Redefining Global Climate Policy

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The 2024 Baku Climate Conference shifted the global climate agenda from a donor-recipient model to empowering developing nations.

The 2024 Baku Climate Conference marked a significant shift in global climate policy by moving away from the colonial-era donor-recipient structure. Developing nations were urged to take control of their climate actions through an alternate sustainability forum. The 1992 Climate Treaty aimed to address collective environmental concerns, holding developed nations accountable for reducing emissions. However, an imbalance in technological capacity and resources shifted the burden disproportionately onto developing countries.

The G7 continues to dominate climate governance by prioritizing private financing incentives and trade restrictions, benefiting from unequal policies. Global South nations now advocate for "just transitions," emphasizing social and economic equity in climate actions.

Disproportionate resource consumption patterns highlight this divide. By 1950, the G7 consumed 75% of global resources, with similar trends persisting. Presently, the G7 accounts for 25% of global emissions, while Asia, with its growing population, faces a greater future burden.

Proposed solutions include creating a sustainability-focused forum of Global South nations, limiting climate negotiations to G7 responsibilities, and fostering collaboration within the Global South. Such measures aim to ensure equitable policies that balance mitigation and adaptation needs while addressing the global inequities in resource usage and climate impacts.