World leaders from 175 countries signed a landmark climate change agreement in Paris today. Some question whether the agreement is ambitious enough to deliver on its promise to fight climate change. In the New York Times, the Union of Concerned Scientists notes that the high number of countries involved indicates momentum, “But there is still a lot of work to do, not just in the U.S. but around the world, to nail down these domestic actions.”
In RFF’s blog series, Questions for COP 21: Before Paris and After, RFF experts pose several questions that have been confronting negotiators and ministers, and suggest how the process might address them:
- What can the international process achieve going forward?
- What decisions can best promote progress?
- How will science, technology, policy and process contribute to managing climate risks?
There also remains a question about how mitigation efforts will be measured. In Resources, RFF’s Joe Aldy of Harvard and Billy Pizer of Duke University write: “Because no single metric does well in meeting all the principles, we recommend a portfolio approach that assesses countries’ estimated emissions levels, emissions abatement, carbon and energy price effects, and costs of implementation.”
RFF on the Issues connects today’s pressing news with related research and expertise at RFF.
