The UN Conference on climate change, known as COP 21, which starts in Paris on November 29 is supposed to agree a legally binding treaty on limiting emissions of Green-House Gases (GHG). The main GHG is carbon dioxide, CO2. The intention is to limit the average global temperature rise this century to 2oC above pre-industrial levels. This 2oC rise is the threshold beyond which global warming becomes self-sustaining and spirals out of human control. 195 countries are taking part and have all submitted proposals for reductions in their emissions, but proposals qualified with conditions. One of the key conditions, which will be in dispute, is that the core capitalist countries subsidise the developing countries to cut emissions. A minimum annual grant of $100bn has been proposed. However, even if all the proposed cuts are implemented, scientists calculate that 56.7 billion tonnes of additional CO2 will be released into the atmosphere by 2030. The UN International Panel for Climate Change calculates that no more than 10 billion tonnes of additional CO2 can be released by 2030 if the 2oC temperature rise is to be achieved. In other words even on the most optimistic assumptions we will exceed allowable emissions by a factor of more than 5! In addition the US has torpedoed the prospect of a legally binding treaty. Secretary of state, Kerry, announced 3 weeks before the conference opened that:

“There is definitely not going to be a treaty”

This will make any agreement voluntary without any sanction for non-compliance. 25 years of voluntary agreements have achieved precisely nothing. The only legally binding treaty, the Kyoto Protocol, was sabotaged by the US refusing to ratify it, and by Canada withdrawing to develop its highly polluting oil sands, so this too achieved nothing. The Paris meeting is likely to be more hot air, mutual back-slapping and congratulations all round, but in effect agreeing to “carry on polluting as usual.” And it is not only the atmosphere which is being degraded by capitalism it’s the whole planet’s eco-system!

1.25 planet earths required by capitalism

Mankind’s interaction with nature has become so destructive that now we annually consume 25% more of the earth’s renewable resources than nature can replace. This has become so unsustainable that in a few generations the planet may not be able to sustain human life at all! The degradation of forests, desertification, pollution of aquifers, lowering of water tables, decline of soil fertility, destruction of marine habitats, extinction of species, poisoning of pollinators by insecticides, are just a few of the effects of capitalism on the global ecosystem. This destruction is not being reined back it is accelerating. The result of all this is going to spell catastrophe for future generations. Rising sea levels, loss of arable land, collapse of fisheries, famine, mass migration and, of course, war.

What have the future generations *ever done for us?*

Despite all the talk about green capitalism the key issue with energy production is cost and the cheapest energy is still from fossil fuels. Capitalism’s priorities can be seen in the state subsidies given to fossil fuels which dwarf those given to renewables. The Global Commission on Economy and Climate calculate that the direct subsidies given to fossil fuels amounted to $550 bn in 2014. Once the subsidies to consumers are added in the total subsidy is $5.3 trillion, or 6.5% of global GDP, according to the IMF. Direct subsidies for renewable energy amounted to only $101bn in 2014. Further drilling and fracking for oil and gas all over the planet including the Arctic, which the melting of the polar ice has now made possible, is underway. These subsidies are reflected in past increased production. Between 1997 and 2014 coal production increased from 4.5 bn tonnes to 8 bn and oil from 75 million barrels per day to 93 mb/d, increases of 78% and 24% respectively. These subsidies mean more fossil fuels will be burned and more CO2 will pollute the atmosphere and more global warming will occur. Capital has no concern for future generations! Why are we doing the exact opposite of what any rational person would do?

Profit, growth, capital accumulation

Capitalism engages in production to produce profit. This is the primary motive and the satisfaction of human needs is secondary to this. Because of the internal workings of the system there is a need for continual growth. Capitalism must grow or die. Our rulers are not in control of the system, they only respond to its demand for cheap raw materials and any means of keeping monetary costs down and profits up. This is the real reason why 25 years of climate conferences have failed to halt the destruction of the planet. Our rulers measure their success by economic growth rates. Yet it is obvious, to even the stupidest bourgeois, that continual growth is incompatible with finite resources and a finite planet. At present global growth is approximately 3% annually which means the size of the global economy will double every 25 years. This means CO2 emissions will double, and the pressure on the planet’s ecosystems will double! What needs to be faced fair and square is that the forces driving us to ruin are generated by the workings of capitalism itself. They do not arise from stupidity or immorality of the capitalists. The only way to halt the trashing of the planet is to end the capitalist system of production. Yet it is precisely this which the environmental warriors deny. They think the trashing of the planet can be reversed while capitalism remains in place. This is a complete illusion. The environmentalists are fighting the symptoms not the causes of environmental disaster.

A communist planet

The entire system of capitalist production needs to be ended before we can have any hope of reversing the dreadful damage capitalism has inflicted on the planet. The production for profit, and the system of wage labour which supports it, need to be replaced with social production. The productive forces need to become social property and production needs to be for the satisfaction of human needs. The mass of humanity needs to participate in the planning and running of such a society. Such a society will be able to plan for humanity’s future and roll back the ecological disasters inflicted by 250 years of capitalism. The watchword for such a society will be:

“From each according to their ability to each according to their needs.”

We call such a society communism though this has no relation to the state capitalist societies of Russia and China which were falsely called communist. To create a communist planet requires a political assault on capitalism itself which can only succeed if fought for by the global working class. Such a society needs to be fought for now. All attempts to reform capitalism and make our rulers see the error of their ways are a waste of effort. The choice today is engaging in this fight for a communist planet or seeing the ruin of civilisation.

CWO 11/2015

For a more detailed discussion of this issue see leftcom.org