{"id":5308,"date":"2021-11-06T14:18:45","date_gmt":"2021-11-06T14:18:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/learnblue.org.ng\/journal\/?p=5308"},"modified":"2025-04-16T08:06:54","modified_gmt":"2025-04-16T08:06:54","slug":"the-paris-agreement-a-flawed-step-in-the-right-direction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/learnblue.org.ng\/journal\/climate-action\/2021\/11\/the-paris-agreement-a-flawed-step-in-the-right-direction\/","title":{"rendered":"The Paris Agreement: A Flawed Step in the Right Direction"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXepYaQ31hm_401p1XR8Mogd6fp1Zh0e5nOR-tFn7KikvsV7APDMQBEXRZyiTf3Dl-BjBdALffzNyMFPkYTY8rMAvyatEciKH-osMRsS6FpfF77IgqqeLdPfcT5wSXe4vx2niO1gbtjztirFvZtUhfsqhJE?key=COvZmdtlQ0a_KIfO3efd4d0G\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/blog\/2015\/12\/un-chief-hails-new-climate-change-agreement-as-monumental-triumph\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">United Nations<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>On 12th December, 2015, nearly 200 countries united to adopt a universal, legally binding international treaty on climate change. This was the <a href=\"https:\/\/unfccc.int\/process-and-meetings\/the-paris-agreement\/the-paris-agreement\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Paris Agreement<\/a>, which entered into force on 4th November, 2016. It lays out a global framework to limit global warming to 1.5\u00b0C and aims to strengthen countries\u2019 ability to handle the impacts of climate change responsibly and support them in their endeavours. Cutting greenhouse gas emissions is an absolute necessity to avoid the devastation brought about by climate change, and the agreement sets out to do just that.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Paris Agreement is carried out via <a href=\"https:\/\/unfccc.int\/process-and-meetings\/the-paris-agreement\/the-paris-agreement\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a five-year cycle of ambitious climate action based on the best available science and technology of the countries participating<\/a>. The countries\u2019 efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emission are referred to as \u2018NDCs\u2019, or \u2018Nationally Determined Contributions\u2019. With the recent efforts to combat climate change, it is relevant to discuss the Paris Agreement and its role.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What Agreements Have Governments Made?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Reducing Emissions\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/clima\/eu-action\/international-action-climate-change\/climate-negotiations\/paris-agreement_en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Governments have aimed to limit the overall temperature increase<\/a> to 1.5\u00b0C, thereby reducing the impact of climate change<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They have agreed to rapidly reduce emissions through the use of the latest science and technology to achieve a balance between emissions and removals of greenhouse gases in the second half of the century<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Transparency\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Governments have agreed to converse every five years to observe and assess the current progress being made towards the proposed long-term goals and update and enhance their NDCs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They will also track their progress through a transparency and accountability system<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Adaptation\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Governments will attempt to strengthen their societies\u2019 ability to deal with the impacts of climate change through continued international aid for adaptation for developing countries<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Loss and Damage\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Governments will acknowledge the necessity of minimising and addressing loss and damage caused by climate change<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Early warning systems will be put into play<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Role of Cities, Regions, and Local Authorities\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Governments will increase their efforts and actions to minimize emissions while building resilience against climate change<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They will promote regional and international cooperation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Support\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The European Union (EU) and other developed countries will continue to support climate action to reduce emissions and build resilience to climate change impacts in developing countries.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Other countries are encouraged to provide or continue to provide such support voluntarily.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Developed countries intend to continue their existing <a href=\"https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/clima\/eu-action\/international-action-climate-change\/international-climate-finance_en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">collective goal<\/a> to mobilise USD 100 billion per year by 2020 and extend this until 2025.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Why Did The United States Initially Withdraw?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXcUUJ92kpOSFqJANksT6lwnFuj75S7a4XqgnoOFis7nlloNwQNS3UYn-Y1qhIH9MRDjJoJKVx2abDp5Spkw8LgKXqZbNE_ipzPE1h2LQ3bXjBgY_pxRyFNrnghEAuJGw_3omNkrsfodi63vwwxGv_gKxw?key=COvZmdtlQ0a_KIfO3efd4d0G\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/science-environment-54797743\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BBC<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>According to former U.S. President Donald Trump, &#8220;<em>The bottom line is that the Paris accord is very unfair at the highest level to the United States<\/em>&#8220;. He stated that the implementation of the Paris agreement would <a href=\"https:\/\/www.post-gazette.com\/news\/politics-nation\/2017\/06\/01\/I-was-elected-to-represent-the-citizens-of-Pittsburgh-not-Paris-Trump-to-pull-U-S-out-of-Paris-climate-agreement\/stories\/201706010198\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cost the United States $3 trillion in lost GDP and 6.5 million jobs<\/a>. &#8220;<em>It would undermine our economy, hamstring our workers, and effectively decapitate our coal industry<\/em>&#8220;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The withdrawal from the Paris agreement would have resulted in a reduction in financial aid to the Green Climate fund &#8211; the loss of $3 billion U.S. funding would have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S1674927817300849?via%3Dihub\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">severely impacted climate change research<\/a> and hindered progress being made to achieve the agreement\u2019s goals, while also affecting the carbon emission price. However, upon current U.S. President Joe Biden\u2019s presidency, the United States formally rejoined on February 19th, 2021.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Donald Trump\u2019s dismissal of the Paris Agreement angered several parties. He argued that targeting the world\u2019s biggest contributors to pollution \u2014 developed countries, essentially, put too much pressure on the U.S. He also disagreed with the notion of using punishments rather than incentives to inspire climate action.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While his speeches revolving around his dismissal of the agreement may have been riddled with fallacies, the Paris Agreement does have its fair share of issues. It would not necessarily protect all countries from the strong impacts of climate change, since the climate targets do not go far enough to protect the people living there, for example, <a href=\"https:\/\/reliefweb.int\/report\/chad\/sahel-midst-climate-change\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the Sahel region of Africa<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Furthermore, the previously mentioned \u2018NDCs\u2019 of the parties to keep atmospheric temperature below 3\u00b0C will not necessarily achieve the 1.5\u00b0C \u201ccomfort zone\u201d.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The fossil fuel industry will most certainly take quite a hit with the gradual phasing out of fossil fuels. However, the Paris Agreement is not the sole cause for this &#8211;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/dominicdudley\/2019\/05\/29\/renewable-energy-costs-tumble\/?sh=9109df7e8cea\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> the price of renewable energy has fallen much lower than the price of fossil fuels<\/a>, thereby incentivising producers to invest in renewable energy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Why is the Paris Agreement Important for COP26?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXfy93hKDLu1A-PhaHxtTa89wviKacwuJXZRCzu85g92QqApJ9L20y5x0R5IHs4dPDLAGePXEtvRUjpB8u_6OVp7JFVcyTt0Fpdtkkr89_f6vNyQZvLnJ2PNb8Q-_tjBa9oyLeeuoojPoT1NyZc6aHePOFc?key=COvZmdtlQ0a_KIfO3efd4d0G\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/cop\/wrapup-politicians-exit-cop26-130tn-worth-financiers-take-stage-2021-11-03\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Reuters<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>During the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP26 for short, key discussions about countries\u2019 NDCs will be discussed \u2014 when the agreement was signed in 2015, governments voiced out that the targets that they had set for the atmospheric temperature would not limit global warming to 1.5\u00b0C, and hence agreed to update them in 2021 in Glasgow.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is a massive issue that needs to be resolved at the COP26 \u2014 in 2009, the world\u2019s richest countries agreed to provide $100bn by 2020 in order to assist developing nations with the effects of climate change. However, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/science-environment-35073297\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">by 2019, only $79.6bn was raised<\/a> \u2014 and a more ambitious target is supposed to be set for 2025. The poorest countries are demanding action.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Paris Agreement and COP26 promote immediate climate action to combat the horrors of climate change. However, ever since the conception of the Paris Agreement in 2015, brand new low-carbon solutions have been created, and several countries have established carbon neutrality targets. This trend is rather evident in the power and transport sectors through the creation of new business opportunities for early movers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By 2030, zero-carbon solutions could be competitive in sectors representing <a href=\"https:\/\/unfccc.int\/process-and-meetings\/the-paris-agreement\/the-paris-agreement\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">over 70% of global emissions<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While the agreement signals hope for a brighter future, it isn\u2019t all perfect, and hopefully light is shed on its flaws during COP26 this year. As mentioned earlier, the world\u2019s richest countries did not meet the economic target, and argued that economic reality is likely to change in the near future, meaning the financial commitment that was made is weak. Additionally, these countries are not exactly obligated to honor their commitments, and there is no roadmap to track the same.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Developing economies which are still contributing a lot to the overall pollution will be encouraged to support the world in the battle for the reduction of climate change, but how can they do so without the guidance on how and when they should participate? This battle is bound to be cyclic, and it surely will not be pretty.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Paris Agreement is a landmark international treaty aimed at limiting global warming to 1.5\u00b0C.\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":5535,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"csco_singular_sidebar":"","csco_page_header_type":"","csco_appearance_masonry":"","csco_page_load_nextpost":"","csco_post_video_location":[],"csco_post_video_location_hash":"","csco_post_video_url":"","csco_post_video_bg_start_time":0,"csco_post_video_bg_end_time":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[59,61,64,77,85,80],"tags":[55,91],"class_list":{"0":"post-5308","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-climate-action","8":"category-climate-crisis","9":"category-cops","10":"category-global-goals","11":"category-policy-advocacy","12":"category-politics","13":"tag-climate-change","14":"tag-climate-policy","15":"cs-entry","16":"cs-video-wrap"},"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/learnblue.org.ng\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5308","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/learnblue.org.ng\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/learnblue.org.ng\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learnblue.org.ng\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learnblue.org.ng\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5308"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/learnblue.org.ng\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5308\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5356,"href":"https:\/\/learnblue.org.ng\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5308\/revisions\/5356"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learnblue.org.ng\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5535"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/learnblue.org.ng\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5308"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learnblue.org.ng\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5308"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learnblue.org.ng\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5308"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}