Expectations, anxieties as Glasgow discussions draw closer

What Jokowi can announce

Warief Djajanto Basorie
The Jakarta Post, Indonesia

The 26th annual Conference of Parties of the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (COP26) will take place in Glasgow, Scotland, from Oct 31 to Nov 12. Heads of government, including President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, will gather at this event.

Two broad matters will be raised in this climate summit.

First, what the commitments are of individual party-states to reach the Paris Agreement goal.

Second, how collaboration can be realised so that all stakeholders can pitch in to arrive at net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide. It appears the 2050 goal may be a steep uphill climb given recent scientific reports.

What grand initiative could Jokowi announce at Glasgow?

Indonesia's updated Nationally Determined Contribution submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in August details its wide-ranging adaptation agenda like its climate kampung programme, Proklim. Jokowi could announce an accelerated net-zero emissions target from the present 2060 to 2050, or even to 2045, to coincide with Indonesia's centennial independence. Another announcement could be the setting up of an Indonesian carbon market focusing on economic activities that are major sources of carbon emissions.

Whatever the outcome is at COP26, it should ensure that today's youth will enjoy a safe and secure adult life in 2050.

Carbon conundrum

Editorial
The Statesman, India

The slow pace of global action on climate change has prompted some in the developed world to talk up the concept of a "carbon border tax". But implementing such a move will have significant implications for developing countries.

To be clear, signatories to the Paris Agreement of 2015 agreed to limit temperature rises to less than 2 deg C above pre-industrial levels by bringing emissions to net zero in 2050. Earlier this year, an assessment covering 40 per cent of the signatories to the agreement showed little progress had been made.

So, with voluntary actions more or less stalling, the European Union in July this year proposed a comprehensive plan to boost climate change mitigation efforts. The plan includes a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which aims to equalise the fees on the carbon content of goods in the EU regardless of where they were produced by imposing carbon border taxes. For starters, the proposal covers cement, iron and steel, aluminium, fertilisers and electricity.

World Bank economists Elena Ianchovichina and Harun Onder write that the proposed CBAM could help alleviate "leakage" - when emissions are restricted in the home country, for example by cap-and-trade mechanisms, firms can relocate production to other countries to avoid restrictions thereby creating so-called pollution havens. Consumers in the home country can then buy cheaper, carbon-tax-free imports rather than the more expensive domestic alternatives.

The fact that most high-income countries have become net importers of CO2 while most developing economies are net exporters indicates that leakage is a serious problem.

Carbon border taxes can suppress this effect by effectively equalising carbon prices for domestic and foreign producers in the home market.

Although developing countries may gain significantly from global mitigation efforts over a longer period of time, in the short run they may have little incentive to undertake costly emission reductions.

If the advanced country imposes a carbon price which reduces its emissions, the developing country has a choice: Either comply and implement the same carbon price domestically or face a tariff at the border that is equivalent.

For some countries, pricing the carbon domestically, and avoiding the border taxes, may be the least costly option.

But major developing nations with large populations would consider such an approach tantamount to coercion.

Seoul's overambitious target

Editorial
The Korea Herald, South Korea

The presidential committee on carbon neutrality proposed to raise the country's greenhouse gas reduction goal to eliminating 40 per cent of the 2018 emissions by 2030, a drastic increase from its previous target of 26.3 percent.

This is an intermediate target on the way to the long-term goal of achieving carbon neutrality or net-zero emissions by 2050. It exceeds even the 35 per cent stipulated in the basic law on carbon neutrality that passed the National Assembly on Aug 31.

The government plans to present the country's emission reduction goal during the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference to be held from Oct 31 to Nov 12 in Glasgow, Scotland.

Of course, strengthening a country's emissions target will certainly contribute to solving climate problems. However, the attainability of a goal is an entirely different matter.

The government may want to show a strong will to cut emissions, but the revised goal is certain to hit energy-intensive industries hard, such as steel, petrochemicals and electronics. Power-generating companies forecast that an electricity rate hike will be inevitable.

If companies have to bear increased costs, they cannot but lose competitiveness. The 40 per cent reduction target gives the impression that the government prioritises Korea's external image.

LDCs and climate change

Editorial
Kuensel, Bhutan

Next month in Glasgow, Bhutan will lead 46 least developed countries (LDC) at the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26).

Bhutan has been the chair of the LDC since 2019, and the meeting will be the last under Bhutan's chairmanship.

Chief of LDC Group at the ministerial level, Foreign Minister Tandi Dorji, said that the pandemic has hit everyone around the globe but the one billion people living in the 46 LDCs are the worst hit, facing quadruple crises of climate change, poverty, health and economic challenges that are outpacing the disease itself.

The negotiation is not going to be easy going by past experiences but LDCs must mount the pressure, now more than ever.

Climate change is a global problem which must be tackled globally.

If Bhutan cannot lead the LDCs to win the deal at COP26, chances of LDCs ever being heard in such an important global summit are slim.