Upon the tenth anniversary of the Paris Agreement, Greenpeace celebrates the achievements made but warns that the current climate ambition is insufficient to halt the crisis.
The organization denounces the aggressive maneuvers of the fossil industry to hinder plans to phase out gas, oil, and coal, discussed at the latest Climate Summit in Brazil.
The urgency to act
The central goal of the Paris Agreement is to limit global warming to 1.5 ºC above pre-industrial levels. However, in 2024 the global average temperature exceeded that threshold for the first time, driven mainly by the use of fossil fuels.
“Much more climate ambition and international financing are needed, and also setting a date to phase out fossil fuels. We cannot wait another ten years. Climate change is advancing faster than the human response,” declared Pedro Zorrilla Miras, head of Greenpeace’s climate change campaign.
Fossil consumption continues to grow
Since the signing of the Agreement in 2015, fossil fuel consumption increased by 9% globally:
- 2015: 125,715 terawatt-hours (TWh).
- 2024: 137,417 TWh.
While countries in the global north reduced their consumption by 4%, the global south increased it by 20%, offsetting any progress and highlighting the inequality in the energy transition.
The Paris Agreement: context and objectives
The Agreement was negotiated at the COP 21 (2015) by 195 countries and came into force in November 2016 after being ratified by more than 55 parties representing 55% of global emissions.
Its main objectives are:
- Limit warming well below 2 ºC, preferably to 1.5 ºC.
- Achieve climate neutrality by mid-century.
- Strengthen international cooperation and financing for developing countries.
Consequences of failing to meet the Agreement
Failing to meet climate commitments means accelerating environmental and social catastrophes:
Environmental consequences
- Extreme phenomena: severe droughts, more intense heatwaves, torrential rains, and stronger hurricanes.
- Sea level rise due to glacier and polar ice cap melting.
- Biodiversity loss and mass extinction of species.
- Desertification and expansion of arid zones.
- Irreversible changes like permafrost melting.
Social and economic consequences
- Health crisis: increase in respiratory and tropical diseases, food insecurity.
- Forced migrations due to climate disasters.
- Economic impact: reduction of global GDP and high costs due to disasters.
- Global inequality: developing countries, less responsible, are the most affected.
Geopolitical and security risks
- Conflicts over dwindling resources like water and food.
- Weakness of global governance due to lack of international cooperation.
Ten years after the Paris Agreement, the balance is clear: progress exists, but it is insufficient in the face of the magnitude of the crisis. Greenpeace insists that every effort not made brings the world closer to a much worse climate scenario, with economic and social costs far exceeding the benefits of inaction.
The organization calls for more ambition, more financing, and a concrete date to phase out fossil fuels, reminding that the time to act is running out and that the future of humanity depends on immediate and bold decisions.
