The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change that differs from the Kyoto Protocol. While the latter focused solely on the role of developed countries in their emission reduction plans and targets, the Paris Agreement committed all countries, both developed and developing countries, to combat climate change and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The Paris Agreement was adopted by 196 parties in 2015 and officially entered into force in 2016. The aim of the agreement is to reduce the increase in global temperature below 2 degrees Celsius (and preferably 1.5 degrees). It operates with an increasingly ambitious five-year cycle of climate action, and by 2024, countries must transparently report on actions to be taken. The main reason Turkey refused to ratify the deal was Ankara`s belief that Turkey should not be considered a « developed » country under the rules of the Paris Agreement – with all the additional obligations that come with it – as this would only put more pressure and a heavier burden on its already struggling economy. In recent weeks, we have seen a wave of regional announcements from Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signaling their intention to become carbon-free economies by mid-century. A few months earlier, Israel had also announced a « near zero » carbon plan by pledging to reduce its emissions by 85% in 30 years. Iran is now the only regional power that has not yet developed an ambitious climate target or even ratified the Paris Agreement. Since the Paris Agreement, Oman has developed a national strategy for climate change adaptation and response mechanisms to tropical cyclones, rising temperatures and sea level rise. Two years after the agreement, Oman has created a framework for climate change initiatives and priorities in the areas of water resources, agriculture, sea and fisheries, urban areas, health and energy efficiency.
It also began with « serious structural reforms and transformative measures » towards a low-carbon economy and low-carbon development, Oman said in its second NDC report in July. But the question remains: after five years, what progress have countries made in implementing the 2015 agreement? Eleven countries from the MENA region participated in the 21. Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC, where countries negotiated the Paris Agreement, an agreement with the United Nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In 2021, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Libya and Yemen are the only countries in the world that have not ratified the agreement. [69] Morocco has set its national contribution at a reduction in emissions from 17% to 42% and has set itself the goal of having 52% renewable energy in its total installed electricity generation capacity by 2050. [70] The share of renewable energy reached 28% in 2018 and is currently recognized by the United Nations as being on track to meet its renewable energy targets. [71] Despite the ratification of the agreement, the United Arab Emirates has not specified emission reductions in its Nationally Determined Contribution. The United Nations classified its NDC target as « severely inadequate. » [72] The water level of the Darbandikhan dam in northeastern Iraq dropped by 7. 5 meters in a year, with officials blaming neighboring Iran. All photos: AFP The main objective of the Paris Agreement is to limit global warming to well below 2°C and to aim for 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. This includes, among other things, achieving net-zero carbon by mid-century. Meanwhile, Qatar is developing the Al Kharsaah Solar Photovoltaic IPP Project, an 800 megawatt peak (MWp) solar power plant that will be built 80 km west of Doha.
The project was awarded to a consortium composed of Total (49%) and Marubeni (51%) following the country`s first solar tender. State-owned Qatar Petroleum has released its new Sustainability Strategy Report, which sets out several goals in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement. The plans call for a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. The report also claims to reduce the emissions intensity of the country`s LNG power plants by 25 percent and upstream facilities by at least 15 percent. It also aims to reduce the intensity of the torch in upstream installations by more than 75%. However, Turkey chose to ratify the agreement only as a developing country, although it falls under Annex I of the Convention group applicable to industrialized countries that were members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 1992. It could be argued that the ratification decision and its timetable are intended only to receive financial assistance, especially since the aid is granted on the basis of the status of the ratifying country. Designation as a developing country would thus allow Turkey to assume less responsibility in strengthening its emission reduction targets for 2030 and mid-century. It would also give Turkey more time and a slower path in reducing emissions. This, in turn, could also suggest that Turkey`s net-zero target for 2053 is unrealistic. In a scathing critique of the government`s policy last month, the State of Israel`s auditor drew up a list of failures in recent years.
« Israel is one of the few countries in the world that does not act on the basis of a budgeted and approved national adaptation plan, » the review said. The analysis blamed disagreements between the ministries for delaying action and warned that Israel « has not yet internalized the risks of climate change to the economy and financial system. » Although Turkey signed the Paris Agreement in 2016, it refrained from ratifying it for five years. This finally happened on October 6, 2021, when 353 members of the Turkish parliament voted unanimously in favor of it, making it the last G20 country to ratify the agreement just weeks before the start of the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26). Turkey has also set itself a goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2053. As a result, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, developed countries have made more commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Some countries are also establishing long-term strategies to achieve zero carbon by mid-century, including the European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States, China, Canada and South Korea. However, the ingenuity of the agreement has only emerged in recent years, when it has begun to increase competition between nations in order to revise their commitments upwards. When the global transformation to a low-carbon world seemed inevitable, many countries realized that by engaging in ambitious climate action, sooner or later they would be better placed to shape this new world rather than be shaped by it.
Many countries also thought they could establish themselves as the primary players in climate diplomacy as global or regional leaders. .
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