The Paris Agreement of 2015 was a historic global pact aimed at limiting the increase in global average temperature to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, with an aspiration to limit it to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The agreement was adopted by 196 parties at the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Paris in December 2015. The agreement came into force on November 4, 2016, after being ratified by at least 55 parties, which accounted for at least 55% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
The Paris Agreement is a legally binding agreement under international law. It sets out a framework for countries to take action on climate change by setting national goals, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and regularly reporting on their progress towards achieving these goals.
The agreement also establishes a system for tracking progress towards the long-term temperature goal and provides financial and technical support to developing countries to help them transition to a low-carbon economy.
In the United States, the Paris Agreement was signed by President Barack Obama in 2015, but in 2017, President Donald Trump announced the country’s withdrawal from the pact. However, on his first day in office in January 2021, President Joe Biden signed an executive order for the United States to rejoin the Paris Agreement.
The Paris Agreement is a significant step towards addressing the global climate crisis. It is a testament to the ability of nations to come together and work towards a common goal, despite their differences. With the threat of climate change looming large, it is crucial that countries continue to work towards achieving the goals set out in the Paris Agreement and take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate the impacts of climate change.