Jude Chukwuemeka
There was relief and celebration in Paris last Saturday evening, as officials from more than 190 countries swept aside monumental differences and agreed to unanimously tackle climate change issues.
Known as the Paris Agreement, it includes emissions-slashing commitments from individual countries and promises to help poorer nations adapt to the damaging effects of a warming world. Negotiators also agreed on measures to revise, strengthen, and scrutinize countries’ contributions going forward.
Secretary of State John Kerry during the final session of the summit said “It’s a victory for all of the planet and for future generations.”
The Paris Agreement includes commitments to slash emissions and help poor countries adapt to warming.
These days, concerns about climate change are intensified all over the world. Countries gear up toward reducing carbon emission, while world leaders, policy makers, governments and corporate organisations have been urged to increase their efforts and accelerate actions in a bid to tackle the threat posed by climate change.
In a survey carried out by climate change experts, it is claimed that “91 percent of business leaders believe that climate change is an urgent priority for businesses and that progress is on track to restrict global warming to less than 2 degree Celsius, while 66 percent believe business is not doing enough to tackle climate change.”
In addition to that, 70 percent of leaders from the world’s largest companies “see opportunities for growth and innovation, 67 percent report a clear business case for action, while 69 percent see investment in climate solutions as essential to competitive advantage.”
However, the dark areas reveal that just one-third of business leaders surveyed believe that progress is on track to restrict global warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius (2C)—and just one-third believe that companies in their industry are doing enough.”
Climate change is a momentous threat to development, to peace and security, and to market stability. While the pace of action by governments, businesses, and society at large has increased, our efforts, individually and collectively, must be accelerated further if the threat of catastrophic climate change is to be removed effectively. That in itself is a big challenge because it will require enabling action on the part of governments and policymakers in order to fight climate change.
Joint efforts on the part of government and stakeholders will result in great results as business leaders are moving to innovate climate solutions and adopt low-carbon business models, while companies in every industry sector are already realizing opportunities for growth and innovation in addressing climate challenge.
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