Understanding climate change: key actors, key

Understanding climate change: key actors, key actions, por Larissa Basso

2/11/16, 15:21

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Understanding climate change: key actors, key actions, por Larissa Basso ' 22/08/2015

( Artigos, Instituições

Internacionais, Política Internacional, Temas da Nossa Agenda

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explicar?, por Larissa Basso

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The Great Destruction in Brazil: How to downgrade an entire country in

Climate change is one of the most constant topics in contemporary discussions. In few months, the next multilateral climate conference will take

http://www.mundorama.net/2015/08/22/understanding-climate-change-key-actors-key-actions-por-larissa-basso/

Page 1 of 9


2/11/16, 15:21

less than four

place, in Paris, and there is a lot of expectation

years, by Paulo

regarding its results. Yet optimism is being

Roberto de

exaggerated. By briefly analyzing key actors and

Almeida

actions that need to be undertaken to mitigate

Boletim Mundorama – No. 101 – Janeiro/2016

climate change and comparing to what is being promised to Paris will make it clearer. The atmosphere is composed of several gases, in different proportions: the most abundant is

Moçambique:

Nitrogen (around 78%), followed by Oxygen

Um Estranho

(around

Silêncio, José

substantially small compared to the first two;

Alejandro

however, their molecules are more efficient in

Sebastian

interfering in the absorption of sunlight by the

Barrios Díaz

atmosphere (conserving heat near the Earth

Notícias de Angola: as relações políticas entre Angola e Portugal segundo a imprensa portuguesa, por Samuel de Jesus

surface),

21%).

thus

Other

leading

gases’

to

shares

higher

are

average

temperatures in the long run – the greenhouse effect or global warming. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change lists six types of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) – the ones that are responsible for global warming: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), perfluorocarbons

(PFCs),

hydrofluorocarbons

(HFCs) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6). Of these, CO2 is of special concern, because its molecule is very stable and lasts for centuries in the

Concurso de

atmosphere after emitted, repeating over and

Monografias da

over the process of conserving heat near the Earth

União Europeia

surface. Thus, put simply, climate is changing due

As cidades no coração da governança climática global, por Alberto Luiz Teixeira da Silva e Mercedes Pardo Buendía

to the increased concentration of CO2 – also referred as “carbon” – in the atmosphere. Carbon emissions have increased importantly due to the discovery and disseminated use of fossil fuels as energy sources. Living beings are made of carbon; fossil fuels are formed by the anaerobic of dead buried organisms; when combusted, the carbon gets liberated in the atmosphere. Fossil


Page 2 of 9


2/11/16, 15:21

A política

fuels reserves are spread around Earth’s crust,

externa

differently: coal is the most commonly found; oil

independente e

and gas, on the other hand, are relatively

algumas

concentrated compared to coal. Concentrations of

interpretações

carbon are also different in different fossil fuels:

sociológicas

coal, the most abundant and spread of them, is

sobre o Brasil:

also the most carbon intensive. Burning fossil

ecos na

fuels to obtain energy is not the only factor

atualidade, por

causing climate change: land use, land use change

Ana Carolina

and

Canellas

agriculture and livestock, and waste are also

Brazil-Iran Relations: What to Expect from a Post-Sanctions Era, by Cristine K. Zanella

forestry

(LULUCF),

industrial

processes,

considered. Globally speaking, however, the combustion of fossil fuels is the main driver of carbon emissions. Fossil fuels answered for 81.72% of global Total Primary Energy Supply (TPES – total amount of energy that is used in a country) in 2012 (IEA,

Nova geração

2014), and combustion of fossil fuels answered for

de operações de

78% of total carbon emissions’ increase from 1970

paz da ONU?,

to 2010 (IPCC, 2014). Given this bulk of emissions

por Vanessa

from burning fossil fuels to obtain energy, energy

Braga Matijascic

decarbonization – enhancing energy efficiency, in

Violência e tecnologia: é possível pensar a paz a partir de uma sociologia dos armamentos?, por Alcides E. Peron Opinião Pública e Política Externa no Governo Goulart (1961-

order to reduce energy use, and switching from fossil fuels to low carbon sources of energy (nuclear and renewables), in order to reduce carbon intensity of TPES – is key to mitigate climate change. And it will only be effective if the greatest carbon emitters undertake it. Currently, China is the greatest carbon emitter: its emissions answered for 22.44% of world’s total carbon emissions in 2012 (WRI, 2015). It is followed by the United States (12.23%), the European Union (8.66%), India (6.06%), Russia (4.73%), Indonesia (4.16%), Brazil (3.83%), Japan (2.53%), Canada (1.79%), and Mexico (1.57%). These 10 countries – the world’s top carbon emitters – answered together for 68% of total


Page 3 of 9


64) – uma

world’s emissions in 2012 (WRI, 2015). If emissions

entrevista com

only from fossil fuel combustion are considered,

os autores, por

the numbers are quite similar: China comes first,

Daniel C. Gomes

with 25.86% of total world’s emissions from fossil

Interesses e valores na política externa de Obama– uma entrevista com Maria Helena de Castro Santos e Ulysses Teixeira, por Daniel C. Gomes

fuel burning in 2012, followed by the United States (15.99%), the European Union (10.96%), India (6.15%), Russia (5.22%), Japan (3.85%), Canada (1.68%), Brazil (1.38%), and Indonesia and Mexico (1.37% each) (IEA, 2014). Together, they accounted for 73.83% of total world’s emissions from fossil fuel combustion in 2012. Given the bulk of carbon emissions concentrated in few countries, it is key to check the trajectory of their recent carbon emissions; and given the

How Coherent

impact of energy, especially combustion of fossil

Was Brazil’s

fuels, in total carbon emissions, it is important to

Public Opinion

check the recent trajectory of energy use,

during the

especially fossil fuels, in these countries as well.

Administration of President João Goulart (1961-1964)?, by Felipe Loureiro, Adriana Schor & Feliciano

When 2012 numbers are compared with 2005 ones we can see that the results are different from what is needed. China’s energy use (TPES) has increased 68.55% from 2005 to 2012, and the United States’ has increased 73.78% – in fact, from the top 10 GHG emitters, only the European Union

Guimarães

and Japan had lower TPES in 2012 compared to

As

emerging economies, carbon emissions from

especificidades da Segunda Guerra Mundial e o Japão de Shinzo Abe, por Fernando Horta Revista Austral apresenta chamada de

2/11/16, 15:21

2005 (IEA, 2014). In China and India, the greatest fossil fuel combustion have increased 62.17% and 70.29%, respectively; carbon intensity of TPES increased 11.37% in China and 15.88% in India, confirming that coal, abundant in both countries and very carbon intensive, is still the main source of energy for them. In the United States, carbon intensity of TPES decreased 8.49% (IEA, 2014) due to the substitution of coal by shale gas in generating electricity – a step forward for sure, but shale is still a fossil fuel, which combustion


Page 4 of 9


artigos Émeric Crucé and The 1623 Plan for Global Governance: The Obscure History of Its Reception – an interview with Germán de la Reza, by Leonardo Bandarra

produces

more

2/11/16, 15:21

emissions

than

nuclear

or

renewables. Besides, in their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) (a commitment that all UNFCCC members should submit prior to the Paris

Conference,

indicating

how

they

are

proposing to reduce their GHG emissions by 2030), the European Union, the United States, Russia Canada, China, Japan and Mexico (Brazil, Indonesia and India have not yet submitted their INDCs) point that even if they understand the seriousness of climate change and what is needed to tackle it, several of them are not willing to

Os 40 anos da

undertake ambitious commitments to mitigate it.

Resolução sobre

True, all of them point the energy sector as one

Sionismo e

whose emissions must be reduced, and affirm

Racismo da

that domestic policies are already being (or will

ONU –

start soon) undertaken in order to do that. Yet,

entrevista com

only the European Union and Russia pledged to

os autores, por

reduce emissions compared to 1990’s levels; the

Leonardo C.

United States, Canada, China and Japan set 2005

Bandarra

as baseline – Japan even speaks about 2013! –,

Why did Brazil vote to brand Zionism a form of Racism?, by Norma Breda dos Santos & Eduardo Uziel Pope Francis and the Challenges of Inter-Civilization Diplomacy – an interview with Boris Vukićević,

while Mexico promises reductions regarding a business

as

usual

scenario

(it

projects

the

emissions it would have in 2030 without any mitigation

measure

and

pledge

to

reduce

emissions compared to this scenario). It is important to clarify that an agreement in Paris would, of course, mean an advance considering current situation, in which only a few countries have undertaken international commitments to reduce their carbon emissions. But given what is being promised, it will not be enough to really push climate change mitigation. Further action from key actors, undertaken in uni, bi or plurilateral basis, is necessary.


Page 5 of 9


by Leonardo C. Bandarra

2/11/16, 15:21

References: INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE – IPCC (2014): Climate Change 2014: Mitigation of Climate Change. Contribution of Working Group III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Edenhofer, O., R. PichsMadruga, Y. Sokona, E. Farahani, S. Kadner, K. Seyboth, A. Adler, I. Baum, S. Brunner, P. Eickemeier, B. Kriemann, J. Savolainen, S. Schlömer, C. von Stechow, T. Zwickel and J.C. Minx (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA. International Energy Agency – IEA (2014): Key World ld Energy Statistics 2014. Available at , access 01 May 2015. OBSERVATORIO DO CLIMA (2015): Sistema de Estimativa de Emissão de Gases de Efeito Estufa (base de dados). Available at , access 05 Aug 2015. UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE – UNFCCC (2015): Intended Nationally Determined Contributions of the Parties to the UNFCCC. Available at , access 05 Aug 2015. WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE – WRI (2015): CAIT Climate Data Explorer (database).. Available at , access 05 Aug 2015. ____________________________________

Larissa Basso is a PhD Candidate at the Institute

of

International

Relations

of


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2/11/16, 15:21

University of Brasília and member of the International System at the Anthropocene and Climate Change Research Network. Contact: Obs.: All percentages presented are calculations of the author based on numbers of the databases. The author is the only one responsible for the content and opinions expressed in the text. The text has nothing that could be considered illegal or defamatory. Compartilhe isso:

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