THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary- November 11, 2016- Topic 1
The United Nations conference on climate
change now under way in Marrakech, Morocco, has the ambitious task of drawing
up the first steps on enhanced finance and technology transfer, which is vital
to advance the Paris Agreement that entered into force on November 4. India’s
negotiating positions at the ongoing Conference of the Parties 22 (CoP 22) must ensure that on both these aspects, the basic
principle of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities laid down by
the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change are upheld. Mitigating greenhouse
gas emissions is central to the effort to contain the rise of the global
average temperature in the current century to well below 2° Celsius since
pre-industrial levels. But that goal is considered impossible even if sincere
action is taken on all pledges made so far, necessitating a higher ambition.
Moreover, the Paris Agreement does not have a carbon budget system that gives
weightage to the emerging economies taking their historical handicap into
account. The imperative therefore is to demand suitably high financial flows to
both mitigate emissions and prepare communities to adapt to climate change.
Such a mandate should be seen as an opportunity, since CoP 22 will discuss ways
and means for countries to integrate their national commitments submitted for
the Paris deal into actual policies and investment plans. In India’s case, new
developments in sectors such as construction, transport, energy production,
waste and water management, as well as agriculture, can benefit from fresh
funding and technology.
Adopting green technologies in power
generation, which has a lock-in effect lasting decades, and other areas like
transport with immediate impacts such as reduced air pollution has a twin
advantage. The local environment is cleaned up, improving the quality of life,
and carbon emissions are cut. It is imperative therefore that the national
position raises pressure on rich countries for technological and funding
assistance under the Paris Agreement. In parallel, India would have to update
its preparedness to meet the new regime of transparency that is to be launched
under the climate pact. The preparatory decisions to write the rules and
modalities for such a framework, and assist developing countries with
capability building will be taken at Marrakech. There is some apprehension that
the U.S. could exit the climate consensus since the President-elect, Donald
Trump, has vowed to cancel the Paris Agreement. Yet, business and industry
today see a strong case to take a new path, as energy costs favour renewable
sources over fossil fuels. States and cities are also charting their own course
to curb emissions. These are encouraging trends.
Vocabulary
Ambitious: having or showing a strong desire and determination to succeed.
Example: His mother was hard-working and ambitious for her four children
Synonyms: aspiring, determined, forceful, pushy, enterprising, motivated
Upheld: confirm or support (something that has been questioned).
Example: The court upheld his claim for damages
Synonyms: confirm, endorse, sustain, approve, agree
to, support
Imperative: of vital importance; crucial.
Example: Immediate action was imperative
Synonyms: vitally important, of vital importance, all-important, vital, crucial
Preparedness: a state of readiness, especially for war.
Example: The country maintained a high level of military preparedness
Apprehension: anxiety or fear that something bad or unpleasant will happen.
Example: He felt sick with apprehension
Synonyms: anxiety, worry, unease, nervousness, nerves, misgivings
Mitigate: make less severe, serious, or painful.
Example: He wanted to mitigate misery in the world
Synonyms: alleviate, reduce, diminish, lessen, weaken, lighten, attenuate