Reducing greenhouse gas emissions – implementing the Paris Agreement

The countries of the European Union support the goal of the Paris Agreement, so they try to halt the expansion of global warming. According to the objectives, the EU is to become climate-neutral by 2050. To make it possible, national governments must implement measures to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We briefly discuss what the situation is and whether it is still possible!

The objectives of the Paris Agreement – what exactly do they involve?

The Paris Agreement includes several elements:

• stopping the increase of global average temperature at less than 2°C relative to pre-industrial levels (and no more than 1.5°C);
• implementation of specific action plans to reduce emissions;
• presenting action plans every 5 years and setting increasingly ambitious targets;
• communicating the implementation of the objectives to the other EU members and the public;
• financing climate action that helps developing countries to reduce emissions and become more resilient to the effects of climate change.

The agreement entered into force on 4 November 2016, when it was ratified by all EU countries (ratification by min. 55 countries responsible for at least 55% of global greenhouse gas emissions).

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions – what is the situation?

After the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow in 2021, national governments declared that they must increase their ambition to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Unfortunately, it did not happen. Current politics will not allow the goals of the Paris Agreement to be realised. At this year’s COP27 summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, it appeared that the strategy had stalled.

Exceeding the 1.5°C limit is in principle already certain. Without a genuine commitment, temperatures will rise up to 2.4°C by 2030, already exceeding assumptions by almost a full 1°C. Why does it happen? All indications are that the problem is still not being taken seriously.

Research shows that up to 176 out of 200 countries have failed to fulfil the promises made in Glasgow and have not made any changes. Among them, unfortunately, the largest issuers can be mentioned, i.e. the USA, China and the EU countries.

According to the Climate Action Tracker, among other things, it is necessary to provide:

• 6 times faster phase-out of coal from power generation;
• 5 times faster deforestation reduction;
• 5 times faster reduction in meat consumption.