The Paris Agreement of 2015 Established a Global Agreement to Combat Climate Change

The Paris Agreement of 2015 set out to combat the growing threat of climate change by establishing a global agreement among nations to limit their greenhouse gas emissions. The agreement was created under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and was signed by 195 countries, making it the first universal climate agreement in history.

The main objective of the Paris Agreement is to keep global temperature increase well below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels, and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit). To achieve this, each participating country has committed to setting their own emissions reduction targets and reporting on their progress towards meeting them.

The Paris Agreement is a legally binding agreement that requires all signatories to take action to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, it recognizes the different needs and capabilities of developed and developing countries in taking action against climate change. Developed countries have agreed to provide financial and technological support to developing countries to help them achieve their emissions reduction goals.

One important aspect of the Paris Agreement is the requirement for each signatory to submit a nationally determined contribution (NDC), which outlines their individual emissions reduction targets and the actions they plan to take to achieve them. Each NDC is required to be more ambitious than the previous one, and countries are encouraged to submit new NDCs every five years.

The Paris Agreement also established a transparency framework to ensure that every country is accountable for their emissions reduction progress. Countries are required to report on their emissions and their progress towards meeting their NDCs, and this information will be reviewed by external experts to ensure accuracy and consistency.

The Paris Agreement has been hailed as a major step forward in the fight against climate change. It has galvanized public and private sector action towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and has helped to raise awareness about the impacts of climate change. While there is still much work to be done to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, it represents a crucial first step towards a more sustainable future for all.