By Daniel J. Graeber
GENEVA, Switzerland,While the Paris Climate Agreement is a historic step in the right
direction, commitments fall short of curbing global climate change, a
U.N. expert said.
Parties to an agreement adopted in December are set to sign
off Friday on one of the more significant pieces of climate legislation
in history.
The agreement called for all parties to make strides to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions to a level necessary to curb global
warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. Under
the terms of the agreement, wealthier nations like China and the United
States are expected to help finance the shift to a low-carbon economy
from poor developing nations.
"This target would help the world avoid devastating
consequences for the ability of the people of the world to enjoy their
rights to life, health, food, water and sanitation, housing and many
others," John Knox, a U.N. special envoy on human rights and the
environment, said in a statement.
Eurostat, the European statistics office, said data from
2014, the last full year for which it published information, show the
share of energy from renewable resources was 16 percent, about 89 percent above 2004 levels, the first year it started keeping records on renewables.
European member states are obligated to use renewable energy to meet 20 percent of their energy needs by the end of the decade.
Elsewhere, U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping committed earlier this month to signing the Paris agreement.
In the United States, federal data show 2016 will be the first time in
history natural gas overtakes coal as the main source of electricity. A
National Economic and Social Development plan outlined by the Chinese
government in early March described a series of measures aimed at
controlling air, water and soil pollution.
According to the U.N. Environment Program, however, even if
all the commitments under the Paris agreement materialize, emissions
levels by 2030 could still potentially lead to a global average
temperature increase of more than 3 degrees Celsius.
"The commitments pledged by governments to date are insufficient," Knox said.
Paris climate deal falls short, U.N. expert says
Reviewed by Bizpodia
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