Cameroon: An Irreversible Commitment

opinion

Thomas Paine, the English-American political activist, philosopher, political theorist and revolutionary said it in one of his write-ups in 1776; "These are the times that try men's souls." One of the greatest trying moments for countries of the World is global warming, the significant increase in the overall temperature of the earth's atmosphere generally attributed to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide, CFCs, and other pollutants. Countries with heavy industries have largely been blamed for the emission of CFCs and so largely responsible for the situation which has resulted into what is now referred to as "climate Change" The signing of the Agreement on Climate Change in Paris by nearly 200 countries was hope rekindling considering the wind of determination that threaded through participants. The deal was so far regarded by many as an achievement in itself and has been hailed as historic. In Paris, they agreed to; keep global temperatures well below 2.0C above pre-industrial times and endeavour to limit them even more, to 1.5C, limit the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by human activity to the same levels that trees, soil and oceans can absorb naturally, beginning at some point between 2050 and 2100, review each country's contribution to cutting emissions every five years so they scale up to the challenge and rich countries to help poorer nations by providing "climate finance" to adapt to climate change and switch to renewable energy. Barely two years after the agreement and at the moment nations were thinking about the milestone covered, United States' new President, Donald Trump, announced he is pulling his country out of the deal. Irrespective of the consequences this pull-out may bring, the rest of the signatory countries have expressed their determination to continue with the fight. The European Union meeting in Brussels rejected Donald Trump's offer to renegotiate the Paris Climate Agreement and pledged instead to bypass Washington to work with US business leaders and state governors to implement the historic accord's commitments. China, the leading producer of CFCs is determined to implement the Paris agreement. This new wave of determination is much more assuring as the World looks with expectation for some readjustments to cover the gap that might be created by the withdrawal of the United States. Of particular interest is the mobilisation of funds. Money, it should be recalled has been a sticking point in the Paris Deal. Developing countries say they need financial and technological help to leapfrog fossil fuels and move straight to renewables. They have been promised 100 billion US dollars a year by 2020. The deal says wealthy countries should continue to provide financial support for poor nations to cope with climate change and encourages other countries to join in on a voluntary basis. This is where the show pinches most.

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