The Paris Agreement, also known as the Paris climate accord, is an international treaty aimed at reducing global greenhouse gas emissions and limiting global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius. The agreement was adopted by 195 countries in 2015 and came into force in November 2016.
However, in 2017, the United States, one of the largest emitters in the world, announced its intention to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. The US officially left the agreement on November 4, 2020, on the day after the US presidential election.
Despite the US withdrawal, the Paris Agreement is still enforced. The remaining 194 countries have reaffirmed their commitment to the agreement, and the United Nations has urged all nations to continue to uphold their pledges. In fact, the European Union, China, and Japan have all pledged to strengthen their climate commitments in recent years.
The Paris Agreement also includes a mechanism for countries to increase their pledges over time, with a goal of ratcheting up global ambition to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. This process, known as the “ratchet mechanism,” will be formally initiated in 2023, but countries are encouraged to submit updated pledges by the end of 2020.
While the US withdrawal is a setback for global climate action, it has not deterred other countries from continuing to work towards the goals of the Paris Agreement. The rise of subnational initiatives, such as cities and states in the US, pledging to uphold the goals of the agreement, has also helped to fill the void left by the federal government’s withdrawal.
In conclusion, the Paris Agreement is still enforced, despite the US withdrawal. The remaining countries are committed to upholding their pledges and increasing their ambition over time. The global momentum towards addressing the climate crisis remains strong, and the Paris Agreement continues to be a key tool in the fight against climate change.