Stop climate change to stop sufferings of the billions  

Around forty industrialized countries in the world responsible for climate change, global warming, carbon emission, environmental degradation, and destroying the earth. They must stop the destruction immediately, and they should stop talking much, giving false hope, and providing lip service to the climate-vulnerable countries. They should speak the truth and work more to stop climate change, to stop sufferings of the billions, to save the earth, and to save the lives of millions, especially of the vulnerable countries.  

If we refer and recall the talks of recently-held COP (Conference of the Parties) 26, which was held in Glasgow, United Kingdom last year, we realize that the talks were unfinished, and incomplete. As these are the pressing issues, so the main question is: who will finish and complete the talks?  The leaders of the industrialized, rich countries are very clever and cunning. They never tell the truth. If they go to the left, they tell that they are going to the right. So it is very difficult to understand them, because the leaders of the poor countries are less talented and less dare to talk appropriately, even to demand the logical compensation and dues.

Above all, the reality is: the rich countries hunt tigers keeping their guns in the shoulders of the people of poor countries. That is why, considering all the issues, the leaders of the climate-vulnerable countries must be more courageous and dare to talk with much courage. If we keep silent and talk less, the rich countries will never stop destroying the earth, they will never stop killing us and killing our next generations. So we will have to talk much so that the rich countries get less opportunity to talk. We, the helpless people of the poor, climate -vulnerable countries must lead the talks of saving the earth, must not be afraid of the leaders of rich countries.
Because the rich countries are the killers and we are being killed unnecessarily. So the industrialized countries are ethically and logically weak to take a strong stand in favour of them. They are stupid, culprits  and guilty of damaging world's nature, age-old civilization, climate and weather pattern, making the way easier for outbreak of pandemic, Covid-19 that killed millions and infected billions. The health, climate and environment experts observed that the Corona virus pandemic has been linked to climate change. In fact, climate change is an undeniable reality that the industrialized countries induced.  

We, the poor, most vulnerable countries like Bangladesh and the other countries of Asia, Africa and rest of the regions are totally innocent. We are not responsible even a single percent for climate change. But very unfortunately, we are the worst sufferers. The rich countries are habituated of living their lives with highest enjoyment and comfort. So they are reluctant to think about sufferings of others due to climate change and other human-induced disasters. So the industrialized nations need to get rid of the luxury of consumption, take into account the sufferings of the poor people, be humane to save the lives and livelihoods of the poor to survive.

The Least Developed Countries (LDCs), they are home to about 13 percent of the world's population and 40 per cent of its poorest people. They are highly vulnerable to countless shocks, from economic, public health to climate change. They remain at the forefront of the climate crisis and are disproportionately affected by extreme weather events. And unfortunately, they lack critical financing to support climate-resilient measures and infrastructure.

It is said that the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference that is COP (Conference of the Parties) 26 resulted in commitments for billions of investment in climate finance and to phase-out coal-fired generation in the coming decades. In addition, an increased urgency to control greenhouse gas emissions for controlling global warming below two degrees Celsius. Hence, the industrialized countries must keep their promises and fulfil commitments.  

The Glasgow Climate Pact of COP 26 mentioned, climate change is a common concern of humankind. Parties should, when taking action to address climate change, respect, promote and consider their respective obligations on human rights. Those are the rights to health, rights to indigenous peoples, local communities, migrants, children, persons with disabilities and the people in vulnerable situations, the rights to development, gender equality, empowerment of women and intergenerational equity as well.

What is in Kyoto Protocol? In short, the Kyoto Protocol operationalizes the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) by committing industrialized countries and economies in transition to limit and reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions in accordance with agreed individual targets. The Convention itself only asks those countries to adopt policies and measures on mitigation and to report periodically.

The Paris Agreement mentioned, its goal is to limit global warming to well below two, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels. To achieve this long-term temperature goal, countries aim to reach global peaking of greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible to achieve a climate neutral world by mid-century.

The next COP 27, annual United Nations Climate Change Conference is expected to take place this year 2022 in Egypt. It will advance the global climate talks, mobilize action, and provide a significant opportunity to look at the impacts of climate change in Africa.

A newly released report by the World Meteorological Organization and partners, the State of the Climate in Africa 2020, warned of the continent's disproportionate vulnerability, estimating that by 2030, up to 118 million extremely poor Africans will be exposed to drought, floods and extreme heat. This in turn will affect progress towards poverty alleviation and economic growth, leaving more people in entrenched and widespread poverty.

So come on, we must talk much together to stop climate change to stop sufferings of the billions and to save the lives of millions every year of Asia, Africa and across the globe. We must talk loudly so that the industrialized countries listen to us in the coming COP 27, and the other national, regional, international and global forums. We, the poor countries must have strong, perfect platforms for sharing talks, knowledge and technology in accord with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13: Take urgent action to combat climate and its impacts. Above all, anyhow, we must be the part of the solutions, rather being part of the problems.
The writer is a poet, journalist and author based in Bangladesh