Abigail Grace Hermawan
09 June 2022
Despite being one of the most significant contributors to gas emissions and paying only 4% of the agreed fair share, the United States sides with the United Kingdom and Canada, opposing fossil fuels without providing effective solutions for developing countries.
During the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP 26 Glasglow, the delegate of the United States showed their support to Canada and the United Kingdom in their efforts to reduce the usage of fossil fuels.
“The United States sees a lot of potential for renewable energy. Firstly its often a more efficient source of energy. It allows LDCs and private sectors to streamline their energy efficiency. It also encourages the creation of technology, like new research, which is always good for developing economies,” stated the US delegate in the press conference.
However, like Canada and the UK, the US fails to state its ideas to help developing economies.
Aside from that, the US paid only 4% of the agreed fair share of the international climate finance from 2017-to 2018.
“This delegate does acknowledge that the US is not contributing as much as it can towards climate financing because of internal issues within congress itself at passing the attempt to finance private aid,” stated the delegate of the US.
Adding to that, the delegate of the US also added their criticism towards the fair share. They stated that the US is one of the most significant contributors to solving climate change, and they consider others to downplay the US because apparently, they contributed “only” 4%.
Contradicting its unwavering support for reducing gas emissions by eliminating fossil fuels, Dr Jason Hickel, PhD from the University of London, did an analysis that proved that the US contributes 40% to gas emissions, causing multiple disasters to the Caribbean and Latin America.
The US needs to understand that the gas emission that developing countries produce is one-fifth of how much the US makes.
As mentioned before, the US produces 40% of gas emissions. Thus, instead of focusing on and proposing multiple unrealistic solutions that require a lot of money for developing countries, the US should focus on reducing their carbon waste so they can cause a significant improvement in climate change.
The fact that the delegate of the US criticised how they got downplayed because they paid only 4% of their fair share is absurd. The fair share was predetermined as a worldwide agreement, and the US should not blame others' attitudes toward their wrong in not fulfilling their responsibility.
Although transitioning to a renewable energy source is highly important, Global North countries, especially the US, should start introspecting and finding ways to reduce their problems and gas emissions. Also, they need to pay their responsibility in the agreed fair share to contribute significantly and deal with the corruption in private sectors that worsens their gas emissions.
If they spend too much time taking care of developing countries, the issue of climate change would not be resolved since the main problem is in the US itself.
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