The problem of equity in IPCC reports
- UN Climate Report Shows Persistent Inequality in Emissions and Burdens
A new study analyzing UN climate scenarios reveals a troubling trend:
- income, energy use, and emissions disparities between developed and developing countries are projected to widen by 2050, despite considering over 500 future pathways.
Why Equity Matters
- The UN Framework on Climate Change recognizes the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities.
- This means wealthier nations, who historically contributed more to emissions, should take on a bigger share of the climate action burden.
- Focusing solely on technical and economic feasibility risks ignoring this principle.
- Ideally, developed regions would achieve "net negative" emissions quickly, freeing up the remaining carbon budget for developing countries to grow sustainably.
- However, the current scenarios don't reflect this.
Inequities in the IPCC Report
- The study examined scenarios from the IPCC's latest report (AR6) and found:
- By 2050, Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, West Asia, and the rest of Asia (representing 60% of the world's population) are projected to have lower GDP per person than the global average.
- Similar disparities exist in consumption of goods and services, energy use, and fossil fuel consumption, with the Global North consuming more than the Global South.
- The scenarios project a greater reliance on land-based carbon sinks (forests) and carbon capture technologies (CCS) in developing countries compared to developed ones.
Conclusion
- These findings highlight the need for more equitable climate scenarios.
- Developing countries shouldn't be burdened with both reducing emissions and cleaning up the mess created by developed nations.