What is the Paris Agreement?
The Paris Agreement is a legally binding treaty agreed upon at COP21 in Paris by 196 parties to limit global warming well below 2 °C or preferably, 1.5 °C. The agreement calls for global action against climate issues, such as limiting carbon emissions from essential sectors. It also promotes the adoption of decarbonisation and other sustainable strategies in the economy’s energy, transport, and manufacturing sectors. By 2050, all the signatories have plans to work towards achieving a sustainable economy devoid of carbon to minimise the extreme consequences of climate change.
How is the Kyoto Protocol different from the Paris Agreement?
The Kyoto Protocol, which was established in 1997, was the very first international law concerning global warming. It places the obligation on the developed countries whose goal was to reduce the emissions by 5% from the emission levels recorded in 1990. But no limits were imposed on developing countries such as China and India which have a large volume of emissions sources. There was also no coherent long-term policy developed by the treaty and no deadline for the global achievement of the climate-neutral status.
On the contrary, the younger version of the climate change treaty that the countries are looking forward to is the 2015 Paris Agreement and it is widely regarded as one that is more robust because of its inclusivity. All countries despite their developmental status can now create a framework around how much they can contribute towards emissions. The global agreement seeks to keep the rise of the temperature to under 2°C above pre-industrial levels and the aim of 1.5°C with net zero emissions per country targeted for around the second half of the century.
How the Paris Agreement Works
The framework of the Paris Agreement facilitates a comprehensive process for countries to combat greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) and climate change. Here is how it works:
- Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs): NDCs are documents that outline strategies and policies that countries are willing to implement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase their capacity to withstand the effects of climate change. These documents contain voluntary pledges to become more ambitious at five-year intervals, specifically focusing on enhancing 2030 ambitions in order to achieve the Paris Agreement’s target of limiting global warming to 1.5°C.
- Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF): ETF allows parties to the convention to formally present their climate and progress in achieving their initiatives. The earlier mentioned NDCs go through the ETF technical expert reviewing process. Data, formats, and requirements are discussed for the proper reporting and verification system that captures both qualitative and quantitative measures on mitigation and adaptation efforts.
- Global Stocktake and Continuous Improvement: The Global Stocktake occurs globally every five years as a review mechanism for countries to know where they are in terms of achieving the long-term objective established by the Paris Agreement. This process uses documents and data from the ETF to recommend ways for countries to level up their future NDCs, promoting a cycle of continuous improvement in climate commitments.