NARRATOR Hello, and welcome to this special episode of DNV’s Talks Energy podcast. Five years ago, at the 21st Conference of the Parties, or COP21 as it’s more commonly known, 196 countries adopted the Paris Agreement, a legally binding international treaty which aims to tackle climate change by limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees C, and pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees C by 2050. In this two-part documentary, we will explore the topic of deep decarbonization, an urgent and complex challenge that requires difficult decisions and actionable plans.
We’ll assess the technology, policy and investment challenges we must overcome, and the action still required if the ambitious goals of the Paris Agreement are to be met and a green energy future is achieved. We speak to world-leading experts from across the industry who understand the key enablers for deep decarbonization and ultimately provide in-depth, actionable insight for businesses looking to phase out carbon-intensive fuels in favour of clean energy. We hope you enjoy the episode.
Climate change is having far-reaching effects around the world, with natural disasters and extreme weather events becoming increasingly commonplace as a result. In fact, there have been over 7,000 major natural disasters recorded in the 20 years from 2009 to 2019, killing 1.23 million people and causing $2.97 trillion in economic losses.
In a bid to combat dangerous global warming, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, or UNFCCC, along with its member parties, developed the Paris Agreement, a pledge to reach global peaking of greenhouse gas emissions through the long-term decarbonization of the world’s energy infrastructure. While this ambitious climate action requires wide economic and social transformation, the Paris Agreement also provides a pathway to support developing countries in mitigating their carbon output and working towards neutrality. With 2030 fast approaching and the race on for net zero by 2050, a process of deep decarbonization is required, and it must start now.