The global climate agreement is now officially in force. Parties to the
treaty will work under this framework to prevent catastrophic global
warming. But what's in the Paris Agreement, and can it achieve its goal? This Friday (04.11.2016), the United Nations agreement on climate
change has come into force. As of that day, 97 countries have ratified
it - among them the largest worldwide greenhouse gas polluters: the
United States, China, the European Union and India.
Ratification
in such a short time by so many countries has been considered
historical, and represents a turning point in climate policy.
What is the objective of the agreement?
The
stated goal of the agreement is to limit global warming to 2 degrees
Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) or ideally 1.5 degrees Celsius. For the 1.5-degree goal,
emission of greenhouse gases would have to decrease very quickly. The
greenhouse gas carbon dioxide is released during combustion of fossil
fuels and in deforestation. This is the main gas responsible (72
percent) for the greenhouse effect. In order to limit global warming to a maximum of 2 degrees, coal, oil and gas must be mostly phased out as energy sources by 2050 - to achieve the 1.5 degree target, this would need to happen even earlier. The
greenhouse gases methane and nitrous oxide (N2O) constitute about a
quarter of global warming, and are released primarily due to industrial
agriculture. Methane is produced in the stomachs of cows and sheep, and nitrous oxide through fertilization of cropland. Lower meat and milk production and lower fertilization would help reduce emissions. Reforestation helps to reduce greenhouse gases, since trees remove CO2 from the air and bind it back into woody material. However, international air traffic
and shipping are not included in the Paris climate agreement. The share
of air traffic in the greenhouse effect is currently more around 5
percent. And as all forecasts predict rising air traffic, this share
could increase. The share of international shipping traffic toward global greenhouse gas emissions is about 3 percent.
What's at stake?
With a temperature increase of 1.5 degrees Celsius, some coral reefs could still survive, and sea levels would probably rise by "only" 40 centimeters by 2100, according to PIK. But
a temperature increase of 2 degrees could mean the end of coral reefs.
Droughts, extreme storms and crop failure are further consequences. According to PIK calculations, with a 2-degree global temperature
increase, by 2100 sea levels would be about 50 centimeters higher than
today, and through ongoing ice melt from 1.5 to 4 meters higher by 2300. This would have devastating consequences
for coastal regions around the world. The Netherlands, Bangladesh,
Venice, New York, Tokyo, Sydney, Mumbai and London would all be hard
hit. Today, 46 million people live in areas less than a meter above sea level. The UN's Executive Secretary for Climate Change Patricia Espinosa
believes the agreement is also a cornerstone for sustainable change. "It lays the foundation for a transformation that will lead to a world very different from the one we know now," Espinosa told DW. A
quick end to the use of fossil fuels, a successful global transition to
clean energy technologies, and far greater energy efficiency are among
the primary challenges. But the UNFCCC is optimistic that in the years
to come, there will be a worldwide trend toward further climate
protection. DW
