Climate Transparency, an environmental group which studies G20 nations’ commitment and progress on combating climate change, released a report documenting what many have already known for years: The Paris climate agreement has done absolutely nothing to lower greenhouse gas emissions.
The primary center-right critiques of the Paris Agreement were first and foremost the questionable constitutionality of President Barack Obama entering the agreement without the Senate’s consent. Also at issue were the deeply unfair standards the U.S. was held to in relation to other nations and the agreement’s overall ability to actually fight climate change.
As advertised by the media, the Paris Agreement was our last global stand to save the planet. In practice, the agreement was a great, virtue-signaling pat on the back — instructional at most and ultimately meaningless in making a difference. Under the agreement, violating nations receive no punishment.
It should come as no surprise the Climate Transparency report found that the G20 nations in the Paris agreement found that not one country came remotely close to meeting the standards set forth by the agreement.
Not one.
The agreement aimed to keep global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2030. The G20 average projected warming is more than double that. Unsurprisingly, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey all have nationally determined contributions that would lead to a four-degree warming if their carbon emissions remain constant.
Greenhouse gas emissions from nations including China, Canada, France, India, Germany, and South Korea actually increased from 2016 to 2017. The Paris Agreement requires that G20 nations must cut emissions in half by 2030. All the G20 nations are failing.
However, one nation isn’t doing so badly.
“President Donald Trump’s intention to pull out of the Paris Agreement is contrasted by increasing activity of US cities, states, businesses and other actors,” the report says. “The full implementation of currently recorded and quantifiable non-federal climate commitments could take the United States close to meeting its NDC commitments.”
As it turns out, virtue-signaling, photo-ops, and a fake treaty aren’t the best way to beat climate change.
Instead, it’s technological innovation, positive incentives, and embracing cleaner energy like fracking and solar.
Even as Trump has rapidly removed environmental regulations, the falling costs of clean energy have led to American greenhouse gas emissions decreasing. Transportation is our largest contributor to carbon emissions, but as electric vehicles take over and ride sharing apps make it possible for more adults to forgo car ownership, that figure will likely fall as well. The Rhodium Group projects that by 2020, GHG emissions will have fallen by 15 to 17 percent since those of 2005. (They too suggest that embracing nuclear power would further this descent.)
Climate change is undeniably a global threat of the utmost importance. Nations across the world need to actually do something about it instead of relying on grandstanding and farcical treaties. Perhaps they need to follow America’s lead.
