Going Green and living more sustainably are becoming increasingly necessary as well as more attractive and satisfying. This “Green Page” will look at one sustainability topic each month, with ideas to consider and steps to use individually and as a congregation to care for and honor God’s amazing creation.
Progress on The Paris Climate Agreement
On December 12, 2015, the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meeting in Paris, reached a landmark agreement committed to lowering green-house gas emissions to reduce the effects of climate change. On June 1, 2017, President Donald Trump announced that the United States (U.S.) would cease all participation in the Paris Agreement, arguing that the agreement would undermine the U.S. economy.
On January 20, 2021, President Joseph Biden announced that he accepted every article and clause of the Agreement on behalf of the U.S.
Meanwhile some progress has been made on the Agreement. Since its adoption, global momentum to tackle the climate crisis has been building. Progress has been made on almost every front, from bold corporate emissions-reduction targets and investors shifting away from fossil fuels to alternate sources of energy, to a rising movement of youth activists. Business leaders are increasingly recognizing that transitioning from a high to a low carbon economy will be good for their bottom lines. Over 1,000 large companies have committed to setting emissions reduction targets, and more than 340 have committed to setting net-zero targets across their operations. Worldwide, around 400 cities have committed to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. In the U.S., cities are major players in a coalition of cities, states, and businesses committed to fulfilling the Agreement’s target. Together, this coalition accounts for almost 70% of the U.S. economy. Through the United Nations-convened Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance, 33 major institutional investors with $5.1 trillion in assets have committed to net-zero investment portfolios by 2050.
At the same time, the progress on climate action has not been anywhere near fast enough, with evidence that many countries aren’t living up to the promises they made in 2015. But with so many countries now becoming committed to net-zero emissions, and an increasing number coming forward with short term targets for 2030 to set us on that path, the Paris Agreement still provides the best hope of avoiding the worst ravages of climate change.
Mark your calendars for the April Earth Forum:
Sunday, April 19, 2020 at 2:00 p.m.
50 Years of Earth Day!
Theme: Recycling, More Sustainable Practices
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