UNFCCC Principles and Climate Justice

7.1 Key Principles

CBDR-RC — The Foundational Equity Principle

CBDR-RC (Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities) is established in UNFCCC Article 3(1). Developed countries have emitted ~75% of cumulative CO₂ since 1850, so they bear greater responsibility and also have greater capacity to act.

Five Demands of Climate Justice

1. Mitigation equity: Richer nations reduce emissions first and fastest
2. Adaptation finance: Poor nations need funds to adapt to impacts they didn't cause
3. Technology transfer: Clean tech must be affordable and accessible to developing nations
4. Loss and damage: Compensation for irreversible climate impacts in vulnerable nations
5. Development rights: Poor nations retain the right to development using a fair share of carbon space

India's Equity Argument

• India's per capita historical cumulative emissions (2 tonnes CO₂): 15× lower than US (30 tonnes)
• India's 2022 per capita emissions (2.3 tonnes): vs. global average 4.4 tonnes; US 14.7 tonnes
• India argues CBDR-RC justifies a longer net-zero timeline (2070 vs. 2050 for developed nations)

7.2 Carbon Budgets and 1.5°C

What is a Carbon Budget?

A carbon budget is the total amount of CO₂ that can still be emitted globally while keeping warming within 1.5°C or 2°C. The IPCC's Sixth Assessment Report (AR6, 2021) provides the key numbers:

• 1.5°C budget (67% probability): ~360 billion tonnes CO₂ remaining from 2023 — at current rates (42 billion tonnes/year), exhausted in **9 years** (by ~2032)
• 2°C budget (67% probability): ~1,150 billion tonnes remaining — approximately 27 years from 2023

This science underpins the urgency of climate negotiations. India argues for equitable distribution of the remaining carbon budget — developed nations must reduce first to leave "development space" for poorer nations.

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