UN Climate Summit Ends With A New Pledge To Combat Climate Change
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On November 13, 2021, diplomats from nearly 200 countries vowed to step up their efforts to slow global warming. The Glasgow Climate Pact, signed at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, was not as far-reaching as many had hoped. However, there was a clear consensus about the urgency to take action to prevent a catastrophic rise in global temperatures.
The agreement’s highlights include a pledge to reduce global methane emissions by 30 percent in the next ten years. More than 100 world leaders— from countries representing over 90 percent of the world’s forests — also agreed to cease and reverse deforestation by 2030.
For the first time at a COP conference, 40 countries made an explicit promise to cut down the use of coal. However, environmentalists were disappointed by India and China’s demand that the agreement call for “phasing down,” rather than “phasing out,” its use. The fossil fuel is responsible for 40 percent of the world's annual carbon dioxide emissions.
The US and the European Union promised to reach net-zero emissions — which means achieving a balance so no greenhouse gases are added to the atmosphere — by 2050. China and India vowed to do the same by 2060 and 2070, respectively. The Glasgow Climate Pact also requires countries to announce more substantial pledges and outline concrete plans on how to achieve the goals at the climate change conference in Egypt in 2022.
Experts at the Climate Action Tracker estimate that if all countries keep their pledges under the new agreement, we could possibly limit global warming to 1.8 degrees Celsius by 2100. Though higher than the 1.5 degrees Celsius limit scientists are advocating, it is better than the 2.7 degrees Celsius of warming the planet is currently heading towards.
“Countries still don’t seem to understand that we’re in an emergency situation and we need to cut emissions much faster this decade, or else any hope of staying at 1.5 degrees will be lost,” said Niklas Höhne, a German climatologist and founding partner of NewClimate Institute, which created the Climate Action Tracker.
Resources: Washingtonpost.com, NPR.com, news.un.org,
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113 Comments
zaina-caemalmost 3 yearsIt's good to see people taking apart of this to stop global warming, it's still gonna be there, but atleast we can do are part to stop it.
phoenix911almost 3 years*sniff* why are people like dis?
thedarklordalmost 3 yearsWe can do our part by reducing our usage of electricity !
a24yacalmost 3 yearsjust dont litter.
idrasalmost 3 yearsClimate change isn't about throwing bottles on the ground now of course its important to not do that but climate change consist of things like green house gas effects which can cause more severe storms and unhealthy air which can cause species to go extinct and I could go on for hours but basically littering doesn't affect climate change
- hegofeva-159753545703almost 3 yearswe need to start out by using thorium nuclear reactors as they are safer that the tradition kind and nuclear power pollutes less than coal plants, if we are able to do this it will help pave the way for renewable power to become the standard.
votealmost 3 yearswell yeah but the nuclear waste produced can cause it's own set of problems and even then our only chance is to actively take greenhouse gasses out of the air.- idrasalmost 3 yearsnuclear energy doesn't produce any greenhouse gas. and if billionaires like Jeff bezos or Elon musk invest in carbon capture technology then we could be doing much better in the fight against climate change
sillyteethalmost 3 yearsWe need to stop global warming or we and the plants and animals could die!
bird_loveralmost 3 yearsAgreed.
noobuduealmost 3 yearsend climet change forever- greek5ghostalmost 3 yearsyeah we really need to step up are game.
l0seralmost 3 yearsI think climate change needs to end! I love how people of all ages are trying to make a difference!
spacegirl800almost 3 yearsThis is so bad what happened to the world!!!!!!
