Climate Change / COP28 — UPSC Mains Model Answer

CBDR-RC was first articulated in the Rio Declaration of 1992 and the UNFCCC, recognising that industrialised nations bear greater historical responsibility for cumulative emissions. It was subsequently reaffirmed in the Paris Agreement, which qualifies it with the phrase 'in the light of different national circumstances,' subtly shifting emphasis toward current capabilities alongside historical responsibility.

For developing countries, CBDR-RC is not merely procedural but existential — it protects their right to development while acknowledging limited fiscal and technological capacity for mitigation. It underpins demands for climate finance, technology transfer, and capacity-building commitments from developed nations.

At COP28, the Global Stocktake (GST) text became a flashpoint. Developed countries sought language that would hold all major emitters — including large developing economies — to comparable mitigation standards, effectively diluting CBDR-RC. Developing country coalitions resisted wholesale removal, resulting in compromise language that retained differentiation while acknowledging evolving responsibilities.

Assigning primary mitigation responsibility to developing countries on the basis of current emission volumes misrepresents CBDR-RC. The principle explicitly accounts for cumulative historical emissions and per-capita equity, not merely present-day aggregate figures.