The Paris Agreement was signed in 2015 and has been hailed as a landmark agreement to fight climate change. The agreement was signed by 196 countries, including the United States, China, and India. However, in recent years, some countries have decided to withdraw from the agreement or have failed to meet their commitments. This article will discuss the Paris Agreement signers and their commitments to fighting climate change.
The Paris Agreement aims to keep global temperatures from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. To achieve this goal, countries have committed to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. The agreement also establishes a framework for countries to regularly review and increase their commitments. It also includes financial and technical assistance for developing countries to transition to a low-carbon economy.
The United States was one of the early signers of the Paris Agreement, under the Obama administration. However, in 2017, former President Trump announced that the U.S. would withdraw from the agreement. President Biden has since rejoined the agreement and has set ambitious targets to reduce U.S. emissions by 50-52% below 2005 levels by 2030.
China is the world`s largest emitter of greenhouse gases. The country signed the Paris Agreement and has committed to reaching peak emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. China has invested heavily in renewable energy and is the world`s largest producer of solar and wind power.
India is the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, following China and the United States. The country has committed to reducing emissions intensity by 33-35% below 2005 levels by 2030. India has also set a target for 40% of its installed power capacity to come from non-fossil sources by 2030.
Other major Paris Agreement signers include the European Union, Japan, and Canada. The EU has set a target of reducing emissions by 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. Japan has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 26% below 2013 levels by 2030. Canada has set a target of reducing emissions by 40-45% below 2005 levels by 2030.
Some countries have failed to meet their commitments under the Paris Agreement. For example, Australia has set a target of reducing emissions by 26-28% below 2005 levels by 2030. However, the country has been criticized for not doing enough to reach this target. Russia has also been criticized for not setting ambitious targets and for failing to take significant steps to reduce its emissions.
The Paris Agreement signers have made significant commitments to fight climate change. However, it is clear that more needs to be done to limit global temperature rise and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It is important for countries to work together to achieve these goals and to hold each other accountable for meeting their commitments.