Iran's Commitments at the Paris Environmental Summit

Radio Farda - At the major international summit to combat global warming, held on Monday, November 30, with the participation of 150 world leaders and heads of state in Paris, Iran was represented by Masoumeh Ebtekar, the Vice President and head of the Environmental Protection Organization. Noushin Hosseini asked Fereydoun Khavand about the implications of this very important environmental summit. Fereydoun Khavand: The Paris summit can be described as historic. This is the first time that such a large number of high-ranking officials from the international community have gathered in one place to safeguard the Earth. It is regrettable that Iran did not send its president to this summit. The Paris gathering has a specific goal: to combat global warming by reducing the use of fossil fuels that produce greenhouse gases. If no action is taken, the production of these gases will cause the Earth to warm by 3.5 to 5 degrees Celsius by the year 2100, along with catastrophic climatic consequences, including rising sea levels. The goal of the Paris gathering is to create an international agreement under which countries commit to reducing the production and emission of greenhouse gases so that the increase in Earth's temperature does not exceed two degrees by 2100. This agreement and its implementation will have enormous economic consequences, including a transition from fossil fuels such as oil, gas, and coal to clean and renewable energies, including solar and wind energy. This transition will bring about significant changes in both consumption and investment. What position does Iran hold in the process of greenhouse gas production? Iran is among the top ten greenhouse gas producers in the world. However, if we consider per capita averages, each Iranian produces an average of 3.5 tons of carbon dioxide per year, ranking 15th in the world for this gas production. This is relatively high, as each Iranian produces as much carbon dioxide as a Spaniard, despite the significant economic growth gap between Iran and Spain. What commitments is Iran willing to accept regarding the reduction of its greenhouse gas emissions within the framework of a potential Paris agreement? Apparently, Ms. Ebtekar, head of Iran's Environmental Protection Organization, announced at the Paris summit that her country is willing to conditionally reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 4% over the next fifteen years, but this reduction will double if sanctions are completely lifted and international cooperation is established. Perhaps this commitment marks the beginning of Iran's shift towards clean energy, which has unfortunately been largely neglected until now.