Have Countries Kept Their Climate Change Promises? A Look at Five Key Moments
Emissions cuts in Kyoto
The Kyoto Protocol, signed in 1997, aimed to reduce emissions by 5% compared to 1990 levels. However, not all high-emitting countries, such as the United States and China, signed the agreement. Emissions have increased since then, but the protocol was a landmark moment in recognizing the problem.
Copenhagen’s climate clash
The 2009 conference in Denmark saw an impasse between developed and developing countries on emissions reductions. Rich countries promised $100 billion annually by 2020 for green technologies. While this goal may have been met, critics argue that much of the funding was in the form of loans that increased developing countries’ debt crisis.
The Paris Agreement
The Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015 by nearly 200 nations, called for limiting warming to “well below” 2 degrees Celsius. However, the agreement is non-binding, and countries that do not comply cannot be sanctioned. This agreement is considered a significant achievement, but urgent emissions cuts are still needed.
Glasgow and coal
In 2021, negotiators met in Glasgow to recommit to the goals set in Paris. The summit aimed to “phase-down” coal, but disagreements led to weaker language. Countries have failed to deliver on the agreement, with emissions from coal increasing and major coal-using countries not transitioning to cleaner sources of energy.
Loss and damage in Sharm El-Sheikh
Last year, a fund was created to help poorer nations recover from the impacts of climate change. However, the pledges to this fund are voluntary, and experts argue that they are far from sufficient to address the increasing climate-driven extreme weather events.
