For the next two weeks, political leaders from around the world will gather in Paris for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. In recent years, the legitimate issue of climate change has become a more pervasive topic in international politics. With the 2015 convention, world leaders are expected to sign off on commitments that will help reduce carbon emissions in each of the participating countries.

While such a commitment is a step in the right direction, there is still concern that not enough is being done to address the overwhelming problem of carbon emissions. Even in the best case scenario, the countries that agree to reductions will put emissions cuts on a track that will ultimately lead to an mean global temperature increase that is greater than 2 degrees Celsius. Climate scientists have predicted that such warming will have drastic consequences on the future of the human race. Over time, sea-levels will rise by more than 20ft, and climate and weather patterns will change dramatically, putting stress on our ability to produce food and water for growing global populations.

These concerns might lead environmentalists to question the effectiveness of these climate conventions. Are the commitments from the world’s political leaders really making a difference or are the nothing more than savvy PR showings? In his second term, President Obama has increased his focus on climate issues, yet his emissions plans have been met by severe opposition from the conservative party. From a political standpoint, their opposition to the issue is understandable. The conservative politicians don’t agree with the spending required and the limitations that these reduction requirements would put on various industries. However, putting politics aside, it is very upsetting for me to see so much pushback against legitimate climate issues. More and more it seems as if we will continue to argue about these problems until it is too late.

Going back to this week’s conference, the future emissions cuts will put the world on the right track. However, we need to go a step further. A well defined carbon budget with emissions allocations for each country would help us do even better. Undoubtedly, such a budget would create countless challenges for industrialized and developing countries alike. This idea couldn’t be accomplished over night, but with increased recognition of the issue along with more widespread political cooperation, the world could begin to move towards emissions responsibility that would ensure the protection of this planet for future generations.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/29/science/earth/paris-climate-talks-avoid-scientists-goal-of-carbon-budget.html?ref=earth