Greenhouse gases are built-up concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, nitrous oxide and others on depletion of ozone due to chlorofluorocarbon (CFCs) in the upper layers of the earth’s surface which result in raising temperatures on earth and henceforth warming and climate change in the world. They are primarily produced by energy, industrial, transport and other economic sectors. 80% of the CO2 emissions are burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas as the prime factor (vector) for economic activities. Energy related CO2 accounts for little less than two-third of greenhouse gases at present, which will increase to 68% in 2030. The economic activities of the developed and industrialized countries are primarily dependent on increasing amounts of energy for their economic growth to increase their higher living standards. These economic activities world-wide and their growth rates are on the one hand consuming the scarce and limited earth’s irreplaceable fossil fuels for the production of energy, and on the other hand they are producing cumulative build-up of CO2 due to high growth rate of energy demand worldwide. These CO2 emissions are primarily responsible for greenhouse gases in the atmosphere beyond “nature sinks” or absorption capacity triggering more heat and warming the earth resulting in climate change.

The world’s high income economic countries are inhabited by 15% of the world population which own 80% of the world’s wealth and consume 50% of the energy and are primarily responsible for the current cumulative concentration of greenhouse gases for the last 200 years, aggravating the global atmosphere and causing environmental degradation all over the world whose ill-effects and impacts have to be borne by the developing countries. The developing countries lack financial and technological resources to combat such ill-effects and to protect the environment of their countries. Since the industrialized countries are the largest contributors of the greenhouse gases at present emitting cumulative CO2 emissions in the atmosphere triggering climate change, they have the main responsibilities in addressing global climate change as they have the capital, technology and the institutional capability to solve the environmental problems of the developing countries. The developing countries can and should on their own reduce adverse impacts particularly through increased energy efficiency and environmental concern on their development. However, they need access to substantial financial resources, best technologies and strengthened technical and the institutional supports from the industrialized countries. Besides, the industrialized countries need to enforce and regulate measures stabilizing and reducing their greenhouse gas emissions with carbon cap and tax as being followed by some of the EU countries and Japan since the year 2000.

The current low level of economic development in the developing countries have large historic and political reasons. Hence, it will be unjustifiable and inequitable to put any constraints and limits by the developed countries on the developing countries on any development and environmental model that deter their economic development to fight against poverty with their abundant natural resources. Moreover, the developing nations should not be forced to share global environment protection costs such as climate change on pro-rata basis (proportionately) of their present income levels.

The UN’s conference on climate change will see and find the star presence of President Barak Obama of the United States, the world’s largest economy as well as biggest contributor to CO2 emission. He is poised and the expected to bring a firm and committed Copenhagen commitment - a fair and equitable international climate change regime that will protect the global environment in the atmosphere besides sustaining the economic growth, raising the living standards and reducing poverty in the world. The developing countries especially China and India as the world’s other major large contributors of CO2 emissions with their world’s highest economic growth and one third of the world population and poverty but huge arsenal of high skilled technological man power can and should find through their own innovative ways to reduce the impacts of climate change on the various sector of their economy and share their experiences with their fellow developing countries, particularly through increased energy efficienct and clean energy such as solar, wind, waves, hydro and others besides achieving the substantial increased financial flows and appropriate technology transfer from the industrialized countries. Let us hope Copenhagen, a delightful capital city of ever optimist Danish people famous for the legendry fair-tale story writer of the children of the world Hans Anderson will enfold UN’s Conference on climate change as an endurable fairly committed agreement politically, legally, financially and technologically by all UN member countries .

Bajracharya is an industrial engineer