Role play, Model UN - 100% Carbon Neutrality by 2050 and deviations, national arguments...

On 13 April 2024, for the Alliance School of Business, Bangalore, India BBA sem 6 subject of Green Energy and Sustainability, a role play of a Model UN General Assembly meeting was done by the students in the class. 

The Master Plan to reach global Carbon Neutrality by 2050 AD (Source IEA, '21)

The role lay consisted of 5 top global polluters China, US, India, Germany and UK stating their national govt stand on the 2015 Paris Treaty on the floor of the UN General Assembly.  The main agenda was countries presenting national arguments in attaining 100% Carbon Neutrality by 2050 and deviations.

The commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 is a global mission that requires the collective efforts of countries, cities, financial institutions, companies, and individuals. The European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the incoming United States administration, and over 110 countries have committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 except China and India. As per the Paris 2015 treaty, all global nations have promised to the UN General Assembly 100% Carbon Neutrality by 2050 AD, China by 2060 AD and India by 2070 AD.

The reasoning given by China and India to extend the dates for 100% Carbon neutrality is that the developed western nations have polluted planet earth for the last couple of centuries and is now asking all countries to exercise restraint by controlling their Carbon emissions. China and India feels it is very unethical and wants time to take their people to developed nation status (in the process resulting in some unavoidable Carbon emissions till 2060 and 2070 AD respectively for China and India).

A document (click here) was shared with the students that detailed the steps taken by these top 5 polluting nations to reach their goals of Carbon neutrality as a guiding document. The students were motivated to do some extra reading in the class with their partners to understand in detail the different steps taken by the individual countries to achieve Carbon neutrality. 

The team members had to come to the front of the class and explain in some detail, details regarding their actions to achieve Carbon neutrality. For some of the students, who had attended Model UN sessions earlier, the concept was not difficult to understand. Two of the students were thus ready to help the other students with ideas and steps on how to progress to make the brief presentation to the UN General Assembly.

It was a good learning experience for everyone.. 👍👍🙂