The 2019 UN General Assembly (Photo credit: Getty Images)
At this year’s United Nations general assembly session, delegates from the 193 member countries met to discuss global events, coordinate with the security council, and elect non-council members. The two-week meeting took place in New York from September 14 to September 30. Among debates over COVID-19 and the global economy were discussions about how to deal with the climate crisis.
In a video message from September 16, the UN’s Secretary-General António Guterres stated, “We have reached a tipping point on the need for climate action. The disruption to our climate and our planet is already worse than we thought, and it is moving faster than predicted.”
Global warming will intensify over the next 30 years, and the planet has already warmed by at least one degree Celsius. Climate change displaced millions of people and exacerbated natural disasters, as seen by devastating fire seasons, lethal heat waves, and extreme droughts and floods.
Although it is expected that global warming will rise to around 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2050 no matter what, if nations shift rapidly away from fossil fuels and work to remove carbon from the air, 1.5 degrees can be a ceiling for global warming. A volte-face of this magnitude would especially depend on coordinated efforts from the top three greenhouse gas emitters: China, the European Union, and the United States. These three contribute to 41.5% of total global emissions. At the general assembly, their leaders outlined their plans to combat climate change.
President Xi Jinping of China announced that China would not build new coal-fired power projects abroad. As the biggest producer of coal, China taking this initiative is a great step. Still, it is concerning that Mr. Xi did not say anything about restricting domestic coal-fired power plants.
The EU will continue its commitment to reducing emissions to 45% by 2030 and eventually achieve a climate-neutral state by 2050. Its policies to combat climate change especially focus on limiting car emissions. Like the US, the EU will increase its aid, pledging $100 billion per year until 2025.
President Joe Biden revealed his administration’s plan to double aid in combating climate change to lower-income countries. If approved, $11.4 billion would annually be pledged to this effort. However, Congress needs to first approve the spending, and with Democrats holding only a slim majority in the Senate, it is uncertain whether the plan will be passed.
UN Ambassador TS Tirumurti of India, the second-largest producer of coal worldwide, also presented the country’s progress in fighting climate change. India is the only G-20 country on track to reach its Paris targets.
The Paris targets are the goals of the Paris Agreement, an international treaty adopted by 197 countries in 2015 at the United Nations Climate Change Conference. The three main aims were to limit the increase in global average temperature to below two degrees Celsius, foster climate resilience while lowering greenhouse gas emissions development, and create a climate-resilient economy.
Parties of the pact have made some progress on combating climate change, but these past years have revealed that these efforts are largely inadequate. As climate change intensifies, it is important that high-income countries support lower-income nations and realize that combating climate change depends on cooperation. Discussions about climate change at this general assembly are indicative of the upcoming debates at the United Nations Climate Change Conference at the end of October.
