International Response To Climate Change: United Front Or No Front?

United Front or No Front
Climate change is not an issue that has been initiated by certain countries and not others. It is not an issue that a couple of countries must deal with or that only certain countries feel the effects of. Climate change is an international problem that every country has contributed to. In order for there to be an effective international response to this fast growing issue, every country needs to do their appropriate part. Without the “international cooperation and coordination, some states may free ride on others ' efforts, or even exploit uneven emissions controls to gain [a] competitive advantage” (“Global Climate…”). While there have been some clear leaders in leading the international response to climate change,

One of those leaders, the United States, has taken a leading role by advancing initiatives domestically as well as abroad. The largest efforts include reducing carbon emissions, which in the United States have fallen to their lowest levels in nearly twenty years. The United States is working diligently with other nations to help them reduce their carbon emissions as well. Last year the U.S. and China, who together account for “45 percent of the world’s greenhouse-gas emissions,” announced some of their plans to combat climate change (Nakamura). China looks to cap its carbon emissions, while the U.S. “target[s] to cut U.S. emissions 26 to 28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025” (Nakamura). This historic agreement provides a great opportunity for momentum with international climate change negotiations. Another leader that has promoted an international response to climate change has been Europe. While the United Nations attempts to cut greenhouse gasses by 60% by 2050, Europe will agree to a “40% [reduction in carbon emissions] by 2030” (King). Officials in Europe are encouraging leaders of all major economies to adopt similar ambitious goals in the area of carbon emissions since it is these countries that typically have the highest carbon

The Paris Climate Change Conference is set to begin on November 30, 2015 and end December 11, 2015. At the Conference there is hope to build a “Paris Climate Alliance” that will negotiate a universal agreement, require each country to present its national contributions, help finance developing countries “towards low carbon resilient economies” and “strengthen the commitments of civil society and nongovernmental stakeholders” (“COP 21…”). Hopefully, the conference will provide an opportunity for all the countries in attendance to come together to from a new international agreement for the climate. However, in order for this agreement to be successful, it must first be applicable to all countries and be able to adapt to the specifications of each country. The agreement must also be sustainable, must have a balance between modification and adaptation, and must be ambitious to send the “necessary signals to launch the transition to a low-carbon economy” (“COP 21…”). This conference is extremely important as this issue continues to grow exponentially. There is a “variance between commitment and action [which] remains an obstacle to the development of a comprehensive solution” (“Global Climate…”). If an international agreement on the climate was established, each country would be held