Mains Marathon

Approach :

• Provide a brief introduction to the ethical foreign policy.
• Analyze the moral responsibility of developed nations in climate finance and technology transfer.
• Conclude with a suitable way forward

Introduction:

Ethical foreign policy, grounded in justice, demands that nations act not out of generosity but from a sense of global fairness. In the context of climate change—a crisis disproportionately caused by developed nations yet suffered most acutely by the least developed countries (LDCs)—the demand for justice becomes morally imperative. This is reflected in calls for climate finance and technology transfer.

Body :

Historical Emissions and Climate Injustice

• Developed countries have been the primary contributors to greenhouse gas emissions since the Industrial Revolution.
• In contrast, LDCs account for less than 4% of global emissions but are most vulnerable to climate impacts (e.g., floods in Bangladesh, droughts in the Sahel).
• The principle of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) under UNFCCC demands greater accountability from developed nations.
• This aligns with Rawlsian ethics, where justice demands compensation to those systematically disadvantaged.

Moral Obligation in Climate Finance

• The $100 billion/year commitment under the Paris Agreement is a symbol of climate justice.
• Key ethical failures include:
  • Underfunding and delays in disbursal.
  • Complex access mechanisms for LDCs.
  • The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is designed to assist LDCs, but it often suffers from bureaucratic bottlenecks.

Moral Responsibility in Technology Transfer

• Clean technologies like solar energy, carbon capture, and climate-resilient seeds are often patent-protected and expensive.
• The TRIPS Agreement under the WTO hinders affordable access to essential green technologies.
• Ethical foreign policy demands:
  • Patent waivers for climate technologies.
  • Open-source innovation platforms.
  • South-South collaborations are supported by Northern funding.

Conclusion:

Justice, not charity, must guide international climate action. Developed countries, as historical polluters and technological leaders, hold a moral responsibility to ensure climate finance and green technology are accessible to least developed countries (LDCs). Only then can ethical foreign policy move beyond rhetoric and serve global equity in practice.