November 4 is a date that will be etched in history. It was when an important milestone along the road to containing climate change and implementing low-carbon energy became international law. The generation that we all belong to is a historic generation. Ban ki-moon, United Nations General Secretary, summed up the times in very poignant terms: “We are the first generation to really feel the effects of climate change–and the last that can prevent its worst consequences. Today shows us what is possible when we join forces for our common future.”
It all started in December 2015 at the COP21 meeting of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), when the Paris Agreement was signed by 193 nations and ratified by 97 parties representing 69% of global emissions. At the heart of it, this international treaty commits all countries to move towards low carbon energy economies. It requires all countries to develop action plans to reduce greenhouse gases and contain the earth’s temperature rise to below 2°C, which scientists believe as the limit of safety, with an aspirational 1.5°C as a better target. When signatures opened for formally joining the agreement on Earth Day this year (April 22, 2016), 15 countries joined. This was followed by the world’s two largest emitters, China and the United States, joining the Agreement in September.
On 3 rd October India deposited its instrument of ratification, becoming the 62nd country to join. These events motivated other countries to ratify the agreement domestically. The treaty has been fast tracked since the Paris meeting and the UN now has 98 parties to the Paris Agreement, which represents nearly 70% of global carbon emissions.
While we celebrate the flood of commitments from the nations around the world, we still have a long way to go. A recent scientific assessment of the global progress from the United Nations Environment Programme says that greenhouse gas emissions will need to fall at least 25% more than currently pledges, because the current commitments stated by countries or nationally determined contributions, would raise temperatures a full 3°C above pre-industrial levels. So to achieve the 2°C goal, the world will have to transform away from a fossil fuel based energy system more rapidly. Patricia Espinosa, chief of the UNFCCC, and Salaheddine Mezouar, foreign minister of Morocco and president of the 2016 climate summit, jointly stated in Climate Home, “Humanity will look back on 4 November 2016 as the day that countries of the world shut the door on inevitable climate disaster and set off with determination towards a sustainable future. The foundations of the Paris Agreement are solid and other key features of humanity’s new home are starting to rise. Yet, we cannot and we must not rest until the roof is in place.” On Monday, November 7, the 22nd meeting (COP22) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change began in Marrakesh, Morocco, and will go on until November 18 th . COP22 will take over the reins from COP21 during which important progress was made. It will focus on action items in order to achieve the priorities of The Paris Agreement, especially related to adaptation, transparency, technology transfer, mitigation, capacity building and loss & damages. Participants will take stock of the achievements made a year ago through the organisation of 9 thematic conferences on forests, water, industry, city resilience, buildings, energy, transportations, oceans, agriculture and food security in addition to three days dedicated to the theme of innovation. As we can see, a lot has been done and lots more to be done. Nations are working very hard at it. And all this for the sake of the generations to come.
