By Winnie Khaemba

The Paris Agreement on Climate Change is a legal instrument adopted under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The Paris Agreement recognizes climate change as a ‘common concern for mankind’ and urges parties (countries) to be cognizant of gender equality, women empowerment, indigenous peoples, the most vulnerable, persons with disability and inter-generational equity.

Purpose

The Agreement aims to ‘strengthen global response to the threat of climate change in the context of sustainable development and efforts to eradicate poverty’ through: limiting warming to ‘well below 2⁰C’, enhancing ability to adapt and fostering resilience, and ensuring consistency in climate finance.
Implementation of the Agreement will reflect equity and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in light of different national circumstances.

Mitigation

Mitigation action will be through implementation of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
Parties will submit their NDCs when submitting instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession to the Agreement.

Forests

Action should be taken to ‘conserve and enhance sinks and reservoirs of GHGs’ including forests.

Adaptation

The goal of adaptation is to enhance adaptive capacity, strengthen resilience and reduce vulnerability so as to contribute to sustainable development and appropriate response in line with the ‘well below 20C goal’.

loss and damage

Parties recognize the significance of loss and damage and as such parties to the Agreement shall provide oversight on the Warsaw Mechanism for Loss and damage.

Finance

Developed country parties shall provide funds to developing country parties to help them meet their obligations under the Convention.
Under the Agreement, developed country parties shall take lead in resource mobilization from public and other sources of financing. The funds mobilization should represent ‘progression beyond previous efforts’.

Technology

The long-term vision of technology is fully realizing technology development and transfer for improved resilience and green house gas reduction.

Global Stock take

In 2023 at the Conference of Parties (COP) serving as the Meeting of Parties to this Agreement (CMA), and thereafter every five years, will take stock of progress made under the Agreement.

Bodies and mechanisms established in the COP 21 decision and Agreement

• Ad hoc Working Group on the Paris Agreement - takes over from the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform (ADP), which wound down its work at COP 21
• Capacity Building Committee
• Capacity Building Initiative for Transparency - for technical support to developing countries
• A Technology Framework - to provide guidance for the Technology Mechanism under the Convention for enhanced technology development and transfer under the Agreement to realize the long-term vision on technology
• A Technology Framework - to provide guidance for the Technology Mechanism under the Convention for enhanced technology development and transfer under the Agreement to realize the long-term vision on technology
• A mechanism to facilitate implementation - to support compliance with the Agreement
• A mechanism to facilitate implementation - to support compliance with the Agreement

Entry into force

Open for signature in New York from 22^nd April 2016 - 21^st April 2017

Entry into force on the thirtieth day upon ratification, acceptance, approval or accession of 55 parties accounting for 55% of total global emissions.

Depositary: UN Secretary General

The Paris Agreement – Available online here

Download

• Paris Agreement Factsheet