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Let’s finish the job the

world demands of us

By Patricia Espinosa

We need to unleash the full potential of the Paris Agreement to prevent suffering and
seize the opportunity of a low-emissions future.

The special report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate It’s one of the biggest challenges humanity has ever faced. This
Change unequivocally states that the world is not on track to was clearly recognized by heads of states at the recent general
limiting global temperature rise to 1.5C, as outlined in the Paris assembly in New York.
Agreement - and the window to achieve this is closing rapidly. They stressed this point as the most important threat we face
We’re almost out of time. collectively as humanity. The message couldn’t be clearer.

It’s not rhetoric, it’s reality. It’s not politics, it’s science. And it’s But, we’re moving in the wrong direction. The International
not a suggestion, it’s a warning: a warning that we are in danger Energy Agency tells us that energy sector carbon emissions will
of running out of time before runaway climate change is beyond rise again in 2018, after hitting record levels in 2017.
our control.
This is illogical, irresponsible and—if things don’t change—
This is frightening for everyone. And people throughout the world completely irreversible. That’s why Cop24 must be a success.
have made it very clear. They expect their representatives to do
something about it. We have several goals to achieve, but one stands above all others:
finalizing the Paris Agreement work programme.
Crucially, the report tells us that time remains to limit climate
change. But only if we work with unprecedented speed, fulfill We should be confident that we will be able to approve the work
the Paris Agreement, and re-commit ourselves to the multilateral programme. But I am worried.
process.

The officials responsible for coordinating the Paris Agreement work programme. Photo by IISD/Kiara Worth (enb.iisd.org/climate/sb48-2/4sep.html)

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