The Paris Agreement was adopted by the U.N Framework Convention on Climate Change dealing with greenhouse gas emission mitigation, adoption, and finance starting from the year 2020. The agreement was signed on April 22nd, 2016 by 195 countries in New York. The deal went into force on November 4, 2016. Upon successful implementation, the agreement will seek to reduce global temperatures below 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels as well as prevent the increase in global temperatures by 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. Countries will also be required to increase spending that encourages low greenhouse emissions and climate resilient development.
Nations are also expected to increase their adoption to climate change and adopt low greenhouse emissions in a way that food production is not threatened. The targets of the Paris Agreement are voluntary unlike its predecessor the Kyoto protocol of 2005, whose goals and commitments are legally binding.
Developing countries agreed to commit $100 billion a year in climate financing by 2020 under the Paris agreement and, after that, increase their funding to $100 billion a year until 2025.
Greenhouse emission contribution by country
The largest greenhouse emitters are China, which contributes 20.09 percent of all greenhouse emissions, the United States contributing 17.89, Russia at 7.53, India at 4.1 percent while Japan contributes 3.79 percent.
Countries that emit the lowest greenhouse gases are Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Tonga, Solomon Islands and Seychelles. Some countries such as South Sudan, Somalia, Palestine, Libya, Equatorial Guinea and Brunei either did not collect data or did not submit their data upon the signing of the agreement. Countries that have not yet signed the agreement are Nicaragua, Syria and Holy See.
Donald Trump threatens to pull the U.S out of the agreement
On Wednesday, two senior U.S officials told CNN that trump is planning to withdraw the U.S from the agreement, this will isolate the U.S from global climate change initiatives.
I will be announcing my decision on Paris Accord, Thursday at 3:00 P.M. The White House Rose Garden. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 1, 2017
Before becoming POTUS, Donald Trump tweeted that climate change is a hoax created by the Chinese to weaken U.S industries.
It is clear that he is either ignoring the impact of greenhouse emissions on the environment or he just wants to save the U.S some money. The U.S president will soon meet Secretary of State Rex Tillerson who supports the U.S remaining in the agreement. On Tuesday, Trump met Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt who is actively advocating for U.S withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. U.S withdrawal from the agreement is aimed at bolstering the U.S coal and oil industry as well as reduce the countries financial commitments to climate initiatives.
