Climate Debt worldwide
COP19 negotiating positions: China, United States, India, Russia and Japan
2014
The world’s five largest CO2 emitters – China, United States, Russia, India and Japan – are responsible for 57% of global CO2 Emissions (2006-2010) and 58% of the Climate Contributions (climate debt) in ClimatePositions 2010 (see the front diagram). Add to the group the populous Contribution Free countries Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Philippines and Ethiopia and the total share would almost reflect the world average of Population (56%), CO2 Emissions (59%) and Climate Contributions (58%). Leaders of these ten countries sitting around an imaginary negotiating table should be able to create a global climate agreement with binding CO2 reductions and full financing – but it will not happen!
The following depicts the submissions, basic statistics and negotiating positions at COP19 in Warsaw of the five largest CO2 emitters. See the five countries’ Contributions over time ‘here‘, the Contributions as a percentage of GDP ‘here‘ and read about the COP19 country groups ‘here‘.
Global Population update 2013
2014
The growing Global Population puts additional pressure on the distressed nature (deforestation, pollution, declining biodiversity, etc.) and increases the total CO2 Emissions. From 2012 to 2013 the population is estimated to have increased from 7.02 to 7.09 billion – an increase of 77 million in one year. See the development 1960-2013 in the diagram.
Sea Level update 2013
2014
The measurements of global Sea Level are very complicated and end up in a single figure for average annual Sea Level rise since 1993. From 2012 to 2013, the increase rate is unchanged 0.32 cm annually (since 1993). The total increase between 1880 and 1993 is set at 14 cm (with uncertainty). This adds up to a total Sea Level rise from 1880 to 2013 at 20.40 cm – the figure used in ClimatePositions. See the development in Sea Level 1960-2013 in the diagram (the level in 1880 is set at 0).
Income Equality, Life Expectancy, Democracy Index … and Climate Contributions
2014
123 out of 145 countries with full data in ClimatePositions are included in an inventory of Income Equality (see the source at the bottom), which shows how much the 10% poorest earns compared to the 10% richest. 53 out of the 123 countries are Contribution Free (no climate debt) in ClimatePositions 2010 and 70 countries are not.
The table below shows the difference between the two groups of countries in terms of Income Equality, Life Expectancy, number of Full Democracies and number of Authoritarian Regimes. To clarify the trend the 20 countries with the largest Climate Contributions appear at the top of the table. The 123 countries represent 95% of the world population.
Country groups and positions at COP19
2013
The negotiation process during COP19 in Warsaw in November 2013 was frustrating and largely fruitless and the following organizations and movements withdrew from the climate conference in protest: ‘Aksyon Klima Pilipinas‘, ‘ActionAid‘, ‘Bolivian Platform on Climate Change‘, ‘Construyendo Puentes‘ (Latin America), ‘Friends of the Earth‘ (Europe), ‘Greenpeace‘, ‘Ibon International‘, ‘International Trade Union Confederation‘, ‘LDC Watch‘, ‘Oxfam International‘, ‘Pan African Climate Justice Alliance‘, ‘Peoples’ Movement on Climate Change‘ (Philippines) and ‘WWF‘.
First step to understanding the inherent conflicts of interest in the COP process would be to examine the nature of the COP country groups (submission groups) – a detailed study of the complex negotiating proces is another matter.
Climate performance: France versus Spain
2013
France was the 26th and Spain the 23rd worst performing country out of 145 in ClimatePositions 2010. As illustrated in the above diagram, the difference in the Contributions (climate debt) has narrowed between 2005 and 2010. Both countries have improved three rankings since 2005. See the full country list in the menu “Contributions/Per Capita US$ Rank”. The following examines the CO2 Emissions, forest area, GDP(ppp-$) and the world’s shares (Population, CO2 Emissions, GDP and Climate Contributions) of the two countries.
Indonesia fails on deforestation and CO2 Emissions
2013
Indonesia was the 73rd worst performing country out of 145 in ClimatePositions 2010 with a total Climate Contribution (climate debt) of 5.6 billion US$. As shown in the front diagram Indonesia cut down the total forest cover (mainly rainforest) from 65.4% in 1990 to 52.1% in 2010. Had Indonesia maintained the forest cover since 1990, then the saving in Contribution would have been 4.6 billion US$. In the updated calculation the Contribution (debt) has increased to 6.5 billion US$.
Climate Contributions as a percentage of GDP for the top ten CO2 Emitters
2013
The top ten CO2 Emitters were responsible for 67% of the global CO2 Emissions in 2006-2010. Adjusting the national Contributions (climate debt) for the size of the GDP(ppp-$) is essential. Allowing the wealthy United States get away with paying the same dollar price of a ton of CO2 (carbon dioxide) exceeded as China is of course absurd. The countries’ climate change performances are measured indirectly as the Contributions’ percentage of the national GDP(ppp-$).
Climate Change Performance Index 2013
2013
‘Climate Change Performance Index 2013’ is a ranking of 58 countries that was published recently by ‘Germanwatch’ and ‘Climate Action Network Europe’ – with the help of over 230 experts worldwide. 80% of the evaluation is based on indicators of emissions (30% for emissions levels and 30% for recent development of emissions), efficiency (5% level of efficiency and 5% recent development in efficiency) and renewable energy (8% recent development and 2% share of total primary energy supply). For the first time emissions from deforestation is included. The remaining 20% of the evaluation is based on national and international climate policy assessments by experts from the respective countries.
Climate performance: Germany versus Poland
2013
Germany was the 24th worst performing country out of 145 in ClimatePositions 2010 and Poland was the 46th. Five years earlier in 2005 the rankings were respectively 23th and 66th. The diagram shows the performance relatively with the global average set at 100. Germany has performed continuous irresponsible, though slightly less irresponsible in recent years and Poland seems to have given up all the good intentions around 2003. Below we highlight three of the national indicators in the calculations.
Putin’s Russia is deteriorating ecologically
2013
Russia was the world’s third largest CO2 Emitter (carbon dioxide) in 2006-2010 and the authoritarian regime was the 31st worst performing country in ClimatePositions 2010. In 2005 the ranking was 34th and in 2000 43rd. The negative development under Putin is unquestionable.
Nuclear Power countries fail on climate responsibility
2013
Seen as a group the top twenty Nuclear Power generating countries (kWh per capita) perform miserable on the climate change challenge. The diagram shows the twenty countries’ total share of the global: 1) Population (15.4%), 2) GDP(ppp-$) (51.5%), 3) CO2 emissions (42.9%) and 4) Contributions (70.6%). The nuclear power counts in calculations of the national Contributions (climate debt) as if the energy was produced with oil.
Questions and answers (6-9)
2013
Question 6: What can you do as a consumer?
Reductions in your consumption of fossil fuels, meat and unneeded items will contribute to limit climate change and ecological decline. Furthermore, you can buy organic (ecological) products if possible. Finally, you can prioritize products from Contribution Free countries and tend to choose products from the better performing countries in ClimatePositions (see the menu “Contributions/Per Capita US$ Rank”). Other important factors than ranking can of course influence your spending choices. Are you poor you can do very little or nothing.
Five Eyes Alliance is watching you
2013
Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom and United States are secretly watching private mails, phone calls etc. worldwide – secretly until Snowden whistled. All five countries’ are defined as Full Democracies but the self-righteous surveillance activities take place in the closed Five Eyes Alliance (see ‘UKUSA Agreement‘ and ‘Echelon‘) with United States (read NSA) as Big Brother.
Updated climate change funding worldwide
2013
‘Climate Funds Update‘ is an independent website that provides information on international climate finance initiatives designed to help developing countries address the challenges of climate change. The site is a joint initiative of the ‘Heinrich Böll Stiftung‘ and the ‘Overseas Development Institute‘.
Climate performance: Canada versus United States
2013
North America’s 7% of the Global Population accounted for 47% of the global Climate Contributions (climate debt) in ClimatePositions 2010. Canada was the 8th worst performing country out of 145 and United States was the 7th. Most indicators on Canada and United States follow the same trends over time, some with slightly different levels, however.
Trinidad and Tobago uses the planet as CO2 dump
2013
The islands Trinidad and Tobago close to Venezuela in South America gives a damn in global warming. The diagram shows the country’s CO2 Emissions (carbon dioxide) per decade compared to the global average. In 1990-1999 emissions were on average 17.4 tons of CO2 and in 2011 the figure was 42.4 tons. In ClimatePositions 2010 Trinidad and T. was the 5th worst performing country in the world with a Contribution (climate debt) of $6,805 per capita.
Guatemala is close to being Contribution Free
2013
Guatemala was the 82nd worst performing country out of 145 full data countries in ClimatePositions 2010. The national Contribution (climate debt) was $4 per capita, but in the latest calculation this amount is cut in half thanks to decreasing CO2 Emissions (carbon dioxide) in 2011 (see the front diagram). In a few months Guatemala may be Contribution Free.
Is Singapore a climate change scoundrel?
2013
The island of Singapore was the 2nd worst performing country in ClimatePositions 2010 with a contribution (climate debt) of $9,924 per capita and there are no signs of improvement since. In the updated calculation the amount has increased to $12,364. The diagram shows the small hybrid regime’s outrageous annual CO2 Emissions (the green bars show the Contribution Free Level). Note that a large proportion of the emissions is due to marine bunkers.
Questions and answers (1-5)
2013
Question 1: Are the contributions in ClimatePositions a valuation of the losses of the planet’s natural heritage?
No, the planet’s nature (biodiversity) is miraculous and priceless. ClimatePositions is a proposal to a fair financial breakdown of the unavoidable additional expenses towards sustainability and climate change actions. The level of Contributions worldwide can be changed with a single entry in the spreadsheet.
