Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene January - February 2016 vol.11 no.1 | Page 24
2015, November 30 to December 11 - PARIS
Global climate deal
Image copyright Reuters Image caption A participant takes
a rest during the Paris talks Image copyright AP Image
caption Campaigners take to the streets of Paris to warn
that failure to act to curb temperature rises will cross a red
line
What’s in and what was left out?
The goal of preventing what scientists regard as dangerous
and irreversible levels of climate change - judged to be
reached at around 2C of warming above pre-industrial
times - is central to the agreement.
In summary
A global climate agreement has been finalized in Paris.
What has been agreed?
Overview
The deal unites all the world’s nations in a single
agreement on tackling climate change for the first time in
history.
Coming to a consensus among nearly 200 countries on the
need to cut greenhouse gas emissions is regarded by many
observers as an achievement in itself and is being hailed as
“historic”.
The world is already nearly halfway there at almost
1C and many countries argued for a tougher target of
1.5C - including leaders of low-lying countries that face
unsustainable sea levels rises in a warming world.
The desire for a more ambitious goal has been kept in
the agreement - with the promise to “endeavour to limit”
global temperatures even more, to 1.5C.
Source : BBC News
COP21: Ban announces ‘Climate Action
2016’ partnership to maintain momentum
after UN climate conference
The Kyoto Protocol of 1997 set emission cutting targets
for a handful of developed countries, but the US pulled
out and others failed to comply.
However, scientists point out that the Paris accord must
be stepped up if it is to have any chance of curbing
dangerous climate change.
Pledges thus far could see global temperatures rise by as
much as 2.7C, but the agreement lays out a roadmap for
speeding up progress.
What were the key elements?
• To keep global temperatures “well below” 2.0C
(3.6F) above pre-industrial times and “endeavour to
limit” them even more, to 1.5C
•
To limit the amount of greenhouse gases emitted
by human activity to the same levels that trees, soil
and oceans can absorb naturally, beginning at some
point between 2050 and 2100
• To review each country’s contribution to cutting
emissions every five years so they scale up to the
challenge
• For rich countries to help poorer nations by
providing “climate finance” to adapt to climate
change and switch to renewable energy.
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Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene • January - February 2016
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon speaking on Action Day at the
UN climate change conference. 5 December 2015. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
5 December 2015 – United Nations Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon announced today at the UN climate change
conference (COP21) that a broad group of organizations
will partner in 2016 to maintain momentum for multistakeho