IN MY OPINIONKlaus Doring
It’s not the first time, that representatives of most countries have signed a document for a better world climate. Last Friday, the Paris climate deal has been signed in New York. By signing the four-month-old agreement, the nations pledged to join the fight against global warming.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon opened the ceremony on Friday, describing the accord as “history in the making” in his address to the UN General Assembly. Envoys from more than 170 countries signed the climate deal over the course of the day, setting a new record. “Today you are signing a new covenant with the future,” Ban told the gathering on Friday. “The era of consumption without consequences is over.”
For Germany, Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks was on hand to sign the commitment, which will then require ratification in parliament. Famous Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio also addressed the international officials, telling them they were the “last best hope” for saving the planet. “We can congratulate each other today, but it will mean absolutely nothing” if the envoys fail to implement the deal, DiCaprio said. And this also my opinion. And not only mine. Indeed, if the envoys fail to implement the deal, this signing a new covenant with the future will remain as a piece of scratch paper. Nothing else. Nothing more.
Despite Friday’s signing ceremony, most individual countries are still obliged to ratify the agreement in their own parliaments. Will this happened? And when? In New York, French President Francois Hollande said he would urge his parliament to ratify the accord “by the summer” of 2016. Hollande also called on the EU to “lead by example” and complete the procedure before the year is up. “There is no turning back now,” he said in a brief address to the assembly. Of course not Monsieur Presidente.
The agreement is set to come into force after 55 countries representing at least 55 percent of global polluters formally join it. International leaders have set 2020 as the target date, but many climate experts believe it could happen much sooner. In my opinion: it should happened sooner! On Friday, Beijing’s representatives announced China would ratify the deal by September. The US also intends to finalize the procedure during this presidential election year. They seem not yet to be in a hurry … !
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff (how long?) also spoke before the assembly in New York, pledging that her country would restore and reforest 12 million hectares (30 million acres) of forests and 15 million hectares of degraded pastures, but offering no timetable. Indeed, the country is in a “grave, serious moment.
International leaders agreed on a global effort to curb climate change in December last year. The deal aims to keep the global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) compared to pre-industrial times. Currently, average temperatures are almost 1 degree Celsius higher than before the industrial revolution. Countries are obliged to report on their progress and update their targets every five years. However, there is no penalty if the states miss their emission goals. A nation can also withdraw from the treaty, but not during the first three years after the deal goes into effect. After deciding to pull out, the national government would need to wait for a one-year notice period.
The document also encourages rich countries to help poorer states cut pollution and adapt to climate change. Although no exact amounts were specified, wealthy nations had previously pledged to provide $100 billion (89 billion Euro) annually by 2020.
Is it really the breakthrough? For the sake of our following generations, it should be!
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