Hindi English Translation || Editorial || A necessary signal: On COP27 U.N. Climate meeting

A necessary signal: On COP27 U.N. Climate meeting

COP27 must make it clear (स्पष्ट करना, व्याख्या करना) that securing (सुरक्षित करना, रक्षा करना) the world’s future gets costlier with lost time

The 27th session of the Conference of Parties (COP) is underway (प्रक्रिया में, क्रम में) at Egypt’s sea-side city of Sharm el-Sheikh where, over two weeks, heads of government, diplomats (राजनयिक, दूत), business heads, activists (कार्यकर्ता), journalists, and lobbyists (a person who who attempts to convince law makers of the government to enact laws for his/her group) will converge. The attempt is to inch ahead on a global rehaul (सुधार, मरम्मत, पुनर्गठन) of energy consumption to improve earth’s chances against catastrophic (विनाशकारी, आपत्तिजनक, अनर्थकारी) climate change (जलवायु परिवर्तन). While every COP ends with a hard-bargain (uncompromising, determined, resolute, steadfast, decided) document, the essential principle remains constant: how to ensure that all countries contribute to paying for what it takes to avoid the consequences (परिणाम, प्रभाव) of global warming (it is the unusually rapid increase in Earth’s average surface temperature over the past century primarily due to the greenhouse gases released as people burn fossil fuels) without compromising (समझौता करना, संकट में डालना, समाधान करना) on economic development (विकास, वृद्धि, प्रगति), while accounting for their historical responsibility (ऐतिहासिक जिम्मेदारी) in exacerbating the crisis. There are several countries, especially island nations, that stand to lose the most from global warming without having a role in causing it. Given (दिया गया, विचार करना) that COP agreements are non-binding (गैर बाध्यकारी, निष्क्रिय, अमान्य) on the signatory (the person who signed an official document/agreement) member-states, and volte-faces (U-turn, about-face, turnaround, turnround, turnabout, backtracking, rowback) not unusual — such as the United States unilaterally (used to indicate something done by a person/country without approval/agreement from other people/countries involved in the situation) exiting the agreement only to join again — these meetings also serve (act as, function as) as a forum for public posturing (position, approach, attitude, standpoint, view). Countries announce their commitment to lofty (tall, high, imposing, magnificent) environmental goals but do little to execute the often-stringent (strict, severe, extreme, rigorous) measures that these entail (require, demand, call for, be grounds for, warrant, involve) because they potentially (possibly, conceivably, arguably, maybe) involve political blowback (unexpected (bad & harmful) outcomes; negative consequences/results/reactions of an action or decision (particularly, of a political action)). However, COPs do serve as an effective nudge (push, prod, encouragement, reminder). Even a decade (a period of ten years) ago, the link between global warming and climate change had sizeable critics (analyst, observer, commentator); now, no country challenges fundamental science. A fossil fuel-free future is the direction that the world is moving towards.

It is thus appropriate that COP27 is viewed as the so-called (claimed, professed, purported, ostensible, apparent, reported) ‘implementation (imposition, enforcement, execution) CoP’, to borrow a term from Sameh Shoukry, Egyptian Foreign Minister and President, COP27. Shifting from fossil fuels to renewable sources is expensive and the large developing countries (India, China, Brazil, South Africa) while committing to a carbon-free future also underline (emphasize, draw attention on, highlight, underscore) their right to rely on (depend on; resort to, have recourse to) fossil fuels in the interim (meanwhile, in the meantime, in the intervening period). While there is agreement that developed countries foot the bill (pay, pay out, settle up (the bill when amount is considered large or unreasonable)), the bulk (most, larger part, larger number) of the wrangling (long dispute, argument, quarrel) is over determining how the bill is paid. The ‘implementation COP’, India has said, must set out (arrange, display, present, put out) a transparent (obvious, apparent, blatant, flagrant, visible, noticeable) payment system and spell out (explain, make clear, elucidate/clarify) how countries already reeling under climate disasters can be compensated (make amends, make restitution, make reparation, make recompense). This will also mean greater transparency (clarity, straightforwardness, openness, honesty, unambiguity) from recipient (beneficiary, inheritor, receiver) nations on how these investments measurably (appreciably, noticeably, significantly, visibly) improve a transition (change, transformation) away from polluting sources. Unlike Glasgow 2021, when ‘net zero’ or commitments to be carbon neutral were the flavour (aspect, tone, element, tenor, essence; quality, feeling, ambience) of the season, implementation COPs are unlikely (doubtful, implausible, improbable, questionable) to result in (cause, bring on, bring about) ambitious breakthroughs (very important/significant development or progress). Often, however, it is the unspoken (unstated, unexpressed, voiceless) and the subterranean (secret, concealed, hidden) that get the job done (to complete/fulfil one’s task, to do what is needed to do). COP27 must send the message, loud and clear (very clear; in a way that is easy to understand), that be it war or peace, poverty or plenty, securing the world’s future comes at a price that only gets costlier every passing day.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.necessary (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अनिवार्य, ज़रूरी
English Meaning - obligatory, required, mandatory, compulsory.

2.make clear (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - स्पष्ट करना, व्याख्या करना
English Meaning - explain, clarify, elucidate.

3.secure (verb)

Hindi Meaning - सुरक्षित करना, रक्षा करना
English Meaning - protect, make safe, shield, guard.

4.underway (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - प्रक्रिया में, क्रम में
English Meaning - in progress, under way, going on, continuing, happening, occurring, taking place.

5.diplomat (noun)

Hindi Meaning - राजनयिक, दूत
English Meaning - ambassador, envoy, consul, emissary.

6.activist (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कार्यकर्ता
English Meaning - a person who supports a political change or cause; (or societal change/cause).

7.rehaul (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सुधार, मरम्मत, पुनर्गठन
English Meaning - overhaul, reorganization, improvement, restructuring, rearrangement, reexamination .

8.catastrophic (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - विनाशकारी, आपत्तिजनक, अनर्थकारी
English Meaning - destructive, ruinous, disastrous, devastating.

9.climate change (noun)

Hindi Meaning - जलवायु परिवर्तन
English Meaning - a long-term change in the Earth’s climate, or of a region on Earth (Courtesy: NASA).

10.consequence (noun)

Hindi Meaning - परिणाम, प्रभाव
English Meaning - outcome, ramification, repercussion.

11.compromise (verb)

Hindi Meaning - समझौता करना, संकट में डालना, समाधान करना
English Meaning - weaken, impair, undermine.

12.development (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विकास, वृद्धि, प्रगति
English Meaning - growth, progress.

13.historical responsibility (noun)

Hindi Meaning - ऐतिहासिक जिम्मेदारी
English Meaning - The responsibility of countries measured in terms of their share of historical global emissions remains one of the essential parameters. Rich countries, including the United States, Canada, Japan and much of western Europe, account for just 12 percent of the global population today but are responsible for 50 percent of all the planet-warming greenhouse gases released from fossil fuels and industry over the past 170 years.

14.given (preposition)

Hindi Meaning - दिया गया, विचार करना
English Meaning - considering, taking into account, bearing in mind.

15.non-binding (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - गैर बाध्यकारी, निष्क्रिय, अमान्य
English Meaning - not legally binding (compulsory, obligatory, necessary); inoperative, invalid.

16.27th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP27) (noun)

English Meaning - The 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP27) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is being held from 6 November until 18 November 2022 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. The participants include representatives of the 195 member-countries of the UN-COP, business persons, scientists, and members of indigenous and local communities and activists.

17.lobbyist (noun)

English Meaning - a person who who attempts to convince law makers of the government to enact laws for his/her group.

18.converge (verb)

English Meaning - meet, join, come together, connect.

19.inch ahead (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - move ahead very slowly and gradually.

20.hard-bargain (adjective)

English Meaning - uncompromising, determined, resolute, steadfast, decided.

21.global warming (noun)

English Meaning - it is the unusually rapid increase in Earth’s average surface temperature over the past century primarily due to the greenhouse gases released as people burn fossil fuels.

22.account for (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - justify attribute, rationalize, defend; clarify, elucidate, explain.

23.historical (adjective)

English Meaning - of past events.

24.exacerbate (verb)

English Meaning - aggravate, worsen, make worse, intensify, heighten, increase.

25.stand to (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - be in a position, be ready.

26.signatory (noun)

English Meaning - the person who signed an official document/agreement.

27.volte-face (noun)

English Meaning - U-turn, about-face, turnaround, turnround, turnabout, backtracking, rowback.

28.unilaterally (adverb)

English Meaning - used to indicate something done by a person/country without approval/agreement from other people/countries involved in the situation.

29.serve (verb)

English Meaning - act as, function as.

30.posture (noun)

English Meaning - position, approach, attitude, standpoint, view.

31.lofty (adjective)

English Meaning - tall, high, imposing, magnificent.

32.stringent (adjective)

English Meaning - strict, severe, extreme, rigorous.

33.entail (verb)

English Meaning - require, demand, call for, be grounds for, warrant, involve.

34.potentially (adverb)

English Meaning - possibly, conceivably, arguably, maybe.

35.blowback (noun)

English Meaning - unexpected (bad & harmful) outcomes; negative consequences/results/reactions of an action or decision (particularly, of a political action).

36.nudge (noun)

English Meaning - push, prod, encouragement, reminder.

37.decade (noun)

English Meaning - a period of ten years.

38.sizeable (adjective)

English Meaning - considerable, substantial, large, significant.

39.critic (noun)

English Meaning - analyst, observer, commentator.

40.fossil fuel (noun)

English Meaning - non renewable resources (or fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas are formed from the buried/deposited organic materials).

41.move forward (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - make progress, proceed, advance, improve.

42.so-called (adjective)

English Meaning - claimed, professed, purported, ostensible, apparent, reported.

43.implementation (noun)

English Meaning - imposition, enforcement, execution.

44.renewable energy (noun)

English Meaning - clean energy, green energy; energy generated from natural resources (such as water, wind & solar energy).

45.underline (verb)

English Meaning - emphasize, draw attention on, highlight, underscore.

46.rely on (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - depend on; resort to, have recourse to.

47.in the interim (phrase)

English Meaning - meanwhile, in the meantime, in the intervening period.

48.foot the bill (phrase)

English Meaning - pay, pay out, settle up (the bill when amount is considered large or unreasonable).

49.bulk (of) (noun)

English Meaning - most, larger part, larger number.

50.wrangling (noun)

English Meaning - long dispute, argument, quarrel.

51.set out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - arrange, display, present, put out.

52.transparent (adjective)

English Meaning - obvious, apparent, blatant, flagrant, visible, noticeable.

53.spell out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - explain, make clear, elucidate/clarify.

54.reel under (phrase)

English Meaning - to suffer (due to a burden).

55.compensate (verb)

English Meaning - make amends, make restitution, make reparation, make recompense.

56.transparency (noun)

English Meaning - clarity, straightforwardness, openness, honesty, unambiguity.

57.recipient (noun)

English Meaning - beneficiary, inheritor, receiver.

58.measurably (adverb)

English Meaning - appreciably, noticeably, significantly, visibly.

59.transition (noun)

English Meaning - change, transformation.

60.net zero emissions/carbon neutrality (noun)

English Meaning - it means annual zero net CO2 emissions; Carbon neutrality means every ton of anthropogenic (human-caused or influenced) CO2 emitted is compensated with an equivalent amount of CO2 removed (e.g. via carbon sink or carbon sequestration).

61.flavour (noun)

English Meaning - aspect, tone, element, tenor, essence; quality, feeling, ambience.

62.unlikely (adjective)

English Meaning - doubtful, implausible, improbable, questionable.

63.result in (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - cause, bring on, bring about.

64.ambitious (adjective)

English Meaning - formidable, difficult, challenging, demanding.

65.breakthrough (noun)

English Meaning - very important/significant development or progress.

66.unspoken (adjective)

English Meaning - unstated, unexpressed, voiceless.