On the occasion of ‘Human Rights Day’ a guest lecture has been organized by Sardar Patel Subharti Institute of Law, Swami Vivekanand Subharti University, Meerut on “COP-26 Changes and Possibilities” delivered by Sh. S. K. Kumar (IIT Roorkee) Former Chief Engineer Irrigation Department and a Member of UPPSC.
COP-26 stands for ‘Conference of the Parties’. COP-26 is the 26th iteration of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) which brings together the 197 members of the convention to take concerted action on climate change. The program was convened by Afreen Almas (Assistant professor). She gave a brief introduction of Sh. S. K. Kumar sir.
Sh. S. K .Kumar sir was welcomed by Hon’ble Director of Subharti Law College Rajesh Chandra (Former Judge, High Court of Judicature at Praygraj, UP), and Prof. (Dr.)Vaibhav Goel Bhartiya, Dean, Faculty of Law, SVSU, jointly by offering a sapling as it is a step of Subharti University to protect the environment.
Before starting the lecture lamp was jointly lightened by Sh. S. K. Kumar(Guest Speaker), Hon’ble Director of Subharti Law College Rajesh Chandra (Former Judge, High Court of Judicature at Praygraj, UP), and Prof. (Dr.)Vaibhav Goel Bhartiya, Dean, Faculty of Law, SVSU.
After lamp lightening, the Convener of the program invited the guest to share his views on “COP-26 Challenges and Possibilities” and how the polluted environment is encroaching on human rights. In his address Sh. S.K. Kumar Sir told the audiences about the various conferences of the Parties. He started his talk from COP-3 which took its place from 1 to 10 December 1997 in Kyoto, Japan in which developed countries agreed to specific targets for cutting their emissions of
greenhouse gases. A general framework was defined for this, with specifics to be detailed over the next few years. The US proposed to just stabilize emissions and not cut them at all, while the European Union called for a 15% cut. In the end, there was a trade-off, and industrialized countries were committed to an overall reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases to 5.2% below 1990 levels for the period 2008 – 2012.
After COP-3, the Fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 15) was discussed by the speaker which was held in Kunming, China in two phases. Phase one took place virtually, from 11 to 15 October and included a High-Level Segment from 12 to 13 October and phase two was an in-person meeting in Kunming, from 25 April to 8 May 2022.
The Convention on Biological Diversity’s main mechanism of action was incentives for conservation and sustainable use, and importantly, developing countries can apply for funding from other nations signed on to the convention for critical biodiversity conservation projects, 196 parties have ratified the agreement, including the European Union, three non-UN states, and all the UN states, with the exception of one: the United States. Throughout the 1980s, it was the US that championed the idea of a biodiversity treaty. But when the papers finally hit the desk in 1992 following successful negotiations at the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit, US refused to sign amid the tumultuous presidential election.
After this he told about the 20th session of the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP20) was held from 1-12 December 2014 in Lima, Perú to ensure that linkages between climate change and food security issues are taken into account during the conference because climate change is already affecting food security and the livelihoods of the most vulnerable. Overcoming climate change is key to food security, health, nutrition, gender equality, and sustainable development.
The Paris Agreement was a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted by 196 Parties at COP 21 in Paris, on 12 December 2015 and entered into force on 4 November 2016.Its goal was to limit global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels. To achieve this long-term temperature goal, countries aim to reach global peaking of greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible to achieve a climate-neutral world by mid-century. Further he told that every- one is having a question in their mind that how can I reduced the temperature or global warming. He said that if the people of the globe will decrease the use of natural resources, as well as if they developed a habit of use of public transport it can be a good step to save the environment, because of due to the global warming the level of seawater is continuously going up every year, due to this, around 2.5 crore people who reside nearby the coastal area, are forced to leave their home.
Lastly, he discussed COP26 which is the 26th iteration of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in which 197 members of the convention to take concerted action on climate change held in Glasgow, UK from 31 October to 12 November 2021. He told that the goal of keeping warming to 1.5C is still alive, but it’s on life support. And going forwards requires hope. So where is hope to be found? It has to be in the rising tide of concern about climate change around the world, and people’s desire to show up and be part of the solution by Changing the political, social and economic priorities of governments around the world to refocus on. Various suggestion were also provided by the Sh. S .K. Kumar sir as- it is the liability of Government to provide a well settled public transport mechanism as well as facilities in these transport vehicle. To encourage the public at large to use the public transport, in place of using their own vehicle. Apart from it if we are willing to save the environment which is one of the main causes to infringe the human rights of marginalised section of the society.
Apart from it he also suggested that highways are not so necessary on the cost of human health, if it is required to show the development, then trees on the road sides should not be cut down. In his address Justice Rajesh Chandra, Director Subharti Law College told the students that it is are fundamental duty to protect the environment because polluted environment is very dangerous to the public at large specially the underprivileged society of the world.
Vote of thanks was given by Dr. Reena Bishnoi, Associate Professor. A token of respect was jointly given by Hon’ble Director of Subharti Law College, Rajesh Chandra (Former Judge, High Court of Judicature at Praygraj, UP), and Prof. (Dr.)Vaibhav Goel Bhartiya, Dean, Faculty of Law, SVSU and Dr. Reena Bishnoi, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, SVSU.
During the program Dr. Ashutosh Garg, Dr. Prem Chandra, Ms. Ana Sisodia, Mr. Vikas Tyagi, Ms. Anjali Yadav, Ms. Anjum Jahan, Ms. Itisha Jain. were presented.
