The much awaited two-week international Conference on Climate Change finally opened in the Danish Capital, Copenhagen. About 192 World leaders, environmentalists, population experts and journalists are meeting with the sole aim of reaching an agreement to reverse the ravaging effects of climate change on our planet.

The conference is also intended to supplant the 1997 Kyoto protocol on climate change because targets set at Kyoto run out in three years.

Interestingly, the biggest polluters of the World including the US, China, India and the powerful European Countries like UK, France and Germany, have this time made a strong commitment to massively cut carbon emissions by 2050.

This obviously signals an affirmation to halt the destruction of the only planet we have.  But have we not heard all this before?

We have so soon forgotten about some disagreements involving the signing of the Kyoto agreement where the United States refused to sign but constantly reminded us that China and India have a big role in addressing problems regarding the climate.

Africa, and for that matter Ghana probably do not contribute much to all these climate shenanigans. But funny enough, the biggest polluters seem to set their eyes on Africa and asking the continent to halt practices that affect our climate. 

Climate change is not a common phrase on the lips of most Ghanaians. Majority of Ghanaians interviewed either had very little or no idea about the phenomenon.  

This does not mean that we should sit on the fence since the destructive work of others has equal repercussions on all of us. And refusing to talk about it makes it worse because as they say, evil triumphs when good people refuse to say nothing.

According to one expert, Climate Change is the amalgamation of all the negative effects of daily human activity on the environment.

Indeed, the phenomenon has the potential to slow down or even reverse development gains made in the past as well as retard progress.

There would be extreme weather conditions as temperatures will either increase or decrease unbearably. Increased temperatures will result in intense tropical storms, floods, water scarcity, rising sea levels, food shortages and health crises among others.

The closest effects of Climate Change were recently experienced on our shores. Accra and other parts of the country recently had a taste of the downsides of climate change when floods took over the cities following a downpour. Several people lost their lives and property worth millions of Ghana cedis got damaged.

Furthermore, flooding that frequently occurs and destroys whole settlements and villages in Northern Ghana, around the banks of the white and black Volta cannot be divorced from the effects of Climate Change.

In parts of the world, evidence of the destruction caused by Climate Change is not far fetched.

The tsunamis in Thailand and other parts of Asia, the floods in Britain and the hurricanes in the US are testimonies of how climate can affect livelihoods. 

It is therefore heartwarming to know that world leaders and stakeholders from across the globe are meeting in Copenhagen to deliberate on how best to handle and deal with the issues of Climate Change.

It is however unfair for the big hitters of the environment to call on Africa to cut its greenhouse emissions when they are guilty of all the offence with respect to our climate. More so when Africa is fighting to extricate itself from all economic doldrums.

Besides, a lot of American and Western European industrialists have began relocating their factories to Asia and Africa. Africa is therefore not responsible for greenhouse-gases into the atmosphere.

Indeed Africa is a victim of greenhouse gas emissions from the developed nations.

Climate Change is not only an issue on energy and environment, it is also an issue of Justice and equity and all nations and peoples must be judged according to their specific and peculiar circumstances.

African leaders attending the summit must strike a deal to address the Climate Change menace, bearing in mind that climate Change agreements are more likely to succeed if only they take into account the dynamics that come with population growth.

BY: ABDUL HAYI-MOOMEN, GBC RADIO NEWSROOM