Dienstag, 15. Dezember 2015

The results of the COP21


This is going to be one of my last posts for the next time. It does not mean that I will stop writing, but the main purpose of this blog was a lecture at my university, which going to end soon.

To conclude, I will discuss the results of the COP21. The majority, in particular the press and the politicians are saying that the conference was a success. They achieved scenario 1 (see my last post, The chance of COP21) a commitment to stop climate warming below 2 degrees Celsius and even try to reach the 1,5 mark. Moreover, to peak greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible and to provide 100$ billion a year to a climate change fond for the developing countries. (BBC NEWS 2015)
A victory or a turning point in climate change, as many politicians call it. But if you look closer to the agreement, you will see that it is more like vague guidelines. Therefore, a view people, like Professor James Hansen, call this agreement a ‘fraud’ with ‘no actions, just promises’ (Independent 2015).
Moreover, yesterday I was at a conference (Socialism, Capitalismand the Alternatives: Lessons from Russia and Eastern Europe), where a speaker (Naomi Klein), who attended the COP21, gave her opinion. She stressed the same by giving some examples like ‘to pursue efforts’ or the goal to get a neutral greenhouse gas emission balance ‘starting at the second half of this century’. A very imprecise statement, somewhere in the future we are going to try to change something. Which could mean nothing as well.
In addition, the neutral greenhouse gas emissions will open the door for Geoengineering. A state is allowed to do business as usual, to pollute the air, if it filters the same amount of greenhouse gases from the air, by whatever means. At my opinion, a concrete invitation to do Geoengineering.

Otherwise, the COP21 had and still have created an increased global attention to the issue of climate change, which is good. In addition, the COP21 produced a partly legally binding agreement to which the different parties should adhere. I think the enormous public attention will help to force the governments to compliance.

The COP21 was a step in the right direction to stop climate change, the biggest step until now, but still not big enough.

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