Jabke qanooni aur siyasi taqaze fossil fuel companies ko unki samaji nuksanon ke liye zimmedar banane ke liye ho sakte hain, lekin ye industry hukoomaton aur United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change jaise idaron par apna zyada asar jari rakhti hai. Beshak, is mushkil ko hal karne ke liye naye zariye zaroori hain.
WASHINGTON, DC – Record garmi ke darmiyan, tez aur mehngi hadse mein izafay, aur barhte hue dhamkion ke bawajood ke climate change hamain dosray tareeqay se maar raha hai, awazain fossil fuels ko chhod dene ki barh rahi hain. Lekin fossil-fuel industry naye oil aur gas projects mein invest kar rahi hai, badi corporate mergers mein shaamil ho rahi hai, climate commitments ko waapas le rahi hai, aur ye jhooti wade kar rahi hai ke wo be bagair talaafiye paida kiye hi nikal sakti hai. Humain fossil fuels ko chhodna hoga. Lekin kaise?
Jawab is saal ke petrostate-hosted United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) se shayad nikle, jo Dubai mein hogi, jo ke political commitment to phase out fossil fuels de sakti hai lekin ek fossil-free mustaqbil ke raaste ka nashaan nahi kar sakti. UN Secretary-General António Guterres ne jo “climate crisis ka zehar daalne wala asal sabab” kaha hai, usay hal karne ke liye humein UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) ke bahar naye forums daryaft karne honge.
Achi khabar ye hai ke Guterres, pope, kai qoumi hukumatien, aur International Energy Agency jaise idaray ne coal, oil, aur gas ka phaseout karne ka global call join kiya hai. September mein UN Climate Ambition Summit mein hukumatien tasleem karti hain ke climate crisis ek fossil-fuel crisis hai. Sawal ye nahi hai ke oil aur gas chhodna chahiye ya nahi, balki ye hai ke kaise.
Buri khabar ye hai ke fossil-fuel industry, Ukraine ke invasion ke baad record-breaking munafa hone ke baad, is dabav ka hamil lag rahi hai. Aur bhi bura ye hai ke ye bohot barra munafa ab more oil aur gas development mein reinvest ho raha hai. Jab ke climate disasters hamare samne barhte hain, tab ye industry jo ke carbon dioxide emissions ka 90% zimmedar hai, ye daawah karti hai ke uske gande products global economy ke liye decades tak zaroori rahenge.
Ek tabdili laane ke liye, humein wazeh karna hoga ke fossil-fuel dependence ki bunyadi kamzori aur iska insaan ke haqooq par bura asar kya hai. Oil, gas, aur coal par itemaad supply disruptions ko barha deta hai, jo ke har cheez par asar daal sakta hai, including heating, transportation, aur khurak ke daam. Ye disruptions sab se zyada ghareeb tabqon par zor dalte hain jabke ye industry apne munafa ko barha rahi hai.
Yaad rakhna wazeh hai ke fossil-fuel companies ne Ukraine ke jung se pehle das saal tak market ko nahi peecha kiya. Is das saal ke girawat ne woh long-term energy-transition trends ko dikhaya jo haal ki kamai ne nahi badla. Fossil-fuel demand jo hai ke globally 2030 tak peak hone ki tawajjuh hai, oil aur gas ab bhi ek bura khel hain. Dunia ko climate catastrophe se bachane ke liye, new oil aur gas supply ke liye koi jagah nahi hai.
Fossil fuels lagte hain ke hamesha sasti renewable energy ke sath mukable mein hain sirf is liye ke inki production ko subsidize kiya gaya hai aur inke producers ko unke nuksan ke jawaab mein zimmadari se bachaya gaya hai. Industry ke negative externalities, jo ke pehle frontline communities ne sah liye, ab duniya bhar mein logon par wildfires, hurricanes, floods, aur droughts ke surat mein lag rahe hain. Agar hum fossil-fuel companies ko unke anay wale nuksan uthane par majboor karenge, aur public funds ko renewable solutions ki taraf rukh kar denge, to oil aur gas assets apne liabilities ke tor par zahir ho jayenge.
Is se ek aur bada masla samne aata hai: corporate capture. Climate litigation ke bawajood, jo ke industry ko zimmedar banane ke liye zaroori hai, masla sirf ye nahi hai ke polluters ko unke paida kiye nuksanon ke liye adaalat mein khada karna hai. Balki, humein inki climate policy par zyada asar ko bhi kam karna hoga. Kick Big Polluters Out jaise movements ke behtareen koshishon ke bawajood, fossil-fuel industry ko is saal ke climate talks mein sirf kisi seat ki nahi, balki table ke sar par bhi jagah milti hai.
Wahan Sultan Al Jaber betha hota hai, jo ke United Arab Emirates ki national oil company ke CEO hain, jo ke khud apne expansion plans par kaam kar rahi hai. Al Jaber, COP28 president, ye dikhane mein laga hua hai ke fossil-fuel industry climate change ke khilaf jung mein hero hai, villain nahi. Lekin ye ek lambi arse tak girne wale industry ke liye ek mashhoor survival strategy hai. UAE ke “all of the above” approach ka bhi ye hi haal hai, jo ke renewables ko fossil fuels ka complement, unki replacement nahi, aur carbon capture aur offsets ko bhi support karta hai, jab ke kafi evidence hai ke in dono se kisi bhi maamooli emissions ki kami nahi hoti.
Al Jaber ne pehle is saal jo kaha, uske khilaaf nahi hai ke masla sirf fossil-fuel emissions ka hai; masla fossil fuels khud ka hai. Sirf carbon par tawajjuh dene se fossil fuels ke tamam aur negative effects ko ignore kiya ja raha hai, jese ke air pollution ke bais hue har saal hote hain 8 million premature deaths