Follow
Climate change is on the agenda of all international agencies and the agendas of individual states. But compromise and through action to combat it remain weak.
The International Energy Agency released a report on Monday that follows talks in Bonn, indicating that if not sufficient action is taken, then emissions from the energy sector will fail to peak and then decrease by 2030 as it was previously envisioned.
The peak and decrease was set to mark a phasing out of energy intensive sectors that are still based on conventional fossil fuels like oil and coal. At the same time, the targets were scheduled to cut the emission of greenhouse gases to the point where, by the end of the century the global temperature would increase by only 2 degrees Celsius.
If current trends are followed, the end of the century is set to bring about a temperature increase of 2.6 degrees Celsius, according to the International Energy Agency.
The report of the IEA come after the Bonn talks and right before the Paris Climate Summit is bound to take place in Paris in December. The IEA keeps drawing attention on real action enforced in order to cut greenhouse gas emissions and keep the situation at bay.
An increase of above 2 degrees Celsius is set to release havock. Rising sea levels, climate and environmental changes leading to desertification, flooding, severe droughts and extreme weather events are all bound to happen at an increased pace than we are already witnessing them.
Nonetheless, significant action failed to be on the list of the Bonn talks successes. Little agreement toward none featured in the conference rooms. Perhaps the Paris Climate Summit will bring up the commitments to the level of ambitions necessary to save the climate and the world therein.
At the moment, the international community is finding itself in a stalemate. Considering the impressive amounts of proposals and energy policies filed with the United Nations bodies overseeing climate change, the current situation indicates that the total of emission will be reached within just eight months more than if there were no proposals and policies on the table.
This indicates the dire situation at hand and the weakness of proposals, as well the dwindling will for taking real action.
According to International Energy Agency statements:
“If stronger action is not forthcoming after 2030, the path…would be consistent with an average temperature increase of around 2.6 degrees Celsius by 2100 and 3.5 degrees Celsius after 2200.”
An early peak in emission coming from the intensive energy sector needs to be reached soon. Afterwards, the international community needs to shift to larger renewables turnout and energy efficiency overall.
In order to achieve the emission peak by 2020, several guidelines should be followed by world governments and industry representative. Cutting coal subsidies, as well as those for other fossil fuels, banning new coal plants, serious investment in renewable energies (estimated at 400 billion dollars by 2030), reducing methane emission.
Even under this scenario, if correctly implemented and strong will is shown, compulsory targets are not enough. Improving the energy sector will go a long way, but unless voluntary efforts adding to the compulsory targets are not undertaken, it is possible that even the scenario of peaking emissions by 2030 will not meet the goal of keeping global temperature on the path of a 2 degree Celsius increase.
Image Source: inhabitat.com
