The Paris Agreement is a historic international agreement that was adopted in December 2015 at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) held in Paris, France. The objective of the Paris Agreement is to limit global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
The Paris Agreement is a legally binding agreement that sets out specific targets and responsibilities for all signatory countries. These targets include reducing greenhouse gas emissions, supporting adaptation efforts, and providing financial support for developing countries to help them transition to low-carbon economies.
The objectives of the Paris Agreement are multi-faceted and complex, but some of the key objectives are:
1. Limiting global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels: The Paris Agreement sets a clear target to limit global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels. This is considered a critical threshold beyond which the impacts of climate change become increasingly severe.
2. Pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels: The Paris Agreement recognizes that limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change. Therefore, it calls for the pursuit of efforts to achieve this target.
3. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions: The Paris Agreement requires all signatory countries to take actions to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. This includes setting national targets for reducing emissions, increasing the use of renewable energy, and implementing measures to improve energy efficiency.
4. Supporting adaptation efforts: The Paris Agreement recognizes that some impacts of climate change are inevitable, and therefore calls for increased efforts to support adaptation. This includes providing funding and support for vulnerable communities to adapt to the impacts of climate change, such as sea-level rise, droughts, and extreme weather events.
5. Mobilizing financial support for developing countries: The Paris Agreement recognizes that developing countries may require financial assistance to transition to low-carbon economies and adapt to the impacts of climate change. The agreement calls for developed countries to provide financial support to help developing countries achieve their climate goals.
Overall, the objectives of the Paris Agreement are ambitious and require significant efforts and commitments from all signatory countries. The agreement represents a historic effort to address the urgent global challenge of climate change and to avoid the worst impacts of a rapidly warming planet.