Even though 2020 may go down as one of the most traumatic years in history, it did end on a positive note when it comes to climate change.

To mark the fifth anniversary of the Paris Agreement's adoption on climate change, the U.N., United Kingdom, and France, in partnership with Chile and Italy, co-convened a high-level event on December 12, 2020, to mobilize commitments for addressing the global climate challenge. The result was an updated and enhanced target of at least a 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 1990.
 
At that event, seventy-five leaders announced new commitments, some of which had been communicated in recent months or days or indicated ongoing work. Among the major announcements were China’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC)-related commitment to lower its CO2 emissions per unit of gross domestic product (GDP) by over 65% by 2030, from 2005 levels. The European Union’s NDC-related pledge to reduce GHG emissions by at least 55% from 1990 levels by 2030; and the U.K.'s NDC-related target of reducing GHG emissions at least 68% below 1990 levels by 2030.
 
During the event, 72 new cities and local authorities from Belgium, China, Denmark, and the U.K. joined the global Race to Zero Campaign. Also, companies from the manufacturing, industry, aviation, transport, technology, and fashion industries offered mitigation pledges to support those goals.
 
As a result of the community and corporate commitments, Carbon Offset Credits have become a very hot commodity. Unfortunately, according to Gabriel Labbate, from the United Nations Environment Program, “There is not enough supply to meet demand.” Labbate’s team recently launched the Green Gigaton Challenge, which aims to secure hundreds of offset projects around the world to help meet growing demand.
 
On the transportation side, the U.S. plans to spend billions of dollars to add 550,000 electric vehicle charging stations along the interstate highway system. Congress is considering a program of new tax credits for purchases of electric vehicles and retrofitting factories for their production of clean energy solar and wind products. The EPA is reevaluating the U.S. Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards and how we can decrease tailpipe emissions.
 
Japanese officials announced they were considering banning the sale of new gasoline- and diesel-powered cars at some point in the middle of the 2030s, but Lawmakers haven't made a decision yet. England announced earlier in 2020 that it will implement a ban in 2030, much sooner than expected, while California and Quebec both set 2035 as a target. So far, a vast majority of carmakers have -- publicly, at least -- stated their intention to comply with these regulations instead of speaking out against them.
 
More than two-thirds of the world’s population believe climate change is an emergency and think four key policy areas can fix it: conservation, renewable power, climate-safe farming, and investing in green businesses and jobs.
 
That’s according to the results of the Peoples’ Climate Vote, a U.N. survey of 1.2 million people in 50 countries and 17 languages — a sample representing 56 percent of the world's population over the age of 14.
 
IMA members are serious in continuing its effort on curbing the human-made causes of climate change and incorporates the use of sustainable features and products into each of our engineering designs of monorails.
 

Upwards and onwards,