UN climate summit in Paris, a global opportunity

We are about eight months away from what has the potential to be one of the most important meetings human beings have ever conducted. In November and December 2015 delegations from nearly 200 countries will gather with the goal to reach an agreement on greenhouse gas emissions reductions at the UN climate summit in Paris. While bureaucracy and politics have hindered a binding agreement with verifiable targets in the past, that can’t be an option this time. Building on the slow progress of years of previous meetings in Copenhagen, Lima, and Kyoto and other locations, delegates are in an ideal position this time around to such a historic agreement. It is incumbent upon us to ensure that they not only reach an agreement, but that they reach an agreement that will actually enable the biosphere and humanity to avoid the worst dangers of climate change. A recent report by the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change warns that current pledges by major emitters like the US, EU, and China will not be enough to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. We have to use the time leading up to the meeting to make sure that the delegations improve their pledges.