Economy of esteem and climate change...

No problem can withstand the assault of sustained thinking, and climate change requires sustained innovation. We have reached a situation where developing countries and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) need an overarching climate treaty which recognizes their right to sustainable development, access to funds for mitigation and adaptation activities. In our failure to achieve a post-Kyoto agreement we could end up forcing an international climate regime to fall victim to political complacency. This lack of political commitment to fight global warming could render the future of international climate regime very bleak.

The failure of national leaders to execute a post-Kyoto climate agreement would reflect the collective insensitivity of developed nations to the plight of LDCs that need food and water security, and work towards alleviation of poverty in these nations. There are nations whose citizens are losing their habitats to climate change and the absence of law to protect these 'climate refugees' makes them much more vulnerable to the debilitating effects of climate change. The lack of any initiative to protect these citizens is evident from the fact that the United Nations is yet to define the term ‘climate refugee' and list out guidelines to protect the right of these refugees to seek environmental asylum in other countries.


There is more to a climate treaty than mere assent to ‘legally binding commitments on emission reductions'. Global warming through sensible and serious participation of nations and its leaders and by offering incentives for effective climate leadership. They call it the ‘economy of esteem for climate change’. The link below gives a political analysis on the 'how and why' of a post-2012 climate change architecture.  

State of international climate treaty post-Kyoto