Tuhin Sanzid, New York: 

The world's climate is changing rapidly. The amount of greenhouse gases is increasing. To save the planet, everyone must work together now. This warning was issued by the United Nations in a report published in 2014. It is undeniable that everyone is looking to the UN for effective action. Especially with the recent climate unrest, questions are being raised. As a result, there is both disappointment and hope about the UN's role in climate change.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) prepared the report. The IPCC states that if the current rate of greenhouse gas emissions (carbon dioxide) continues, it will require very costly technology to tackle the situation in the future. This technology may not be accessible to everyone.

The organization further notes that from 2000 to 2010, the amount of harmful carbon dioxide in the world increased by 2.2 percent, which is double the rate from 1970 to 2000.

In the IPCC draft, the global population is urged to immediately reduce carbon emissions and adopt clean energy. The report also criticizes governments for increasing subsidies for fossil fuels instead of promoting clean energy use.

The report identifies economic growth and population increase as the main drivers of the rise in greenhouse gases.

Eleven years after the United Nations issued this warning, the situation has worsened. Many countries around the world are already experiencing the direct impacts of climate change. However, there has been minimal progress. In this context, environmentalists and various world leaders are calling for a more effective role from the United Nations (UN).

The UN goal for climate change is to limit global warming to 1.5°C, greenhouse gas emissions decline 43% by 2030.

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) stands at the core of the action in the fight against climate change. We tackle the climate crisis on a variety of fronts: encouraging the transition to low- and zero-carbon emissions in key sectors such as energy, agriculture, buildings, forestry, industry and transport.

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United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the primary international treaty for addressing climate change, aiming to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere to prevent "dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system". It was signed in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro and entered into force in 1994. The UNFCCC secretariat (UN Climate Change) supports the global response to climate change. It establishes mechanisms for monitoring and reporting on countries' progress towards their climate commitments, ensuring transparency and accountability.

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority, setting the environmental agenda and promoting sustainable development within the UN system. It supports countries in developing national plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions and promotes new finance models to accelerate the transition to a green economy. UNEP works with governments, civil society, and the private sector to improve air quality and address climate change. UNEP tackles the climate crisis on various fronts, including encouraging the transition to low- and zero-carbon emissions in key sectors like energy, agriculture, buildings, forestry, industry, and transport.

UN also doing some activities through other agencies and initiatives. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) supports countries' efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including by working with countries to turn their climate goals into action. The UN also works with local and regional governments and cities to raise awareness about their vital role in combating climate change and achieving climate goals. The UN encourages integrated action in climate change and sustainable development, aiming to deliver co-benefits across the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement. The UN serves as a convener, encouraging all sectors to collaborate and take ambitious actions to tackle the climate crisis.

Among all the activities Conference of the Parties (COP) is the most significant and prominent event. However, environmentalists believe that this conference has failed to effectively pressure global leaders to protect the climate. As a result, activists are calling for an alternative climate change conference. Through this alternative conference, they aim to ensure compensation for countries affected by the actions of developed nations, reduce the use of fossil fuels, seek new energy sources, adapt food production and distribution systems in light of climate change, and find solutions by leveraging the knowledge and experiences of local communities.

Environmentalists argue that the United Nations should take the initiative to bring wealthy countries together to agree on taking realistic action now. This is largely recognized because it is wealthy nations that are primarily responsible for climate change.

The first COP-1 conference was held in Berlin, Germany, from March 2 to April 7, 1995. During this conference, decisions were made regarding joint efforts to tackle global climate change.

The UN Climate Change COP-21 conference took place in Paris, France, in 2015. Based on the opinions of representatives from 196 countries, the Paris Agreement was proposed at this conference. The agreement aimed to limit global warming to within 1.5 degrees Celsius. It was deemed reasonable to keep global warming at this level to address droughts, irregular rainfall, salinity, and natural disasters worldwide. It was also stated that greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced by approximately 43% by 2030. Thus, the Paris Agreement was a mandatory and groundbreaking climate change pact, discussing how to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The COP-26 conference was held in Scotland in 2020. This conference extensively discussed funding for resilience to climate change and the reduction of greenhouse gases. The allocation of $100 billion annually from developed countries to developing nations for climate change mitigation was also discussed. The current visible plans to prevent greenhouse gas emissions were reviewed, along with considerations for what additional action plans could be implemented in the future. As a result, it became possible to keep the global temperature within the 1.5 degrees Celsius limit mentioned in the Paris Agreement.

At COP-27, key issues included the allocation of specific annual funding to help developing countries recover from the damages caused by climate change. A strong demand was also made for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by more than 43% by 2030. Discussions were held regarding the Green Climate Fund, which proposed allocating $211.68 million for developed countries and $70.6 million for least developed countries. Additionally, the establishment of a special fund of $35 million for climate change was welcomed. Ongoing discussions considered the formation of a new climate change fund by 2024, taking into account the needs and priorities of developing countries. Ultimately, the UN's permanent committee was instructed to prepare a report aimed at doubling the climate change funding by 2024.

At COP-28, nearly 200 countries agreed to phase out the use of fossil fuels. However, no progress was made on the special fund. In the latest COP-29 conference, discussions centered around alternative allocations, leading to concerns that previous initiatives may have fallen through. Some environmental activists have indicated that there may not be significant demands from developing countries at the upcoming COP-30 conference this year.

Experts Opinion

Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet stated, “Now is the time to take action. What I mean is that we have talked a lot; now we need to turn words into deeds. The international community must pay attention to countries like Bangladesh that are severely affected.”

Bachelet replies the answer to New York Mail through email. She noted that the greatest risk the world currently faces in terms of human rights is climate change and its profound impact on the environment.

Referencing various initiatives, Bachelet said, “Now we know what we need to do. The challenge now lies with our political leaders at the international level; they must understand that the cost of taking action is far less than the price we will have to pay for inaction.”

Emphasizing the importance of political will, the former Chilean president remarked that listening to the voices of the marginalized, collaborating with governments, media, and civil society, and fostering constructive engagement are essential for translating climate change initiatives into reality.