Roundtable discussion | Macau can do much more in helping to mitigate climate change

Traffic pass residential buildings in Macau

A roundtable discussion held at the University of Saint Joseph (USJ) last week saw presentations from four academics, followed by an open discussion on the merits of the recent COP 21 agreement in Paris and general climate preservation efforts.
The discussion praised the international agreement last year, but added that much more needs to be done, particularly at a local level.
The Convention of the Parties (COP) 21 conference was held in Paris between November 30 and December 12 last year, producing what was heralded as a momentous agreement. The consensus reached puts in place measures to limit the increase of global temperatures above pre-industrial levels (1850) to 2 degrees Celsius.
However, professor David Gonçalves of the USJ clarified that the current efforts are not actually expected to cap the expected growth in temperatures by 2 degrees Celsius as envisioned in the agreement. Despite the efforts of the parties, the general understanding is that global temperatures will rise by 2.7 – 3 degrees by 2100.
Gonçalves largely praised the agreement, particularly the part that pledges USD100 billion annually from 2020, which would assist developing countries in reaching their goals to reduce carbon emissions. “This agreement was not decided on at one meeting,” he said, adding that the negotiations “have a history of over 20 years.”
The discussion prompted scholars and attendees to examine the role that Macau can play in helping to mitigate climate change. Diogo Teixeira, a senior lecturer at the USJ’s architecture program, said that the intervention of mayors and urban planners at a municipal level could be just as effective as international agreements.
Although tackling climate change is not in the mandate of local authorities, they can have a significant effect on reducing emissions, physical waste and energy inefficiency. Additionally, urban planners can make a difference in designing buildings which boost the resilience of cities – particularly those that are vulnerable to extreme weather and climate change.
Teixeira said that Macau needs to be more energy-
efficient and needs a better recycling system. These are issues that can be at least partially addressed by local authorities. The lecturer also made some remarks about Macau’s air and water quality, which he assessed as “similar to that of a developing country.”
“People ask me why I ride a bike in Macau… I don’t know… maybe I will be a martyr,” he joked. Outside the scope of the municipality, however, the scholars agreed that countries must cooperate with the guidance of international agreements if governments are serious about addressing climate change.
In previous years, countries such as China, India and Saudi Arabia, have been especially reluctant to adopt stringent measures to reduce carbon emissions, claiming that the proposals adversely affect developing countries’ ability to industrialize.
For China, total emissions and per capita emissions both increased substantially between 1990 and 2012. The country is now the biggest exporter of total emissions, but still lags behind the U.S., Russia and Canada in per capita emissions.
Liu Jingjing of the Macau Ricci Institute said that Chinese attitudes to climate change are developing, with Xi’s administration taking what she described as a “U-turn” in climate policy.
Historically, she said, “China has given priority to developing the economy rather than saving the planet.”
For example, at the COP meeting in Copenhagen in 2009, Xie Zhenhua, the head of the Chinese climate delegation, said: “China has the right to develop the use of dirty technology just as wealthy nations have done.”
However, China’s participation at COP 21 signified a policy reversal in the world’s  most populous country. Aside from the fact that the recent summit was the first time that China’s Head of State attended the talks, the Chinese delegation also announced the ambitious target of peaking total emissions by around 2030.
In addition, they aim to reduce CO2 emissions per unit of GDP by 60 to 65 percent below 2005 levels by 2030, and intend to increase carbon forest stocks by 4.5 billion cubic meters – an increase that is equivalent to at least two times the geographical size of the UK. Staff reporter

‘special interests’ foil cleaner buses alludes professor

On the sidelines of the COP 21 Roundtable Discussion, assistant professor for Christian studies, Franz Gassner complained that “special interests” prevented Macau from having greener buses. “Why are there not cleaner buses?” Gassner asked, adding that “it makes you wonder about the special interests here in Macau.” Gassner was speaking in relation to the “special interests” that had watered down some aspects of the COP 21 agreement in Paris. “Special interests must be uncovered,” he said. However, a senior lecturer in the USJ’s architecture program, Diogo Teixeira, pointed out the issue of greener buses is also constrained by other factors, like Macau’s physical geography and the legality of alternative transport services.