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A Policy that Ensures the Organizations, Corporations Most Responsible for Climate Change Carry the Most Responsibility

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Oguntola Tobi

Oguntola Tobi Sep 29, 2021

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A couple of years ago, I watched a Ted talk video by the Prime Minister of Bhutan - at that time - about how the country is carbon negative.

In that same video, he said that even though they add virtually nothing to the carbon generated globally, they still suffer the effects of climate change. For instance, melting glaciers which result in flashfloods and landslides.

Basically, they suffer the repercussions of a problem they do not contribute to.

And while governments and corporations the world over are making massive strides to curb climate change, I believe more should be done. I believe the major culprits should be held to account for their actions.

I will like to see a policy where the major contributors to this problem contribute to a fund that supports the effort of countries like this toward resisting climate change and conserving their environment. This fund should also go toward providing support whenever they experience a problem that is the repercussion of climate change.

Apart from helping drive these efforts forward, I believe such a policy will deter these entities from contributing more to the problem. Furthermore, it will motivate them to seek and transition to more sustainable methods of operation.

climate change carbon sustainability environment

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The system for evaluating separate impacts

Povilas S

Povilas S Sep 29, 2021

I very much support the idea. What can be difficult regarding it, though, is how the impact of every separate contributor to climate change would be evaluated. We'd need a separate system dedicated to that and it would have to be standardized worldwide. It would have to be made corruption-free somehow. The big players would sure try to mask the extent of pollution they are responsible for. A separate, unbiased corporation to evaluate all this is necessary. The "unbiased" part is tricky.

One would have to monitor all the pollutants emitted as a result of the activity of a certain company in real-time and then at the end of the month or so calculate what impact to the environment or (if we count only impact to the climate change) global warming those made. The pollutant counting systems would have to be implemented at virtually every business, cause all of them contribute to an extent. This would be complicated to achieve, but nevertheless not impossible.

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Oguntola Tobi

Oguntola Tobi3 years ago

First, I don't think such counting systems should be implemented at every business; that would be an insane amount of work. We might as well tax everybody if that is what we go with. I think companies that pass a certain threshhold should be held to account. If there were a system that made it expensive for them to pollute the environment, I can assure you they will have their R&D departments working at full capacity to find sustainable solutions. I can also assure you those solutions will be ready in little time.

I do agree with your concern about monitoring pollutants. However, I don't think real-time monitoring is the answer. I think random samplings which then inform the making of reasonable estimates are more viable. Then, each company can be charged a particular standardized sum based on these estimates. Sort of like a "per metric tonne" thing. To arrive at such an amount, factors like the impact of each "unit" to the environment should be considered.

Finally, everything you say the big corporations will do, they already do. The answer to that is to improve on the accountability systems, which I'm sure will happen as such an effort gains ground. And while some corporations will escape the noose, majority won't. For me, that is enough, especially if it makes them develop more sustainable methods of operation.

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Manel Lladó Santaeularia

Manel Lladó Santaeularia3 years ago

Oguntola Tobi I agree with you, taking care of the biggest responsibles of the pollution would be the most crucial step. Also because when big, popular companies make changes, it leads the way for the smaller ones. I also agree with the fact that sample measurements, maybe divided in different periods of the year, should suffice. I think that's how it's done already nowadays, there are a lot of statistics about contamination from factories and places like that. 

The important thing here would be to create an apolitical, science-based organisation, sort of what the World Health Organization should be (and I say should) that has the powers to objectively signal when someone is contaminating too much and charging them with the cost of solving that issue. It would also be important that, when companies actively try to reduce the pollution they cause, there is an economic incentive that can help them in that way. We would all benefit in the end.

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General comments

Shireesh Apte

Shireesh Apte2 years ago

Cap and trade policy is possible for this.

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