The Earth is Not Going to Meet Paris Agreement Goals By 2030
For many years now, members of the Paris Agreement have been called out for producing insufficient goals to fight climate change. If things remain the same, the Earth has no chance at limiting Global Warming to 1.5°C.
The current agreements of the UN only see emissions stabilizing by 2030. However, to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, global emissions must be cut in half by this time.
That’s a big difference.
Very few nations have put forth any substantial policy changes that could see this outcome achieved. The only exception to this rule is the United Kingdom.
The UK is Leading the Way
The UK is following through on almost all of its promises. And it is proving to the world that you can go green without destroying your economy, of which the UK has the world’s fifth-largest.
The UK has managed to not only meet its emission lowering goals, it has absolutely shattered them. In total, the UK’s emissions have dropped 45% compared to levels from the 1990s.
The country has achieved this following a number of initiatives.
The country has been aggressively expanding its offshore wind projects, incentivizing residents to use electric vehicles, and much more. The green shift is underway and it’s been extremely successful.
And it’s not stopping anytime soon, the country hopes to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
Some Nations Are Not Moving Fast Enough
Plenty of nations are moving in the right direction and have plans submitted that will see a reduction in emissions. Or, at the very least, have said they will provide them very soon.
However, some of these promises just are not moving fast enough.
One such nation is China. It is the largest emitter in the world accounting for 28% of global emissions. Recently, China has promised to become net-zero by 2060, 10 years later than most countries.
And it has provided no outline or plan to achieve this goal.
The second-biggest emitter, the United States (15%), is changing its environmental policies to significantly reduce emissions. However, there is still not a proper plan in place to move at the required pace.
The strategy is currently planned to be revealed on Earth Day 2021. One goal is clear, net-zero emissions by 2050.
Other Nations Are Just Not Doing Anything
Of course, while there are successful nations doing their fair share, there are also some countries that are just not doing anything at all.
A prime example of this is India. The country has been using poverty as an excuse to exempt itself from making any meaningful emission cuts. For reference, India is responsible for 7% of global emissions.
It is the third largest individual nation in regards to these emissions.
Another country that is not doing anything is Australia. If you thought they might have learned how vulnerable their nation is to climate change after the bushfires, you would be mistaken.
The nation hasn’t even submitted any plans in regards to 2030 goals.
However, the Paris Agreement is not enforceable, thus, there is nothing in place to enforce the goals set by members. For many members, joining is just a political stunt.
Robert has been following and writing about environmental stories for years at GreenGeeks. He believes that highlighting environmentally friendly practices can help promote change in every household.
