Measuring the Paris Agreement’s Impact on Wind Energy Usage in Member Countries

Global Tides Volume 19 Article 6 April 2025 Measuring the Paris Agreement’s Impact on Wind Energy Usage in Member Countries Jadyn Lucey Pepperdine University, Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/globaltides Part of the Environmental Studies Commons, Latin American Studies Commons, Near and Middle Eastern Studies Commons, and the Other International and Area Studies Commons Recommended Citation Lucey, Jadyn (2025) "Measuring the Paris Agreement’s Impact on Wind Energy Usage in Member Countries," Global Tides: Vol. 19, Article 6. Available at: https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/globaltides/vol19/iss1/6 This International Studies and Languages is brought to you for free and open access by the Seaver College at Pepperdine Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Global Tides by an authorized editor of Pepperdine Digital Commons. For more information, please contact . Measuring the Paris Agreement’s Impact on Wind Energy Usage in Member Countries Cover Page Footnote I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Dr. John Taden for his invaluable guidance and encouragement throughout the development of this paper. This international studies and languages is available in Global Tides: https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/ globaltides/vol19/iss1/6 Lucey: Paris Agreement's Impact on Wind Energy Global Tides Manuscript 1573 Measuring the Paris Agreement’s Impact on Wind Energy Usage in Member States Author #1 Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/globaltides Published by Pepperdine Digital Commons, 2024 1 Global Tides, Vol. 19 [2024], Art. 6 Author #1: Paris Agreement's Impact on Wind Energy Part of the Environmental Studies Commons, Latin American Studies Commons, Near and Middle Eastern Studies Commons, and the Other International and Area Studies Commons Published by Pepperdine Digital Commons, https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/globaltides/vol19/iss1/6 1 2 Lucey: Paris Agreement's Impact on Wind Energy Submission to Global Tides I. Introduction 1. Background The Paris Agreement (2016) created a framework for Member States to reach the mutually agreed upon goal of containing the global temperature rise from preindustrial temperatures 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2030. By keeping the global temperature rise below 1.5 degrees Celsius, the risks of extreme weather events, sea-level rise, and biodiversity loss are reduced. This agreement, while unspecific in direct pathways for states to reach this goal, instructed member states to establish individual Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to reduce the overall global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Through this framework, energy transition emerged as an important pathway to reducing carbon emissions. Energy transitions can be completed through a variety of pathways, including restructuring energy systems from nonrenewable energy sources to renewable energy sources, or existing energy types but from more sustainable methods/locations. Renewable energy technologies have been popularized in the media as a successful source of decarbonization of countries. Decarbonization is the reduction and elimination of carbon dioxide emissions using low-carbon technologies and improved energy efficiency. Specifically, the implementation of wind-energy based sectors has emerged as a popular pathway towards decarbonization in the global media. This paper will address the use of wind energy fields as a source of renewable energy and the Paris Agreement’s impact on wind energy use within the 195 Member States. This review aims to explore how the implementation of the Paris Agreement has affected the use of wind energy in developing, developed, and OPEC countries. There are two variables that will impact the course of this review: economic classification of region and development of wind energy. This review first attempts to understand to what extent the Paris Agreement impacts the development of wind energy resources. This will be done through analyzing reported wind energy contributions in each region from pre-Paris Agreement (before 2016) and reported wind energy contributions in each region from postParis Agreement (2016 - present day). Additionally, this review attempts to explain the difference in degrees of wind energy development between countries of differing economic statuses. To understand this difference, literature will be used to understand the influencing factors for each of these regions in developing a wind-based energy sector. This will be contrasted with the continued use or development of non-renewable and alternative renewable energy sources. This review will magnify the importance https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/globaltides Published by Pepperdine Digital Commons, 2024 2 3 Global Tides, Vol. 19 [2024], Art. 6 Author #1: Paris Agreement's Impact on Wind Energy and development of specific wind-based energy sectors in selected regions, while creating a comprehensive review of the limitations and development goals set forth in each region. 2. Justification of the Review The Paris Agreement is the most widely recognized climate agreement historically, with 195 member parties accepting its global temperature goal of 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2030. This agreement is globally important and necessary for the fight against climate change, as the commission agreed that if global temperatures rise beyond that, the impacts of climate change are irreversible. It is very important that countries make efforts towards the agreed upon goals to determine the degree to which climate change impacts our planet. Wind energy is one of the most effective ways to decarbonize global economies and demonstrates how countries are translating their commitment to the Paris Agreement with concrete actions. This review attempts to understand each member’s commitment to transforming energy globally, despite the differing challenges that face each Member State. This is important research, because it will dictate how future global agreements need to adapt and improve to include the policies that maximize resources and time to tackle climate change. Wind energy has been an emerging sector for renewable energy in recent years and understanding how countries are utilizing this source of energy compared to other sources is important for developing climate plans and goals. If countries are successfully decarbonizing with wind energy, it can be inferred that wind energy is a justifiable alternative for non-renewable energy and that it will be a successful resource to limit global temperature rise in the fight against climate change. However, if all countries are deciding to rely on other renewable energy sources, then it is possible that either the countries are not maximizing their efforts in decarbonizing their countries, or that wind energy is not a feasible renewable energy source for countries to utilize in their plans. 3. Scope of th (...truncated)