DISPATCH FROM COP27
Brazil, India, China and SA accuse developed world of ‘double standards’ incompatible with climate equity and justice
The Basic group of negotiators — Brazil, India, China and South Africa — have uniformly condemned developed countries as having ‘double standards’, as rich countries increasingly use fossil fuels while simultaneously pressuring developing countries to move away from these resources.
“There has been a significant increase in the consumption and production of fossil fuels in the past year by developed countries, even as they continue to press developing countries to move away from the same resources.
“Such double standards are incompatible with climate equity and justice,” said the ministers of the Basic (Brazil, India, China and South Africa) group of negotiators in a joint statement at the United Nations climate change conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
In South Africa, Gwede Mantashe, the minister of mineral resources and energy, has at various energy-related events in the latter half of 2022 told members of the media that Germany, for example, had increased its imports of South African coal “eightfold” this year.
Both Mantashe and the Basic ministers, however, chose to omit certain contextually relevant information.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) recently noted that even though the energy crisis — sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — had indeed “propped up global coal demand in 2022 by making natural gas far more expensive”, the relatively small increase in coal emissions had been “considerably outweighed by the expansion of renewables.
“Coal consumption in the European Union is expected to rise by 7% in 2022 on top of last year’s 14% jump. This is being driven by demand from the electricity sector where coal is increasingly being used to replace gas, which is in short supply and has experienced huge price spikes following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Several EU countries are extending the life of coal plants scheduled for closure, reopening closed plants or raising caps on their operating hours to reduce gas consumption. However, Europe only accounts for about 5% of global coal consumption,” the agency said.
The IEA executive director, Fatih Birol, noted that the encouraging news is that “solar and wind are filling much of the gap, with the uptick in coal appearing to be relatively small and temporary”.
Among the key findings of the World Energy Outlook 2022 report are that: “The crisis provides a short-term boost to demand for oil and coal as consumers scramble for alternatives to high-priced gas. But the lasting gains from the crisis accrue to low-emissions sources, mainly renewables, but also nuclear in some cases, alongside faster progress with efficiency and electrification, e.g. electric vehicles.”
According to the report, the EU’s CO2 emissions are on course to decline this year despite an increase in coal emissions. The rise in European coal use is “expected to be temporary”, with a “strong pipeline of new renewable projects forecast to add around 50 gigawatts of capacity in 2023”. These additions would “generate more electricity than the expected increase in coal-fired power generation in the EU in 2022”, the agency said.
On Tuesday in Egypt, the Basic meeting was chaired by Barbara Creecy, the minister of forestry, fisheries and the environment. It was attended by Joaquim Leite and Bhupender Yadav, Creecy’s Brazilian and Indian counterparts, respectively, as well as Xie Zhenhua, China’s special envoy for climate change, and Zhao Yingmin, China’s vice-minister of ecology and environment.
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Ministers share progress
Not without their own issues, such as rampant deforestation and being among the highest users of coal in the world, the ministers shared some of the progress made in their countries.
They noted that Brazil had this year increased its mitigation ambition with a new target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030, based on 2005 levels. The South American heavyweight also announced strategic measures for its 2050 climate neutrality commitment, including zero illegal deforestation by 2028 as well as restoring and reforesting 18 million hectares of forests by 2030.
In South Africa, a framework to underpin its move from coal to cleaner sources of electricity generation as well as an investment “that outlines the enormous scale and nature of investments needed to achieve its decarbonisation goals over the next five years” was developed. The country has also submitted its Climate Change Bill before Parliament.
In India, “Mission Life” was launched, which is aimed at creating “a global mass movement for sustainable lifestyles and a paradigm shift from mindless and destructive consumption to mindful and deliberate utilisation”.
The Indian minister noted that the country had submitted its Long-Term Low-Carbon Development Strategy towards net zero by 2070 at COP27. This was preceded by the submission of its updated and enhanced nationally determined contributions in August this year. India also noted that the country now has the world’s fourth-largest installed capacity of renewable energy.
The Chinese had many achievements to share, including that the country’s carbon intensity last year dropped by 3.8% and 50.8% compared with 2020 and 2005. They noted how nearly a third of the total global capacity of “non-fossil energy power generation” is in China, with 1,120GW. It also provides about 50% of the global wind power equipment and 80% of the global solar power generation equipment, while the country has more than 50% of all “new-energy” vehicles in the world on its roads.
In their joint statement, the Basic ministers said: “Developing countries require predictable and appropriate support, including climate finance at the necessary scope, scale and speed, and access to technology and markets to ensure and enable their sustainable development.
“Ministers are concerned that climate finance provided by developed countries continues to fall short of the $100-billion per year commitment, as it has every year since the goal was set in 2009, and despite the deep regret expressed at COP26 last year.
“This is despite the $100-billion being only a tiny fraction of the financing which will be necessary for an economy-wide transformation and to meet the needs and priorities of developing countries. Developing countries, and especially the Basic countries, have to channel many times this amount of financing from their domestic resources or from commercial loans, and developing countries cannot afford to transform their economies without assistance.”
They emphasised: “Trust amongst parties is central to the success of the multilateral process and climate change can only be successfully addressed through a collective multilateral response.” DM/OBP
China. India. Places where the smog in their cities is so bad at times, it is dangerous to go outside. And they are talking about double standards. It just shows that by attempting to turn the climate crisis in a political jamboree that nobody takes seriously, nothing will happen. And eventually those cities will become uninhabitable. And they will be the first to blame the west and wonder why their populations flee there to escape the chaos.
Interesting that Europe allows itself to increase coal usage because of a “temporary” crisis, but it pressures South Africa to cut coal usage in our own time of crisis. Interesting that Europe pressures Brazil to stop deforestation, and feel smug because Europe’s own deforestation was completed centuries ago. And who is asking questions about funding of energy supplies? We know that in South Africa ANC-aligned interests hold massive interests in coal mines. We know that the developing world, including South Africa has to pay massive amounts to Europe/USA in licences/design fees etc for renewables. COPxx will always struggle to gain meaningful traction in climate change because of these powerful political and financial interests which have little interest in the ordinary family in the street.
Hi, please clarify the reference to the massive license/design fees. We do that locally. In addition, some manufacturers provide modelling and design software for free.
What a beautiful example of both sophistry and hypocrisy! Like all such things, it has a kernel of truth to it: the developed world has a much greater greenhouse gas emissions debt due to historical emissions. The argument follows that it is primarily they that should shoulder the financial burden of mitigation and adaptation. It does not follow that developing countries have no obligation to follow a cleaner development path, now that we are aware of the environmental costs.
The Basic countries (I wonder why they chose this and not BRICS) are all outliers in terms of pollution. South Africa’s carbon dioxide emissions are more than double those of the next highest in Africa. It is the 12th biggest polluter in the world. China poured more cement from 2011 to 2013 than the USA did in the entire 20th century. The cement industry is the second largest producer of carbon dioxide and produces around 5% of global emissions. Let that sink in. China produced more in 3 years than the USA did in 100. So much for historical obligations.
BRICS Ministers concerned by CLIMATE FINANCE provided by developed countries continues to fall short of the 100 billion US dollars per yr commitment. I smell a rat, they can’t be trusted, they hv always being SELFISH and GLUTTONOUS when it comes to world resources. They murdered elected leaders n replaced them with Ja Baas puppets.
Lets take this with a pinch of salt until they show us the money. Bolivia n Chile hold 70% of the world’s lithium, they staged a Coup in Bolivia, Pres. Morales had to flee into exile n they failed. China hold 75% of the world’s rare precious metals used in production of wind turbines. Read the book by British Australian investigative journalist John Pilger’s The Coming War On China. Is the Taiwan problem a coincidence?Go figure.
I think the terms “developed” and “developing” nations have outlived their usefulness and is being abused by some of the largest economies on the planet (India & China). The little tail-wagging lapdog of the Basic partners, South Africa, is the only one that qualifies (with the caveat ‘self-inflicted’). Why must every platform be politicised to suit specific agendas? Can we not for once work together for the good of all, without suspicion that someone is doing the dirty on someone else?