Deglobalisation poses a climate threat that demands attention

Source– The post is based on the article “Deglobalisation poses a climate threat that demands attention” published in the Hindu on 23rd November 2022.

Syllabus: GS3- Environment degradation

News- The article explains the impacts of deglobalisation on efforts to fight climate change.

What are the impacts of degobalisation on fighting against climate change?

Mitigation– Climate agreements will be easy to conclude if the world is not fragmented economically. It will be easy to transfer technology in exchange for emission commitment.

Free movement of people will make it easy to monitor climate actions.

Deglobalisation will hinder the production and innovation needed to replace carbon-intensive production processes with climate-friendly ones. Consider battery production for renewable energy for mitigation. Key inputs for the battery are in short supply. It needs free movement of resources to sustain the production of batteries.

Adaptation– It will be harder in a deglobalised world. New crops and technologies for adaptation will require more innovation, investment and financing. If flow of these things is impeded because of closed borders, developing countries will face difficulties in accessing them.

The surest way for developing countries to achieve more growth is export of goods and services. Protectionist measures by developed countries will impede such growth. Hence, lack of funds will limit adaptation in the developing world.

Global diversification will bring more resilience. The supply chain will have multiple suppliers. It will be easy to shift production from a climate-hit supplier to elsewhere.

Migration- If mitigation and adaptation fail, more people will be forced to migrate. Closed borders will make climate refugees more vulnerable.

Deglobalisation will hamper efforts for global agreement on climate refugees.

What is the way forward?

International community should negotiate a Geneva convention style pact. It will create safe spheres of continued global interaction that are protected from sanctions and bans in most circumstances.

We should set stringent conditions for denying countries access to global payment infrastructure and for applying sanctions.

Effective climate actions require continued globalisation.