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5-minute summary of the Paris Climate Agreement

For several decades, scientists, activists, politicians, and educators have been warning of the dangers caused by global warming. Until recently, this problem was not taken seriously and was beyond the realm of concern of most people. Yet as reports of rising sea levels, rapid air quality degradation, and an exponential increase in natural disasters continue to rise, the world is finally catching on. On November 4, 2016, the Paris Climate Agreement came into force with the support of 195 countries. This is the world’s first comprehensive climate agreement and its main objective is to keep the global average temperature rise below 2 ° C above pre-industrial levels.

Why is this so important?

Our Mother Earth is being destroyed and she needs all the help she can to defend herself. The vast majority of the scientific community has agreed that if we cannot stop global warming at 2 ° C above pre-industrial levels, life as we know it will cease to exist during our lifetime. Many reports claim that we have between 6 and 20 years before global warming becomes irreversible, but the general consensus is about 12 years. We have already lost countless species of wildlife due to global warming and we see many more populations declining every day. Every year since 2008, an average of 24 million people are displaced by climate-related disasters worldwide.

What does the Paris Agreement cover?

Since there are so many variables in the fight against climate change, as well as the differences in each nation’s emissions, renewable energy use and economic capabilities, the Paris Agreement is indeterminate in duration. This means that each country sets its own goals known as Nationally Determined Contributions or NDCs. These NDCs only require that they be ambitious to meet the overall goal, that they be reported every 5 years, and that each one is more ambitious than the last. Countries can group their NDCs as some of them have already done. There are no binding consequences, such as sanctions or tariffs, for those who do not achieve their goals. So far, only a handful of countries have made significant progress toward their goals.

What has been done so far?

So far, only two countries have made commitments large enough to prevent global warming up to the preferred 1.5 ° C rise: Morocco and The Gambia. Morocco has commissioned the world’s largest concentrated solar panel plant, reduced government subsidies for non-renewable fossil fuels, and dramatically increased its imports of natural gas. They hope to get 40% of their energy from renewables over the next year. The Gambia is a developing country in Africa that has a massive reforestation project in the works and is only responsible for a negligible amount of carbon emissions today.

While the minimum target of a global temperature rise of 2 ° C is the target of the Paris Agreement, only five other countries are meeting that target: India, Costa Rica, the Philippines, Ethiopia and Bhutan. India, which is currently one of the worst polluters in the world, expects to generate 40% of its energy from renewable resources as soon as this year. They have done this by refusing to open new coal plants, installing major solar farms and promoting electric vehicles. Costa Rica has been generating almost all of its energy from renewable energy resources for years. While Bhutan’s total land mass is currently 60% covered by forests, it is also known as one of the most biodiverse areas in the world and is praised for its conservation efforts.

2 big changes that need to be made

1) The world’s biggest polluters must make radical and fundamental changes to their society and infrastructure. This list includes the United States, China, Germany, Russia, Japan, and the European Union. They must say no to any new nuclear or coal power plant, provide financing for renewable energy resources, and increase energy efficiency. At a minimum, they must follow the 20/20/20 policy which states that they reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20%, increase renewable energy use by 20%, and increase energy efficiency by 20%. If this goal is not met in the next 5 to 10 years, it will be too late.

2) We must modernize our global aviation and transportation infrastructure. This includes shipping more international shipments by cargo rather than by air, increasing the efficiency of aviation equipment, and maximizing the number of trips made by flying only full loads. Although some electric aircraft are already being designed and tested, they are not expected to be used commercially until 2030 at the earliest.