Many new initiatives were unveiled at Climate Week NYC this year, including pledges from businesses and countries to speed up the transition to electric cars and renewable energy. But, in the face of multiple disastrous global weather events and the unwillingness of the Trump administration to even admit climate problems exist, the sense of urgency is rising.
The historic global climate change plan negotiated last year in Paris is set go into effect in mid-November, years earlier than anticipated. The World’s environment editor Peter Thomson reflects on how it happened and why it matters.
The US and China have just announced their commitment to the Paris climate deal, in a strong push to lead almost 200 countries to pledge to cut carbon emissions. But the future of that tandem climate change approach depends on the outcome of US elections.