Combat Climate Change by Regulating Fossil Fuels

While last year’s Paris COP21 was a step towards implementation of frameworks to keep the global temperature increase below 1.5 degrees, there is still debate on whether this can be achieved. Considering continued industrialization and a business as usual scenario, this global goal may not be achieved, unless if every stakeholder is to responsibly play their part in creating a less carbon future. Despite different global commitments, the global carbon levels continue to increase which possess a threat if major contributors like the fossil industry are not regulated.  Based on both New Policies and Africa Century Case Scenarios, the carbon emissions in Africa are expected to increase during this generation due to increased total final consumption, with the highest contribution being generated from total final consumption of oil. This can be related to the growing transport industry and transport sector which will require more energy needs unless there is rapid transformation of technology. To achieve the goal of keeping global temperature increase below 1.5 degrees, is one major reason why we need to regulate he fossil fuel industry and this can be partly through keeping them accountable and making them pay for their damages.

The countries that mainly host these industries, have capacity to easily deal with the consequences of these industries on the planet, nevertheless, there are parts of the world that cannot easily deal with climate change impacts, mainly due to limited adaptive capacity. Africa despite contributing so low to the global carbon emissions is hard hit by the consequences of global warming. Over two thirds of the global carbon emissions for 2013 were produced from only ten with China and the United States contributing 28% and 16% respectively far ahead of all the other countries. This implies that whereas Africa maybe facing the consequences of climatic change, it cannot be assumed that these consequences emanate from Africa’s failure to control carbon emissions but rather from the total global emissions. Continued global warming worldwide will have more devastating consequences in Africa if the global carbon emissions are not controlled. Global warming causes damage to ecosystems that provide us with food, water and energy and increases environmental stress through decline of water quality, air pollution, and desertification. Africa needs to be concerned about seven major areas: water resources, food security, natural resources and biodiversity, human health, costal zones and desertification. The above consequences are mainly as a result of carbon pollution from the fossil fuel industry and thus the fossil fuel industry bears responsibility and has to bear responsibility of solving problems that are climate change related. There is need for policy frameworks to make the fossil companies accountable to guarantee a safe and sound environment where we can all stay happy and heathy and not worried about disaster resulting from climate change.

And of course, we do not only have the fossil industry as a major threat to our planet. There are other industries, like the tobacco industry, which is responsible for millions of deaths every year. Just like we need to keep the fossil fuel industry accountable and make it pay for its damages, the tobacco industry should do the same too! In an effort to address the global environmental and health risks associated with tobacco consumption, the World Health Organization instituted The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). This was meant to stimulate public health awareness and enable implementation of policies to better lives of human beings through reduction of tobacco consumption. The consequences of tobacco consumption are evident with increment of deaths from smoking related ailments such as cancer, ischemic and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Lung cancer has been the leading cause of death, killing approximately 1.4 million people globally in 2008.  the advancement of the tobacco industry will continue to effect on the wellbeing of humans negatively. The tobacco industry has majorly depended on greenwashing while it continues to endanger human health. Therefore, there is much need for policy instruments at both national and international levels to ensure that this industry in accountable to the population. This industry also implements persuasive advertisements and other practices such as public smoking that increase risks of lung cancer and other tobacco related complications to non-smoker.

If there is need to save the planet when there is still a chance to, these industries should be regulated through keeping them accountable and making them pay for the damages they cause.