On 22 April 2016, the ratification of the Paris agreement by 175 countries at the headquarters of the United Nations in New York, revived the hopes that all nations work together so as to hopefully meet the COP 21 Earth’s Climate Change Challenge . . .
For the success of the COP21, this signature last week is a real source of satisfaction for the scientific community who wants to reach carbon neutrality by the end of the century.
The international community has pledged to limit the increase in global temperature to that of the pre-industrial era with an adopted text calling for a continuation of efforts to cap the increase to 1.5°C.
Conscious of having to make an effort, the European Union decided to drop by 40% its emissions by 2030.
The United Kingdom has already managed to reduce its GHG emissions by 20%.
The United States have reduced since 2000, their emissions by 6%, whilst their GDP increased by 28%.
Canada agreed with the United States on the purpose of reducing polluting gases emissions caused by oil and gas drilling by upto 45% below 2012 levels by 2025.
As a matter of fact, there are more than 21 countries who decidedly got involved in this sense since the beginning of the 21st century.
Climate agreement: Is it too little, too late?
A historic agreement on climate change signed by 175 countries last week was a watershed moment in history for the global battle to preserve our environment
Gulf News published an article on April 25, 2016 that was compiled by Chiranjib Sengupta, Hub Editor
‘Representatives from more than 160 nations gathered at the United Nations to sign the accord they hammered out in Paris last December to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and slow the effects of climate change,” said the Los Angeles Times in an editorial. “But is it too little, too late? The accord was an extraordinary achievement, but in the end, it was only a nonbinding agreement, and everyone understood that the real, daunting challenge would be in working together to meet the accord’s stated goals,” the paper questioned.