Key Challenges for Joe Biden

This agreement has now become a part of history that on the day when people in America were rejecting Donald Trump‘s policies with the power of their vote, the very next day i.e. on November 4, America formally signed the most important agreements like the ‘Paris Agreement‘. withdrew from and thus the negative perception of America around the world…

The 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump, will be remembered in history as a president who freed his country from all international agreements and sanctions, ignoring the biggest challenge of the 21st century, i.e. climate change.

The most important of these agreements was the ‘Paris Agreement’, which he requested the United Nations to withdraw from in 2019, which was approved a year later, and this was the day before the Americans voted against Trump and his policies. was rejected.

The new expected President Joe Biden has been active in American politics in one way or another for the last 50 years and finally the year 2020 brought him a message of happiness and the power sat on his head.

A major part of his presidential campaign consisted of promises to improve the environment. Joe Biden said that he will make the United States a part of the Paris Agreement again after being elected president. But experts in the field believe that it will be even more difficult for Joe Biden to implement the US joining the Paris Agreement, for which he may face strong resistance from the industrial sector.

What is the Paris Agreement?

In the 1950s, discussions and work had started regarding the protection of the environment around the world. The effects of unsustainable development were beginning to show in the form of climate change and anxiety was growing worldwide. For the first time in this regard, the United Nations took a big step and established a global organization called the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1995, under which various efforts of a serious nature regarding the environment and sustainable development. It started. The most important among them was the holding of Conference of Parties. It was a global gathering of heads of state (Conference of Parties) which is held every year in different countries.

2015 can be considered a milestone in this journey of environmental protection when the world agreed on a unique and strong agreement at the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) held in Paris, which was named the ‘Paris Agreement’. This agreement was signed by around 184 countries of the world including Pakistan.

Under the Paris Agreement, all countries agreed to reduce carbon emissions to reduce the effects of climate change and to lower temperatures by 2 degrees to match pre-industrial levels. According to the agreement, all countries will reduce their use of fossil fuels such as gas, coal and oil, which are a major cause of greenhouse gas emissions, as well as a green fund for small and environmentally vulnerable countries. will also be established.

People protesting for climate protection

But the sad thing is that all the rich countries that were responsible for the emission of greenhouse gases at the global level were reluctant to accept this agreement and there are various excuses in this regard, but this agreement America’s sudden withdrawal was a negative message for the whole world.

President Trump was an adamant climate change denier, perhaps because of the Republican Party’s support for multinational corporations involved in greenhouse gas emissions. Donald Trump’s denial of climate change is considered a denial of science.

Environmental Protection Agreements and Joe Biden’s Troubles

Experts believe that Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have impressed people with their eco-friendly campaign, but it will not be easy to undo the damage that Donald Trump has done to the global environmental campaign.

In addition, he could face stiff opposition from the Republican-dominated Senate when he takes office in January to decide on his strategy to tackle fossil fuel shortages.

America’s environment-friendly circles believe that concrete and final decisions in this regard will determine the right direction and the world will be able to believe in America. In this regard, Biden will have to adopt the strategy of ‘Net Zero Emission’ by 2050. In addition, they have to strengthen the role of science in American policies, which Trump has greatly damaged by his irresponsibility.

In Pakistan too, happiness was expressed on the election of Joe Biden in every circle of thought. Malik Amin Aslam, Special Adviser to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on Climate Change, says that ‘Joe Biden’s election as the US President is a positive change. Joe Biden will again be part of the Paris Agreement which is very welcome and will send a positive message around the world. America has a key role in the environmental scenario and global progress in this regard will be able to find a right direction.

Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris may find it difficult to back down from Donald Trump’s decisions

He says, ‘Donald Trump was against climate change, as if he did not believe in science, so it is a welcome sign to have a person in the White House, who not only believes in climate change but also in this regard. He also wants to play his positive role.

Dr. Abid Silhari, head of Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), a Pakistani think tank, also considers the change of president in America, especially the election of Biden, as a positive change. He says, ‘America’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement was a shock to the entire campaign for environmental protection. A central point of Joe Biden’s campaign was that the US would rejoin the agreement and continue clean and green growth while working on carbon reduction.

Abid Silhari says, ‘America is a big economy that can be an example for the whole world with its environment-friendly measures. If clean energy (solar, hydro and wind) technology becomes common in a country like America, surely this technology will also reach a small country like Pakistan because the cost of mass production will surely come down.

According to Danish Mustafa, an environmental expert associated with King’s College London, ‘Joe Biden’s election as president is not only good news for America, but for the whole world. America’s return to the Paris Agreement is certainly welcome.

He added that the news of Donald Trump’s defeat is equally happy for people involved in the field of environment and climate change, as well as for universities, scientific and research institutions, because Trump also stopped all funding in this regard. was given’.

Dr. Pervez Amir, an agricultural expert and the head of Pakistan Water Partnership, also supported Danish Mustafa and said that the real crisis occurred at the rational and conscious level during Trump’s 4-year tenure. Not only were they deniers of science, but they also cut off funding to academic institutions for scientific research, even NASA funding’.

Climate Change and World Attitudes

Not only America, but all developed countries are in denial about climate change and even if they admit it, they are not ready to do anything to prevent it. According to the 2018 report on climate change prepared by hundreds of organizations and thousands of scientists and experts associated with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a subsidiary of the United Nations, the emission of greenhouse gases has increased the temperature of the earth. has been and if the temperature of the planet increases by an average of one and a half degree centigrade, it will become more difficult for life on earth to breathe.

Scientists have a clear opinion that as the world is growing in the opposite direction of nature, it is possible that by the end of this century the temperature of the earth will rise up to 3 degrees Celsius and no form of life will be possible on earth.

Cutting carbon emissions to reduce temperatures is unaffordable to any developed country because it means cutting back on fossil fuels and reining in the economy. This is the reason why America, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait completely rejected this report and other countries also continued to hesitate to accept it.

The US has already applied to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. Regarding this report, the newly elected Prime Minister of Brazil went two steps ahead of Trump, and he said that climate change is not real, it is a group of Marxists who are misleading the world.

The indiscriminate industrial development and indiscriminate use of mineral fuels by these rich and developed countries have caused serious threats to the smaller countries. These rich countries deal with all kinds of threats due to their stable economy, but the countries with weak economy seem to be facing the threat of their survival.

Pakistan ranks a very low 135th among the greenhouse gas producing countries, but we are ranked fifth among the countries most vulnerable to climate change. An important objective of the Paris Agreement was to establish a fund for the protection of such small countries. The year 2020 was very important in this regard. Important decisions were to be taken in this year’s conference, but unfortunately, due to the corona virus, it will not be possible to hold the Conference of Parties this year.

In this regard, SDPI’s Executive Director Abid Silhari says that the year 2020 was undoubtedly the year of final decisions and many key decisions were expected, but unfortunately it will not be possible due to the corona virus. Next year will certainly be better in terms of the fact that America will also be present in the conference in the case of Biden in the pro-negotiation lobby.