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| Credit: http://www.cop21.gouv.fr/en |
As
stated in a previous post, the United Nations Conference on Climate Change was
held from November 30, 2015 until December 11, 2015 at the Le Bourget Exhibition
Centre. December 12, 2015 will now be marked as a historic day for the fight against climate change because all scientists came to an agreement that the
earth’s atmosphere is growing warmer due to greenhouse gas emissions generated
by human activity.
The unanimous
agreement has marked a turn in the right direction. The rise in temperature is
to be kept below 2°C, but we should really aim for 1.5°C to insure
protection for the island states. On this day, 186 countries published their
action plan on ways in which they intend to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions however, the rise in temperature would still be too high. To keep the
temperature from rising past 2°C, countries have been asked to check their
contributions every five years from 2020.
Other
measures will be taken to keep the rising temperature down: $100 billion (in
loans and donations) will need to be raised each year from 2020, and that amount will increase as needed. The money raised will go towards the financing for projects enabling
countries to adapt to the impacts of climate change or reduce greenhouse gas
emissions.
Countries' obligations will differ in the fight against climate change. Industrialized countries are
obligated to fund climate finance for poor countries, and developing countries
may contribute on a voluntary basis. All of the funds will be put in the improved tracking system to record everyone’s efforts.
The
agreement was the first step needed to move onward in the reduction of climate
change. A signing for countries will be open in New York on April 22, 2016. The
agreement will be entered into force if it is ratified by 55 countries. A change
is coming.
For more information on the Climate Talks: cop21.gouv
