Nearly 200 nations agree for the first time to transition away from fossil fuels. A step in the right direction with spirit of cooperation but it is a small step. In 2015, nations agreed to limit global warming to 1.5 degree Celsius above pre-industrial times. Despite ramping up of renewable power and energy efficiency to reduce emissions, warming has reached 1.2 degrees Celsius above the mid 1800s. Temperatures are trending up, not stabilizing due to large amounts of CO2 that has collected in the atmosphere that would continue to warm even if we stop burning fossil fuels today.
Like the Paris Accord, these agreements by nations are non-binding and aspirational. The COP28 agreement allows loopholes to powerful oil producing countries.
What can citizens of these countries do? Reach out to your lawmakers, demand investments and policies to lower use of fossil fuels for improvement to health and well-being of people.
Kalpana Sutaria
Project Manager, City of Austin and Austin Metro Chapter, Citizens’ Climate Lobby
Submitted to the Austin American-Statesman