Paris Agreement

Background and evolution

The Kyoto Protocol (1997) had set binding emission cuts for developed countries, but the United States never ratified it, and big emerging economies had no targets. The attempt to agree a new comprehensive treaty failed at Copenhagen in 2009. Negotiators learned that a top-down system of assigned targets would not attract universal participation.

The Durban platform of 2011 launched talks for an agreement "applicable to all". Before Paris, countries submitted intended nationally determined contributions, which meant the deal was built from the bottom up. The agreement was adopted at the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) and entered into force within a year, once at least 55 parties accounting for at least 55% of global emissions had ratified it. India ratified it on 2 October 2016, Gandhi Jayanti.

Key features and provisions

• Temperature goal (Article 2): hold the increase in global average temperature well below 2°C and pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5°C.
• NDCs (Article 4): each party prepares and communicates its own contribution; successive NDCs should represent progression and highest possible ambition.
• Long-term goal: reach a balance between emissions and removals in the second half of the century.
• Adaptation (Article 7): a global goal on adaptation to strengthen resilience.
• Loss and damage (Article 8): recognises the importance of averting and addressing harm from climate impacts.
• Finance (Article 9): developed countries provide financial resources to developing countries.
• Transparency (Article 13): an enhanced framework for reporting and review for all parties, with flexibility for developing ones.
• Global stocktake (Article 14): a five-yearly assessment of collective progress.