Why Global Warming Will Never Demolish

 Why Global Warming Will Never Demolish

By Seungjun Jung, age 19

Record-breaking temperatures flash across screens while sea levels creep up shores and catastrophic natural disasters sweep across continents, all of which seem to exacerbate each year. Global warming has time and time been condemned as the killer of Mother Earth, the news of which has only recently jolted the international community out of its oblivion, intentional or otherwise. According to the UN Secretary-General António Guterres, to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050,  the world will “need commitments that will deliver a reduction of emissions by 45% by 2030…” While a commendable emulation, the potentiality of this ambition remains dubious in mere eight short years. The money, time, and manpower necessary for the development of renewable energy infrastructures are staggering, and while this may seem like a feasible goal for rich developed countries, it might as well be a crushing sentence for poor developing countries without any means or resources to fulfill those goals.

Thus, a new treaty with more pragmatic goals to reduce GHG emissions must be considered to protect developing countries from a sentence of stagnation and economic downfall. The following points will be pivotal to the success of the treaty:

1. The conglomerates that are responsible for two-thirds of total GHG emissions are to cooperate with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to discuss, set, and achieve net zero emissions by the agreed-upon date.

2. The IPCC will conduct annual inspections to track the direction and efforts made by the companies to reduce carbon emissions.

3. Should the deadline of net zero emissions not be met by the company, or should the IPCC deem that the conglomerate is not fulfilling its duties in achieving the net zero emissions, the IPCC will charge and collect taxes from the conglomerates.

4. The collected tax fees will be transferred from the IPCC to the country in which the company’s facilities are located. The countries will be encouraged to utilize the collected taxes to build new infrastructure for renewable energy or develop programs or facilities for the benefit of the citizens of the country, such as global warming awareness programs or public parks accessible to all citizens. The IPCC will request annual reports to supervise and prevent the misuse of collected taxes by corrupt authorities in such countries.  

5. The IPCC will publish on a quarterly basis which company has been best upholding their end in reducing GHG emissions. Through spreading awareness to the public, people will be spurred to consume goods that are more sustainable and ultimately reduce their own carbon footprint.

6. This will give an opportunity for developing countries to make advancements while conglomerates that are responsible for the pollution will be coerced into making changes to achieve net zero emissions. 

The reason behind targeting companies instead of countries for GHG emission reduction is due to industries being responsible for most pollution across the globe. And while the conglomerates reap profits from their actions, the countries that house them often do not. For example, according to the World Benchmarking Alliance, despite being the world’s second-largest oil and gas company, the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) “shows no evidence of engagement with the low-carbon transition… or climate strategy.” The NIOC “has not announced a low-carbon transition plan and does not provide information regarding emissions reduction targets or renewable energy capacities” aimed for the Paris Agreement, to which, ironically, the Iranian government has agreed. 

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