First International Agreement Made To Pump The Brakes On Climate Change

Image: Shutterstock/Tatiana Grozetskaya

First International Agreement Made To Pump The Brakes On Climate Change

This past Saturday, the nations that gathered at the Paris Climate Change Conference signed the first international agreement to limit human-driven climate change. This is the first time in history that nearly 200 countries agreed together to cut back the amount of carbon dioxide they release into the air, as well as agreeing to increase the amount at which they’re cutting back each year. The group also committed to keeping global temperatures in check. A previous international aim was to keep the rise in global temperatures below two degrees Celsius, but the new goal is to cap global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius. This is the most ambitious goal that has been made around global warming to date. They pledged $100 billion annually to help developing countries meet their environmental goals as well.

The question everyone’s been asking during these climate talks is, are we going to be okay?

While the answer is more complicated than yes or no, negotiators primarily want to convey that our nations’ leaders are serious about building a greener future, and that everyone else better jump on board too. This includes banks, investors, and the barons of Capital. In other words, they’re waving red flags for fossil fuel businesses and encouraging people to see the opportunity of renewable energy in the future…starting now.

This historical event does more for earth than clean up our bad-for-the-environment habits. The Paris Climate Change Conference brought together many nations to agree upon one thing. This act speaks volumes today as people need to see various nations joining together behind a common cause. Now that the long climate talks are officially over, it’s finally time for our world leaders to act upon their agreements.