Describe the Origins of the Paris Climate Agreement
The Paris Climate Agreement, also known as the Paris Agreement, is a landmark international treaty that aims to address climate change and its devastating effects. It was signed on December 12, 2015, during the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris, France.
The Paris Agreement is the successor to the Kyoto Protocol, which was signed in 1997 but failed to achieve its goals, including reducing carbon emissions. The Paris Agreement aims to be more effective by setting more ambitious targets and involving more countries in the effort to combat climate change.
The origins of the Paris Agreement can be traced back to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which was adopted in 1992. The UNFCCC was established to help countries work together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change. However, it was not legally binding, and there were no specific targets or commitments.
In 2009, the UNFCCC held the Copenhagen Summit, which aimed to negotiate a new global climate agreement to replace the Kyoto Protocol. However, the summit failed to produce a legally binding agreement, and many countries were unable to agree on the details of a new treaty.
The idea for the Paris Agreement was first proposed in 2011, during the UNFCCC Conference of Parties (COP17) in Durban, South Africa. The Durban conference agreed to launch a new round of negotiations to develop a new climate agreement, which would be legally binding and involve all countries, including developing countries.
The negotiations for the Paris Agreement took place over several years, with the final round of talks taking place in Paris in 2015. The negotiations were attended by representatives from over 190 countries, and the final agreement was adopted by consensus.
The Paris Agreement sets a goal of limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, with a target of 1.5 degrees Celsius. It also requires countries to submit their own nationally determined contributions (NDCs) to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which are then reviewed and assessed by the UNFCCC.
The Paris Agreement has been widely celebrated as a historic achievement in the fight against climate change. It is the first global climate agreement to involve all countries, and it sets ambitious targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, there are still concerns that the agreement may not be enough to prevent catastrophic climate change, and more action may be needed in the years to come.