Changing climate, unchanged commitment: Non-Aligned Movement on climate change

When people speak of change, it always brings about a ray of hope and positivity, and goes perfectly in alignment with the statement “change is constant” but the kind of change that the world is in the middle of is not for the good; if anything, it is a change that is leading to the extinction of species, extreme temperatures, frequent disasters and depleting ozone layer in the atmosphere, thus making our planet a furnace. The change is referred to here as that of climate change, which is extensively being talked about and is turning to new lows, as every minute passes by. Climate change is no longer an individualistic issue, but a global concern that has incited many protests from each corner of the world to declare a climatic emergency for the sake of ensuring sustainability and life on this planet.

Organizations at regional and international levels can act as stalwarts for ensuring that an issue as serious as climate change can be tackled effectively and properly. Internationally, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (also known as UNFCCC) is at the helm of coordinating issues related to climate change and has constantly been organizing conferences, to be updated with the way climate change is progressing to guide member-states as to how to tackle these issues. Regionally, though each country and region have its dedicated organization working towards tackling global issues, an example which leads, especially in the South-South cooperation and developing countries, is the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). While the entire globe faces the harsh repercussions of global warming and climate change, the impact of pollution and extremities of climate is faced by these developing countries.

Therefore, the establishment of a coordination organization and regional agency allows the repercussions of climate change to be addressed by all developing countries, in the same manner, and effectively. Adverse climate change has particularly affected Small Island Developing States (known as SIDS) as they bear the brunt of disasters, owing to climate change, such as cyclones. Despite that, the SIDS continues to be at the forefront of taking responsibility when it comes to areas of climatic crisis. The heatwaves, owing to the global warming phenomenon, have managed to deplete coral reefs, which has managed to hugely affect the aquatic ecosystem.

Understanding the gravity of the situation, island nations that are a part of SIDS and NAM such as Seychelles, Maldives, and Singapore, among others, have all taken up the responsibility to become stalwarts of controlling pollution and regulation plastic usage to not harm ocean and sea bodies. This, in turn, helps in controlling the harsh aftermath of climate change, further encouraging a balanced environment. The initiatives to tackle this cause and protect oceanic ecosystem and maintain marine health serves an inspirational step for all the countries, so as to establish the fact that environment pollution, climate change, and plastic usage are the present-day evils that, not only need to be solved but wiped off the face of the earth for the sake of sustainability.

NAM Member-States reiterated their firm stance and commitment to the cause of climate change, as they adopted the Baku Declaration in 2018, which elaborated the efforts which are required by NAM nations to strengthen efforts by the developing countries when it comes to eradicating poverty and adopting sustainability. By reinforcing the proper adoption and implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 13 (SDG 13), the NAM nations have given due priority to climate change, as they are urged to resort to renewable sources of energy and adopt climate financing methods.

Climate change has also sufficiently been the reason behind loss of life and serious illnesses. Ghana has been carefully looking into the impact of climate change and health wherein the Ghana Health Service has climate change representatives working to ensure that all climate change health-related issues and diseases are tracked and managed properly. Ghana was also a founding member of NAM. Thus, its commitment towards this cause has been exceptionally much. Ghana has made sincere efforts in sustainably handling climate change, by promoting the safer use of public transportation and encouraging cycling and walking as an alternative to using private vehicles, which would decrease carbon emissions and in turn, reduce air pollution. The reduction of air pollution would contribute to cleaner air, which would ensure that the number of deaths falls drastically, annually. NAM’s sustained commitment towards leaving no stone unturned when it comes to curbing climate change has managed to establish the organization, at an international and renowned level, furthermore, acting as a force to reckon with.