What is Paris Agreement and the Climate Change Issue?

November 8, 2020

The Paris Agreement

Realizing the necessary of global unity for the battle against global warming, greenhouse-gas-emission-migration, adaption finance and climate change the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) signed the agreement in 2016 near Paris in France is now known as the Paris Agreement. With the active membership of 196 countries from around the world, this agreement is aimed to undertake determined efforts to fight climate change not only in developed countries but to support developing countries in this battle as well.

Agenda of Paris Agreement

Long term temperature goal to keep the increase in global temperature below 2 °C (3.6 °F).
Reduce the green-house-gas emission as soon as possible in the second half of the 21^st century.
Increase the ability of nations (Parties of Paris Agreement) by making consistent finance flow with a pathway toward low greenhouse gas emission and climate resilient development.

Why US Withdrew from Paris Agreement?

The 45^th US President Donald Trump June 1, 2017 decided to withdraw from Paris Agreement and finally in November 4, 2020 US officially withdrew from Paris Agreement stating that the terms of Paris Agreement were not fair for the United States, its businesses, its workers, its people, its taxpayers and demanding the new form of agreement. Trump had also stated that "The Paris accord will undermine (the U.S.) economy," and "puts (the U.S.) at a permanent disadvantage."

But after 2020 presidential election, the newly elected president Joe Biden said that US will rejoin the Paris climate agreement in exactly 77 days from the day Trump administration officially left the agreement. With the clean energy and infrastructural plan that budgets around US$2 trillion, Biden will have the most progressive position on climate change in the nation's history.