Climate justice: Corporate capture

Climate change has emerged as a global menace to humanity and the diverse species inhabiting this precious planet. If not addressed promptly with appropriate measures, the very existence of life on Earth will be at risk.

Wealthy industrialized nations, historically responsible for emitting greenhouse gases over the past 500 years in the name of industrialization, have pledged to take robust actions to combat climate change. However, their rhetoric has largely failed to translate into meaningful policy actions on the ground. Global temperatures continue to rise at an unprecedented rate in modern human history.

From a hemispheric perspective, countries in the Global South are in a more precarious position due to the adverse impacts of climate change compared to those in the Global North. This disparity stems from various factors, including the Global North's greater adaptive capacity. However, it is crucial to note that the most marginalized and vulnerable populations, regardless of their location in the North or South, disproportionately bear the brunt of climate change. This inequity arises from prevailing social inequalities, power imbalances, and limited capacity to cope with its adverse effects. Marginalized groups in Nepal—such as women, indigenous communities, Dalits, persons with disabilities, and LGBTIQA+ individuals—are no exception. Addressing these challenges requires targeted efforts both globally and nationally, with adequate measures specifically designed to support vulnerable populations.

On the global stage, various initiatives have been undertaken to address climate change since the 1980s. The adoption of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1992 marked a historic milestone, encouraging nations to adopt adaptation and mitigation strategies as two essential pillars for combating climate change. Under the UNFCCC, the annual Conference of the Parties (COP) serves as a mechanism for nations to negotiate and compromise on climate-related issues.

While critics argue that COPs have largely served to maintain the status quo for wealthy industrialized nations and fossil fuel corporations, these conferences have also produced significant milestones. The Paris Climate Agreement of 2015, for instance, aims to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C by 2100. The agreement includes provisions for technology transfer, net-zero carbon emissions, funding, and capacity building, grounded in the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. Yet, these commitments remain largely unfulfilled by wealthy nations.

Furthermore, recent COPs have increasingly been criticized for being dominated by corporate interests, reducing them to platforms for fossil fuel negotiations rather than transformative action. For example, the president of COP28, Sultan Al-Jaber, is also the chairperson of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company. Similarly, Mukhtar Babayev, president of COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, has longstanding ties to the state-owned oil company SOCAR. Such conflicts of interest undermine the credibility of these conferences. It is unrealistic to expect transformative actions to tackle the climate crisis when individuals with vested interests in fossil fuels are at the helm. To restore integrity, COP leadership must be entrusted to individuals with no ties to fossil fuel industries.

The Global South, particularly vulnerable countries and communities, has consistently demanded environmental justice from the Global North. Wealthy nations, primarily responsible for historical and current greenhouse gas emissions, are being urged to compensate for this historical injustice. Key demands from the Global South include technology transfer, adequate funding for adaptation and mitigation, capacity development, and immediate greenhouse gas reductions without false promises.

At COP29, the Global South demanded $1.3trn annually from the Global North to address the climate crisis. However, the Global North committed only $300bn by 2035, distributed through a mix of loans and grants. This response is widely viewed as insufficient and unfair, violating the principles of common but differentiated responsibilities outlined in the Paris Agreement and other global frameworks. Wealthy nations must take genuine responsibility for their historical emissions by providing the necessary funds, technology transfer, and capacity-building support to the Global South.

Additionally, major fossil fuel-based economies such as China, India, Russia, and Arabian countries must also adopt cleaner technologies and drastically reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

Nepal, despite contributing a negligible 0.027 percent to global greenhouse gas emissions, faces significant adverse impacts of climate change. Key sectors such as agriculture, health, water resources, tourism, and livelihoods are already bearing the brunt of these changes. Marginalized and vulnerable groups, including women, Dalits, poor communities, persons with disabilities, and LGBTIQA+ individuals, have been disproportionately affected, resulting in severe violations of their fundamental human rights to live with dignity.

In response, the Nepal government has implemented measures such as the Climate Change Policy of 2019. However, the execution of these provisions has fallen short due to various challenges, including limited financial resources, low public awareness, inadequate coordination, a lack of skilled human resources, and weak diplomatic efforts on the global stage.

To ensure climate justice, corporate influence over global negotiations must be decisively curtailed. The prevailing neoliberal economic model, which prioritizes profit over human and environmental well-being, must be restructured to focus on sustainability, human rights, and the planet's health.

Furthermore, major powers such as the United States and China must set aside their geopolitical rivalries and collaborate to address the climate crisis. Nepal, despite being a minor emitter, must adopt resourceful and skilled negotiation strategies to secure climate justice on the global stage while implementing domestic measures to safeguard its vulnerable populations.

The climate crisis demands urgent and collective action. Wealthy nations and major emitters must honor their commitments and take bold steps toward a sustainable future. For countries like Nepal, the focus should remain on fostering resilience, advocating for justice, and ensuring that no one is left behind in the fight against climate change.