The issue of carbon neutrality has become one of the most pressing global concerns in recent decades as the world faces increasingly severe consequences of climate change. To address this global challenge, governments, organizations, and leaders worldwide have engaged in a series of international agreements and commitments with the goal of reducing carbon emissions and achieving carbon neutrality.
The first international agreement on climate change was the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), adopted in 1992. The UNFCCC set the objective of stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that prevents dangerous interference with human activity.
In 1997, the Kyoto Protocol, a supplementary agreement to the UNFCCC, established emission reduction targets for industrialized countries. The Kyoto Protocol came into effect in 2005 but was abandoned by the United States in 2001 and subsequently by other countries, such as Russia.
In 2015, the Paris Agreement was adopted, setting a new global goal in combating climate change: limiting global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and striving to keep the temperature increase to 1.5°C. The Paris Agreement also introduced the concept of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which are emission reduction targets assumed by each country.
The COP26 held in Glasgow in 2021 marked significant progress in advancing international commitments on climate change. At COP26, countries agreed to increase their emission reduction targets, accelerate the transition to renewable energies, and enhance funding for adaptation and mitigation.
Some key commitments made at COP26 include:
The goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 was adopted by over 140 countries, including China, the United States, and the European Union.
An agreement was made to reduce methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas, by 30% by 2030.
A new fund was established to support the transition to renewable energies in developing countries.
Despite the progress made, there are still many challenges to overcome to achieve carbon neutrality. One of the primary challenges is the transition to renewable energies. Renewable energies like solar and wind are increasingly competitive but still represent a relatively small portion of the global energy matrix.
Another challenge is the need for investment in carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies. CCS is a technology that captures CO2 from the atmosphere or emission sources and stores it in deep geological formations. CCS is crucial for achieving carbon neutrality but remains a relatively costly and not widely available technology.
The goal of achieving carbon neutrality is ambitious but feasible. With the support of international agreements and commitments, investments in low-carbon technologies, and changes in individual and collective behaviors, it is possible to build a more sustainable future for the planet.
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