Why an equitable approach is the only practical way to address the climate crisis

In a transcribed set of remarks delivered at COP25, SEI Senior Scientist Sivan Kartha argues that the only practical and fair way to achieve global zero emissions is for the world's most privileged populations to eliminate their own emissions and provide financial and technological support to less privileged populations.

• A global temperature increase of 5 degrees Celsius represents a catastrophic risk, as a similar shift from a colder state during the last Ice Age was sufficient to melt ice sheets several kilometers thick, rearrange continental ecosystems, and drive species to extinction.
• The precise impacts of warming by 3, 4, or 5 degrees are unpredictable, creating an existential risk. Uncertainties include the response of coral reefs amid ocean acidification, the intensity of hurricanes fueled by warmer oceans, the stability of the South Asian monsoon affecting over a billion people, and the frequency of wildfires in new climate zones.
• While the necessary technology and funding to transition away from fossil fuels exist, they are concentrated among a small elite. The richest 10% of the global population earns more than half of the world's annual income and is responsible for more than half of global pollution.
• Achieving zero emissions globally requires a two-pronged equitable approach: privileged inhabitants who benefited from fossil-fuel-led development must eliminate their own emissions and extend support to less privileged populations to enable them to do the same.

APA

Kartha, S. (2019). Why an equitable approach is the only practical way to address the climate crisis. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/perspectives/why-an-equitable-approach-is-the-only-practical-way-to-address-the-climate-crisis/

Chicago

Kartha, Sivan. Why an equitable approach is the only practical way to address the climate crisis. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2019. https://www.sei.org/perspectives/why-an-equitable-approach-is-the-only-practical-way-to-address-the-climate-crisis/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Kartha |first1=Sivan |title=Why an equitable approach is the only practical way to address the climate crisis |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=11 December 2019 |url=https://www.sei.org/perspectives/why-an-equitable-approach-is-the-only-practical-way-to-address-the-climate-crisis/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{kartha2019why, author = {Kartha, Sivan}, title = {{Why an equitable approach is the only practical way to address the climate crisis}}, publisher = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2019}, month = dec, url = {https://www.sei.org/perspectives/why-an-equitable-approach-is-the-only-practical-way-to-address-the-climate-crisis/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }