Confronting Climate Change: Economic Priorities and Climate Protection In Developing Nations
Editor: B. Biagini      Publisher: National Environmental Trust      pp 350        Year of publication: 2000

The book "Confronting Climate Change, Economic Priorities and Climate Protection in Developing Nations" is the result of a joint effort between Climate of Trust (U.S.), National Environmental Trust (U.S.), Pelangi (Indonesia), The Bangladesh Centre For Advanced Studies (Bangladesh), Environment et Developpement du Tiers-Monde (ENDA-Senegal), and Fundacion Bariloche (Argentina).

The publication consists of 14 different national case studies organised region-wise: Asia - India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh; Southeast Asia - Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines and a group of Pacific Island countries; Latin and Central America - Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and El Salvador; Africa - Senegal, Ghana, and Zambia. Each country profile compiles the most recent available statistics from governments, academic and research institutions and includes the latest national data, policies, programs, and other relevant information on various aspects of climate change.

The style of presentation of each contribution is a little different from the others but there is a broad common outline of presentation, which make the comparison between different countries easy. In the introduction section, countries have presented their greenhouse gas inventories and their propensities to contribute to GHG emissions. A brief summary of the country’s vulnerability to climate change impacts is also included. The second section defines the extent of the country’s participation and, in many cases, demonstrates that its mitigation measures have gone well beyond the requirement of either the Convention or the Kyoto Protocol. This section systematically examines the data and then discusses mitigation and adaptation options of each major economic sector. Within the discussion of each sector, policies and initiatives are evaluated in greater detail.

The book depicts that developing countries have taken their responsibilities very seriously under the Climate Change Convention and they began doing so without any legal obligations in most of the cases. The individual national commitments and the concrete examples contained in this book are intended to help move from a debate over "who has the right to pollute more" and to propose instead a new paradigm of sustainable development that benefits each county's national economy, local environment and global climate. Developing countries are finding many opportunities to address global climate change, consistent with their economic and environmental goals. The book makes clear that given adequate funding from developed countries, the policies and measures outlined have a significant potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to economic growth and achieving sustainable development goals of these countries.

This report, in a nutshell, contains extremely positive message that the political context and the technologies currently available can provide the foundation for a sustainable paradigm of economic development both to help meet the current population needs without compromising the well-being of future generations. The book will also facilitate a climate of international cooperation, in which developed and developing countries collaborate for addressing the issue of climate change.

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