Kukhona impi yangempela eqhubekayo nezikhwama zepulasitiki. Umbiko wakamuva we-World Resources Institute kanye nombiko we-United Nations Environment Programme ubike ukuthi okungenani amazwe angu-127 (kwangu-192 abuyekeziwe) aseshaye imithetho yokulawula izikhwama zepulasitiki. Le mithetho isukela ekuvinjweni okuqondile eMarshall Islands kuye ekuyekisweni ezindaweni ezinjengeMoldova ne-Uzbekistan.
Nokho, naphezu kwemithetho eyengeziwe, ukungcoliswa kwepulasitiki kusaqhubeka kuyinkinga enkulu. Cishe amathani ayizigidi ezingu-8 epulasitiki angena olwandle unyaka ngamunye, alimaza impilo engaphansi kwamanzi kanye nesimiso semvelo futhi agcine esengenile lokudla, okusongela impilo yabantu. Ngokusho , izinhlayiya zepulasitiki zitholakala ngisho nasezindleleni zabantu eYurophu, eRussia naseJapane. Ngokwe-UN, ukungcoliswa kwemithombo yamanzi ngepulasitiki kanye nemikhiqizo yayo kuyingozi enkulu emvelweni.
Izinkampani zikhiqiza izikhwama zepulasitiki ezibalelwa ku-5 trillion ngonyaka. Ngayinye yalezi ingathatha iminyaka engaphezu kweyi-1000 ukubola, futhi ezimbalwa kuphela ezigaywa kabusha.
Esinye sezizathu ezenza ukungcoliswa kwepulasitiki kuqhubeke ukuthi ukulawulwa kokusetshenziswa kwezikhwama zepulasitiki emhlabeni wonke akulingani kakhulu, futhi kunezintuba eziningi zokwephula imithetho emisiwe. Nazi izizathu ezimbalwa zokuthi kungani imithetho yezikhwama zepulasitiki ingasizi ukulwa nokungcoliswa kolwandle ngendlela esingathanda ngayo:
1. Amazwe amaningi ayahluleka ukulawula ipulasitiki kuwo wonke umjikelezo wokuphila kwawo.
Amazwe ambalwa kakhulu alawula yonke impilo yezikhwama zepulasitiki, kusukela ekukhiqizeni, ekusatshalalisweni nasekuhwebeni ukuze zisetshenziswe futhi zilahlwe. Amazwe angama-55 kuphela akhawulela ngokuphelele ukusatshalaliswa kwezikhwama zepulasitiki kanye nemikhawulo yokukhiqiza nokungeniswa kwamanye amazwe. Isibonelo, i-China ivimbela ukungeniswa kwezikhwama zepulasitiki futhi idinga ukuthi abathengisi bakhokhise abathengi ngezikhwama zepulasitiki, kodwa akuvimbeli ngokusobala ukukhiqizwa noma ukuthunyelwa kwezikhwama. I-Ecuador, El Salvador kanye ne-Guyana zilawula kuphela ukulahlwa kwezikhwama zepulasitiki, hhayi ukungenisa kwazo, ukukhiqizwa noma ukusetshenziswa kwazo okudayisa.
2. Amazwe akhetha ukuvinjelwa ingxenye kunokuvinjelwa okuphelele.
Amazwe angama-89 akhethe ukwethula ukuvinjelwa okuyingxenye noma imikhawulo yezikhwama zepulasitiki esikhundleni sokuvinjelwa ngokuphelele. Ukuvinjelwa okuncane kungase kuhlanganise izidingo zobukhulu noma ukwakheka kwamaphakheji. Isibonelo, i-France, i-India, i-Italy, i-Madagascar kanye namanye amazwe awanakho ukuvinjelwa okuqondile kwazo zonke izikhwama zepulasitiki, kodwa avimbela noma akhokhise intela izikhwama zepulasitiki ezingaphansi kwama-microns angu-50.
3. Cishe alikho izwe elivimbela ukukhiqizwa kwezikhwama zepulasitiki.
Imikhawulo yevolumu ingaba enye yezindlela eziphumelela kakhulu zokulawula ukungena kwamapulasitiki emakethe, kodwa futhi iyindlela yokulawula esetshenziswa kancane. Linye kuphela izwe emhlabeni – iCape Verde – elethule umkhawulo ocacile wokukhiqiza. Izwe lethule ukwehla ngamaphesenti ekukhiqizeni izikhwama zepulasitiki, kusukela ku-60% ngo-2015 kuze kufike ku-100% ngo-2016 lapho ukuvalwa ngokuphelele kwezikhwama zepulasitiki kuqala ukusebenza. Kusukela lapho, yizikhwama zepulasitiki ezibolayo nezivundisiwe kuphela ezivunyelwe ezweni.
4. Okuningi okuhlukile.
Emazweni angama-25 anezikhwama zepulasitiki ezivinjelwe, angama-91 akhululiwe, futhi ngokuvamile angaphezu kwelilodwa. Isibonelo, i-Cambodia ikhulula amanani amancane (ngaphansi kuka-100 kg) wezikhwama zepulasitiki ezingezona ezentengiso ekungenisweni kwamanye amazwe. Amazwe ayi-14 ase-Afrika anezinto ezihlukile ezicacile ekuvinjelweni kwawo kwezikhwama zepulasitiki. Okuhlukile kungase kusebenze emisebenzini ethile noma emikhiqizweni. Ukukhululwa okuvame kakhulu kuhlanganisa ukuphatha nokuthuthwa kokudla okonakalayo nokusha, ukuthuthwa kwezinto ezincane ezithengiswayo, ukusetshenziselwa ucwaningo lwesayensi noma lwezokwelapha, nokugcinwa nokulahlwa kukadoti noma imfucuza. Okunye ukukhululwa kungase kuvumele ukusetshenziswa kwezikhwama zepulasitiki ukuze zithunyelwe kwamanye amazwe, izinjongo zokuphepha kazwelonke (izikhwama ezikhumulweni zezindiza kanye nezitolo ezingakhokhiswa intela), noma ukusetshenziswa kwezolimo.
5. Asikho isisusa sokusebenzisa ezinye izindlela ezingasetshenziswa kabusha.
Ohulumeni abavamile ukuhlinzeka ngoxhaso lwezikhwama ezingasetshenziswa kabusha. Futhi azidingi ukusetshenziswa kwezinto ezigaywe kabusha lapho kukhiqizwa izikhwama zepulasitiki noma ezibolayo. Amazwe ayi-16 kuphela anemithethonqubo ephathelene nokusetshenziswa kwezikhwama ezisebenziseka kabusha noma ezinye izindlela ezifana nezikhwama ezenziwe ngezinto ezisekelwe esitshalweni.
Amanye amazwe adlulela ngale kwemithetho ekhona ephishekela izindlela ezintsha nezithokozisayo. Bazama ukususa umthwalo wokungcoliswa kwepulasitiki kubathengi nakohulumeni baye ezinkampanini ezenza upulasitiki. Isibonelo, i-Australia ne-India bamukele izinqubomgomo ezidinga isibopho esinwetshiwe somkhiqizi kanye nendlela yenqubomgomo edinga ukuthi abakhiqizi baphendule ngokuhlanza noma ukuvuselela imikhiqizo yabo.
Izinyathelo ezithathiwe azikanele ukulwa ngempumelelo nokungcoliswa kwepulasitiki. Ukukhiqizwa kwepulasitiki kuye kwaphindeka kabili eminyakeni engu-20 edlule futhi kulindeleke ukuthi kuqhubeke ukukhula, ngakho umhlaba udinga ngokuphuthumayo ukunciphisa ukusetshenziswa kwezikhwama zepulasitiki ezisetshenziswa kanye.