BILLION -PARIS PACT- BABIES : COP30 CORES

BRASILIA : '' A billion more babies have been born since the Paris Climate Agreement,'' remarked  Tzeporah Berman, founder of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, during a side event at the 30th UN Climate Change Conference [ COP30 ].

Her statement captured a sense of urgency that many feel is missing from the main negotiating halls.

The treaty is modelled after the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which, despite shortcomings has held for the most part.

One is reminded from the renowned anthropologist, the late David Braeber, that, '' our economies are designed, so they can be redesigned ''.

Organisers of the treaty claim that they have purposefully focused on smaller countries that have more to lose, more immediately, from fossil fuels than they have to gain from continuing their use.

This is certainly true for island nations like Sri Lanka and the Maldives, but also for Pakistan.

Although the event was not focused on population growth in the Third World, it is important to keep the quote of a '' billion babies '' in mind, considering that much of the population boom is also happening in the 3rd world, with countries like Pakistan being one of them.

The minister from Vanuatu mentioned in his statement that '' We're trying to bring ambition back into the process''.

This is the most significant statement from the event, considering that the main issue is not a lack of plans to deal with the climate crisis, but the unwillingness of the highest polluting economies to make meaningful changes to reduce emissions.

Will the highest emitting countries do so at their own expense? This remains to be seen.

The World Students Society thanks Zain Haq.