Realization of the Paris Agreement depends on adherence to the original spirit

作者：Zhongli Ding · 发表于：National Science Review · 年份：2021 · DOI：10.1093/nsr/nwab215 · 被引用次数：1 · 研究领域：Environmental Policies and Emissions

Since the signing of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, the road towards international cooperation in responding to global warming has been quite bumpy. Following the aborted Copenhagen Agreement, the Paris Agreement in 2015 strenuously reunited various countries based on the principle of individualized contributions. Yet, in the recent UN Framework Convention on Climate Change 26th summit meeting (COP26) held in Glasgow, US government leaders again pointed the finger at China, accusing China of not doing enough and setting insufficient goals for reducing carbon emissions. However, the US has only symbolically signed the Kyoto Protocol—having never obtained the approval of Congress—and has treated the Paris Agreement with a wavering position, seemingly forgetting the fact that the US is leading the world in various indicators of carbon emissions and, according to its commitment, future emissions will remain high. For this, we have to let the data speak. It is well known that the increase of atmospheric CO2 concentration, from 280 ppm before the Industrial Revolution to the present level of 410 ppm, was due primarily to the use of fossil fuel. Over this period, advanced countries accomplished industrialization, urbanization and construction of basic infrastructure, and elevated their social welfare. Through these processes, advanced countries have in fact largely occupied the carbon emission space that could be available for later-developing countries. In discussing issues such as th...