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“Change the World Model UN”

2020 - New York

Climate Action Summit -Middle School-

Background Guide

“Actions on limitation of global warming to 1. 5 °C”

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Introductory letter

Honorable Delegates,

I am very pleased to welcome you to the UN Climate Action Summit in the framework of the Change the World Model

United Nations, CWMUN New York 2020.

For many of you, this will be your first experience at a Model United Nations Conference, and probably at a conference

of any kind. It is understandable you may feel nervous, tense and inexperienced, but having myself participated I can

assure you that with the right commitment and motivation you will be able to address effortlessly throughout the entire

conference process.

This year the Summit will debate the following matter:

Actions on limitation of global warming to 1. 5 °C

This Background Guide serves as an introduction to the topic for this conference. However, it is not intended to replace

your individual research and I strongly encourage you to explore your country’s policies in depth and use the

Bibliography to further your knowledge on this topic.

Researching you will recognise how, even in a world with great economical differences, it is a common goal to find a

way to meet everyone’s current necessities without compromising the possibilities for future generations to meet their

own needs.

During this experience, I expect from you academic and procedure preparation, but above all the ability to cooperate

with others in order to achieve effective resolutions using your knowledge and negotiation skills.

Remember that in representing your assigned country, you must not express personal opinions or points of view, but

you will have to present your arguments by orienting your reasoning according to the actual policies of the country

itself. Remember to put yourself in the shoes of the representative of your assigned country, not in yours. Be prepared

and remember to stay in character. Act diplomatically, remember that this is not a competition, enjoy the debate and

above all have fun.

I wish you the best in your preparation and look forward to seeing you at the Summit!

Sincerely,

Your Director, Elisa Gobbi Belcredi

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Table of contents:

I. Introduction to UN Climate Action Summit

II. Introduction to the topic

III. Development of the issue

IV. International actions

V. Annotated bibliography

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Introduction to UN Climate Action Summit

Every country is experiencing the terrible effects of climate change. From 1990, greenhouse gas emissions have

increased by 50%. Global warming has triggered continuing alterations to Earth’s climate system, which threatens

irrevocable consequences if we do not act.

With global emissions reaching record levels and showing no sign of peaking, UN Secretary-General António Guterres

called on all leaders to come to New York on September 23rd

for the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit with tangible,

concrete and realistic plans to increase their nationally determined contributions by 2020. With the view of reducing

greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions by 45% over the next decade, and to net zero emissions by 2050.

The Climate Action Summit and the Climate Youth Summit

succeeded in focusing the world leaders’ attention, from

government, civil society and private sector, on the urgency for

action to address the climate emergency.

It was planned to be a different kind of Summit. The Secretary-

General asked leaders to come to the Summit to present

effective plans, not to make speeches. The most determined

plans were presented on September 23rd

, creating a unique

opportunity to showcase leadership towards transformative climate action that would make change in the world.

“I called the Climate Action Summit to serve as a springboard to set us on the right path

ahead of crucial 2020 deadlines established by the Paris Agreement on climate change.

And many leaders — from many countries and sectors — stepped up”

Antonio Guterres1

The Summit encouraged the complete participation of governments, business leaders, indigenous peoples, youth,

subnational actors and other civil society stakeholders, who, together, were critical to raising ambition for climate

mitigation and adaptation. Together, they launched transformative initiatives in twelve critical areas which will provide

the grounds for action going forward to decrease emissions and strengthen adaptation and resilience.

The Summit acknowledged the requirement for pledges to be accountable and provided a baseline for monitoring the

progress of the initiatives to guarantee that promised results are going to be achieved.

It also reinforced the global understanding that 1. 5℃ (2. 7 °F) is the socially, economically, scientifically and politically

safe limit to global warming by the end of the century, and to achieve this, the world needs to work to reach net zero

emissions by 2050.

1 UN Climate Action Summit 2019 | https://www. un. org/en/climatechange/un-climate-summit-2019. shtml

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The Summit demonstrated the need to urgently update and enhance their short-term commitments by 2020, and the

mid-term commitments by 2030, that will be captured in their national climate plans, known as Nationally Determined

Contributions2 to the 2015 Paris Agreement

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There was also general concern that the world is presently way off track to meet the global target, as emissions continue

to grow, and global temperatures rise. Winter temperatures in the Arctic have risen by 3°C since 1990, and the last

four years were the four hottest on record. Sea levels are rising, coral reefs are dying, and we are beginning to see the

life-threatening effect of climate change on health, through pollution, heatwaves and risks to food security.

The Summit demonstrated the political leadership of 70 countries which vowed to deliver more determined national

climate plans in 2020 in line with net zero emissions by 2050 strategies. Although these countries represent an

important portion of the world’s population, they account for less than 10% of the world’s greenhouse gas (GHG)

emissions. Certain countries, unable to declare commitments at the Summit itself, “committed to commit” to new plans

by the end of 2020. Finally, 75 countries pledged to deliver 2050 net zero emissions strategies by 2020.

Through concrete examples, the Summit underlined how climate action can have tangible and beneficial impacts on

people’s lives, including on their health and jobs, and therefore the need to align policies and systems to accelerate the

enactment of both the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals4 (SDGs).

The Secretary-General has committed himself, and also the UN System, to stay on the frontline of climate action every

step of the way. This suggests building on the achievements of the Summit, developing the collaboration with all

stakeholders, and intensifying the voice of youth to drive the ambitious commitments needed to secure our path on a

road that keeps us within 1. 5°C. Additionally, he committed to overseeing the coordinated engagement of the UN

organization to effectively implement the Summit initiatives, together with the partners that have pledged to continue

work on the Summit’s initiatives.

2 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) | https://unfccc. int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/nationally-

determined-contributions-ndcs 3 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) | https://unfccc. int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-

agreement/the-paris-agreement 4 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) | https://www. un. org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/

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Development of the issue

There is no longer any debate that global warming is real, and that it is happening now at a frightening rate. It is

transforming the global climate system. The increase of fossil-fueled economies, since the beginning of the Industrial

Revolution, over 200 years ago and

also the accelerated CO2 emissions

since the end of World War II, is

clearly the reason for our increasing

climate crisis. But although 99% of

climate scientists recognize what is

happening, it can still be difficult to

understand something of such

magnitude.

Since about the mid

1800’s, atmospheric CO2, the

dominant greenhouse gas, has grown

at an explosive rate, close to what

mathematicians call

“exponential”. Human population, GDP and fossil fuel emissions accelerated at the same time in a similar manner.

In a brief moment of time, humanity has profoundly changed the Earth system, bringing life-changing consequences.

When first measured in 1958, the volume of CO2 in the atmosphere stood at 315 parts per million (ppm). That

concentration has risen steadily since then. This year it reached 412 ppm. That means an increase of 30%.

“The decade that just ended is clearly the warmest decade on record, every decade

since the 1960s clearly has been warmer than the one before.”

Gavin Schmidt 5

The average global surface temperature has risen since the 1880s and is now more than 2 °F (a bit more than 1°C)

above that of the late 19th century. For reference, the last Ice Age was about 10°F colder than pre-industrial

temperatures.

Using climate models and statistical analysis of global

temperature data, scientists have, in fact, concluded that this

escalation has been driven mostly by increased emissions

into the atmosphere of carbon dioxide, methane and other

greenhouse gases produced by human activities.

Earth’s climate has changed radically again and again since

5 A statement of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) Director, Gavin Schmidt

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the world was formed 4. 5 billion years ago. We know that in the last 650,000 years there have been seven cycles of

glacial advance and retreat, with the sudden end of the last ice age about 11,700 years ago establishing the start of the

modern climate era and of human civilization. Most of these climate changes are accepted to be due to the very small

variations in Earth’s orbit that change the amount of solar energy that our planet receives. Natural variations in the

concentrations of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere, the evolution of life and meteorite impacts have also caused

global climate change in the past, but these changes in global temperature occurred slowly, over tens of thousands or

millions of years.

Satellites and other technological instruments have enabled scientists to see the bigger picture, collecting various types

of information about our planet and its climate on a worldwide scale. This collected information, gatherd over many

decades, reveals the signals of a changing climate. The current warming trend is of particular significance because most

of it is extremely likely to be due to human activity since the mid-20th

century and proceeding at a rate that is

unprecedented over decades to millennia.

The ability to affect the transfer of infrared energy through the atmosphere and the heat-trapping nature of carbon

dioxide and other gases had been proven by science in the mid-19th century. There is no doubt that increased levels of

greenhouse gases are causing the planet to warm in response.

Ice cores extracted from Greenland, Antarctica, and tropical mountain glaciers show that the Earth’s climate reacts to

changes in greenhouse gas levels. Evidence can also be found in tree rings, coral reefs, ocean sediments, and layers of

sedimentary rocks. This ancient, or paleoclimate, evidence reveals that current warming is occurring roughly ten times

faster than the average rate of ice-age-recovery warming.3

Climate action means increased efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen our capacity to

recover and adapt to climate-induced impacts, including:

climate-related dangers in all countries;

integrating climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning;

improving education, raising awareness and institutional capacity in respect to climate change

mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning .

Consequences of Global Warming

According to the National Climate Assessment6, human impact is the first cause of global warming. Carbon dioxide,

methane and other pollutants we have released into the atmosphere have acted like a blanket trapping the heat of the sun

and causing the planet to warm in response.

Evidence shows that the 2000 to 2009 decade was hotter than any other one in the last 1,300 years and that global

temperature had rised of about 1. 9 °F since 1880. This warming is altering, in far-reaching ways, the Earth's climate

system, including its land, oceans, atmosphere, and ice.

Every country in the world is already experiencing the catastrophic effects of climate change:

6 National Assessment on Climate Change (National Climate Assessment) | https://nca2014. globalchange. gov

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Sea levels have risen by approximately 20 cm (~8 inches) since 1880 and are projected to rise another 30-

122 cm (1-4 feet) by 2100. 7

Carbon dioxide levels in the air are at their highest in 650 000 years

19 of the 20 warmest years on record have occurred since 2001

Relation between Climate Change and Natural Disasters

With increasing global surface temperatures the chance of more droughts and increased intensity of storms will likely

occur. More water vapor will be released into the atmosphere and become fuel for more powerful storms to develop.

More heat in the atmosphere and warmer ocean surface temperatures will lead to greater wind speeds in tropical storms.

Rising sea levels will expose new lands to the power of the sea and to the erosive forces of waves and currents.

Scientists have predicted that long-term effects of climate change will include a decrease in sea ice and an increase in

permafrost melting, an increase in heat waves and heavy precipitation, and decreased water resources in semi-arid

regions.

Climate hazards are natural events in weather cycles. We’ve always had hurricanes, droughts and wildfires, flooding

and high winds. Nevertheless, we are presently witnessing a scale of destruction and devastation that’s definitely new,

different and terrifying.

The last year alone has seen a series

of devastating climate disasters in

various parts of the world, extreme

weather events like Cyclone Idai,

deadly heatwaves in India, Pakistan,

and Europe, an immense wildfire in

Australia and flooding in south-east

Asia. From Mozambique to

Guatemala and from the Philippines

to Bangladesh millions of individuals

have already lost their homes, their

means of support, and their loved

ones as a consequence of more dangerous and more frequent floods, droughts, wildfires and storms.

To put it simply, changes in the global climate aggravate climate hazards and intensify the risk of extreme weather

disasters. Increases of air and water temperatures lead to rising sea levels, extreme storms and higher wind speeds,

more intense and prolonged droughts and wildfire seasons, heavier precipitation and flooding. The evidence is

overwhelming and the results devastating:

The number of climate-related disasters has tripled in the last 30 years.

Between 2006 and 2016, the rate of global sea-level rise was 2. 5 times faster than it was for almost all of the

20th century.

More than 20 million people a year are forced from their homes by climate change.

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The United Nations Environment Programme estimates that adapting to climate change and coping with

damages will cost developing countries $140-300 billion per year by 2030.

Overall economic losses caused by natural disasters are increasing worldwide and that makes us think that never has it

been more important to understand how the natural world works and how to help it.

The impact on animals and on their habitats

Eight degrees Fahrenheit. It might not sound like much, but for the world in which we live, which climate experts

project will be at least eight degrees warmer by 2100 should global emissions continue on their current path, this small

rise will have severe consequences for every ecosystem and living thing, including us.

In the last 50 years wildlife populations have on average declined by 60% and, for the first time in human history, the

stability of nature can no longer be taken for granted.

Climate change has had a noteworthy direct effect on terrestrial animals, by being the main leader of the processes of

speciation and extinction. In fact species in the past have had three different tipes of responses to climate change:

migration, adaptation, or if neither of those occur, death.

The key impact of global warming on wildlife

is habitat disruption that, caused by the

changes in temperature and water availability,

affects the native vegetation and the animals

that feed on it. Due to these habitat

distruptions, ecosystems, places where

animals have spent millions of years adapting,

rapidly transform in response to climate

change reducing their ability to fulfill the

species' needs.

Affected wildlife populations can sometimes

move into new environments and continue to

thrive. But simultaneous human population

growth means that many land areas that might

be suitable for such “refugee wildlife” are patchy and already affected with residential and industrial development.

Cities and roads can act as obstacles, preventing plants and animals from moving into alternative habitats.

In only 70 years, things have transformed at a terrifying pace. Beyond habitat displacement, many scientists agree that

global warming is causing a modification in the timing of various natural cyclical events in the lives of animals. Many

birds have altered the timing of deep-rooted migratory and reproductive routines to better adjust to the warming climate.

And some hibernating animals are ending their lethargies earlier each year, probably due to warmer spring

temperatures.

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In addition, research has contradicted the hypothesis that different species coexisting in a particular ecosystem respond

to global warming as a single entity, and different species in the same habitat are reacting in dissimilar ways, tearing

apart ecosystems millennia in the making.

Impact of climate change on agricolture

Climate change and agriculture are interconnected processes, each that take place on a global scale. Global

warming affects agriculture in a variety of ways, including:

changes in average temperatures, rainfall, and climate extremes (e. g. , heat waves);

changes in pests and diseases;

changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide and ground-level ozone concentrations;

changes in the nutritionary quality of some foods;

changes in sea level.

Climate change is already affecting agriculture, with consequences unevenly spread across the world. Future climate

change will probably negatively affect crop production. Animal agriculture is also responsible for CO2 greenhouse gas

production and a percentage of the world's methane, future land infertility, and the displacement of local species.

Agriculture contributes to climate change both by anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases and by the conversion

of non-agricultural land such as forests into agricultural land. Agriculture, forestry and land-use change contributed

around 20 to 25% of global annual emissions in 2010.

A range of policies can reduce the risk of negative climate change impacts on agriculture and greenhouse gas emissions

from the agriculture sector.

International Actions

In a few words, in the past two centuries, through the United Nations Climate Change Conferences, after the agreed 17

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), after many speeches and countless ignored statements and discoveries, many

people stood up making awareness about global warming and, whether they were agencys’ leaders, actors, scientists,

politicians or just common people stepping forward to save our planet, they managed to make the “people who really

matter” understsand how serious this problem was and how to face it.

Since then many countries agreed on taking actions to help our planet recover

Reduce greenhouse gas emissions avoiding the use of non-renewable energies such as coal, oil, natural gasses

and nuclear energy

Save energy using renewable energy such as wind power, geothermal energy, hydropower and wind power

Put the 3R (reduce, reuse, recycle)’s of sustainability into practice

Avoid the waiste of food, reduce your meat consumption and increase your fruit and vedgetables one, buy

organic and local whenever possible

Act aginst forest loss and plant trees

Promote the use of sustainable public transports, bicycles and other non-polluting transportation methods in

the city

Recycle

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To start working on your Position Paper, my advice is that you start by asking yourself these questions:

What has been the behaviour of your assigned country, in recent years, in relation to the rise in global

temperature? Has it accomplished any concrete actions? Has it made a political commitment?

What effects could an unrestricted increase in global temperature increase have on your assigned country and

its population?

What involvement does your assigned country have in the causes of global temperature rise?

How could your assigned country help to identify and implement effective solutions to the problem of global

temperature rise? And what goals has it set for the near and distant future?

How much is your assigned country’s population aware of the problem and how much sensitivity is there in

relation to it?

How much does the energy supply of your assigned country depend on non-renewable sources such as, for

example, fossil fuels? Which actions is the government taking to reduce CO2 emissions?

Annotated bibliography

NASA | Global Climate Change | Vital signs of the planet | https://climate. nasa. gov/

UN Climate Action Summit 2019 | https://www. un. org/en/climatechange/un-climate-summit-2019. shtml

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change | https://unfccc.int/

UN Development Programme (UNDP) | Goal13: Climate Action https://www. undp.

org/content/undp/en/home/sustainable-development-goals/goal-13-climate-action. html

US Geological Survey (USGS) | https://www. usgs. gov

Paris Agreement | 2015 | United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) |

https://unfccc. int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Climate Change |

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6jbq1scma4#action=share