United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Climate Change and Pollution in South-East Asia

by Musa Umar Yar’dua

The United Nations Environment Programme today discussed the matter of climate change and pollution in South-East Asia. China, India, Japan, and Korea alone account for 40% of the world’s carbon dioxide emission as their economy is based on production. With increased knowledge and fears concerning climate change, it is critical to find a way to address said issue before it worsens. Perhaps it is no surprise that every committee member state sees this as an urgent issue that needs to be addressed. The Philippines delegate notes the country as being highly vulnerable with “30 typhoons” occurring every year on average. This not only leads to economical and structural damage but at times results in loss of life. Also, the delegate adds that while the Philippines is making an effort in terms of climate change, it is just a “drop in a well” and would require global cooperation. Maldives is another country in a similar position, not only is it susceptible to the dangers of climate change, but it also lacks the resources and funds to effectively address the issue on its own. As such, the Maldives delegate stressed that the issue should be addressed immediately and globally if any progress is to be made.

The New Zealand delegate mirrored the importance of an immediate global plan while highlighting the state’s success in terms of carbon dioxide emission. Moreover, the delegate added that New Zealand aims to reduce its emissions to 30% of 2005 levels by 2030. Interestingly, the New Zealand delegate pointed at foreign-born nationals as one of the reasons for the current level of emissions, suggesting they don’t care as much about the environment. The New Zealand delegate stated that 30% of the population are foreign-born nationals, adding that roughly 50% of the total population is worried about the environment. The Japanese delegate highlighted the state’s reliance on (two-thirds) as a problem, while the Philippines sees the level of plastic waste as a main issue in the country. These two factors could be a topic of discussion in tomorrow’s session and possible solutions might be put on the table.

The meeting then moved on with the Japanese delegate proposing possible solutions which include: a comprehensive domestic and international plan, increased public awareness, and the use of economic incentives to appeal to the private sector. The Philippines delegate was quick to point out while it does believe in the ideas in theory, they might not be applicable to the Philippines. The Philippines delegated stated that as a developing, it has different targets. For example, while Japan might be worrying about its economy, the Philippines has to face issues such as water and food security.

The meeting took a turn towards the end when India held China responsible for most of the pollution in South-East Asia. Moreover, India added that China doesn’t care about the environment, but rather profit. India called on China to stop its pollution, which also negatively impacts India. While China didn’t have the opportunity to respond to these claims today, it is likely to carry over into tomorrow’s session, which is something to look