“NATIONAL OR GLOBAL INTEREST:” REAPPRAISAL OF EARTH’S SUMMIT AND FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Abstract

Climate change has become one of the greatest challenges to humankind, nations, and a highly debated issue in international relations as environmental protection and development give prime concern and attention. The earth summit signified a relevant landmark in awakening the world to the need for a development process to secure the present and future generations. The important aggregates of natural, physical, biological, psychological and cultural environment as a factor influencing the behavioural condition and structure of living things, including human beings are inescapable from the effects of climate change. On that note, this paper examines national or collective world interest towards the fight against the menace of climate change in relationship to the conceptual explication and understanding of climate change, theoretical framework, earth summit and its programmes against climate change vis a vis environment, the relevance of earth summit in the fight against climate change, and obstacles to the fight against climate change. By the historical method and analysis of secondary data, this paper argues that climate change is a transnational problem that is beyond any single state and its effective solution farfetched due to national interest of states and collective interest of the world. The paper finds that fight against climate change requires the cooperative action and concerted efforts of the peoples of the globe. However, the paper concludes that the international environmental politics forestalled the achievement of the genuine action statement of earth summit towards the fight against climate change. The paper recommends among other things, the cooperation between the North and South over debate on climate change challenges.