Luther staffer says the Paris Climate Change Conference was a success

Sam Pollan

Luther College Center for Sustainable Communities staffer Sam Pollan has just returned from the United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Paris.

"I think we got something really good out of this," he told attendees at a Tuesday morning breakfast of the Winneshiek Energy District.  Pollan says that's because the Paris agreement requires all countries to contribute to reducing carbon emissions--not just the "rich countries."

That was the big stumbling block at the Kyoto talks, which is why the United States did not sign the Kyoto Accords.  Pollan says the Paris agreement asked each and every country to come up with a goal--and told them there would be no backsliding on those goals.  Every five years the countries will have their performances reviewed.  Each country at that time will be asked to set higher goals.

Pollan told the group he was especially encouraged by the "ground up" model used at the Paris conference, which will encourage local initiatives.  He also praised the work of the "Ambition Coalition," a group of countries that set even stricter standards for themselves for carbon emission reductions.