GD Topic: Carbon Emissions and the Role of Developing Countries

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Updated on Feb 6, 2023 19:11 IST

One of the key sticking points between countries regarding mitigation of carbon emissions, revolves around the role to be played by developing countries. Let us understand this GD topic from different the perspectives. By Aritro Dasgupta

Not long back, climate change was relegated to the back pages and the term was associated with non-profit societies. But that has certainly changed now, with the topic becoming extremely mainstream. It is now recognized the world over as something that could pose a serious existential threat to life on earth. Many effects are already being observed on a daily basis. Problem diagnosis is always the first step on the road to recovery, so it is a positive trend that countries worldwide have at least recognized the problem. However, a common platform to the actual process of recovery has still not been finalized. There have been several summits and subsequent agreements in place, but none that is fully comprehensive.

One of the key sticking points between countries regarding mitigation of carbon emissions, revolves around the role to be played by developing countries. Many of these countries claim, possibly justifiably, that the developed countries have throughout history been the largest polluters, at least on a per capita basis. They further claim, that the western economies that are developed, have primarily done so, on the back of highly exploitative use of natural resources. These practices have caused the major environmental degradation, so these countries must bear the bulk of the responsibility for the recovery. This responsibility covers both financial as well as operational. The developed countries in turn are not full onboard to this idea, and feel that developing countries must also do their fair bit.

In a Group Discussion (GD), a student could take either stand, as long as the arguments are logical, and verifiable through facts and figures. So the MBA aspirant, needs to focus on the topic from a multi-layered perspective. Before diving headlong into this argument, one needs to understand the words developed and developing in the context of nations. These terms are often loosely interpreted and liberally used, without getting into the nuances. A future business manager however, needs to understand the broader context. Developing and developed countries are categorized based on two factors. One of them is the Per Capita Income or the average income per person. The overall size of the GDP matters less, but the average.

Social factors such as freedom of the press, equality of the genders, religious tolerance and strength of the democracy is the other major pillar. Lots of larger economies which do not fulfil these criteria such as Russia, India, Brazil or China do not come under the developed countries’ category. Prosperous economies which lack democracy and do not score very high on human rights factors, also fall short of this category. Thus, it is the countries of Western Europe that dominate the list, plus USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and a few more make up the rest. These countries as a whole, possess a certain lifestyle that calls for serious carbon emissions.

GD Topic: Carbon Emissions and the Role of Developing Countries

Let us understand this GD topic from both the perspectives. One approach is for developed countries to bear the bulk of the responsibility, while the other is about developing countries, putting in their fair share for this cause.

Developed Countries’ Responsibility

The following points are in support of developed countries to do the most:

Since the advent of industrialization around 170 odd years back, it is these countries of western Europe and North America that have burnt maximum fossil fuels, that cause carbon emissions. They have enjoyed a high standard of living as a result, so must do their bit now.
The people in these countries have a certain lifestyle which involves food, transport and clothing choices that are currently highly unsustainable. The amount of meat and dairy consumption for instance, leads to severe methane emissions.
The western countries have also created a narrative that has glorified certain highly wasteful practices. These practices are now being adopted by the rest of the world, even if there is little local relevance, due to the power of western mainstream and now social media.
The visible level of pollution in these developed countries is often low, as the actual polluting practices such as cultivation of water-intensive cash crops and manufacturing of goods, has been largely outsourced over the years to developing countries.
This lifestyle also owes a lot to mining activities, that are often responsible for carbon emissions and land degradation.

Developing Countries’ Fair Contribution

Some points that insist that developing countries must also do their bit are as follows:

The planet is one, so even if developed countries have polluted more, the effects will be faced by all, so one needs to fight this as a unit, not on the basis of domestic politics.
While certain countries have emitted more carbon, that wasn’t exactly intentional, but merely the fact that they stumbled upon industrialization earlier. There wasn’t much knowledge then about the ill-effects of these emissions, so now that there is, we need to act as one.
Some of the larger developing countries like India, Bangladesh and Vietnam are industrializing rapidly and due to their size and population, the total emissions are actually much larger than several western countries.
Some of the worst effects of climate change, brought out due to excessive carbon emissions have already been felt by the developing countries. Floods, landslides, famines and disease outbreaks have been as a direct result of environmental degradation.

Fortunately, several of these countries have already started taking into account environmental factors while planning their own budgets. Many are shifting towards less pollution Electric Vehicles (EVs) and investing heavily on sound public transport systems. Some have also taken baby steps to go back to traditional agriculture, espousing the water-intensive monocrop cultures that have sprung up. Students need to quote direct data from reliable publications and must display clarity in their thought process.

About the Author:

Aritro Dasgupta is a Teacher, Trainer and Content Writer. He has taught at several leading colleges and coaching institutes in both India and the UAE. Several of his students have finished in the top 10 of various national level exams such as CLAT, AILET and DUJAT. He is also a prolific content writer, having written for several leading publications in India, while currently, also working for one in the USA.

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