Top Three Issues During the Paris Climate Talks:
1. The Long-Term Goals
Any plan for the future needs a clear, credible and well-justified goal. At the core, is what level we should limit the Earth’s temperature rise. Importantly, the Paris agreement enshrines that countries must “pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels”.
2. Scaling Up Action Over Time
Almost all countries have submitted pledges to reduce their emissions over the next 10-15 years. The Paris Agreement notes that the current pollution reduction targets are insufficient to meet the long-term goal and efforts will need to be increased.
3. Supporting Poor Countries to Cope with the Impacts of Climate Change and Transition away from Polluting Sources of Power
This has been one of the toughest issues facing negotiators in Paris. The agreement states that developed countries are to provide financial resources to help developing countries move away from fossil fuels and adapt to the impacts of climate change.
