Climate: The Paris Agreement Flashcards
What and when was it?
2015 UN Climate Change Conference held in Paris.
Where was it negociated?
The COP21 (conference of the parties)
How many countries were involved?
195
When was the agreement adopted?
12 December 2015
When did it open for signatories?
22 April 2016
How many countries signed and ratified the agreement and by when?
195 signed and 143 ratified by April 2017
When and how was the agreement able to come into full effect?
Ratified by enough countries in October 2016 for the agreement to come into full effect in November 2016.
What kind of structure does the agreement have?
Bottom up structure. It allows nations to set their own targets towards achieving agreed climate change mitigation goals.
What does the agreement require countries to do?
Requires all countries to submit emission-reduction plans but acknowledges there will be differences between the types of actions taken.
There is no measure to penalize countries if their targets are not met.
Review every 5 years to show progress compared with the previous period. First mandatory world review: 2025.
Developed countries must provide financial resources to help developing countries.
Other countries are invited to provide support on a voluntary basis.
Rich countries must provide 100 billion dollars from 2020 as a “floor”.
What is the key objective of the agreement?
To limit global warming to 2 degrees C compared with pre-industrial levels.
Also seeks for 0 net anthropogenic GHG emissions between 2050-2100.
When could a 1.5 degree C goal be achieved?
would require 0 net emissions by 2030-50
What makes the agreement less strict than the Kyoto Protocol?
There is no specific deadline for achieving goals. Countries expected to reduce carbon usage “as soon as possible”.
