Environmental and Social Injustice

As we continue developing we contribute to the amount of carbon already in the atmosphere, but as we develop there are countries that have already developed and are majorly contributing to the increase of carbon dioxide in the air .Various laws and have been set to try to control this pollution. According to the Kyoto protocol each country must submit its total annual emissions. In 2010 the world total emission was 33615389 tones.

COUNTRY	EMISSION PER CAPITA (t)	ANNUAL CO2 EMISSION S (kt)	%  OF WORLDS TOTAL
China	6.195	8286892	24.65%
United states	17.564	5433057	16.16%
Kenya	0.304	12427	0.04%
Rwanda	0.055	594	0%
Nigeria	0.0494	78910	0.23%
Somali	0.063	609	0%

United States and china are the major contributors of emission in the world .In 2010 only china and the United States contributed to 40.81% of the world’s total emission whereas countries like Rwanda and Somali contributed almost zero percent of the world’s total emission .In the table above Rwanda was the least contributor to the world’s total emissions whereas china was the major contributor. In 2010 Rwanda was experiencing  the impact of climate change in their economic development .It  experienced heavy rains which led to loss lives, destruction of infrastructure like roads and erosion of farms .In the same year 3,934 houses were demolished mostly by heavy rains , floods and landslides. Over 2,201 hectares of land were also devastated by the same disasters. This was due to the unpredicted weather patterns leading to unexpected weather changes. In the same year china recorded a 10.3% increase in the growth of their economy coming mainly from the manufacturing industries that emit this green house. 

Though china signed the Kyoto protocol, it is ratified and is a non annex I country which is not required to limit greenhouse gas emission under the terms of an agreement. China can emit as gasses to the atmosphere without limit but the gasses won’t stand above china but it will settle in the atmosphere and affect every country whether you contribute 0% or 20% we will both face the consequences of this emission .So far developing countries like those in Africa are being urged to plant trees and maintain the forest through a UN REDD+ concept (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation). This ensures the reduction of emission of greenhouse gases by through enhanced forest management in developing countries. This means developed countries pay developing countries to plant trees as they continue emitting these gases. In this, Africa is a mitigating site for climate change. Despite this it’s not really fair for African countries to suffer the consequences of developed countries .As they continue developing as Africa we continue facing floods, landslides, unpredictated weather patterns and drought .

Our land will be used to plant trees for damage control; to absorb waste from our big brothers and sisters and not for other development activities. Really??? That’s Environmental and social injustice to me!

Author: Angela Keter (The author is a communication and advocacy officer at Scope Intervention)

Email: kangela@scopeintervention.org