Negotiators Reach a Deal to Keep Paris Climate Agreement Alive

Diplomats from nearly 200 countries reached a deal to keep the Paris climate agreement alive. The newly agreed-upon pact implements new rules that will be required to follow for all signing countries.

The deal will eventually require all the countries in the world to follow a guideline of standards that will monitor planet-warming emissions and climate policies. Countries are expected to decrease emissions leading up to another round of talks in 2020. 

The pact also calls on economically viable countries to monitor the aid they’re providing to poorer countries, as many of the latter are more likely to feel the cataclysmic effects of climate change. The aid is meant to augment clean energy technologies in these countries, and build natural disaster relief. 

Despite Trump’s assertion that the United States was going to withdraw from the climate agreement, the United States agreed to the deal. The United States cannot abandon the agreement until 2020, which diplomats argued would hopefully push the administration to change their stance or allow time for a different administration to take office.

Jake Schmidt, international policy director at the Natural Resources Defense Council, explained “The U.S. got a clear methodology to make sure that China and India are meeting their targets,” he said. “That creates the level playing field they have been asking for.” 

While many have expressed contentment with the deal’s outcome, others have criticized certain elements which fail to properly tackle the imminent threat of climate change. However, reaching consensus on matters dealing with climate change is not an easy feat.