The Paris Agreement on Climate Change: Is it Worth Following? (Essay Sample)

The Paris Agreement on Climate Change: Is it Worth Following?
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The Paris Agreement on Climate Change: Is it Worth Following?
The Paris Agreement is a landmark international treaty on climate change adopted by nearly all nations of the earth at the 21st Conference of Parties (COP 21) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The goal of the Paris Agreement is to address the negative impacts of climate change by limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius or lower (Ackerman & Stanton, 2008). Countries aim to reach this ambitious long-term temperature goal by reducing global emissions by 60 to 80 percent below the 2005 levels by 2050 (Ackerman & Stanton, 2008). Countries have committed to assisting each other in climate adaptation and mitigation efforts through capacity building and financial and technical support (UNFCCC, n.d.). The agreement provides a framework for transparency in tracking the progress of countries’ implementation of its provisions (UNFCCC, n.d.). Although the Paris Agreement on Climate Change has been hailed as a turning point in global climate action, some have argued that the agreement is ineffective. Opponents argue that the terms of the agreement are difficult and costly to enforce and that there are no legal ramifications for countries that fail to meet their targets (Ki-Moon & Stavins, 2017). In light of the supporting and opposing viewpoints, governments have had to consider whether it is worth following the agreement. However, it is worth adhering to the agreement as its potential economic, social, and health benefits outweigh its implementation costs.
The Paris Agreement is a global endeavor to tackle global warming and climate change. The steady accumulation of greenhouses