It’s official. The Paris Agreement on climate change is a done deal.
It entered into force last Friday, less than a year since the agreement was “adopted” by 195 countries at COP21 in Paris. In diplomatic circles, this is fast. Few dared to believe it was possible.
This is the direct result of remarkable leadership by many countries. Most notably, China and the United States – the economic power houses of the world – buried old tensions to show that some things matter more than day-to-day geopolitics. India stepped forward too, aligning its international posture with its domestic need for clean energy and sustainable growth.
These countries and their leaders recognised that our planet – and the threat of climate change – would outlast their tenures and overshadow any other legacies they might create.
1. If we believe the job is done
If politicians, the media or the public mistakenly believe that climate change has been fixed because the Paris Agreement is now in place, it will fail. It could be likened to registering for a sporting event but never actually doing the training, lining up and competing.
2. If responsibility stays with the diplomats and environmentalists
The successful negotiation of the Paris Agreement was the culmination of many years’ hard work by countless numbers of diplomats and environment officials. However, to deliver the actual work of cutting emissions, governments will need the support of finance, industry, infrastructure and energy ministers – as well as the private sector – to bring the agreement to fruition. The skills needed to negotiate the agreement are different to those needed to deliver it.
3. If well-funded vested interests are able to derail national action
Much has been made of corporations giving money to anti-climate action lobby groups – either directly or as so-called dark money. Leaders in industry who champion climate action will need to do it in all forums and continue to push the fact it involves an element of “business as non-usual”, inspiring others to join them. If their industry associations lobby or spend money funding climate denial, they should speak up, prevent it or leave.
4. If the international community gets bogged down in ‘process’
There are many very important details still to be worked out underneath the broader framework of the Paris Agreement. These include agreeing mechanisms for the enhanced transparency framework (data collection and reporting to keep governments accountable), the provision of climate financing to developing countries and capacity building. They deserve proper treatment.
5. If millions of people and businesses do millions of good things … on their own
Not all climate actions are equal, nor do they take place in a vacuum. History is full of good ideas and superior technologies being surpassed by inferior ones due to broader political, economic and social factors. Policy-makers, technology developers, business leaders and civil society will need to approach the process of developing and implementing climate solutions with an open mind and a spirit of collaboration.
Source: Eco-Business, 7th November 2016- 5 factors that could cause the Paris climate deal to fail
