For many like my wife, there is nothing worse that someone spilling the end of the story as you walk into a suspense movie. I personally love that, because I hate suspense. It drains my energy. I don’t like my energy drained especially by a movie!
This is what happened in Paris last week. The climate talks finished, and reporters from news channels were found wandering around streets of Paris with expressions that begged what did I miss, did any of you see something that I should have seen, what is the big news. For all the hype that the talks generated, in the end it was like an old, damp, bad quality Chinese Diwali cracker that would hiss, splutter and then quietly close its eyes and die in a corner out of embarrassment without anyone noticing.
Most of the outcomes of climate change were on the table even before the talks started, and it was fairly certain that no one was going to throw a bombshell.
India was certainly well behaved as the diplomatic harsh lights were shone in our eyes by some smart Chanakya’s ensuring we did not upset the Western apple cart. So the talks overall passed like a quiet ship in the dark seas, the drone of its engine being some murmurs of ‘developed nations were short changed with lack of adequate financial and technological support’ which everyone ignored, like the crackle of a chips packet in the movie theater.
While governments have signed there is much work to be done. They should now achieve clarity in their thinking and prepare for adaptation, as the big storms are coming. They also need to enact legislation to help in mitigation efforts. So let them do what they have to do or may not do.
I was happy when I read the 31 page declaration that was signed by the 195 countries, as I saw the opportunity to take on more responsibilities for my planet.
I am referring to the opportunity for the private sector, civil society and NGO’s to do what they have to do to help the planet, while also helping their governments. Article 6, point 4b urges all countries ‘To incentivize and facilitate participation in the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions by public and private entities authorized by a Party and to contribute to the reduction of emission’. This means, all of us need to contribute, and not just the governments. The private sector, civil society and NGO’s have energies that no government can match. Its enterprise and creative thinking abilities is what the planet needs now. In the end it is our lives and the lives of our children and grand children that are at stake. Here is our chance to come up with crazy ways to save the planet!
I for one am all up for the challenge and have already identified what all I am going to do. So have we come out of this movie bored, or with a will to slay the villain!
(The writer is an author, speaker, trainer, consultant, an entrepreneur and an expert in applied sustainability. Visit: www.CBRamkumar.com.)
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