History will be the ultimate judge of last weekend’s historic Paris Agreement, the pact that commits 196 nations to work together in an attempt to limit climate change and stem the continued rise of greenhouse gas emissions.
So close, and yet so far.
That’s my takeaway from last weekend’s historic Paris Agreement, the pact that commits 196 nations to work together in an attempt to limit global warming and preventing the rise of greenhouse gas emissions.
The pact, adopted after 13 days of intense bargaining in France, puts the world’s nations on a course that changes the way energy is produced and consumed, with countries gradually reducing their reliance on fossil fuels in favor of cleaner forms of energy.
The positives are that finally - FINALLY - a large percentage of the world’s leaders have figured out there is a serious problem regarding climate change and, more importantly, have agreed to actually do something to save the planet’s future. The fact that 196 nations signed off on the proposal is a rare display of universal agreement on a topic that has been a political football in many nations, including the United States.
The PA binds pledges by individual nations to cut or reduce emissions from fossil-fuel burning. And it established a framework of rules which provide for both monitoring and verification, as well as financial and technical assistance for developing countries. All 196 nations are obligated to limit their emissions to relatively safe levels, of 2 degrees Celsius with an aspiration of 1.5 degrees Celsius, with regular evaluations to ensure these commitments can be increased in line with scientific advice. Additionally, funding will be provided to poorer nations, so they can work effectively to reduce emissions and deal better with the effects of extreme weather. Further, nations impacted by climate-related disasters will gain urgent aid.
It is also a major diplomatic achievement for President Barack Obama and his administration. Obama has made global warming a key provision of his political legacy, all the while facing angry and vocal opposition from many Republicans in the legislature, who take umbrage with the scientific community’s position that Earth’s recent warming is directly linked to man-made pollution.
However - there’s always a “however” or two when analyzing a major agreement such as the PA - there are some issues which we hope are resolved as countries implement the proposal. First, poor countries are concerned the money provided to them will not be nearly enough to protect them. Without proper funding, it is probable some of these nations will opt out, hampering the pact’s implementation.
The agreement does not take effect until 2020. True, it takes nations some time to put in place their own steps to bring about a proposal of this magnitude, but because not all of the agreement is legally binding (another concern), some future governments could yet renege on their commitments. A four-year window seems a bit long to us.
The reason it is not legally binding is because that way, President Obama does not have to bring the agreement before the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate for approval. According to Secretary of State John Kerry, binding legal requirements would have made the Paris agreement a treaty, mandating approval from two-thirds of the Senate.
Further, we in southeast Florida have some regional concerns as well, mostly stemming from that same timeframe. As we noted in August, some 2.4 million people and 1.3 million homes in Florida sit within 4 feet of the local high tide line. Sea level rise is more than doubling the risk of a storm surge at this level in South Florida by 2030. And taxpayers are already paying the price for climate change as salt water pushes through porous bedrock into coastal drinking-water supplies, and rivers and canals choked by heavy rains have a harder time draining into the ocean.
We need action now. I'm hoping the PA brings about the changes needed ... and equally hoping it’s not too little, too late.
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