So here are the delegates and stakeholders, numbering around 30,000 descending from almost 200 nations, who are to rack their brains and hammer out the modalities of how to implement the Paris accord most effectively, over a two week period.
The delegates got a boost over the weekend after 19 major economies at the G-20 summit affirmed their commitment to the Paris climate accord. The only problem is the United States, the second most polluter after China. President Trump has bluntly said that the US is pulling out of the Paris deal much to the chagrin of activists, scientists and governments which have committed to the reduction of global warming.
However, China – the biggest polluter reaffirmed its commitment to implement the Paris deal, taking into account its national circumstances and relative capabilities.The meeting in Katowice is the most critical on climate change since the 2015 Paris agreement, a landmark deal in Paris that set a goal of keeping global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit).
But an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report in October, titled ‘Global Warming of 1.5 Degrees’, warned that the Earth will face devastating consequences of climate change if the world fails to keep global warming within 1.5 degrees Celsius. Already a UN report says the temperature is rising after four years.
The IPCC also stated that to keep to the 1.5C goal, governments would have to slash emissions of greenhouse gases by 45 per cent by 2030The task is daunting as to achieve that the nations have to work seriously in various areas. Funding is very important. Switching over to alternative sources of energy too is a gradual process. Fight against the vested interests is another area of major concern. So the delegates have to take everything into account and devise a workable roadmap which is also fast achievable.
