Source:
https://scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1885963/any-carbon-emissions-deal-paris-only-first-step
Comment/ Opinion

Any carbon emissions deal in Paris is only a first step

Yoriko Kawaguchi, Shyam Saran and Erna Witoelar say the UN summit should enable more ambitious action to follow, as a lot more must be done to meet the governance challenges arising from climate change

Members of Non-Governmental Organisation "Friends of the Earth" demonstrate during the United Nations conference on climate change COP21, on December 1, 2015 at Le Bourget, on the outskirts of French capital Paris. More than 150 world leaders are meeting under heightened security, for the 21st Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21/CMP11), also known as “Paris 2015” from November 30 to December 11. / AFP / LOIC VENANCE

With every passing year, humanity’s impact on the climate is ever more stark, and a growing number of global actors now recognise the need for immediate action.

The prospects of success at the climate summit in Paris have brightened, in particular as a result of important pledges on mitigation by major emitters such as the US and China. While these pledges still fall short of the scale of effort required, the summit should put in place a template that enables more ambitious climate action.