The international community has come to recognize the urgent need to address climate change, and one of the key ways to do so is by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. To that end, nations around the world have been working to establish agreements and frameworks that will help to reduce global emissions and mitigate the impacts of climate change.
One such agreement is the Paris Agreement, which was signed by 196 countries in 2015 and went into effect in 2016. The Paris Agreement aims to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Under the Paris Agreement, each country is required to set its own emissions reduction targets, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and to report on progress towards meeting those targets. The agreement also includes provisions for financial and technical assistance to help developing countries reduce their emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change.
However, in recent years there have been concerns that some countries are not doing enough to meet their commitments under the Paris Agreement. In 2020, the United States withdrew from the agreement, although it has since rejoined under the Biden administration. Other countries, such as Australia and Brazil, have also been criticized for not doing enough to reduce their emissions.
Despite these challenges, there is hope that the international community can continue to make progress towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating the impacts of climate change. In the coming years, it will be important for nations to work together and to remain committed to the goals of the Paris Agreement, in order to ensure a more sustainable and equitable future for all.