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World fails to meet Paris climate change targets, actions insufficient

World fails to meet Paris climate change targets, actions insufficient

Mubasher: Countries all over the world have so far failed to catch up with the climate change pledges they made two years ago in Paris, according to a report by the Washington Post.

In 2016, 195 political leaders agreed to reduce the usage of fossil fuels and limit negative effects on environment.

However, recent data showed that carbon dioxide emissions rose significantly after falling for several years and many countries are struggling to accomplish targets set in Paris.

The US administration, under Donald Trump, announced plans to withdraw from the Paris agreement. Data suggests a 1.8% increase in emissions in the country after decreasing for three consecutive years.

The federal government also said it would reduce support for clean energy and boost reliance on fossil fuel.

Meanwhile, Brazil failed to scale back greenhouse gas emissions, whereas Indonesia, Turkey, and other countries have built new coal factories to meet demand for electricity.

On the other hand, as renewable energy gets cheaper, car makers plan to produce more electric and environment-friendly vehicles and several countries still have the chance to meet climate targets by 2030.

Global policymakers are scheduled to meet at a UN climate meeting in Poland later this year, where they will have the opportunity to discuss climate issues and compare set targets with their real actions.

“Because the Paris agreement does not legally force countries to cut emissions, world leaders in Poland will have to rely on political and moral persuasion to push for more action,” the Washington Post said.

“It’s not fast enough. It’s not big enough, There’s not enough action,” director of the UK’s Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research Corinne Le Quéré said, citing nations’ efforts to face climate change.

“Tremendous gains in energy efficiency and renewable power aren’t yet reducing our global hunger for fossil fuels, especially oil and natural gas,” Rob Jackson, an energy and climate expert at Stanford University said.

Global warming seems inevitable as the world’s carbon dioxide emissions would be too high to prevent temperature from rising above 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius even if all countries meet their targets, the Washington Post concluded.