Paris Climate Agreement What You Need to Know

Nicolas Holiber`s old-fashioned wooden sculptures highlight the threat that climate change poses to birdwatchers. Although both the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement aim to combat climate change, there are important differences between them. The Paris Agreement is the culmination of decades of international efforts to combat climate change. Here`s a little story. The American people believe in climate change – and are determined to do something about it. Professor John Shepherd of the National Centre for Oceanography at the University of Southampton says the deal contains welcome aspirations, but few people know how difficult it will be to achieve the goals. The agreement recognises the role of non-party stakeholders in the fight against climate change, including cities, other sub-national authorities, civil society, the private sector and others. Mr. Trump has repeatedly called climate change a "hoax" during the presidential campaign. As president, he has taken important steps to change Mr. Obama`s agenda on climate change. In March, Trump signed an executive order repealing the Obama administration`s Clean Power Plan, which called for a sharp reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. As a contribution to the objectives of the agreement, countries have submitted comprehensive national climate protection plans (nationally defined contributions, NDCs).

These are not yet sufficient to meet the agreed temperature targets, but the agreement points the way for further action. Nearly 200 countries agree on the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, is considered by many observers to be an achievement in itself and hailed as "historic". President Trump is pulling us out of the Paris Climate Agreement. The president promised a year ago to "cancel" the Paris Agreement as president, but his administration has repeatedly delayed a final decision on the issue. Just last week, a senior White House official told reporters. Trump has "evolved" further on the issue of climate change after meeting with world leaders who encouraged him to preserve the deal. Defense Secretary James Mattis said Sunday in an interview with Face the Nation that Trump was "widely open" to leaders` positions on the Paris Agreement. Here`s a look at what the Paris Agreement does, how it works, and how important it is to our future.

However, scientists point out that the Paris Agreement needs to be tightened if it is to have a chance of curbing dangerous climate change. As climate change fuels rising temperatures and extreme weather events, it endangers our air, water and food. spreads diseases; and endangers our homes and our safety. We are facing a growing public health crisis. "We will honour our commitments and take action to achieve results. We will work with the rest of the international community to implement the Paris Agreement and transform the challenge of climate change into an opportunity to transition to green, low-carbon development to achieve sustainable development. Carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane are gases that accumulate in the atmosphere and prevent heat from radiating from the Earth`s surface into space, creating the so-called greenhouse effect. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the leading international scientific body dealing with this issue, the concentration of these heat storage gases has increased significantly since pre-industrial times to levels not seen in at least 800,000 years.

Carbon dioxide (the main cause of climate change) has increased by 40% since 1750, nitrous oxide by 20% and methane by 150% – mainly from the combustion of dirty fossil fuels. The IPCC says it is "extremely likely" that these emissions are mainly responsible for the rise in global temperatures since the 1950s. At the same time, deforestation and forest degradation have also contributed to their fair share of global carbon emissions. The countries most affected by the effects of climate change will be low-lying countries that are particularly vulnerable to sea-level rise and developing countries that do not have the resources to adapt to changes in temperature and precipitation. But rich countries like the United States are also increasingly vulnerable. In fact, several million Americans — especially children, the elderly, and the poor — are already suffering from the wrath of climate change. Among other requirements, countries must report on their greenhouse gas inventories and progress towards their targets so that external experts can assess their success. Countries should also reconsider their commitments by 2020 and present new targets every five years to further reduce their emissions.

They must participate in a "global stocktaking" to measure collective efforts to achieve the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement. In the meantime, developed countries must also estimate the amount of financial assistance they will provide to developing countries to help them reduce their emissions and adapt to the effects of climate change. The desire for a more ambitious goal was maintained in the agreement – with the promise to make an effort to further limit global temperatures to 1.5°C. At home, America`s forward-thinking cities, states, and businesses — recognizing the need for cheaper, cleaner energy, faster job growth, and cleaner air — will fill the void in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and investing in renewable energy. Even ExxonMobil and General Electric say they support the Paris Agreement and efforts to reduce greenhouse gases. ==References=====External links===Negotiations in Paris and strong transparency and accountability measures applied to ensure that China and India do their fair share. It included the ability for each country – including the United States – to set its own non-binding emission reduction targets, known as Nationally Determined Contributions. The U.S. goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 26 to 28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025. This is achievable and will stimulate economic growth.

These cuts will also give Americans cleaner air, a livable planet for our children, and in many cases, cheaper electricity. .