Washington, D.C. – Today marks the 9th anniversary of the adoption of the historic Paris Agreement by 196 countries. Nearly a decade later, it stands as a powerful and enduring international achievement that is driving critical progress in the face of climate change, one of the most urgent and complex security challenges of the 21st century.
“Climate change remains the greatest existential threat to our national security and the livelihoods of countless American families,” said Alex Stapleton, Senior Climate Policy Advisor at FP4A. “From widespread hunger and global health crises to rising seas threatening entire communities, the stakes have never been higher. Upholding the Paris Agreement and achieving its goals is our only path to securing a safer, more sustainable future for generations to come.”
When it came into effect, the world was on track for a catastrophic 4˚C rise in global temperatures above pre-industrial levels by the end of the century, causing widespread hunger and global health threats, while leaving hundreds of millions of people living in areas rendered uninhabitable due to extreme heat, sea-level rise, and drought. Now, thanks in large part to countries, state and local governments, the private sector, and communities everywhere mobilizing behind the Paris Agreement, that has been reduced to 2.6-3.1˚C.
But both the science and mounting ways in which climate is intruding on our daily lives remind us of the daunting and urgent need to move further and faster, especially with the likely prospect of a retreat from federal leadership here in the U.S. Now more than ever, we cannot afford to lose sight of the essential role that full U.S. participation in the Paris framework will play. Its overall success, and our national commitment to it, will be measured not by the political determinations of one presidential administration, but by clear demonstrations of the path we are on and the steps being taken at all levels of society to deliver on these goals.
From its first days in office, the Biden administration has demonstrated how job-creating policies and investments that accelerate the energy transition and enhance resilience can benefit our economy and enable international climate progress. As we look ahead, FP4A remains committed to working with partners across the country who are demonstrating their sustained commitment to U.S. climate and clean energy leadership and channeling these efforts to drive global change at the pace and scale required.
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