All G20 members join Paris Agreement: an important consensus

Turkey’s parliament ratified the Paris climate agreement on October 6, making it the last G20 country to do so, after holding off for years, paving the way for efforts to curb Earth’s temperature rise.

At a session of the Turkish Parliament. (Photo: AFP/VNA)
At a session of the Turkish Parliament. (Photo: AFP/VNA)

The results of the latest survey of people in G20 countries show that nearly 75% of respondents believe that the world is nearing a “tipping point”, with rapid, large-scale changes causing serious consequences for the climate and the natural environment, which are mainly caused by human activities such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation.

Also about 75% of the respondents agreed that economies should not only focus on profits and growth, but more concerned with recreating the ecosystem.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also showed the need to quickly change human behaviour. The post-recovery process is considered a “golden time” to build a strong society that is more resilient to future shocks.

The above survey results confirmed the fact that G20 countries need to act in a more drastic manner in the fight against climate change, especially at the 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26), scheduled to take place in the UK in early November.

The signatories of the Paris Agreement have pledged to limit the increase in global temperatures to no more than 2 degrees Celsius and, where possible, ideally to 1.5 degrees above the average temperature recorded in the 19th century.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), if the planet's temperature increases by 2 degrees Celsius, the number of people facing extreme heat waves will double.

The frequency of heat waves would be quadrupled with a 1.5-degree Celsius increase in global temperature, and would increase nearly 6 times over with a rise of 2-degree Celsius increase.

In addition, between 7% and 10% of agricultural land would become uncultivable and the world will face dire consequences.

Turkey's adoption of the Paris Agreement marked an important consensus of the entire group of leading economies in the world's commitment to protecting the green planet.

The earth is approaching a “tipping point”, which is also the time when the G20 countries need to fulfil their commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions, as well as support poorer countries in the fight against climate change.