European colonialism, from the 15th to the 20th century, created lasting economic and environmental inequalities between the North and South of the planet. It is necessary to recognise the historical responsibility of developed countries for their greenhouse gas emissions in order to promote climate justice.
European colonialism, which lasted from the 15th to the 20th century, played a crucial role in shaping the current economic and environmental inequalities between the global North and South.
During the colonial period, European powers such as the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Portugal established vast empires in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The intensive exploitation of natural resources such as minerals, timber and agricultural products not only benefited the colonising countries economically but also devastated ecosystems and local communities.
Moreover, the wealth accumulated by the colonial powers through the exploitation of their colonies was crucial to the Industrial Revolution and the subsequent development of the global North.
In contrast, the colonies were left with dependent economies and underdeveloped infrastructures. This economic legacy of inequality is one of the main reasons why developing countries face greater difficulties in adapting to climate change.
In addition, we have an under-addressed problem called historical responsibility for carbon emissions. This is because developed countries have historically been the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases.
In order to address climate inequalities, it is crucial to recognise the historical responsibility of developed countries. This means not only reducing current emissions, but also making up for the damage caused in the past.
Historical responsibility
Developed countries were the first to industrialise, starting in the 18th century. Since then, they have been responsible for most of the accumulated greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere.
And it is clear that the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) for energy, transport and industry, as well as deforestation, have contributed significantly to these emissions.
As a result, countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and France have a much larger historical carbon footprint than developing countries.
Yet it is this intensive use of fossil fuels that has allowed these nations to experience rapid economic growth, technological development and improvements in the living standards of their populations. As a result, many of the benefits these nations enjoy today are largely the result of centuries of development fuelled by energy sources that emitted large amounts of greenhouse gases (GHGs).
The principle of common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR):
That is why the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) recognises that while all countries must fight the climate crisis, developed countries have a greater responsibility because of their historical emissions and economic capacity. This is called ‘common but differentiated responsibilities’ (CBDR).
The Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) principle is a fundamental concept in international environmental law, particularly in the context of climate change negotiations, and was first formalised at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Earth Summit) in Rio de Janeiro.
It recognises that all nations have a shared responsibility to protect the global environment and combat climate change. However, it emphasises that countries have contributed to global environmental problems in different ways. For example, developed countries, which were the first to industrialise and have historically emitted the most greenhouse gases (GHGs), have a greater responsibility to take the lead in mitigating climate change.
It also recognises the different economic, technological and institutional capacities of countries. Developed countries tend to have more resources and advanced technologies to deal with the climate crisis, while developing countries may need support to implement effective measures.
Therefore, in addition to reducing their own emissions, developed countries have a responsibility to provide financial and technological support to developing countries in their mitigation efforts.
On adaptation, developed countries must provide technical and financial assistance to help developing countries adapt to impacts such as natural disasters, rising sea levels and changes in rainfall patterns.
In terms of technology transfer, a key part of differentiated responsibilities is to facilitate developing countries’ access to clean and efficient technologies that will enable them to grow economically without significantly increasing their greenhouse gas emissions.
A concrete example of CBDR in climate finance is the Green Climate Fund, the world’s largest climate fund, which aims to support developing countries in reaching and implementing their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) for low-carbon development and climate resilience.
The fund project was launched in 2009 during the Copenhagen Climate Conference (COP15) with the aim of raising $100 billion per year by 2020. The target was formalised at COP16 in Cancun and reaffirmed and extended to 2025 at COP21 in Paris.
By December 2023, the fund will have $13.5 billion ($51.9 billion including co-financing) available to implement climate action in more than 120 countries. However, experts agree that this amount is far from what is needed to implement concrete and lasting action.
In short, European colonialism has left a legacy of economic and environmental inequality between the global North and South, which contributes significantly to the difficulties developing countries face in adapting to the climate emergency.
The historical responsibility of developed countries, which have been the main emitters of greenhouse gases since the industrial revolution, must be recognised and addressed in order to tackle climate inequalities.
The principle of common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR) emphasises that while all countries must fight climate change, developed countries have a greater responsibility because of their historical emissions and economic capacity.
The Green Climate Fund, established to help developing countries mitigate and adapt to the climate crisis, is an example of this principle, but the resources currently available are insufficient.
It is therefore of the utmost importance that developed countries step up their efforts in terms of finance and technology transfer, so that concrete and lasting action can be taken to promote real climate justice.
Complementary activities
1 – Listen to the podcast with Carla Amado Gomes: ‘Europe has a historical responsibility in the face of climate change’ .
2 – Watch the video produced by DW with the former president of Uruguay – ‘Mujica reflects on Europe’s historical responsibility for the climate crisis’.
