The Paris Agreement

My posts as of far have considered multiple options for a strive towards a positive mitigation for climate change. These are all a culmination of whether there is a viability in the options available today to move away from a carbon intensive energy usage. Or in other words, a low carbon economy. On the 5th of October 2016, the conditions for implementation of The Paris Agreement were met:

“… which at least 55 Parties to the Convention accounting in total for at least an estimated 55 per cent of the total global greenhouse gas emissions have deposited their instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession.” (Source: UNFCCC).

The agreement came into place on the 4th of November. But what exactly does this mean for the global state of climate change? First and foremost, the agreement is monumental because the US, China, and India have all ratified the agreement, all countries which account for a vast 42.08% of the global greenhouse gas emissions (figure 1).

Figure 1. major countries % share of greenhouse gas emissions in comparison to the rest of the world (Source: Guardian).

This is a pivotal moment in climate history, there is a real tangible concern now being displayed by major countries – especially so as 3 of the 4 top GHG producing countries have now agreed to reduce carbon emissions. We have had agreements in the past, but The Paris Agreement is different, there is a strive for a real mitigation of climate change by applying a threshold:

‘Holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, recognizing that this would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change’ (Source: The Paris Agreement)

The thresholds are critical in the current environmental climate. As of far my blog has analysed the various technologies and natural abilities of the climate to mitigate climate change