The Paris Accord

📜 Historical Context

Building upon the foundational UNFCCC adopted in 1992, and the Kyoto Protocol, the Paris Agreement emerged from the need for a more comprehensive and universally applicable framework. The failures of earlier negotiations, like the Copenhagen Accord, highlighted the necessity for a bottom-up approach.

🤝 Negotiation Process

Negotiated at the 2015 UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Le Bourget, France, the agreement was a culmination of extensive diplomatic efforts. Key figures like Christiana Figueres and Laurent Fabius played pivotal roles in guiding the process towards consensus.

🗓️ Timeline

The agreement was opened for signature on Earth Day, 22 April 2016, and entered into force on 4 November 2016, after meeting the ratification threshold of 55 parties accounting for 55% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

⚖️ Structure and Scope

The Paris Agreement is a concise treaty comprising introductory paragraphs and 29 articles. It establishes a binding framework with operational articles on mitigation, adaptation, and finance, while also incorporating flexible provisions to facilitate international collaboration. It covers most greenhouse gas emissions but excludes international aviation and shipping.

📈 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)

Central to the agreement is the concept of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Each party sets its own ambitious targets for emissions reduction and climate action, which are reviewed and updated every five years to ensure progression.

🔍 Global Stocktake

The agreement mandates a Global Stocktake every five years, starting in 2023. This process assesses collective progress towards the treaty's long-term goals, informing future NDCs and encouraging increased ambition among parties.

🔗 Mitigation and Carbon Markets

Article 6 outlines cooperative approaches, including mechanisms for the international transfer of mitigation outcomes (ITMOs) and the establishment of a Sustainable Development Mechanism (SDM). These provisions aim to create a framework for a global carbon market, facilitating cost-effective emissions reductions while avoiding double counting.

🤝 Cooperative Mechanisms

Switzerland has actively engaged in bilateral agreements for ITMOs, signing deals with Peru, Ghana, Senegal, Georgia, Dominica, Vanuatu, Thailand, and Ukraine. These agreements facilitate the transfer of mitigation outcomes to help countries meet their climate targets.

💧 Adaptation and Finance

The agreement places significant emphasis on adaptation, calling for enhanced resilience and reduced vulnerability. It also seeks to balance climate finance between mitigation and adaptation, with a commitment to mobilize substantial funding for developing countries.

⚖️ Loss and Damage

Recognizing that some climate impacts are unavoidable, the Paris Agreement addresses "loss and damage" as a distinct pillar, separate from adaptation. This acknowledges the severe impacts faced by vulnerable nations, though it specifies that the provisions cannot form the basis for liability.

📊 Transparency Framework

An enhanced transparency framework ensures that parties regularly report on their mitigation efforts and support provided. This includes harmonized monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) requirements, with built-in flexibility for developing countries.

⚖️ Litigation and Human Rights

The Paris Agreement has become a significant reference point in climate change litigation, influencing court decisions that hold governments and corporations accountable. It has also been recognized as a human rights treaty, underscoring the intrinsic link between climate action and fundamental rights.

📏 Defining Temperature Goals

The IPCC's 2018 Special Report provided a methodology for defining pre-industrial levels (1850-1900) and measuring global warming as a 30-year average. This standard is crucial for assessing progress towards the Paris Agreement's temperature targets.

📊 Current Projections

Current projections, based on the IPCC methodology, indicate that the 1.5°C warming threshold may be reached in the coming years. This underscores the urgency for accelerated climate action beyond current NDCs.

📜 References