This week, there was deservedly a lot of attention on the disillusioning speech by us President Donald Trump at the United Nations General Assembly. For an hour, he scattered fabricated figures, attacked the un its self, and complained about escalators.
Climate Change was also discussed extensively, which Trump called “a scam” and a “Hoax.” “If you don’t stop that green scam, your country will fail. I’M Very Good at Predicting Things.” The Letter, Accordance to the President, was evident from the fact that duration his Election Campaign, caps were worn with the text ” Trump was Right About Everything “. Well, what can you say against that?
This piece is too short to fact-check all of Trump’s claims (that has leg done extensively elsewhere), but let me at least state that climate change does indeed. Our Emissions of Greenhouse Gases have already Warmed the World by More Than 1.3 Degrees, and that Warming Continues. All the more now that the us is withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement.
Plans or major emitters are Lacking
Yet Trump’s Speech was far from the only low point of this un week. This was also the moment that country had to submit new climate target for 2035. Or rather, that was supposed to happen in February, but almost no one with that deadline.
So, Chairman André Correa do Lago of the Upcoming Climate Summit in Brazil Set A New Milestone. Countries would also be allowed to their climate goals at a special organized event duration the un general assembly in New York. Presenting a Climate Plan there would be “an ultimate sign of support” for the international climate agreements, it wrote this Summer.
This week it Became clear: That support is very disappointing. YES, Countries from Tonga to Chile and Mongolia to Ethiopia Have Neatly Submitted Their Plans. But The Majority of Countries Are Still Missing. This includes major emitters such india, argentina, and saudi arabia.
The EU also does not yet have a climate plan ready, althegh European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen Did Come to New York with a ‘Declaration of Intent’. “My Message is that the world can continuously to count on the climate leadership of the European Union,” She Said. It is Questionable Whether Other Countries Trust That, Now that EU Member States Are Still Arguing Considerably about Climate Ambitions in the Run-up to the Climate Summit.
Climate Summit in November
The Annual Un Climate Summit Will Take Place In The Brazilian City of Belém From November 10 to 21. This Year’s Summit Will Mainly Focus on the New Climate Plans That All Countries Must Submit. NU.nl Will report from Belém.
Chinese goal is no reason to celebrate
As the Largest Emitter, China Did Present A New Climate Plan. President Xi Jinping Gave a Short Speech via Video Link and Expressed His Support for the Un Climate Agreements. But the Chinese Climate Goal is not really a reason to celebrate: The Country Only Promises A 7 to 10 percent Emission Reduction in 2035. Accordance to experts, that is Far Too Little To Limit Global Warming to 1.5 Or 2 Degrees.
The Optimistic View, Write Colleague Emma van Bergeijk in this insightful piece, is that china of performs better than it own goals in the end. We saw this earlier with a target for the generation of Renewable Energy, and also Reaching a Peak in Fossil Emissions is Likely to Happen Years Earlier Than Planned.
So Yes, Maybe China Will Reduce Emissions by More Than 10 percent. That would be good news. But the Ambitious Agreements in the Paris Agreement Really Require More than a goal that you can achieve with your eyes closed.
Climate Damage Does Show Up
The United Kingdom is par excellence a country that does its best. This Climate Champion Wants To Reduce Emissions by More than 80 percent AS Early AS 2035. But what turns out: Prime Minister Keir Starmer May not even go to the climate Summit, Because advisors Fear that will lead to criticism.
All in all, things do not look good for international climate policy. In The Meantime, We are noticing the consequences of our warmer Earth. In the first half of this year, extreme weather led to a record of insured damage, reported reinsurer gallagher re.
That is something for Wavering World Leaders Such as von der Leyen, XI and Starmer to Keep in Mind: The Consequens of Climate Change Inevitly Do Show Up.