1. 教材中的主体语篇Sandstorms in Asia以及文化视角语篇The Green Movement
2. 选修课语篇《巴黎气候协定》
Paris Agreement
The Paris Agreement, Paris Climate Accord or Paris Climate Agreement, is an agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) dealing with greenhouse gas emissions mitigation, adaptation and finance starting in the year 2020. The languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish) of the agreement were negotiated by representatives of 196 parties at the 21st Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC in Paris and adopted by consensus on 12 December 2015.
The Paris Agreement was open for signature by states and regional economic integration organizations that are Parties to the UNFCCC (the Convention) from 22 April 2016 to 21 April 2017 at the UN Headquarters in New York. The agreement stated that it would enter into force (and thus become fully effective) only if 55 countries that produce at least 55% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions (according to a list produced in 2015) ratify, accept, approve or accede to the agreement. On 1 April 2016, the United States and China, which together represent almost 40% of global emissions, issued a joint statement confirming that both countries would sign the Paris Climate Agreement. When the agreement achieved enough signatures to cross the threshold on 5 October 2016, US President Barack Obama claimed that "Even if we meet every target ... we will only get to part of where we need to go." He also said that "this agreement will help delay or avoid some of the worst consequences of climate change. It will help other nations ratchet down their emissions over time, and set bolder targets as technology advances, all under a strong system of transparency that allows each nation to evaluate the progress of all other nations."
As of August 2017, 195 UNFCCC members have signed the agreement, 159 of which have ratified or acceded to the Agreement, most notably China, the United States (who is intent on leaving) and India, the countries with three of the four largest greenhouse gas emissions of the signatories' total (about 42% together).