By Ami Gagne

“I hear no objection in the room; I declare the Paris climate agreement adopted,” former French Prime Minister Laurent Fabius said, closing the twelve-day long negotiations with these words on Dec. 12.

Representatives from over 150 nations attended the two-week meeting aimed at completing a framework for post-2020 emissions reductions. After more than twenty years of attempts, the first-ever established universal agreement included the major polluters: the United States, China and India.

The Paris Climate Agreement’s goal is to primarily limit the increase in the global average temperature below two degrees Celsius and to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Justin Gillis, climate science reporter for the New York Times insists that “if the concrete goal to stay well below 2 degrees is actually achieved, it would likely ward off some of the most severe effects of climate change.”

The historic agreement also asks the participating nations for transparency and “a framework for action and support.” Participating countries are to publish and maintain their own greenhouse gas reduction targets. The published results are to be reviewed and revised every five years, starting in 2023, to ensure the long-term goals of the agreement.

“Carbon neutrality” is also one of the established goals. According to the Paris Agreement, parties want to achieve a balance between human emissions and the removal of greenhouse gases by the second half of the century. Participating countries agreed to cut their emissions in comparison to the levels of carbon dioxide in 2005. Canada agreed to cut emissions by 30 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030. The U.S. delegation is promising to cut its emissions by 25 per cent by 2050. Russia and the European Union are also contributing by cutting their emission levels: Russia by 30 per cent and the European Union by 45 per cent, both by 2030.

GreenwashDespite this, some notable climate activists are not as hopeful about the agreement. James Hansen, former NASA climate scientist called the agreement “a fraud.”

“It’s just bullshit for them to say: ‘We’ll have a 2C warming target and then try to do a little better every five years.’ It’s just worthless words. There is no action, just promises. As long as fossil fuels appear to be the cheapest fuels out there, they will be continued to be burned [sic],” he told the Guardian in December.

However, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is much more positive about the agreement. Trudeau stated that his government is relying on scientific evidence and advice when it comes to implementing policy. In addition, Canada invested $300 million a year in funding towards clean technologies and green innovation. The deal gained the support of U.S. president Barack Obama, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and French President Francois Hollande. The Canadian government promised to spend $2.65 billion over the next five years to help developing countries reduce emissions and reduce the effects of climate change. Trudeau declared triumphantly,“Canada is back, my friends. Canada is back and here to help.”

This article first appeared in the Leveller Vol.8 No. 4 (Jan/Feb 2016).