世界攜手應對氣候變化 Fight climate change
Complicated problems do not generally yield to simple solutions. And few are more complex than the question of how to confront the challenge posed by anthropogenic global warming.
簡單的解決方法往往無法解決複雜的問題。而很少有問題比如何應對人類活動所致全球變暖帶來的挑戰更復雜的了。
The Paris climate accord, signed amid great fanfare on Saturday by the representatives of nearly 200 states, does not supply the final answer. What it does is to spread the responsibility for finding one beyond a small coterie of developed countries. This in itself is a historic achievement. But its success or failure ultimately hinges on how solemnly its many signatories are willing to accept this weighty charge.
週六，近200個國家的代表們隆重地簽署了巴黎氣候協議，然而這份協議並沒有提供最終的答案。 這份協議真正做到的是，將尋找最終答案的責任分攤到了少數發達國家之外。這本身是一項歷史性成就。但其成敗最終取決於巴黎氣候協議的衆多簽署國是否願意擔起這份沉重的責任。
The preparedness of the developing world to accept a share of the burden was always vital if any credible way forward on tackling climate change was possible. Past deals have mainly heaped the onus on those advanced economies that were responsible for much of the historic growth in emissions.
要讓氣候變化問題的解決可能有可行的道路取得進展，十分關鍵的是，發展中國家要有承擔一部分責任的意願。過去的氣候協議主要將責任置於發達經濟體肩上，它們曾是過去碳排放增長的主要來源。
But with China and India alone now responsible for a third of global carbon discharges between them, their presence in any future framework agreed at Paris was essential. Without it, no deal could even have curbed future increases at a global level, let alone started to drive them down.
但中國和印度這兩個國家碳排放量之合現在佔全球碳排放總量的三分之一，它們參與在巴黎商定的任何未來框架至關重要。如果這兩個國家不參與，沒有什麼協議能夠遏制未來全球碳排放水平的上升，更別提降低全球碳排放水平了。
The French hosts, under the able leadership of foreign minister Laurent Fabius, deserve credit for finally squaring this circle and forging a compromise that both developed and developing worlds could accept. The price, as expected, is the jettisoning for the most part of any pretence at copper-bottomed legal obligations of the sort that characterised the last global deal, the ill-fated 1997 Kyoto accord.
在法國外長洛朗法比尤斯(Laurent Fabius)有力的領導下，法國主辦方最終完成了這個不可能的任務，促成了一項發達國家和發展中國家都能接受的折中方案，這一點值得讚譽。像預想的那樣，代價就是基本上放棄自詡具備可靠的法律約束力，上一個全球氣候協定、以失敗告終的1997年《京都議定書》的典型特徵就是具備可靠的法律約束力。
While the deal sets a new tougher objective to limit global warming to “well below 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels” (and, indeed, a stretch goal of 1.5 degrees), there are no binding mechanisms for achieving this. The climate action plans submitted by an impressive 188 of those countries participating do not cumulatively deliver even the less demanding total. They would lead to temperatures rising by some 2.7 per cent. Yet signatories are under no legal obligation to meet even these.
儘管這項協議設立了一個更嚴格的新目標，要把全球“較工業化前水平升溫幅度控制在遠不到2攝氏度之內”（事實上，協議還設立了升溫幅度在1.5度以內的更高目標），但協議沒有促使這一目標實現的約束機制。由簽署國中多達188個國家提交的氣候行動方案加起來，也無法實現哪怕較低的那個總目標。這些方案只能將全球氣溫較工業化前升幅限制在約2.7攝氏度以內。然而，即使是這樣的目標，簽署國都沒有任何法律義務要實現。
What the plan does require is for signatory states to set out their plans to avert climate change every five years. These must be accompanied by an assessment of current progress, compiled according to a common reporting standard that permits comparisons to be drawn.
方案真正提出要求的是，簽署國需要每5年制定計劃遏制氣候變化。簽署國同時還需要對已取得的進展進行評估，評估結果的編纂需要基於相同的報告標準，以便進行比較。
The hope is that this will create the necessary framework for regular reviews on progress as the world tries to avoid dangerous warming. It may not be possible to compel countries to meet their targets. But by embedding transparent information exchanges and regular international dialogue into the system, it may be possible to establish new norms of behaviour, whereby countries not only strive to meet targets, but also set more demanding ones.
人們希望，在全世界試圖避免危險的氣候變暖的過程中，此舉能夠建立對所取得的進展進行定期評估的必要框架。這或許無法強制各國實現目標。但通過建立透明的信息交換機制和定期的國際對話機制，這有可能建立新的行爲規範，從而讓各國不僅可以努力達成目標，還可以設定更具挑戰性的目標。
Inevitably, the deal remains a work in progress. Trust of the sort that will be required to build solidarity will take time to develop. The developed world has not inserted into the treaty its commitment to transfer funds to poorer nations in order to help them adapt to a low carbon future. The commitments beyond 2020 are vague.
這項協議依然是一項未完成的工作，這是不可避免的。構建團結所需的信任還需要時間才能培養起來。發達國家沒有在協議中承諾向較貧窮國家提供資金，以幫助它們適應低碳的未來。2020年以後的承諾還很模糊。
Paris is not the end of the matter. It is not even the beginning of the end. The problem will not be solved for years to come. The treaty does however provide a sensible foundation for international co-operation. This opens the door to greater ambition over time. Now a viable path lies before them, countries must show the courage and foresight to take the next crucial steps.
巴黎不是事情的終點。甚至也不是終點的開端。在未來數年中，問題都不會得到解決。然而，這項協議的確爲國際合作提供了合理的基礎。這爲以後樹立更大的抱負打開了大門。一條可行的道路擺在眼前，各國必須表現出踏出關鍵下一步的勇氣和遠見。
