PARIS AGGREMENT 2015

The Paris Agreement, adopted through Decision 1/CP.21, addresses crucial areas
necessary to combat climate change. Some of the key aspects of the Agreement are set
out below:

1. Long-term temperature goal (Art. 2) – The Paris Agreement, in seeking to strengthen

the global response to climate change, reaffirms the goal of limiting global temperature
increase to well below 2 degrees Celsius, while pursuing efforts to limit the increase to
1.5 degrees.

2. Global peaking and 'climate neutrality' (Art. 4) –To achieve this temperature goal,
Parties aim to reach global peaking of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) as soon as
possible, recognizing peaking will take longer for developing country Parties, so as to
achieve a balance between anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of
GHGs in the second half of the century.

3. Mitigation (Art. 4) – The Paris Agreement establishes binding commitments by all

Parties to prepare, communicate and maintain a nationally determined contribution
(NDC) and to pursue domestic measures to achieve them. It also prescribes that Parties
shall communicate their NDCs every 5 years and provide information necessary for
clarity and transparency. To set a firm foundation for higher ambition, each successive
NDC will represent a progression beyond the previous one and reflect the highest
possible ambition. Developed countries should continue to take the lead by undertaking
absolute economy-wide reduction targets, while developing countries should continue
enhancing their mitigation efforts, and are encouraged to move toward economy-wide
targets over time in the light of different national circumstances.

4. Sinks and reservoirs (Art.5) –The Paris Agreement also encourages Parties to
conserve and enhance, as appropriate, sinks and reservoirs of GHGs as referred to in
Article 4, paragraph 1(d) of the Convention, including forests.

5. Voluntary cooperation/Market- and non-market-based approaches (Art. 6) – The

Paris Agreement recognizes the possibility of voluntary cooperation among Parties to
allow for higher ambition and sets out principles – including environmental integrity,
transparency and robust accounting – for any cooperation that involves internationally
transferal of mitigation outcomes. It establishes a mechanism to contribute to the
mitigation of GHG emissions and support sustainable development, and defines a
framework for non-market approaches to sustainable development.
6. Adaptation (Art. 7) – The Paris Agreement establishes a global goal on adaptation –
of enhancing adaptive capacity, strengthening resilience and reducing vulnerability to
climate change in the context of the temperature goal of the Agreement. It aims to
significantly strengthen national adaptation efforts, including through support and
international cooperation. It recognizes that adaptation is a global challenge faced by
all. All Parties should engage in adaptation, including by formulating and implementing
National Adaptation Plans, and should submit and periodically update an adaptation
communication describing their priorities, needs, plans and actions. The adaptation
efforts of developing countries should be recognized

7. Loss and damage (Art. 8) – The Paris Agreement recognizes the importance of
averting, minimizing and addressing loss and damage associated with the adverse
effects of climate change, including extreme weather events and slow onset events, and
the role of sustainable development in reducing the risk of loss and damage. Parties are
to enhance understanding, action and support, including through the Warsaw
International Mechanism, on a cooperative and facilitative basis with respect to loss
and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change.

8. Finance, technology and capacity-building support (Art. 9, 10 and 11) – The Paris
Agreement reaffirms the obligations of developed countries to support the efforts of
developing country Parties to build clean, climate-resilient futures, while for the first
time encouraging voluntary contributions by other Parties. Provision of resources
should also aim to achieve a balance between adaptation and mitigation. In addition to
reporting on finance already provided, developed country Parties commit to submit
indicative information on future support every two years, including projected levels of
public finance. The agreement also provides that the Financial Mechanism of the
Convention, including the Green Climate Fund (GCF), shall serve the Agreement.
International cooperation on climate-safe technology development and transfer and
building capacity in the developing world are also strengthened: a technology framework
is established under the Agreement and capacity-building activities will be
strengthened through, inter alia, enhanced support for capacity building actions in
developing country Parties and appropriate institutional arrangements. Climate change
education, training as well as public awareness, participation and access to information
(Art 12) is also to be enhanced under the Agreement.

9. Climate change education, training, public awareness, public participation and public
access to information (Art 12) is also to be enhanced under the Agreement.

10. Transparency (Art. 13), implementation and compliance (Art. 15) – The Paris
Agreement relies on a robust transparency and accounting system to provide clarity on
action and support by Parties, with flexibility for their differing capabilities of
Parties. In addition to reporting information on mitigation, adaptation and support, the
Agreement requires that the information submitted by each Party undergoes
international technical expert review. The Agreement also includes a mechanism that
will facilitate implementation and promote compliance in a non-adversarial and non-
punitive manner, and will report annually to the CMA.

11. Global Stocktake (Art. 14) – A “global stocktake”, to take place in 2023 and every 5
years thereafter, will assess collective progress toward achieving the purpose of the
Agreement in a comprehensive and facilitative manner. It will be based on the best
available science and its long-term global goal. Its outcome will inform Parties in
updating and enhancing their actions and support and enhancing international
cooperation on climate action.

Decision 1/CP.21 also sets out a number of measures to enhance action prior
to 2020, including strengthening the technical examination process, enhancement of
provision of urgent finance, technology and support and measures to strengthen high-
level engagement. For 2018 a facilitative dialogue is envisaged to take stock of
collective progress towards the long-term emission reduction goal of Art 4. The
decision also welcomes the efforts of all non-Party stakeholders to address and
respond to climate change, including those of civil society, the private sector, financial
institutions, cities and other subnational authorities. These stakeholders are invited to
scale up their efforts and showcase them via the Non-State Actor Zone for Climate
Action platform (http://climateaction.unfccc.int). Parties also recognized the need to
strengthen the knowledge, technologies, practices and efforts of local communities and
indigenous peoples, as well as the important role of providing incentives through tools
such as domestic policies and carbon pricing.