The United Nations’ upcoming global climate summit may be on the brink of making great strides when it comes to curbing global warming, if two small words are by their side. The words “shall” and “shall” are being debated back and forth, as they could have a huge impact on the treaties and documents set forth during the summit.
The word “shall” has visited a lot of confusion and debate among lawyers and other academics related to this issue, as it is quite ambiguous when it comes to making serious commitments to combat climate change. One the one hand, if the word “shall” is used in the legally binding documents of the summit, it will mean that nations will have to abide by set rules. On the other hand, if the word “shall” is dropped or replaced with “should”, it would not be as intimidating and would not serve as a legal tool when it comes to making nations comply.
The potential risk posed by leaving “shall” out of these documents could be disastrous. Science is already warning us of the approaching danger of global warming and failing to act could have major consequences that are yet unknown. If the global climate summit is to be a success, the nations attending must make real, legally binding commitments when it comes to protecting the environment.
These two little words may not seem like much, but they have definitely hit the nail on the head when it comes to the complex issue of climate change. All eyes will be on the summit and the attendees in the coming months, as we wait to see if even greater advancements can be made in the fight against climate change.
