Compromise and accommodation are the two essential policies required by states to save planet Earth. Substantiate the statement in the light of the ongoing negotiations between the North and South on environmental issues.
Answers
Answer: two possible answers
first answer:
yes, this is very much necessary that the states should adopt a policy of compromise and accommodation to save planet Earth. There have been a difference in the approach to environment between the countries of the North and the South i.e., between the developed countries and the developing countries. However, at the Rio Summit in 1992, the principle of ‘common but differentiated responsibilities’ was accepted. The Rio Declaration states that ‘States shall cooperate in the spirit of global partnership to conserve, protect and restore the health and integrity of the Earth’s ecosystem’. In 1992, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has also emphasised that the states should act to protect the climate system ‘on the basis of equity’ and the largest share should be borne by the developed countries. At Kyoto Protocol, China and India were exempted from its requirements. Thus, policies of compromise and accommodation have been followed to save planet Earth.
second answer :
the north and south had differences between themselves regarding the framing and executions of policies related to conservation of environment. While the industrialised northern nations wanted all the countries to be equally responsible for climate change and implement policies equally, the southern countries wanted the north to hold more responsibility as they’d already done their share of industrialisation and contributed more to climate change than the southern countries. The ongoing negotiations between the north and the south are-
• The north is more concerned about ozone depletion and global warming while the south wants to look at the issue of relationship between economic growth and ecological conservation.
• The 1992 United Nations framework Convention on climate change also provides that the parties should act to protect climate on ‘the basis of equity and in accordance with their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities’.
• In view of different contribution of global environmental degradation, states have common but differentiated responsibilities.
• Since the developing countries are still under process of industrialisation, they should be given some exemption in restrictions imposed by conventions, protocols etc. and should be taken into consideration while process of development, application and interpretation of rules of International Environmental Law.
Answer:
While the North represents the developed world, the South represents the developing World. The North often blames the developing world or the third world countries for causing environmental change in a negative way and causing climactic change. The Developing Nations on the other hand say that these detrimental changes for the environment have been caused by the Developed World to advance development and industrialisation. Thus it is important that the Developed World must be open to compromise and the interests of the Developing Nations should also be accommodated.