Only six of the 22 countries surveyed are moving forward with The Paris Agreement, according to a new Climate Scorecard report.
Climate Scorecard compiled a comprehensive report on the status of the Paris Agreement in the Top Greenhouse Gas Emitting Countries. This report ranks each country as “Moving Forward”, “Standing Still”, or “Falling Behind” in terms of their current efforts to implement the Paris Agreement.
Of the 22 countries that the organisation evaluated, six are Moving Forward, four are Standing Still and 12 are Falling Behind.
“Contact your nation’s President or Prime Minister, and Environment Secretary. Ask them to do everything possible to see that your country increases its emissions reduction pledge to the Paris Agreement and fully implements its existing pledge. Such efforts are needed if the Paris Agreement is to fulfill its goals and keep our planet from warming beyond the 1.5 degree Celsius tipping point,” say Ron Israel and Lois Barber, Co-Directors of Climate Scorecard.
They are of the view that perhaps the lack of progress can be “mitigated somewhat by the efforts being made by some of the largest greenhouse gas emitting countries/regions, such as China, India, and the European Union.
“Until recently we could include the US in the Moving Forward category but President Trump’s decision to withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement now puts the US as Falling Behind. Hopefully, emission reduction commitments being made by US states, cities, and businesses to honour the US pledge to the Paris Agreement will offset President Trump’s decision at the federal level,” they add.
The Climate Scorecard Report suggests that all countries have much work to do to honour their commitments to the Paris Agreement.
“Unless more countries increase their emission reduction goals and strengthen their policies, the Paris Agreement is in danger of not fulfilling its important mission. The effort to combat the Paris Agreement is a global one, and requires the active engagement of all countries.”
Climate Scorecard is a coordination of efforts by non-profit organisations The Global Citizens’ Initiative and EarthAction. An international team of university-based experts, environmental graduate students, and young professionals serve as Country Managers, who report on critical activity in the top 25 greenhouse gas-emitting countries, and track implementation of the Paris Agreement.
