What is Paris Agreement?

The Paris Agreement is a landmark international treaty on climate change, adopted by 196 countries in December 2015 at COP21 in Paris. It represents the most ambitious global effort to combat climate change, with the central goal of limiting global warming to well below 2°C—and ideally 1.5°C—above pre-industrial levels.

The agreement establishes three main objectives:

1. Temperature Goal: Hold global warming to well below 2°C, pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C
2. Adaptation: Increase ability to adapt to climate impacts and foster climate resilience
3. Finance: Make financial flows consistent with low-emission, climate-resilient development

The 1.5°C target is critical—the IPCC warns that impacts at 2°C would be significantly more severe than at 1.5°C, including more extreme heat waves, droughts, and sea level rise.

Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)

Each country submits its own climate action plan, called an NDC, outlining:

• Emissions reduction targets
• Policies to achieve those targets
• Adaptation measures

The Ratchet Mechanism

Countries must submit increasingly ambitious NDCs every five years. This "ratchet" mechanism ensures continuous improvement:

• 2020: First NDC updates due
• 2023: First Global Stocktake assessed progress
• 2025: New NDCs due with enhanced ambition
• 2030: Next Global Stocktake

Transparency Framework

Countries must regularly report their emissions and progress toward targets, ensuring accountability.

Where do we stand on the Paris Agreement goals?

The Good News

• Nearly all countries (195) have ratified the agreement
• Many countries have set net-zero targets (covering ~90% of global emissions)
• Clean energy deployment is accelerating rapidly
• Climate finance has increased significantly

The Challenge

• Current NDCs would lead to ~2.5-2.9°C warming by 2100
• Emissions continue to rise globally
• The 1.5°C budget may be exhausted by the early 2030s
• The 2023 Global Stocktake found the world is "not on track"

Closing the gap requires tripling renewable energy capacity, doubling energy efficiency, and rapidly phasing out fossil fuels.

• European Union: Net-zero by 2050; 55% emissions cut by 2030
• United States: Net-zero by 2050; 50-52% cut by 2030 (from 2005 levels)
• China: Peak emissions before 2030; carbon neutrality by 2060
• India: Net-zero by 2070; 45% emissions intensity reduction by 2030
• UK: Net-zero by 2050; 68% cut by 2030 (from 1990 levels)
• Japan: Net-zero by 2050; 46% cut by 2030

Developed countries committed to mobilize $100 billion annually by 2020 to help developing nations:

• This target was finally met in 2022 (two years late)
• COP28 (2023) agreed to transition away from fossil fuels
• A new finance goal is being negotiated for post-2025
• The Loss and Damage Fund was established in 2023 to help vulnerable countries

Developing countries argue that trillions—not billions—are needed to address climate change equitably.

The Paris Agreement is significant because it:

• United the world: First time nearly every nation agreed on climate action
• Set clear goals: The 1.5°C/2°C targets provide a shared benchmark
• Created accountability: Regular reporting and review of progress
• Drives policy: Countries are implementing laws and policies to meet commitments
• Signals markets: Businesses and investors are shifting toward clean energy

While the agreement alone won't solve climate change, it provides the framework for increasingly ambitious action.

To meet Paris Agreement goals, the world must:

• Triple renewable energy capacity by 2030
• Phase out coal in developed countries by 2030, globally by 2040
• End deforestation and restore degraded lands
• Scale up climate finance to developing nations
• Develop carbon removal technologies
• Strengthen NDCs in 2025 to align with 1.5°C

The next few years are critical. As the IPCC states: "It's now or never" to limit warming to 1.5°C.