As the international Paris climate agreement to curb greenhouse gas emissions will impose certain obligations, Iran needs to take every precaution before coming fully on board to prevent future challenges with the global community. The agreement aims to reduce the threat of global climate change by keeping the temperature rise well below 2° Celsius and possibly even lower to 1.5° C.
It was adopted by 196 parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in December 2015. As of May 2018, 195 UNFCCC members have signed the agreement, and 176 have become party to the pact.
Iran's Intended Nationally Determined Contribution involves the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 4% unconditionally and by 8% on condition of sanctions relief. The pact was ratified by the Cabinet and parliament but faced objection by the Guardians Council and was referred back to the Majlis for further review.
Karim Shafei, deputy for legal and parliamentary affairs at the Department of Environment, acknowledged the Guardians Council's decision stating that the agreement will impose obligations involving costs for the country. "We should not sign an agreement whose terms are likely to get us into trouble in the future," he said.
Differing Views
There have been opposing ideas about the accord. Advocates believe that the outcome of the projects will eventually serve national interests, so it is worth joining it and implementing low-cost plans.
Opponents, on the other hand, maintain that mitigation plans would cost Iran billions of dollars and it is not wise to blindly sign onto it unless the international community agrees to help supply the funds.
The authorities are treating the case with caution for suspicion of possible threats to national interests.
Shafei stressed that the terms of the agreement should be carefully reviewed to make sure that they will not, like other international treaties, be forcibly imposed—so that the country will have to face consequences upon failure to meet the targets.
"We should not undertake commitments that will likely give excuses to the international community to impose fines or sanctions on us for any default in fulfilling them," he said.
DOE Chief Upbeat
Isa Kalantari, the DOE head, had earlier referred to the Paris accord as a great achievement for the country.
"After negotiations with the UNFCCC, we concluded that the shortcomings pointed out by the Guardians Council can be addressed and we can finally ratify the accord," he had said without providing details. Masoud Tajrishi, DOE's human environment deputy, had also said the DOE's policy is to "smartly join the agreement".
"Iran is among the producers of greenhouse gases and the pact is an opportunity for Iran's industry, that the government should be smart enough to seize," he said.
The climate agreement is to take effect in 2020. US President Donald Trump has already announced his intention to withdraw the US from the deal despite being initially a party to it.
Certain states, on the other hand, are taking the initiative in introducing strategies to reverse the unfavorable trend of climate change. France, for instance, has announced a five-year plan to ban all petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040 as part of the Paris Agreement. It has also pledged that it would no longer use coal to produce electricity after 2022 and that up to €4 billion will be invested in boosting energy efficiency.
