Environmental Politics Climate Change Politics Questions
The Paris Agreement is an international treaty adopted in 2015 under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Its main goal is to combat climate change by limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The agreement aims to achieve this by:
1. Mitigation: Countries are required to regularly report their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and submit nationally determined contributions (NDCs) outlining their targets and actions. The agreement encourages countries to enhance their efforts over time.
2. Adaptation: The agreement recognizes the need to strengthen societies' ability to adapt to the impacts of climate change. It promotes support for developing countries in building resilience and adapting to climate-related challenges.
3. Finance: Developed countries are expected to provide financial resources to assist developing countries in their climate actions, including both mitigation and adaptation efforts. The agreement sets a goal to mobilize $100 billion annually by 2020, with a commitment to further financial support beyond that.
4. Technology transfer: The agreement promotes the development and transfer of environmentally friendly technologies to support climate action in developing countries.
5. Transparency and accountability: The agreement establishes a robust transparency framework, requiring countries to regularly report on their emissions and progress towards their targets. It also establishes a global stocktake process to assess collective progress towards the agreement's goals.
Overall, the Paris Agreement aims to strengthen the global response to climate change and enhance the implementation of the UNFCCC. It seeks to promote international cooperation, support sustainable development, and protect vulnerable communities and ecosystems from the impacts of climate change.