Including Climate Change in our Constitutions is the only Way left for a Better Future
To reach our global targets of climate change and global warming, changes in the constitution of a country must be made.
Imagine 2030. A time where people are in-tune with the global requirement to be ‘sustainable’. Not only in their daily lives but also in their purchase patterns, in their interests and support. Imagine such a time where not acting against climate change is frowned upon. Being naive about it is illegal. Where the government has finally imposed laws that make sure that our nature thrives.
Looks magical, doesn’t it?
We don’t have to tell you that climate change is an issue. At the very least, it is already causing extremes in weather patterns, the worst kind of smog in many parts of the world, extreme hail storms, and much much more.
And, considering that there are practically elections being fought on this issue, there is much to talk about. In all honesty, no one who even remotely follows global happenings is spared of the thought. Yet, there is little to no certainty that we will, as a collective of nations, follow through on the necessary steps to evade the long-term effects of climate change.
There isn’t a guarantee that the global leaders, even when they fight election based, among many others, this issue, will ultimately persuade the citizens to take collective action. Not to mention the ever-changing nature of governments in almost every country. There is a chance that successive governments won’t collectively ensure that the targets are met. There is definitely a probability of this happening. How often do we see a law passed by a government only to see it overturned by the successive governments that follow.
Because of these reasons, we need to look for a concrete measure that allows us to be sure that every government, irrespective of their term, ensures that we reach our targets for the century laid down by the Paris Agreement. Full disclosure, there aren’t many. In fact, only a handful of countries are even ready to talk about this as a proposition, and still, fewer are taking measures to achieve this.
But, there are definite exceptions. For the very first time, a country has taken a definitive step towards tackling this problem and it is the closest any environment law has ever come to ensuring that climate change, or at least the inaction of preventing it, finally becomes illegal.
Denmark Setting An Example
Denmark, by far, is one of the leading countries that are tackling climate change head-on. The Danish government this year took an ambitious climate action law and passed it to become reality. According to the legislature passed, Denmark is aiming at a massive reduction of 70% emissions in 11 years as compared to 1990 emission levels.
Not only this, but the law ensures that the government, irrespective of which one is in power, projects a climate action plan every 5 years with a projection of the following 10 years starting 2020. On top of this, according to the law, the government will be required to provide a detailed analysis of the nation’s climate action and showcase it to the citizens. This will also include an international commitment of funds to help developing nations also reach similar stages of action.
“It has been crucial for the government that the climate law cannot just be annulled by a less ambitious government in the future,” — Dan Jørgensen, Denmark’s climate and energy minister.
Mind you, this is by a country that has a carbon footprint of just 46.66 MtCO2e (million tons of CO2 emitted). To give you a comparison, China has a footprint of 11,576.87 MtCO2e. Almost 248 times more than Denmark. If this isn’t startling enough, look at the number of legislations these two countries have. China is at 9 climate laws and policies, whereas Denmark has 16. This is almost twice as many laws for a country with a fraction of the contribution to climate change.
These laws will ensure that the government is answerable to the people of the country and the law in taking adequate steps in the right direction. Failing to do this, in theory, will call for a stepping-down of the government to give way to a new one that is more aggressive towards the targets.
France Follows Suit
Emmanuel Macron, President of France, recently proposed that the country should add climate change to the constitution. This will allow for a stricter policy setting and aggressive measures to ensure that the targets set, both country-wide and internationally are met.
The referendum is aimed to make the constitution liable to reach the targets, as France has been falling short of reaching the targets set at the Paris Agreement. This initiative is also based on the strengthened targets set out by the EU leaders for 2030. The earlier targets were 40% emission reduction as compared to 1990 levels, which now is upped to 55%.
All this by a country that stands at 329.6 MtCO2e emissions with an impressive 28 climate laws and policies to go by. Taking this step and including climate change in the constitution is a bold step for any country, let alone at a time when the global economy and climate are in such jeopardy.
Macron added that he is looking forward to adding biodiversity and the environment to the constitution as well, ensuring that any step against these will become illegal. This is a welcome change as the French President was under a lot of heat for not doing enough about climate change and the efforts around it.
The Pace Is Certainly Picking Up
More and more governments around the world are eying similar changes to law and constitution. It is almost perceived as a tool to ensure that following governments and policies are in line with the global target of keeping global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius rise.
Of course, some countries are well on track to reach and outdo the targets set out by the Paris Agreement. Case in point, India, Morocco, and The Gambia. Even though the emissions from these countries will rise over the years, the policies and the outlook is promising. Even China is stepping up its efforts, but it isn’t enough.
The global requirement of reduction in emissions is massive, to say the least. Only a consolidated effort could ensure that we have a brighter future and a safer one. At the moment, the countries that are working the hardest towards reducing emissions globally are the ones who are paying a greater price because of overall global emissions.
The parity between the biggest emitting countries and the highest suffering ones is startling. China (24.36% at 11,576.87 MtCO2e), the US (12.28% at 5,833.49 MtCO2e) India (6.81% at 3,235.66 MtCO2e), and Russia (5.03% at 2,391.38 MtCO2e) are some of the biggest emitters with a combined emissions of 48.48% globally. This is half the entire emissions by just 5 countries. And in all fairness, they aren’t the ones who are paying proportionally when it comes to the adverse effects due to climate change.
The only way out of this situation for all of us is to come together and work hand-in-hand. This is the reason the Paris Agreement came into force and the reason most countries need to ensure that their constitution bans neglect towards climate change. It may look extreme at this point but that is the nature of suffering that is projected if we don’t act now.
This is the only way!
