1.2 Mitigation of Climate Change
This chapter focuses the international efforts to mitigate climate change. The Paris Agreement, established in 2015, aims to limit global warming to below 2 °C and pursue a goal of 1.5 °C to reduce the risks of climate change. Countries must take suitable measures and submit nationally determined contributions (NDCs) every five years. However, current actions are insufficient, leading to the need for regular updates and enhancements to meet the agreed temperature objectives. The negotiation process and reporting obligations aim to increase pressure, especially on countries like Germany, to achieve their targets.
Paris Agreement
The international community of states took action on the mitigation
of dangerous climate change by collaborating on defining the first-ever
universal, legally binding global climate change agreement
at the Climate Change Conference in Paris (COP21) in 2015. The Paris
Agreement binds all states that have ratified the agreement to take
measures suitable to mitigate global warming to well below 2 °C compared
to pre-industrial temperature levels. Beyond that, a goal of 1.5 °C
is pursued as it significantly reduces the risks of dangerous
consequences of climate change. Thus, after 2050, the allowed amount of
world-wide-emitted greenhouse gases must not be greater than the amount
which is removed from the atmosphere. This balance between greenhouse
gas sources and sinks is described by the term “Climate Neutrality”.
Countries
that have ratified the agreement present national climate action plans,
officially called nationally determined contributions (NDCs), every
five years. The by then undertaken actions are assessed with regard
towards the long-term goal. As so far all declared national measures are
still insufficient, the NDCs are subject to necessary updating and
enhancing during regular meetings. The continuous negotiation process
and the reporting obligations are hoped to increase the pressure
continuously – especially for countries such as Germany who fail to meet
even their self-imposed targets – to reach the agreed temperature
objectives.
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