Without firm pledges, COP 21 just more waste

Political leaders from 190 countries and territories have gathered in Paris this week for to try and reach agreement on curbing the effects of climate change. Some have called the United Nations Conference on Climate Change humanity’s last chance to prevent a global catastrophe.

The 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 21), as it’s also known, continues through December 11. For months in advance the UN strove to drum up support amid dire predictions about the perilous state of the planet from politicians and environmental groups.

World leaders attending the talks are generally agreed that the stakes are too high to come away without a binding agreement on means to slow the pace of climate change. “This is about the future of the planet, the future of life,” French President Francois Hollande has asserted.

What we need is action, not just words. Major carbon-emitting countries should be more serious about keeping their promises of curbing greenhouse-gas emissions. And the political leaders participating in this year’s meeting have to put their agreement into practice.

Climate change has been the subject of international discussions and negotiations for more than 20 years. Long before the Paris meeting this year, similar international conferences were held in many parts of the world, but the participants often failed to reach final agreement. 

The failure to do so stemmed mainly from the sheer expense of the measures needed to slow or stop climate change. Neither rich nor poor countries want to spend money on this cause if it might harm their economies. It is easier, and cheaper, to do nothing. Partial agreements have been achieved, but one or another of the largest carbon-emitting countries simply refused to sign on. The best known of the international agreements to cut greenhouse-gas emissions, the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, was gutted because the US government declined to endorse it.

Poorer countries want the developed nations to put more effort into solving the problem because they have contributed more to it since the days of the industrial revolution. The richer nations counter that those still developing and showing high rates of economic growth must accept legally binding emission cuts. The poorer countries view this demand as unfair, arguing that those not responsible for the problem are being asked to share the burden equally.

It is unproductive to cast blame. The danger is clear and imminent. This has been the warmest year on record, according to the World Meteorological Organisation. Ocean temperatures are at their highest, the sea level continues to rise as polar ice melts and glaciers disappear.

Just before the Paris meeting began, major carbon-emitting countries committed themselves to specific emission limits. The European Union vowed to cut emissions by 40 per cent before 2030, while the US is eyeing a 26-per-cent reduction over 2005 levels. The countries that are collectively responsible for 90 per cent of the emissions now all have reduction targets.

At the COP 21, the ambitious goals are to prevent average global temperatures from increasing more than 2 degrees Celsius, reduce greenhouse gases by at least 60 per cent by 2050 (over 2010), and “de-carbonise” the global economy by the end of the century.

We hope every nation large and small will help reduce carbon emissions so that these targets can be met. They should take action on climate change. If not, hey will simply be wasting resources spent on holding these international meetings.