Let’s Understand Paris Agreement in Simple Words
Paris Agreement
The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty signed in 2015 by 195 countries, including the United States. Its main goal is to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Paris Agreement also aims to strengthen countries’ ability to deal with the impacts of climate change and support them in their efforts to transition to low-carbon, climate-resilient economies.
Under the Paris Agreement, each country determines its own contribution to the global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, called a “nationally determined contribution” (NDC). These contributions are reviewed and updated every five years.
The Paris Agreement also established a financial mechanism to help developing countries transition to low-carbon economies and adapt to the impacts of climate change. It also established a framework for countries to cooperate on various aspects of climate change, including technology development and transfer, capacity building, and the sharing of information.
One of the key elements of the Paris Agreement is that it is designed to be flexible, recognizing that different countries have different circumstances and capabilities. This means that each country can tailor its NDC to its own circumstances and priorities.
The Paris Agreement is seen as an important step forward in the global effort to address climate change and has been widely ratified by countries around the world. However, much more needs to be done to fully implement the Agreement and meet its ambitious goals.
Key Points of Paris Agreement
Here are some key points of the Paris Agreement:
- The main goal of the Paris Agreement is to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels, with a target of limiting it to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
- Countries agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through their nationally determined contributions (NDCs), which are reviewed and updated every five years.
- The Paris Agreement establishes a financial mechanism to help developing countries transition to low-carbon economies and adapt to the impacts of climate change.
- The Agreement also establishes a framework for countries to cooperate on various aspects of climate change, including technology development and transfer, capacity building, and the sharing of information.
- The Paris Agreement is flexible, recognizing that different countries have different circumstances and capabilities, and allows each country to tailor its NDC to its own circumstances and priorities.
- The Agreement is seen as an important step forward in the global effort to address climate change, but much more needs to be done to fully implement it and meet its ambitious goals.
