In the recent era of global news, climate change is taking the spotlight under the field of international policies. Climate change, which contributes to global warming worldwide, has been raising awareness since the late 1990s. Nowadays, countries are implementing more policies to avoid mass problems that climate change is scientifically proven to bring. This article will cover the different international policies that most nations have agreed upon, their effectiveness, and the top emission-contributing nations’ individual policies to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to finalize a result to stop climate change before it gets too late.
The Montreal Protocol
The Montreal Protocol was an international treaty that raised awareness of the ozone layer. Eventually, all countries signed the treaty, and they succeeded in protecting the ozone layer by eliminating almost 99 percent of the ozone-depleting substances. Additionally, they initiated a movement to reduce the production of HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons) and replaced them with CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons). Unlike HFCs, CFCs resisted depletion by not pairing up with oxygen atoms, which prevented them from dissipating into the atmosphere and causing harm to the ozone layer.
The Kyoto Protocol
Initiated in 1997 and established in 2005, the Kyoto Protocol was the first legally binding climate treaty. It proposed that all countries reduce their emissions rebate by five percent below their levels from 1990. However, many major countries with higher emission rates did not agree to the Kyoto Protocol, such as China, India, and eventually the United States who withdrew its signature after their previous ratification in 1998.
Paris Agreement
2015 marked the beginning of an important global climate agreement called the Paris Agreement. This agreement required countries to pledge emission reductions and prevent the average temperature from rising by 2 degrees Celsius. The agreement wished to eventually reach carbon neutral emissions or a state of global net-zero emissions.
The Status Quo
In recent years, the topic of climate change has been receiving global attention to alleviate global warming. Global warming has many adverse effects, such as heating the ocean – a major carbon sink. As an example, coral reefs are experiencing bleaching due to raised carbon dioxide levels in the water. Because coral reefs are one of the most biologically diverse areas on the planet, this raises many issues as to how people should regulate climate change both in and out of the atmosphere.
In terms of countries and their greenhouse gas emissions, China, the United States, the United Kingdom, and India have consistently ranked as the top four emitting nations since 2018. Notably, China and the United States are the major contributors to the current global emissions.
As the second-largest greenhouse gas emitter globally, the United States has faced various challenges and implemented policies to address climate change and carbon emissions. These efforts include the Clean Energy Standard Act in 2012 to reduce power companies’ emissions in companies by implementing energy trades between companies. More implementations include taxes on emissions, carbon pricing, and various acts that were juggled back and forth between presidencies, exemplified by differing approaches to land preservation between administrations, including those of Donald Trump and Barack Obama.
China, as a leading contributor to greenhouse gasses, also worked out different policies to help reduce the effects of climate change and reduce their emissions. By 2019, their emissions from electricity and heat production had increased by 119% compared to 2005, largely ddue to the country’s rapid economic growth. mostly because of the mass economic growth the country experienced. China is also the third largest country in the world, which is attributed to its larger-scaled numbers of emissions. To combat this, China uses solar energy and wind turbines more than most countries in the world, accounting for renewable energy that can reduce possible emissions.The government has set ambitious targets, including achieving carbon neutrality by 2060 (as proposed in October 2021) and obtaining 25% of its energy from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030. They plan to strictly control coal-powered sources to eventually reach this goal of carbon neutrality.
Furthermore, other nations with substantial greenhouse gas emissions are establishing policies to mitigate climate change. European countries, such as the United Kingdom, have legally committed to cutting greenhouse gas emissions with a target of a 55% reduction by 2030. By 2050, the EU’s goal is to be carbon neutral. India, while not among the leading contributors to climate change, hopes to reach carbon neutrality by 2070. An additional example is Japan, which is not a leading cause of greenhouse gas emissions, yet still has a goal to reduce 46% of emissions by 2030.
Overall, climate change is an international issue, and therefore many nations pitch in to avoid the problem of mass global warming. In terms of effectiveness, it can be argued that the United Kingdom is creating one of the more firm and high-achieving policies, as it’s part of the EU who are enforcing stricter laws. Countries that are not part of the major global warming sources are still trying to avoid contributing further to the problem. As climate change is gathering awareness from citizens around the world, it is important to view each nation’s responses and responsibility to their own contribution to eventually stop this phenomenon altogether.
References
Birol, F., & Kant, A. (n.d.). India’s clean energy transition is rapidly underway, benefiting the entire world – analysis. IEA. https://www.iea.org/commentaries/india-s-clean-energy-transition-is-rapidly-underway-benefiting-the-entire-world
Climate Change: What the EU is Doing - Consilium. European Council. (n.d.). https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/climate-change/
Congress Climate History. Center for Climate and Energy Solutions. (2022, December 7). https://www.c2es.org/content/congress-climate-history/
Council on Foreign Relations. (n.d.). Global Climate Agreements: Successes and Failures. Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/paris-global-climate-change-agreements
European Parliamentary Research Service. (2022, October). China’s climate change policies.
Japan’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). (n.d.).
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