When temperatures in Riverton climbed above 38 degrees Celsius for six days in a row this summer, hospitals reported a sharp rise in heat-related admissions and the city opened cooling centers in libraries and schools. The new international climate agreement, signed last month by more than 140 countries including this one, is meant in part to make such summers less likely, and less dangerous when they come.
Here is what the rules say, and what they do not.
Faster cuts, checked more often
Under the agreement, each country must submit a new emissions target every three years instead of every five, and each target must be stricter than the last. National reports will be reviewed by independent experts, and countries that fall behind will have to explain why in public.
The country’s current goal is to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 45 percent from their peak level by the end of the decade. Officials at the environment ministry said that target will likely have to rise to between 50 and 55 percent.
Heat plans become mandatory
The most visible change for residents is a new chapter on adaptation. Signatories must publish heat-action plans for cities of more than 100,000 people, setting out early warning systems, cooling centers, shade and tree cover, and protection for outdoor workers.
We used to treat heatwaves as bad weather. The science is clear that they are becoming a regular public health risk, and our plans need to reflect that.
Ingrid Solberg, climate scientist at Elmbridge University
Riverton, Port Alden, Northvale and Elmbridge would all fall under the rule. Riverton already has a basic heat plan; the others do not.
What it does not do
The agreement contains no fines. Its force rests on transparency and peer pressure, which critics say has not been enough in the past. It also leaves out a binding date for ending coal power, a point several countries refused to accept.
“It is a step, not a solution,” said Tomas Reyes of the Green Alliance. The governing Civic Union said it would present a draft heat law to the National Assembly by spring.
For now, the advice during a heatwave stays the same: drink water regularly, avoid strenuous activity in the middle of the day, and check on older neighbors who live alone.
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