The New Nation - Internet Edition

Mahbubur Rahman Khan

The target of Group of Eight (G8) rich nations on cutting global emissions by at least 50 per cent by 2050 will be unachievable, opines country's prominent environmentalist.

The emission of six greenhouse gases (GHG) - carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride, hydrofluorocarbons, and perfluorocarbons are responsible for the climate change. The high-industrialised countries emit the gases more than any other least developed countries of the world.

One American emits annually 20 tons of carbon, one Indian 1.1 tons, one Brazilian 1.8 tons, one Chinese 3.9 tons, one South African 7.0 tons while a Bangladeshi emits only 0.5 tons according to Equity and Justice Working Group (EJWG).

Due to climate change, 29 per cent area of Bangladesh from Cox's Bazar to Badarmokam will be submerged if the sea level and temperature rise to 45 cm and 2 degree Celsius respectively. A vast area of arable lands will become salty for the rising of the sea level and the risk of cyclone will increase.

Mentioning the three shortcomings of G8 decision on cutting emissions Dr A Atiq Rahman, Executive Director of

Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BACS), said the target of G8 would fail to reduce the GHG emission, as there was no vision determined.

He said the G8 countries did not set up any base year from which the targeted 50 per cent reduction of emissions will be calculated.

"How much GHG will be reduced in 2015, 2020 or 2025 was absent in the decision of G8 summit", Dr Atiq said, "in other words short term and mid term target were missed in their mutual recognition."

The USA seems to make its emission cut target conditional to reduction by emergent industrial countries like China, India, etc. This conditional approach is supposed to make the possibility of achieving the G-8 target doubtful.

Dr Atiq believes that adoption of climate and environment adaptable technology would help to reduce greenhouse gas.

Md Shamsuddoha, Researcher and General Secretary of EJWG opined that the World Bank (WB) should not have any control on adaptation fund as the investment and loan policy of WB in least developed and developing countries expedited the world climate change in the past. He advised that adaptation fund could be made through United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC).

He also urged the developed countries to adopt the year 1990 as the base year in reducing the emission of GHG.

Samsuddoha thinks that the entire attempts in reducing climate change will be futile and the world will turn to a reversed condition if we could not adopt green technology.