For the solution to the climate crisis to be effective, it must address
questions of justice and equity at a systemic level. In recognising this, three prominent voices call for an agreement based on sharing economic
power and the repayment of climate debt.
Market fundamentalism has proven incapable of preventing multiple financial
crises and catastrophic climate change. Yet even global warming is being sold
as a business opportunity, proving that the economy still prevails over planetary
integrity, writes Jeremy Seabrook.
While climate change is an environmental problem, the way we
deal with it will have a massive impact on economic development and inequality
on a global scale. A transfer of wealth and power from the global North to
South is essential to averting climate catastrophe, argues Tim Jones.
Despite worldwide pressure to reduce carbon emissions, the World Bank continues to finance coal projects to the detriment of renewable energy - a failure of great magnitude for an institution that is supposed to lead by example, not follow the path of least resistance, says Phil Radford.
Global warming is a wake up call to the current deficiency in our political and social institutions. To resolve the climate crisis we must put aside short-sighted nationalistic policies and forge a global managerial institution to coordinate the resources of all nations, says Fekri Hassan.
There is a fundamental disconnect between those affected by global
warming and those with the power to address it. To achieve a just and
sustainable agreement on climate change, we need a truly democratic process at
Copenhagen – representing people, not states. By James Sadri.
The original purpose of the Copenhagen climate summit was to create a legally binding global treaty to forestall catastrophic climate change. With the US pushing for an agreement in name only, the chance of signing a comprehensive treaty are vanishingly small, writes Brian Tokar.
