COP21: What is the significance? - Part I

We are slowly approaching what could be one of the most influential and important climate conferences ever held. COP21 is being held is Paris this December.

For those of you who currently do not know about the purpose of these COP events (this being the 21st one) this post will attempt to answer the question, along with the benefits to aiding in the reduction of melting ice masses (which can be found in the second part to this blog post).

COP21 in Paris Logo

The purpose of these COP events is to monitor the world's progress in coping with climate change, and to propose new methods of attempting to reduce individual nations greenhouse gas emissions to lessen the effects of global warming.

COP21 has been much anticipated and there appears to be a large amount of "hype" surrounding the conference. This is because the impact greenhouse gas emissions are having on rates of global warming seemed to have been acknowledged by many sovereign states. The cause of this is due to the large body of empirical evidence which now surrounds the subject, provided by scientists such as Thomas Karl to name just one of thousands.

Protesters at COP20 who believe nations are not doing enough

Diana Liverman has gone to the extent that the idea we are undergoing climatic changes has gone "From Uncertain to Unequivocal".

Now the summit aims to create a binding agreement between nations. This agreement will aid in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions so that the 2 degrees Celsius global temperature increase which is predicted is not breached. Above this, it is thought that the health of the planet can be severely altered and damaged.

So COP21 appears to be the turning point in nations attitudes to climate change and the impacts we are having on our planet, but realistically, will anything truly happen? Or will it just be another policy nations don't listen to? I'll leave that up to you to decide.