The Paris Agreement on climate change is one of the most significant global agreements of our time. It was adopted by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in December 2015, with the aim of limiting global temperature increase to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels.
Since then, the Paris Agreement has been ratified by 189 countries, including the United States, China, and India. Each country has submitted its own nationally determined contribution (NDC) outlining its commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change.
So, how is the Paris Agreement performing? Is it making a difference in the fight against climate change?
On the positive side, some progress has been made since the agreement was adopted. For example, renewable energy has become more affordable and accessible, and there has been a significant increase in the number of countries adopting carbon pricing mechanisms.
However, according to the latest report by the UNFCCC, the current NDC commitments are not enough to limit global temperature increase to 2°C, let alone to the more ambitious target of 1.5°C. The report states that emissions need to be reduced by at least 7.6% per year between 2020 and 2030 to reach the 1.5°C target.
Furthermore, the United States, which is one of the world`s largest emitters of greenhouse gases, has withdrawn from the Paris Agreement under the Trump administration. Although President-elect Biden has promised to rejoin the agreement, the four years of inaction and rollbacks have had a negative impact on global efforts to combat climate change.
Another issue is that the Paris Agreement is a voluntary agreement, meaning that countries are not legally bound to meet their NDC commitments. This has led to some countries setting inadequate targets or not implementing them effectively.
Overall, while the Paris Agreement is a crucial step in the right direction, there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure that it meets its goals. It is important for countries to step up their climate ambitions and for the international community to hold them accountable for their commitments. Only then can we hope to limit the worst impacts of climate change and ensure a sustainable future for our planet.