Band 8.5–9.0 model essay
310 wordsAccording to some, environmental challenges ought to be addressed by an international body rather than by individual national governments. In my view, while global coordination is essential for issues that transcend borders, national governments should retain primary responsibility for implementation within their own territories.
To begin, a global organisation would be well positioned to tackle environmental problems that no single country can resolve alone, such as ocean pollution or climate change caused by cumulative global emissions. To clarify, since greenhouse gases disperse across borders regardless of their country of origin, unilateral action by one nation often proves insufficient if neighbouring countries continue unrestricted industrial activity. A centralised body could establish binding international targets and monitor compliance, ensuring that every country contributes proportionally rather than allowing free riders to benefit from others' sacrifices while continuing to pollute unchecked. Such coordination would also make it easier to share funding and technology with poorer nations that lack the resources to act alone, thereby narrowing the gap between wealthy and developing economies.
Nevertheless, national governments should retain authority over how environmental policies are enforced domestically. This is attributable to the fact that governments possess a far more accurate understanding of their own country's economic capacity, industrial structure and cultural context than a distant international body could. For instance, a rigid global mandate might impose emissions targets ill-suited to a developing nation still reliant on industrialisation for poverty reduction, whereas a national government can calibrate policy to balance environmental protection with economic necessity. Consequently, an overly centralised approach risks generating resentment and non-compliance rather than genuine cooperation among member states, undermining the very goals it was designed to achieve.
To conclude, although I agree that a global organisation should coordinate efforts on transnational environmental issues, I believe implementation and enforcement should remain the responsibility of individual national governments, who best understand their own domestic circumstances.
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