, self-determination, water and sanitation, work, sufficient housing, and freedom from violence, sexual exploitation, trafficking, and slavery.
There is an enormous injustice being manifested by developed economies against the poorest and least able to cope. Inaction by developed economies and major corporations to take responsibility for drastically reducing their greenhouse gas emissions has led to demands for ‘climate reparations’ for losses incurred. The G20 members for instance, account for 78 per cent of emissions over the last decade.
Those most affected and suffering the greatest losses are the least able to participate in current decision-making and more must be done to ensure they have a say in their future, including children and youth, women, persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and minorities.
The overall effect of inadequate actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is creating a human rights catastrophe, and the costs of these climate change related disasters are enormous. The two temperature benchmarks, outlined as crisis points by the United Nations Paris agreement, produce vastly different outcomes across the world.
The landmark pact, signed by nearly 200 countries, pledged to keep heating well below two degrees and recognized that aiming for 1.5C would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change
Half a degree of heating may not seem like a lot, but the increased impacts are exponential, intensifying a broad scale of consequences for ecosystems around the world, and the people, plants and animals that depend on them.
The difference between 1.5C and 2C also results in twice the amount of lost habitat for plants and three times the amount for insects.
Amb. Dr. Joseph Legend Mfon presented several recommendations, including a proposed High-Level Mitigation Commitment by government and oil companies and a climate change redress and grievance mechanism to allow vulnerable communities to seek recourse for damages incurred.