Paris Climate Deal Reaches Critical Milestone
On Wednesday at the United Nations, the European Union formally submitted its ratification of the climate accord reached in Paris last year. Now that 55 countries responsible for over 55 percent of global emissions have joined the treaty, the threshold for it to take effect has been reached and a 30 day countdown has begun. The treaty will now enter into force on November 4, a few days prior to the opening of the UN's COP22 meeting on November 7th. Some of the largest emitters such as the United States, China, and India have already ratified the treaty.
Emissions reductions from the building sector will be critical toward reaching commitments made by the United States and other nations under this agreement. The Obama Administration's Climate Action Plan includes efficiency options in its path to compliance, and the federal government has adopted targets for reducing fossil fuel consumption in federal buildings. The AIA is advocating to keep these efforts on track and avoid the rollbacks being pushed by special interests in the fossil fuel industry. AIA has also put its own efforts into place to advance sustainability in the built environment through a major strategic initiative, with programming such as the 2030 Commitment for firms to design more efficient buildings. If the Paris climate deal is to be a success, architects will continue to have a role to play.
Ian McTiernan, Manager, Federal Relations