What Is the Paris Agreement?
by Stephanie Ho Lem, CHCA Director of Living Green
In Paris in 2015, nearly 200 countries agreed to a series of measures to tackle climate change. This became known as the Paris Agreement and came into force on November 4, 2016.
What Did the Paris Agreement Say?
• To limit global temperature rises to 1.5 degrees Celsius and to keep them well below 2.0 degrees Celsius above those recorded in pre-industrial times.
• To achieve net zero, a balance between the greenhouse gases that humans put into the atmosphere and the gases that they actively remove.
• Review member countries every five years that they have set their own emission-reduction targets.
• Richer countries to help poorer nations by providing funding to adapt to climate change and switch to renewable energy.
• Accept the 1.5 degrees Celsius target as the goal on a 20-year average rather than a single year.
Why Is It Important to Set the 1.5 Degrees Celsius Target?
There is very strong evidence that the impacts would become much more extreme as the world gets closer to 2 degrees Celsius. Some changes could become irreversible. Scientists say that every 0.1 degree Celsius of temperature increase brings with it greater risks for the planet, such as longer heatwaves, more intense storms, and wildfires. Earth experienced its hottest day on record on July 22, 2024, according to a NASA analysis of global daily temperature data. Africa, Asia, and Europe had their hottest July in 2024. July is typically the planet’s warmest month and that’s because the Northern Hemisphere has more land than the Southern Hemisphere, which heats up faster.
What Is Climate Change?
Climate change is the long-term shift in the Earth’s average temperatures and weather conditions. With the world warming up, weather patterns are changing. All of this is caused by human activities and the widespread use of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas.
When fossil fuels burn, they release greenhouse gases – mostly CO2. This CO2 acts like a blanket, trapping extra energy in the atmosphere near the Earth’s surface. This causes the planet to heat up.
Countries That Have the Highest CO2 Emissions
The U.S. has historically been the biggest carbon emitter. They announced in August 2022 a major green investment package called the Inflation Reduction Act, that includes $369 billion in clean energy tax credits and funding for climate and energy programs. China still leads the world as the biggest producer of CO2 but is aiming for carbon neutrality by 2060. Its electric vehicle sales and renewable energy sector have been growing rapidly.
What Does “Net Zero” Mean?
Net zero means no longer adding to the total amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. To achieve the 1.5 degrees Celsius target, CO2 emissions need to fall by nearly half by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. Despite these international commitments, emissions remain at record highs.
U.S. Withdrawing from The Paris Agreement
The U.S. is withdrawing from the Paris Agreement which will take effect January 2026. As the second largest CO2 emitter globally, the U.S. will no longer push for deeper emissions cuts and will instead develop vast oil, gas, and coal resources. It will shut down the Inflation Reduction Act that includes climate research by ridding more than a dozen offices and agencies that study climate change. The U.S. could create an excuse for countries around the globe to decrease their own climate commitments.
What Happens Next?
The rest of the world is shifting to clean energy. Even without the U.S., the transition will continue and will not stop. China is looming large, dominating from solar panels to batteries and is increasingly exporting its technology to the rest of the world. China plays a paradoxical role in that it is the largest emitter of CO2 and also dominates many of the key clean energy industries.
The U.S. will fall back on its influence as other countries will not think of the U.S. as being a leader in CO2 emission reduction. It does raise the question of what role the U.S. will play in shaping its future on climate change.
Please note that the content provided is for informational purposes.
Sources: BBC Matt McGrath-Nov/20 US formally withdraws from Paris agreement; UN Climate Action; BBC News on Climate Change; White & Case-T Pullins & S Knijnenburg.
Click here to the Crescent Heights Community News home page for the latest Crescent Heights community updates.
