Written by Sasha Muraguri
Edited by Emil Koch & Hanna Karasinska
Global action is a necessity as we combat the Climate Crisis. All parties must come together to achieve the necessary to keep our home safe and healthy for centuries to come to support future generations.
Global Action on Climate Change has seen leaps and bounds in recent decades. A great example would be the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement. The Kyoto Protocol, intended to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, was subject to amendments, countries like Canada withdrawing, and flexibility in achieving targets, which led to the slowed rate of actual greenhouse gas emissions.
The Kyoto Protocol's flaws called for a replacement that would address crucial issues like funding for international action, including indigenous peoples in the process, and holding developed and poor countries accountable. This led to the creation of the Paris Agreement, primarily aiming to keep global temperature below 2 °C. However, criticism surged after countries regularly withdrew from or postponing ambitious goals or even the agreement. In addition, recent data discouragingly indicated that global climate will get more and more worse before recovering with respect to global mean temperatures and emissions. International agreements are indeed a stepping stone in the right direction and lay the framework for global action. Still, countries are more likely to put their national interests first and international climate efforts second.
Aside from International Agreements such as the Paris Agreement and the Kyoto Protocol, there are other, more annual events to consider, such as COP27 of 2022 and the upcoming COP28 in November 2023. The main takeaway from COP27 was the introduction of the “loss and damage” fund to assist countries most affected by climate change, as well as more “intentions” to keep to certain goals like starting to implement the written agreements, holding businesses and institutions accountable, and so on. Some critics argue that that is where they’ll remain, as “intentions.” With COP28 coming up, most are intrigued to see the outcomes and decisions made, while others think that it will simply end with well-meaning words and no actual global action taken.
Another element to consider when looking at the challenges of global action on climate change is the nations that contribute to those international treaties and agreements - more importantly, which don’t. Besides Canada, the United States, Japan, New Zealand, and Russia, have withdrawn from the Kyoto Protocol. Under the Trump administration, the United States withdrew from the Paris Agreement, but luckily re-entered upon Biden’s election in 2020. The role of the US in Climate Change is significant. More economically developed than most countries, legal agreements need the reassurance of such nations as, most likely, they’ll provide much-needed financial assistance and support, which appears essential in combating the climate crisis on a global scale.
Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern nations have come under fire for not embracing energy measures that promote decarbonization. Instead, Saudi Arabia and other nations have profited from oil as a source of energy. They established businesses to market their oil and joined collective forces to control the world market price, such as the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), instead of integrating renewable energies in their energy mix, making oil a source of energy that is still in demand. The Middle East is pivotal in talks about the oil crisis. Further west in South America, discussions on the protection of the Amazon are drowned out by the economic policies of the countries at play. From Venezuela’s desire to increase oil and mineral production to Bolivia’s desire for illegal mining and cocoa plantations, the Amazon looks to continue to suffer from deforestation.
The future of Global Climate Change is daunting, with a healthy amount of skepticism at its possible success; however, with evolving technology and increasing awareness spurring initiatives in the corporate world, local communities, and passionate youth, it would be a lie to say all hope is lost.
In conclusion, the question of why so many countries backtrack on international treaties or national emission targets remains complex. The clash between short-term political considerations and the urgency of the climate crisis often obscures rational decision-making. Recent geopolitical events, such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine, have prompted Western nations to advance renewable energy for national security reasons. However, temporal investments in alternative fossil fuel sources illustrate the risk of perpetuating harmful energy sources, illustrating a worrisome trend of political short-termism that threatens environmental security. Amidst the backdrop of pressing concerns like the COVID-19 pandemic, job displacement due to artificial intelligence, and soaring energy prices, political leaders may find it challenging to prioritize long-term environmental sustainability. Countries such as India that have taken steps to shift their focus toward renewables by halting new coal plant installations offer hope.
For a healthy world for future generations, we must refocus our efforts on long-term fixes going forward.
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