Developed countries account for three quaters of the world's greenhouse gas emissions while constitutuing one quater of the world's population.
http://unfccc.int/essential_backgrou.../items/278.php
If each country were given a quota of allowable emissions based on population (rather than 1990 emission levels), then developed countries would currently be far in excess of this quota, while India for example, would only use one third of it's quota. This extra share could then be sold off to developed countries that are above their quota. If this were the case then the developed world would be hit far harder than is the case under the current kyoto protocol.
Developed countries have created the problem by their emissions over the last 2 centuries, following the "polluter pays principle" (whoever broke it, should fix it) these countries should contribute the most in fixing the problem.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Matt MacDonald
Emissions in the developing world are related to the need to survive, emissions in developed countries are related to particular (unsustainable) standards of living.
|
Developed countries are more in need of an increase in emissions to improve their standard of living (to escape poverty), while an increase in emissions in an industialised country only leads to an unessecary, and unsustainable increase in the standard of living.
The Kyoto Protocol ensures the first steps are taken to reducing the enhanced greenhouse effect, and does so in a way which goes easy on developed countries.
reference: Peter Singer and Tom Gregg, How Ethical is Australia?, 2004