Demand Paris climate agreement to reduce carbon emissions by 75%
- by: Rick Steiner, Anchorage Alaska
- recipient: All world leaders and governments meeting at UN Climate Summit in Paris
The UN Climate Change Summit in Paris this December will be perhaps our last best chance to achieve a legally binding agreement to stabilize world climate. This is a make-or-break summit.
As President Obama said to Arctic officials in Alaska on Aug 31, 2015:
"The fact is that climate is changing faster than our efforts to address it. That, ladies and gentlemen, must change. We are not acting fast enough."
"This year, in Paris, has to be the year that the world finally reaches an agreement to protect the one planet that we’ve got while we still can."
But so far, national commitments to reduce carbon emissions fall far short of what is necessary to stablize climate. We can no longer afford more failed climate conferences and half-measures.
Republicans in the U.S. Congress are mounting an effort to oppose any climate deal in Paris. We need to show strong support for a good deal.
We demand that world governments meeting in Paris commit to reduce global carbon emissions by at least 75% by 2030 -- from the current 40 billion tons/year of CO2 to 10 billion tons/year.
This is the necessary level of commitment if we are "to protect the one planet that we've got while we still can."
The UN Climate Change Summit in Paris this December will be perhaps our last best chance to achieve a legally binding agreement to stabilize world climate. This is a make-or-break summit.
In an impassioned plea to Arctic officials in Anchorage Alaska on August 31, 2015, President Obama underscored the importance of the Paris Climate Summit:
"The fact is that climate is changing faster than our efforts to address it. That, ladies and gentlemen, must change. We are not acting fast enough."
This year, in Paris, has to be the year that the world finally reaches an agreement to protect the one planet that we’ve got while we still can."
President Barack Obama, Aug. 31, 2015
But while many world leaders continue to repeat their concern about the catastrophic consequences of climate change, they have not matched such concerns with the sole action necessary to avert catastrophe -- an urgent and substantial reduction in carbon emissions.
Indeed, just since the UN climate accord was agreed in 1992, global carbon emissions have doubled. Tragically, the process so far has failed to slow emissions and stabilize climate.
And this year, the emission reduction commitments of world governments for the Paris Summit remain terribly insufficient. For instance, the US has only committed to reduce emissions 26%-28% below 2005 levels by 2025 - or to about 1990 levels. China - the largest emitter of greenhouse gases - has only agreed to cap its emissions by 2030. Given China's rate of increase in emissions, it could conceivably double its emissions before being required to cap them. This would clearly be disastrous, and would make it impossible to stabilize world climate.
We demand, and deserve, more.
Thus, we demand the following from world governments at the Paris Summit:
1. A legally binding agreement to reduce annual global CO2 emissions from the current 40 billion tons/year to 10 billion tons/year by year 2030 - a 75% reduction;
2. Requirement that China reduces its annual emissions by at least 50% by 2030, from its current 10 billion tons to 5 billion tons.
3. Agreement to leave 80% of global fossil fuel (coal, gas, oil) reserves in the ground and seabed, as un-burnable carbon, including all Arctic offshore oil;
4. Agreement to make a full transition to sustainable energy globally by year 2050;
5. Agreement to establish a rigorous independent greenhouse monitoring and accounting system, as well as strict legal consequences / sanctions for governments that fail to live up to their commitments.
6. Commit to fully fund the UN Green Climate Fund at $100 billion by 2020.
This is what it will take "to protect the one planet that we've got while we still can." And this is all technically achievable.
Anything short of such an agreement at the Paris Summit would constitute a historic failure, for which future generations will lay blame squarely on world leaders of today who failed to act.
By signing, you accept Care2's Terms of Service.
You can unsub at any time here.
Having problems signing this? Let us know.