Developing countries are key to EU climate change

Changing the attitude of large industrial nations towards their less developed counterparts has been cited as a key challenge to climate change. Placing responsibility, accountability and faith in developing countries will encourage a ‘joint effort’ in implementing crucial environmental policy.

The report, conducted by Presseurop’s Jacob Swager, reflects on another piecemeal summit in Durban, saying that lessons have still to be learnt on the way we view the role of less industrialised countries. With increased importance being placed on emerging countries in the EU financial crisis, the same ought to apply to environment policy. Swager suggests that the condescending attitude towards these countries is a fundamental barrier to change.

Reflecting on the Copenhagen conference of 2010, he notes that ‘European idealism’ has left developing countries with little responsibility in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. This has created the illusion that climate change is the task of the larger European economies, leading to a culture of charity and aid. As pollution continues to rise in developing countries, "major polluters including Russia, the US and China just shrugged".

A recent report for Envirotech showed a worrying shortage of legislation and awareness in Albania. This highlighted, with empirical evidence, the under regulation that has resulted from a lack of inclusiveness in EU talks.

Swager said: "Europe is addicted to giving aid and developing countries are eager to take full advantage of it…. a feeling of superiority plays a role that is expressed in the conviction that you cannot call upon the governments of developing countries to face up to their responsibilities."

Posted by Claire Manning