Paris Climate Agreement Ineffective

The agreement contains no mechanism to resolve the inevitable controversies over who is doing enough, nor any real way to call or punish those who are not. In the absence of leverage instruments for national decisions, these decisions are taken for national reasons. Lewis King, first author of the UAB, said: « The Paris Climate Agreement was a step in the right direction for international climate policy. But as it stands, it is at best insufficient and, in the worst case, grossly ineffective. Negotiators from around the world are meeting this week in Paris to conclude an international agreement on climate change, ending a years-long process in which hope for global action to limit greenhouse gas emissions was raised. When those calling for U.S. measures talk about the need to show « leadership » and promote international progress, they are talking about building momentum towards Paris. Europe is not doing very well. Overall, despite remarkable efforts, the countries of the European Union also miss their Paris targets, but not so much. Preliminary data from 2018 shows that emissions from burning fossil fuels have decreased by 2.5%, which is positive. However, Europe needs a little more ambition if it is to play a leading role in achieving its climate goals. The Paris Agreement (AP) aims to strengthen the global response to climate change, set mitigation, adaptation and financing targets and define mechanisms to achieve these targets.

However, the effectiveness of pa mechanisms in achieving its objectives has been questioned. . . .