Climate Plans Without Enforcement Are Just Wishful Thinking

You've heard it a hundred times: "The Paris Agreement is our best hope." That's wrong. It's a treaty, sure, but it's a treaty with no teeth. The Clean Air Act, on the other hand, has real enforcement. That's the model we should follow.

Isn't the Paris Agreement legally binding?

Technically, yes. It's a legally binding international treaty that entered into force on 4 November 2016, and 195 Parties have joined it (UN Climate Action: Paris Agreement). But what's legally binding is the process, not the outcome. Countries commit to submit updated national climate action plans, called NDCs, every five years. There's no penalty if they miss their targets. It's like a gym membership where you promise to work out but never show up. The treaty doesn't hold you accountable.

But aren't NDCs ambitious enough to solve the problem?

No. Current NDCs commit to only a 14% collective reduction by 2030 versus 2022 levels, far short of the 43% the IPCC says is needed to limit warming to 1.5°C (OECD Climate Action Monitor 2025 / UNEP). And even if every country met its NDC, the world is still projected to warm about 2.5°C this century (OECD Climate Action Monitor 2025 / UNEP). That's not "well below 2°C" – that's a disaster. We're already seeing the effects. 2024 was likely the first calendar year more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels (WMO State of the Global Climate 2024).

What's the Clean Air Act got to do with climate?

Everything. The Clean Air Act is a domestic law that actually works. It sets National Ambient Air Quality Standards and requires permits for polluters. It's enforced by the EPA, which can fine or sue violators. The results speak for themselves. Between 1970 and 2020, combined U.S. emissions of six common pollutants dropped by 78 percent (EPA Progress Cleaning the Air). New cars are 99 percent cleaner than 1970 models (EPA Progress Cleaning the Air). The Clean Air Act didn't rely on voluntary pledges. It set deadlines, imposed technology requirements, and made polluters pay.

But international climate treaties are different, right?

They don't have to be. Look at the Montreal Protocol. It's an international treaty that phased out ozone-depleting substances. It has binding targets and a compliance mechanism. And it worked – the ozone layer is on its way to recovery (UNEP OzonAction: Montreal Protocol). The Kyoto Protocol, on the other hand, had binding targets for 41 countries plus the EU, but the U.S. didn't ratify it (Britannica: Kyoto Protocol). It failed to reduce global emissions. The difference? Enforcement. The Paris Agreement is more like Kyoto than Montreal.

So what should we do instead?

We need a domestic Clean Air Act for climate. The U.S. can't force other countries to act, but it can set an example. Pass a law that sets binding emissions reduction targets, with enforceable regulations and penalties. The Clean Air Act already covers greenhouse gases, but it's being gutted by court rulings and administrative rollbacks. We need a new law that explicitly mandates emissions cuts, not just leaves it to agency discretion.

What I'd actually do

Stop waiting for the next COP. Start at home. I'd push for a National Climate Action Act that mirrors the Clean Air Act's structure: set a clear target (e.g., net-zero by 2050), require EPA to set interim milestones, and give citizens the right to sue polluters for non-compliance. That's how we get real results. The Paris Agreement is a nice diplomatic gesture, but it's not a plan. The Clean Air Act is a plan. Let's copy it.

Sources

• UN Climate Action: Paris Agreement - https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/paris-agreement
• OECD Climate Action Monitor 2025 / UNEP - https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/2025/11/the-climate-action-monitor-2025_aed0c4bb.html
• EPA Progress Cleaning the Air - https://www.epa.gov/clean-air-act-overview/progress-cleaning-air-and-improving-peoples-health
• UNEP OzonAction: Montreal Protocol - https://ozone.unep.org/treaties/montreal-protocol
• WMO State of the Global Climate 2024 - https://wmo.int/publication-series/state-of-global-climate-2024
• EPA Summary of the Clean Air Act - https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/summary-clean-air-act