Framing Climate Change As An Issue Of Sustainable Development

ARGUMENT:

This essay focuses on the need to frame climate change as an issue of sustainable development, and to elucidate the effects this has on climate governance. Framing climate change as a primarily environmental issue at a global level denies its complexities (Tosam and Mbih 2015: 788). The recognition of sustainable development and climate change as inextricably linked has become accepted as the most successful avenue for climate governance (Kharas and Zhang 2014: 29). This is achieved through the integration of economic, social and environmental issues with the aim of creating sustainable growth to meet current generational needs and protect resources for future generations (Bruntland Report 1987). By framing climate change as an issue

Elaborate on how sustainable development is a superior discourse to recognize the complexities and challenges of climate change.

Paragraph 3-4: Explain why framing climate change as an issue of sustainable development has several positive impacts on the governance of climate change. Sustainable development recognizes the multiplicity of actors affected by and effecting climate change, creating a space for these factors to play a role in governance, particularly policies of mitigation and

They identify negative impacts on human health, political instability and development that reach beyond environmental governance capacities, but they argue these have been amplified by political ineptitude. These authors contend that, to ensure sustainable development, Africa must achieve good governance, it must return to traditional values, and it must prioritise rural development and emancipate women. They conclude therefore that Africa must adopt a holistic approach, addressing climate change within the umbrella of sustainable development. The article’s focus on Africa is both a strength and a limitation. Its strength lies in the use of quantifiable data to demonstrate the effects of climate change on all aspects of society. Because it is a case study, however, the article does not contain an articulated theoretical framework, and does not engage with theoretical debate and key governance issues, such as the North-South divide, as outlined in Grist and Bulkely and Newell (see below). What makes this article useful however is the detailed discussion of how climate change effects are so endemic to society that they cannot be treated as separate from sustainable development or framed simply as an environmental issue. The article is therefore key to my argument that governance of climate change must be achieved using the discourse of sustainable development, with Africa as an important