The Paris Agreement is an international climate treaty adopted in 2015 during the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) held in Paris, France. It is a legally binding agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and represents a global effort to limit climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Key Goals of the Paris Agreement:
- Limit Global Warming:
- The agreement seeks to limit the global average temperature rise to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, with an aspirational target of 1.5°C. Scientists believe staying within this threshold will reduce the risks and impacts of climate change significantly.
- Enhance Climate Resilience:
- Countries agreed to work on adapting to climate impacts, building resilience, and reducing vulnerabilities to protect communities, ecosystems, and economies from the adverse effects of climate change.
- Climate Finance:
- Developed countries committed to providing $100 billion per year in climate finance by 2020 (and beyond) to help developing countries mitigate and adapt to climate impacts. This funding supports projects like clean energy, infrastructure, and climate-resilient agriculture.
- Transparency and Reporting:
- Countries submit Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)—plans that detail their climate goals, emission reduction targets, and strategies. The agreement includes a framework for regular monitoring, reporting, and transparency to track progress.
- Global Stocktake:
- Every five years, starting in 2023, countries participate in a global stocktake to assess collective progress towards the agreement’s goals. This process is meant to encourage countries to strengthen their commitments over time.
Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs):
Each country sets its own NDCs, which outline their climate action goals and policies. While the Paris Agreement does not enforce specific emissions reductions, it relies on countries to set increasingly ambitious goals over time.
Significance of the Paris Agreement:
The Paris Agreement marked a historic shift in global climate action because it:
- Established a legally binding framework where nearly every country has committed to fighting climate change.
- Emphasized collective global action rather than focusing solely on the efforts of developed nations.
- Created a path for long-term climate action, emphasizing the importance of limiting global warming to 1.5°C for the safety of future generations.
Current Status:
Nearly all countries have ratified the agreement, though some have faced challenges in meeting their NDCs. The agreement continues to be a focal point of climate negotiations at annual COP meetings, where countries assess progress and set more ambitious targets to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement.
