#ClimateChange; 1 Celsius warmer than pre-Industrial times, are we close to the end of the world?
Did you know that the earth has already warmed by more than 1 degree Celsius in comparison to preindustrial times? For decades, scientists have been warning us about climate change, warning that each fraction of additional warming could increase disasters ranging from frequent flooding to extreme wildfires and heatwaves.
The Secretary-General of the United Nations mentions in his speeches before, “The world remains way off target in staying within the 1.5-degree limit of the Paris Agreement,” to the Member States. In line with the Paris Agreement, climate change has become this year’s main topic of the United Nations General Assembly held in New York, this 21–24 September.
So, what happened in the meeting?
China surprised everyone by stating that they would refrain from constructing new coal-fired power plants overseas. This statement is said by President Xi Jinping in his speech and added that China would increase support for other developing nations in their efforts to develop green and low-carbon energy sources.
“China will strive to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060,” he pledged.
America also shows its concern for this issue, by mentioning that the U.S. will double its climate aid finance to $11.4 billion. Not only China and America, but all nations also work hand in hand to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change.
Nice. Then, what is Indonesia’s contribution to this issue?
Sadly, Indonesia needs more effort to reach the Paris Agreement target, decreasing global warmth to 1.5°C temperature limit. According to The Climate Action Tracker analysis (last updated in July 2021), CAT rates Indonesia’s climate targets and policies as “highly insufficient”.
By far, Indonesia’s policy and actions that have been made aren’t enough to fulfill the target, and if several countries follow our steps, the warming could reach over 2°C. If this continues to happen, are we close to the end of the world?
References
China headed towards carbon neutrality by 2060; President Xi Jinping. (2021, September 22). UN News. https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/09/1100642
2021 a ‘crucial year’ for climate change, UN chief tells Member States. (2021, February 11). UN News. https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/02/1084132
Dennis, B., & Mufson, S. (2021, September 20). As they gather at U.N., world leaders face furious push to act quickly on climate change. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2021/09/19/climate-change-united-nations/
Indonesia. (n.d.). Climate Action Tracker. Retrieved October 2, 2021, from https://climateactiontracker.org/countries/indonesia/
