Reaction to world agreement on climate change COP-21

There was a great deal of emotion and even joy in Paris as the extended world gathering reached a deal on climate change action.

The new deal seeks to keep global warming below an increase of 2 degrees Celsius, and actually strive for a limit of 1.5 C increase.

David Miller is the  President and CEO of the World Wildlife Fund Canada, a group long advocating for species protection which is intimately tied with issues of global warming and climate change.

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The new international deal was agreed to by the almost 200 nations in attendance.

It calls for billions of dollars annually to be provided to developing countries to help in creating policies and technologies limiting greenhouse gas emissions. Developed countries would also establish national emissions targets and take the lead in reducing emissions, and in development and sharing of new greener technologies.

Those national emissions targets by developed countries will be reviewed before 2020 and every five years afterward.

David Miller article- Climate Change and species threat

David Miller says although not legally binding as such, there is a morally binding aspect to the accord and that all of the nations had submitted plans as to the role they would play in limiting global warming.

Although WWF is concerned with primarily with species protection, Miller points out that warming and climate change are a primary cause of species decline and this agreement is critical in that regard.  WWF- Canada is particularly active in northern issues.

He also points out that the deal recognizes the differential affects of warming and climate change on various regions of the world. He specifically points out that the Arctic is one of the areas in the world most affected by warming, both for marine and mammal life, and for indigenous peoples.

Miller says the road to get -to Paris- and this point of a strong world agreement was long and hard, but now the question is how to proceed –from- Paris.  He notes there were a number of side events  including a “cities” forum which he attended, and said this showed that other levels of governments were already moving forward and not waiting for national-level action but were eager to proceed themselves.

The WWF is also of course extremely concerned about habitat destruction, which is often intimately related to emissions issues. This can be for example  through the actions of resource extraction companies, or through forest and jungle destruction for monoculture crops such as palm oil.

He says that he is optimistic that the conference and this new international covenant will provide the impetus for all kinds of initiatives to now move forward towards reducing greenhouse gas, and limiting warming.