In a newly released book, EU official, Joana de Carvalho has gone behind the scenes, looking at EU’s efforts in convincing more countries to join the Paris Agreement Alliance, the first ever global agreement on climate change.
“Combat pour le climat” (Fight against climage change) came out as a need to inform citizens on the major role the EU played in reaching the Paris Agreement, in a light and funny way. It reads like a long journalistic article in an illustrated format. Whilst young people are demonstrating on the streets against climate change, and populism and Euroscepticism is growing, why not using the form of a graphic novel to show how EU’s diplomacy and political strategies have a real positive impact on our lives,” Carvalho said. “In a way, it can be seen as a kind of artistic activism.”
To achieve the targets set in 2015, considerable efforts have to be made to cut global emissions by 45% by the year 2030 compared to 2010 levels, according to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
With the 26th climate change conference (COP 26) postponed for a year due to the coronavirus crisis, Guterres has called on the world to “declare a state of climate emergency.”
“Five years after Paris, we are still not going in the right direction,” the UN Secretary-General General said at the recent virtually held Climate Ambition Summit. “Paris promised to limit temperature rise to as close to 1.5°C as possible, but the commitments made in Paris were far from enough to get there.”
“I call on all leaders worldwide to declare a state of climate emergency in their countries until carbon neutrality is reached,” Mr. Guterres said.” Some 38 countries have already done so, recognizing the urgency and the stakes. I urge all others to follow.”
The targets set for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions need to be clearly reaffirmed by the Paris accord signatories in the revised and strengthened national contributions that they are scheduled to submit before the 26th Conference of Parties, to be held in Glasgow in November 2021.
De Carvalho is overall positive about EU’s work so far and believes the EU will continue to be the global leader on tackling climate change. “As for the countries forming the Paris Agreement Alliance, I can only hope they will also fulfil what they have committed to do.”
“The Paris Agreement was adopted on 12 December 2015, 5 years ago. Today, the EU is still committed to be at the forefront of international efforts to fight climate change. It is celebrating the first anniversary of the EU Green Deal with EU leaders just recently deciding at the European Council to cut EU’s greenhouse emissions by at least 55% by 2030. Why shouldn’t we be proud of this,” Carvalho added.
The Brussels Times
