Paris Agreement — Definition
Definition
The Paris Agreement is a landmark international climate treaty adopted in 2015 that brings together 196 countries in a common cause to combat climate change and adapt to its effects. Unlike previous climate agreements, the Paris Agreement is unique because it combines legally binding and non-legally binding provisions in a single framework.
The core legally binding elements include the obligation for countries to submit nationally determined contributions (NDCs), report on their emissions and implementation efforts, and participate in a global stocktake every five years.
However, the specific emission reduction targets that countries set are not legally binding, allowing for flexibility while maintaining accountability through transparency mechanisms. The Agreement's central goal is to limit global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, with efforts to limit it to 1.
5°C, recognizing that this would significantly reduce climate change risks. This temperature goal is based on scientific evidence showing that beyond 2°C of warming, the world would face catastrophic climate impacts including sea-level rise, extreme weather events, food insecurity, and ecosystem collapse.
The Agreement operates on the principle of 'common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities' (CBDR-RC), acknowledging that while all countries must act, developed nations bear greater historical responsibility for emissions and should lead in mitigation efforts while providing financial and technological support to developing countries.
Each country submits its own climate action plan, known as a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), which outlines how it will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change impacts. These NDCs are not internationally negotiated but are domestically determined, reflecting national circumstances and capabilities.
The Agreement includes a 'ratcheting mechanism' requiring countries to submit new or updated NDCs every five years, with each successive NDC representing a progression beyond the previous one. A global stocktake occurs every five years to assess collective progress toward the Agreement's goals and inform future NDCs.
The Agreement also addresses climate finance, with developed countries committed to mobilizing $100 billion annually by 2020 for developing countries, with a new collective quantified goal to be set before 2025.
Additionally, the Agreement establishes frameworks for technology transfer, capacity building, and addressing loss and damage associated with climate change impacts. For India, the Paris Agreement represents a significant diplomatic achievement as it successfully advocated for the inclusion of CBDR-RC principles and the differentiation between developed and developing countries' responsibilities.
India's NDC commits to reducing the emissions intensity of GDP by 33-35% by 2030 from 2005 levels, achieving 40% cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030, and creating an additional carbon sink of 2.
5-3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover. At COP26 in Glasgow, Prime Minister Modi announced India's 'Panchamrit' (five nectar elements): reaching 500 GW non-fossil energy capacity by 2030, meeting 50% energy requirements from renewable energy by 2030, reducing total projected carbon emissions by one billion tonnes from now to 2030, reducing carbon intensity of the economy by 45% by 2030, and achieving net-zero emissions by 2070.