United Nations Climate Change Conference 2016
A Conference of Parties (COP) refers to the governing body of a multilateral international convention or treaty. One of the most important and promoted COP is the yearly United Nations Climate Change Conference, which this year celebrates its twenty-second edition in Marrakech, Morocco. The first COP on climate change was celebrated in Germany in 1995 and, ever since, this yearly meeting has advanced an international climate agenda. Amongst the most important documents in the battle against severe climate variations is the Kyoto protocol, the product of COP 3, which was celebrated in 1997. During the 21st century, the most significant advances were achieved at the COP 21 meeting of 2015 that produced the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. This article explores the diversity of topics discussed during the most recent COP meetings including food security, greenhouse gas emissions, and water scarcity.
United Nations Climate Change Conference 2016
One of the key benchmarks of the most recent COP meeting, also inscribed into the 2015 Paris Agreement, is limiting overall global warming to 2°C when compared to the pre-industrial era (i.e. 1700’s). This ambitious goal requires the commitment of the largest carbon dioxide (CO2) emitters in the world, which are China, the United States, the European Union, and India. The 2015 Paris Agreement marked a historic occasion because of the fact that all of the major CO2 emitters committed themselves to the terms of the agreement. However, given the changing political winds throughout the world, the full implementation of this agreement over the long term remains to be seen.
A central concern in regards to climate change surrounds its impact on global agriculture and food security. For example, key regions of the world, such as the southwestern United States, the Sahel in northern Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia, are becoming increasingly arid and unsuitable for agricultural production. This ongoing dynamic puts stress on the vulnerable populations of these regions. Such is the case of the African continent as a whole, which is responsible for merely 5% of the world’s CO2 emissions. However, more than 50% of the countries affected by drought and of the arable lands lost are located in Africa. Meanwhile, Africa remains a continent where large sectors of the population are fully dependent upon subsistence agriculture for their most basic dietary needs. Furthermore, medium and large-scale agriculture is a key sector within the economy of many African nations. This stark reality has led African nations to unite during the COP 22 in order to launch the Adaptation of African Agriculture (AAA) initiative, which aims at preparing the continent’s agriculture industry for the challenges of the coming decades.
Another sector that needs to be further discussed during subsequent COP meetings and multilateral agreements is transportation. As of today, maritime shipping and international aviation together represent almost 5% of the world’s total CO2 emissions. Approximately, 90% of all international trade travels via maritime carriers and trade volumes are expected to continue rising. Therefore, just as CO2 emission standards are legislated by the state for the motorcar industry, international regulations should be created to optimize fuel efficiency and reduce the amount of pollution within the maritime carrier industry.