Najam Interviewed on Rising Tide of Calls for Global Climate Justice

In his recent interviews with DawnNews, Express News, and PTV News, Adil Najam, Dean Emeritus and Professor of International Relations and Earth and Environment at Boston University’s Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, explored the link between climate change and recent climate disasters. 

In his appearances, Najam discussed the horrific floods that have inundated a third of Pakistan and made more than 30 million Pakistanis homeless. In particular, Najam was asked about global climate justice and the rising demand from developing countries for “loss and damage” policies. He points out that it is increasingly evident that the greatest brunt of damage and disasters are being borne by the poorest and most vulnerable countries in the world who have had the least to do with causing climate change, which has been predominantly caused by the current and historical emissions from the United States and Western Europe.

Najam argued that while we are bound to see a rising tide of calls for global climate justice, especially from the most vulnerable developing countries like Pakistan, there is little hope of the advanced industrialized economies accepting their responsibility for “loss and damage.”

“Where in history have we seen the rich pay reparations for the damage they cause to the poor,” Najam has repeatedly asked. He also pointed out that there is little evidence that the citizens of industrialized countries, including those who are otherwise environmentally concerned, will support helping the vulnerable developing countries because their attention has also turned myopic and very inwards. According to Najam, “we are in for some volatile global climate politics and, unfortunately, developing countries are on their own; beyond words and some occasional ‘assistance,’ developing countries are not likely to get reparations either from the governments or from citizens of the industrialized West.

Najam’s DawnNews, Express News, and PTV News interviews can be viewed on their respective YouTube channels.

Adil Najam is a global public policy expert who served as the Inaugural Dean of the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University and was the former Vice-Chancellor of the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS). His research focuses on issues of global public policy, especially those related to global climate change, South Asia, Muslim countries, environment and development, and human development. Read more about Najam on his faculty profile.

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