Question

Explain the meaning of ‘Common but differentiated responsibilities’ in the light of the ‘Earth Summit’ and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 1992.

Answer 1

The North’s developed countries want everyone and every country to be equally responsible for protecting the environment. The main idea behind “Common but differentiated responsibilities” after the Earth Summit in 1992 was:

1. The South’s developing and poor countries think that the Industrial Revolution in the industrialized world caused a lot of damage to the environment.
2. The newly developed and underdeveloped nations claim that the wealthy countries are responsible for a significant portion of environmental destruction. They must accept responsibility for fixing the harm because developing countries are still in the process of industrialization and cannot be forced to follow strict laws and policies.
3. The Rio Declaration of 1992 recognized these ideas. It says that “States shall cooperate in a spirit of global partnership to conserve, protect, and restore the health and integrity of the Earth’s ecosystem.”
4. The UNCCC further says that “Parties shall act to protect the climate system on the basis of equity and in accordance with their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.”
5. This meant that each country had a distinct level of responsibility for the environment, based on the damage it had caused and the extent to which it could fix it. For instance, India and China are still developing, hence they are not subject to the Kyoto Protocol. The Protocol’s rules would slow down their economic and social growth.