World Countries Reach Agreement on Pollution Gas Combat Rules

Members of the United Nations reached a general, clear, and comprehensive agreement on principles for measuring their greenhouse gas emissions and subsequent efforts to combat these pollutants two weeks after discussions at the climate summit in Poland. The meeting of representatives from countries and UN members in Katowice, Poland lasted two weeks. While researchers and the UN itself have issued new warnings about the state of global warming, this meeting succeeded in reaching an agreement on some principles and rules. The Poland summit led to an agreement on how to implement the Paris Climate Agreement reached in 2015. Carbon dioxide levels in the Earth's atmosphere reached a 'new record' in 2017. Countries have agreed to implement specific, clear, and comprehensive standards and criteria for measuring their greenhouse gas emissions and the necessary actions to combat and reduce them. Despite this, while activists and some countries called for an agreement on broader and more ambitious goals, negotiations on some issues have been postponed until next year. Michal Kurtyka, the Polish official who chaired the Katowice meeting, stated on December 15 that 'with this agreement, we have all taken thousands of small steps forward together.' Mr. Kurtyka noted that while each country may not be satisfied with part of the agreement, efforts to establish a balance between the interests and demands of all parties have been successful. The Poland meeting took place as the World Meteorological Organization announced that in 2017, the amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere reached a new record, with no signs of reduction. This UN-affiliated body stated before the Katowice gathering that 'without rapid reductions in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, the impacts of global warming will become more destructive and irreversible.' The United Nations has also warned that the opportunity for comprehensive and universal action is running out. Michelle Bachelet, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, wrote in a letter to the climate conference in Poland that 'it may be much simpler than commonly imagined for all countries, ecosystems, people, and forms of life to be destroyed.' Ms. Bachelet stated that existing evidence indicates that countries have not fulfilled their commitments under the Paris Agreement. In December 2015, UN members agreed on a joint and comprehensive treaty to combat climate change. The long-term goal of this agreement is to prevent the Earth's temperature from rising more than '2 degrees Celsius,' while also emphasizing the need to limit this figure to just 1.5 degrees Celsius. Global warming has some irreparable damages that will affect the lives of all inhabitants. Some of these consequences, including in Iran, lead to social changes, such as widespread migrations. Last year, Scientific American published an analysis stating that the consequences of climate change, drought, or mismanagement are among the severe challenges Iran faces. Melting polar ice, rising water levels, changing ocean currents, disruption of jet stream patterns, changing seasonal and precipitation patterns, intensified storms, and prolonged heat waves are among the consequences of global warming.