Climate justice, as a concept, is a fairly new one, given the recent urgency felt across the globe to cope with climate change. One of the building blocks to curb climate change is to have the right legal frameworks in place along with actions that are in line with said laws and plans. Here are the latest updates on Climate Justice you should know about!
India’s Net Zero Pledge
Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a game-changing pledge at the recent COP26 summit that India will reach net-zero emissions by 2070. Being the third-largest emitter in the world, this vow of carbon-neutrality came as much of a surprise for most. The prime minister, however, did reiterate that rich countries should help support poor nations to raise more money to accelerate the shift to clean energy, given that India’s net-zero goal will require a hefty financial investment.
Rihanna Pledges $15 Million For Climate Justice
While the singer is widely known for her efforts to support various social issues already, Rihanna’s foundation recently announced a pledge to donate $15 million to organizations working on climate justice initiatives. The pledge was made in partnership with former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey’s Start Small initiative.
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USA’s New Environmental Laws
Being one of the biggest emitters in the world, the USA has been under constant scrutiny for its climate change and climate justice initiatives. The nation, which is also known for having some of the strictest environmental laws in the world, is all set to introduce some more environmental frameworks this year. These include New York’s polystyrene takeout containers as well as a climate team to focus on climate justice; Washington’s no plastic utensils rule; California’s new law that requires all food scraps to be recycled and leftover food to be donated to food banks.
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An African COP
The United Nations Conference of the Parties, better known as COP, has been at the forefront more than ever most recently with mounting pressure on global leaders to take steps to curb the ongoing climate change problems. It’s also a forum that helps keep countries accountable for their environmental goals. This year’s COP27 is all set to take place in Egypt between November 7-18. The summit is sure to introduce a more rounded view of climate change given that the continent as a whole has been battling with storms as well as a drought.
Introduction Of The Indian Environment Service
It’s well known that while the enactment or introduction of environmental laws is of great importance, what’s equally important is the enforcement of the same. In a matter close to this issue, a plea was filed by advocate on record Samar Vijay Singh recommended the creation of a new All-India service, the Indian Environment Service, with respect to the need for trained personnel involved in the administration, policy formulation, and supervising the implementation of environmental policies across both state and central governments. The Supreme Court, earlier last month even sought the Centre’s reply on a plea for the creation of the All India Service. The service is expected to improve things at the ground level when it comes to environmental safeguards.