Environmental Protection In The Era Of Globalisation “A Quest For Global Consensus”

Environment is the gift of nature which nourishes the mankind. It is the medium in which the human beings are brought up. With the advancement of scientific and technological development over the centuries, the pace of Globalization has expedited like never before. Globalization has resulted in the consistent interaction between the countries, the countries have come closer to each other. The Globalization has transformed the countries all over the world into a “Global Village”. Globalization touches every aspect of the world community, be it social, political, economic, cultural and more importantly environmental aspect as well. Globalization is a necessary evil, involves various processes which are considered as hazardous for the environment. Since we all breathe the same air and we all inhibit same environment, our responsibilities to protect the environment should also be common. Globalization demands a global consensus to tackle environmental problems. The first decade of the 21st century has seen the dramatic change in terms of the efforts and steps taken by the global community in dealing with the environmental problem. Various international Summits and Conferences have been organised time and again all across the globe to protect and preserve the environment from the negative aspect of Globalization. A careful examination of these international Summits and Conferences held over the decades show that the outcome has been meaningless and it is very difficult for the countries to reach an agreement on tackling by far the most challenging problem that world faces today. Kyoto protocol (1997) is considered to be the landmark initiative so far as protecting of environment at global level is concerned. However in the year 2012, Kyoto protocol expired. The United Nations framework convention on climate change (UNFCCC)  in the year 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 saw a great divide between the developed countries and developing countries. The matter got escalated even to the extent of countries like New Zealand, Canada is withdrawing from the international commitment and obligation imposed by the Kyoto protocol. These unfortunate events have severely hit the process of protecting the environment in the era of Globalization. Whether the countries can manage to overcome their deep divisions and differences is a million dollar question. As of now, the approach and attitude of all countries over the world in relation to environment protection, is slow and painful. The principle obstacle between poor and rich countries need to be removed that too very swiftly and if the differences and issues are not resolved, what we may witness very soon is the disastrous impact of the environmental tsunami in the form of severe Global warming, ozone depletion, environmental pollution, desertification and degradation of ecosystem and biodiversity. All the countries over the world are in quest of “global consensus”, which is the long cherished dream so far as tackling environmental problems at the global level are concerned. In the light of this theme, the paper analyses and examines the various aspects of environmental protection in the era of Globalization.