Earth Science and Climate Change

The Paris Agreement, and Climate Adaptation and Mitigation

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The main focus of the Paris Agreement is to strengthen the global response to the threats of climate change by trying to keep the global temperature rise this century below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The agreement also aims at strengthening the ability of countries to deal with the adverse effects of climate change. Financial flows from developed countries, new technology frameworks and an enhanced capacity building framework will be established to meet the above goals in order to ensure supporting action from the developing and the most vulnerable countries, in harmony with their own national objectives. All Parties are required to put forward their best efforts in checking their emissions and regularly reporting their implementation efforts. Some of the essential elements of the Paris Agreement are:

• long-term goal of keeping the temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius
• climate change mitigation
• to conserve and strengthen the sinks and reservoirs of greenhouse gases
• climate change adaptation
• to enhance the Warsaw International Mechanism on Loss and Damage

The Paris Agreement will come into action (and become fully effective) once 55 countries which produce at least 55% of the world's greenhouse gases ratify, accept, approve or accede to the agreement.

Climate finance involves the flows of funds by different entities to address climate change mitigation and adaptation through various projects and programs. Climate finance is imperative to addressing climate issues since large-scale investments are required to reduce emissions, especially in sectors that are large-scale emitters of greenhouse gases. Climate finance is also necessary for adaptation, for which major financial aid is required to allow countries to adapt to the effects of climate change. Climate finance has been a vital element of international climate change agreements from the beginning. It is aimed at the transition towards climate-resilience and low-carbon growth and development. The search for new institutional arrangements for climate finance has been an important aspect of the discussion. The outcome is the creation of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), a new organization, which will act as the main channel through which climate finance will be allocated. Finance has a crucial role to play in sustaining developing countries to reduce emissions and adapt and adjust to the effects of climate change. But questions still remain as to how effective multilateral funds have been at reducing emissions and building resilience to climate change? And how can the architecture of climate-finance made more effective?

Mitigation refers to the measures taken to reduce or prevent climate change, primarily by cutting down on green house gas emissions. Mitigation encompasses both, increasing the capacity of the carbon sinks and reducing the emissions of environmentally unfriendly substances. An increased dependence on low carbon and carbon neutral fuels has to be incorporated. Climate engineering measures focus on the removal the most abundant greenhouse gas– carbon dioxide. These strategies are especially important in the developing countries. Stringent actions have to be taken to reduce the rate of greenhouse gases emissions, in addition to the removal of greenhouse gases. Though mitigation strategies are being developed and implemented, the adverse effects of climate change are visible. Erratic weather patterns, ocean warming and acidification, shrunken glaciers and accelerated sea level rise are to name a few. There is a very slim chance that the damage could be reversed and so the need to adapt to these changes arises. Strategies- to minimize the damage they are causing- are needed at every level of administration, from local to the international level. The strategies that need to be implemented also depend on the area and the kind of effect the area is suffering. International associations need to coordinate and ensure that adaptation considerations are addressed in a proper manner.