Unveiling the Truth Behind Carbon Imperialism

In a thought-provoking new book, "Carbon Colonialism: How Rich Countries Export Climate Breakdown," authors Audra Mitchell and Laurie Parsons shed light on a pressing issue that has been gaining widespread recognition: carbon colonialism.

Carbon colonialism is a critique of the offsetting of industrial emissions through carbon credits, a practice that sees vast swaths of land in the Global South dedicated to expunging the carbon sins of industry in the Global North. This practice follows the same logic that governed imperial production, with value moving towards the core of an empire and waste remaining, or being actively shipped towards, its edges.

The book's authors argue that carbon colonialism is not a new phenomenon. In 1990, the UK had a 41% domestic carbon emission, which has reduced to 15% when considering what the British, as a society, consume. This reduction, however, has not been without consequence. In 2020, the UK exported almost 700,000 tonnes of plastic waste, six times more than it did in 2002.

The practice of carbon colonialism is not limited to the export of waste. It also refers to the "outsourcing" of carbon emissions into global supply chains by moving dirty industry to the Global South. Across the European Union, a much-lauded 27% reduction in carbon emissions becomes an 11% increase in emissions since 1990 when considering consumption.

The nationally determined contributions agreed at major global summits such as Paris or Glasgow do not set limits on the environmental impact of a society. They set limits on what happens within the borders of a country. This means that while countries may appear to be making strides in reducing their carbon footprint, the true impact of their consumption is often hidden behind fences and high walls in the Global South.

One such example is Sopheap, a woman from Cambodia, who was working on a garbage dump on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, sorting and selling pre-production waste from the global garment industry. Sopheap's work exposes her to heat wave conditions and the environmental impacts of the industry. She is a mother of three children and is working hard to pay off a loan on a small house near the dump.

The authors of "Carbon Colonialism" urge the Global North to take responsibility for its economy and production. Decolonizing climate change means reshaping our vision of a successful response to climate change, not as clean, "green," wealthy nations consuming goods produced in distant zones of discrete responsibility, but as a community of places, intermeshed by globalization.

Parsons urges, "Demanding an end not to one abuse, but many, and taking back control of our economy, our production, our climate." Rejecting carbon colonialism means seeing the scorched detritus of the Phnom Penh garment dump and demanding a light be shone into the dark corners of our global supply chains.

In conclusion, the book "Carbon Colonialism: How Rich Countries Export Climate Breakdown" serves as a powerful call to action, urging readers to question the status quo and to demand a more equitable and sustainable future for all.